Something Like Nostalgia

One night in the fall of 1990, while just a freshman at Central Michigan University listening to music, I remember a conversation with my roommate, Brian.  

It started out like this: "Funny, some day these songs are going to be 'oldies.'" 

Now, thirty–some years later, they're not oldies anymore, they're classics.

In September 1991, Guns 'n' Roses put out two albums in the same day, Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II. At the time, it seemed like the double disk drop was just a blip on GNR's radar screen. It wasn't until 17 years later that they put our a studio–recorded follow–up, Chinese Democracy. You still hear the first chords to "Sweet Child O' Mine," from GNR's huge commercial break–through, Appetite for Destruction, and you remember something you did back in '87. But, that album was on the shelves for about nine months before MTV broke "Welcome to the Jungle."

By no means did I set out to suggest that GNR is nostalgia. People recently paid close to a thousand dollars to go see Australian rockers ACDC in what is basically a tribute band. I remember seeing them in 1991 and thinking, "Wow, they're old for rock 'n' rollers." A whole new generation follows them now (and I think I was part of the second or third generation of ACDC fans ... )

Music makes us remember. Music sets the tone. I can remember where I was and what I was doing the first time I heard certain songs. The first time I heard "We Didn't Start the Fire" (a young 18 years old, or so — I was a Billy Joel fan ... have been since I was 6) I thought it was terrible. 

"Billy trying to rap," I said my friend Bru. 

Of course, the song grew on me. 

I used to buy music when it was brand new because I wanted to be the one to recommend a new hit or album, or artist.

Nostalgia. It's caused by music. 

Songs set the tone for so much of what we do. If you've ever sung along, and draped your arms around all the people in your row, to Billy Joel's "Piano Man," you can't help but think of that moment in Chicago in 1993 ... right? Or at the Palace in '90 . Music sets the moment.

It used to be ... back in '77 or so, when my parents would play Jimmy Buffett's album Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes that you knew they were having company. The party music morphed into constant music, though. But the song "Margaritaville" meant "good times." Oh, and Amy and Rick needed to stay downstairs ...

Nostalgia. Memories. Thinking back. How many times have we said, "We're making memories" ? 

That, my friends, is nostalgia.

Rock on ...