The stories behind the albums

Sorry about the long hiatus, but I am indeed back and better than ever. Today, I did a thing on Facebook that a friend tagged me to do forever ago. It's a list of 15 albums that will always stick with you. You're supposed to think of them quickly, in no more than 15 minutes. As I was compiling my list today, I realized that there were stories behind the albums. And of course, I wanted to tell those stories. So here they are.

1. Everclear - So Much for the Afterglow. I came to love this album during a particularly turbulent and amazing time. I was single, living with my two roommates in Brooklyn (and later Queens), teaching middle school by day, and maintaining a heroic partying schedule by night. The album had a song for every mood, and it inspired me to start writing my first novel...which I then finished seven years later.

2. B-52s - Cosmic Thing. This was the last album I bought on vinyl. It came out when I was in high school and I listened to it constantly. Different songs on this album remind me of different people. "Love Shack", for example, reminds me of Heather, while "Deadbeat Club" reminds me of Michele and how we wore those togas at her birthday party that time. I love many of the B-52s' albums, but this one probably shows their best musicianship and is certainly the cleanest production of the lot. I love this album because the good high school memories it stirs up are incredibly strong.

3. The Smiths - The Queen is Dead. I gotta thank my sister for this one. She had the album (again, on vinyl) and she told me it was a good one. I made a tape of it so I could listen on my Sony Walkman (God, I am OLD), and it was a revelation. Morrissey's lyrics, Johnny Marr's guitar...guh. So freaking good. I started listening to the Smiths in eighth grade, so when everyone else was going nuts for "Pour Some Sugar on Me," I was listening to songs that mentioned Keats and Yeats and I felt smart and cool.

4. Little Shop of Horrors Soundtrack (1986 film version). I liked the movie and I loved the music and I listened to this album a lot, as only a musical theater geek can. But the notable thing about this album--at least to me--was that it was the first music I can remember hearing very clearly in my head. Of course I could imagine music before this, but my mind's ear must have been starting to develop at this time, and I was flat out amazed at how much detail of this music I could recreate in my head. That skill is probably one of the reasons I became a musician.

5. Pixies - Velouria Live. In relationships, it's important for people to feel that there are some things that belong only to them. This album was one of those things for me. At the time I acquired it, I needed something I didn't share with my significant other and this album became that. I love the Pixies so much, and when I hear "Wave of Mutilation," my soul sings in utter joy.

6. Muse - Absolution. This album just blew me away. It is beautiful and complex and interesting, and even after listening to it a whole lot of times, I still keep finding new things to love about it. It is a complete soundscape, and it is thoroughly a work of art from first note to last.

7. Mindless Self Indulgence - Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy. This album was a doorway to another world. Once again, it was something that belonged only to me and that was a precious thing at the time. Also, I really like the music and the lyrics often make me laugh because they are ridiculous.

8. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head. Coldplay is everybody's whipping boy, but y'all can eat it because this is a great album. Not only are the songs beautifully crafted, but at the time I got it as a gift, the album really felt like the soundtrack to something I was reading at the time. I got swept up into this story, and the music just seemed to make the sweeping all the more intense. My imagination woke up and I started writing a lot. It was a really good thing for me.

9. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Mother’s Milk. Picture it: High school. Mary's boyfriend Alex--who was much older than all of us--had the poster for this album up on his wall. I got the cassette tape and listened to it a whole lot. We used to have sing-alongs in Heather's car to "Knock Me Down" and we wrote alternate lyrics to "Subway to Venus." I know everybody likes Blood Sugar Sex Magik better, but for me, the Red Hots peaked with Mother's Milk and "Breaking the Girl" (from Blood Sugar Sex Magik). You can keep everything that happened afterwards. Please keep it. No, seriously, I pretty much hate all of it after this.

10. Michael Jackson - Thriller. OMG, this album was important to me. I was barely 10 when it came out and it just freaking owned. I loved the songs and the videos. Especially "Thriller." That video was amazing. And if you asked me right now, I'd be able to recite all of Vincent Price's "Rap" from the end of the song. I could probably also do a passable version of the Thriller dance from the video.

11. Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra - Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. They're not the greatest orchestra in the world, but they played a pretty decent Rhapsody in Blue. They do a repeat that no one else ever does so since I got this album when I was about 12, I always expect to hear that repeat. This piece made me want to understand the way music worked. I get it now.

12. Temple of Doom Soundtrack - Christmas of 1984, my sister and I received this cassette as a gift. I listened to it for months. I was fascinated by the sound of the orchestra and I was fairly obsessed with the Chinese version of "Anything Goes." I used to tap dance to the instrumental interlude in my basement. Yes, I was/am that dorky.

13. South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut Soundtrack. I couldn't believe how good this movie was. And I couldn't believe how perfectly Trey Parker and Marc Shaiman had captured different styles of musical numbers. A few years ago, I actually did an academic paper on the use of musical parody in this movie. Also, I can sing you "La Resistance (Medley)" all by myself. It's great for long car trips.

14. Fatboy Slim - You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby. Back in the 90s, I heard this and thought: this is the future of music and I am cool with that! I used to listen to it on my way to my job at the middle school in Brooklyn. The first song reminds me of being on the train as it went over the Manhattan Bridge as the sun was coming up over the city.

15. Beastie Boys - To the Five Boroughs. A musical ode to New York City. There is stuff referenced on this album that only New Yorkers would know, so listening to it feels like being in an exclusive club. The album cover features a beautiful drawing of Manhattan including the Twin Towers. The BBs address a lot of post 9/11 feelings and attitudes, praising the city for its resilience. I published a paper on this album a couple of years ago. To the Five Boroughs is funny as hell in places. That Adrock, he still cracks me up.

The 15 Commandments

I was waiting for someone on Saturday, and whilst waiting I was reading a story in the New Yorker about Zappos. You know, the shoe company. Zappos has a really intricate customer service policy and a pretty neat mission statement. Well, even though I've done mission statements in the past (they're great for a bulletin board!), I was inspired to think up some rules for myself. You might find some of them useful too. Call them my 15 Commandments. Because sometimes, 10 just isn't enough.

1. Visit New York at least once a year.

NY is where my family lives, so this one means go and connect with family. Remember who you are and where you came from. Also, drink and laugh with the people who made you.

2. Talk to family at least once a week.

No matter where I am in the world, no matter what I'm doing, it's a good idea to talk to parents, sister, or grandmothers. Which reminds me, I forgot to call my grandmas yesterday. Must do it today.

3. Don't lose sleep for work.

Work will be there in the morning. It's better to call it a night and start fresh in the morning than lose a night's sleep over work. Losing sleep is not healthy for me, and the repercussions last longer than a single night. Besides, sleep is where I'm a Viking.

4. Be open to new ideas.

I don't want to be one of those set-in-her-ways people. I reserve the right to reject an idea after I've given it some thought, but being open to new ideas, things, and people is definitely a good plan.

5. Don't be afraid to let old ideas go.

If it ain't working, get rid of it. It's better to admit that it's wrong than to waste time and energy trying to make it right. You can waste a lot of time, energy, money, etc. on such things. Believe me, I know.

6. Be truthful whenever possible.

This is a new one for me. I'm not saying I'm a liar, but it has in the past been my modus operandi to say I'm ok when I'm not, or to agree to something when I wasn't 100% convinced. I'm trying to be more truthful about my feelings and opinions, especially with loved ones. I'm pretty honest at work. It's just in the social life where I roll with the punches maybe a bit too often.

7. Make time for a friend.

I originally wrote "Make time for a meal with a friend" because nothing is better than sitting down to breakfast, lunch, or dinner with someone you love. Catching up is important and it's worth the time. Sure, you can grab lunch in 15 minutes at a drive through, but do you get to reminisce about that time we did that crazy thing? Do you get to drink a glass of wine? Do you get to laugh? I changed it to "Make time for a friend" because some of my friends live far away and a meal is pretty impossible. But I can make a phone date and catch up.

8. Write as often as possible.

For me, this is hard because writing takes a backseat to my other jobs. I do it when everything else is done. And guess what, everything else never gets done. So I just have to prioritize. Blogging every week seems to help this so at the very least, I'll do that.

9. Focus your energy on important tasks.

I am a laser beam sometimes. When I was writing my dissertation, I was a laser beam. I was focused and disciplined, and it was one of the most productive times in my life. I don't always find this focus nowadays. My energy is diffused in too many directions, but I plan to streamline a little bit so I can get some of that focus back.

10. Keep a journal.

Absolutely essential for me. Keeps me honest with myself. Should only be published after my death. And the deaths of everyone that's in it.

11. Be kind and fair.

Probably the thing I find the easiest to do.

12. Allow yourself a break now and then.

Probably the thing I find most difficult. It's like I have two settings: I'm either productive, getting stuff done, or I'm lazy and useless. There's only a sliver of ground between these now. It's a challenge to turn the computer off and stop working. It's hard for me to just sit, but I've been cultivating mindfulness, and it's been miraculous. If only I could just do it more often.

13. Visit at least one new place a year.

It's a big planet, and I haven't even seen the pyramids yet. I've gone a lot of places so far, but I think that it's a good idea to aim for a new destination every year. Ireland, Amsterdam, hell, I've never been to Chicago. The experience is always going to be worth the time and the money.

14. Be generous with your time and talent, but save some for yourself.

You can give so much away that you become empty, but only if you don't take care of yourself. I have to keep enriching myself and feeding myself so that there's always something to share. If I do that, I'll never run out.

15. Use anger as a fuel, not a weapon.

You're pissed off, right? Annoyed at something? Let it spur you to action. Let it be the combustion that drives your engine. Do something about it. Or just do something. Go for a run, start a campaign, talk it out with someone, vote, blog, rescue a kitten, donate some money, draw a picture, organize a committee, write a letter, seek out a hug, cry and then dry your tears and think of something you can do about it. For God's sake, don't yell at people, hit anyone, drive unsafely, destroy inanimate objects, waste time with blame, or just let it seethe. Anger is powerful so USE it to light up a city.

And a bonus one:

Laugh.

At most things. At things that are overly serious. At the driver who's making you late. At the way things appear to be falling apart. At yourself. In the grand scheme of things, it'll probably be okay. So take a step back and see the ridiculousness. You'll live longer.