The Wonder Years

Jeff has been posting a lot of LP's that bring back a lot of teenage memories for me. From "USA for Africa" to "Asia", I have most all of the LP's in my extended collection that he has posted. I tried to take pictures of some of my favorites, but a photographer, I am not. So I will just list some of my favorite Lp's from my teenage years. I would insert some old photos from High School, but with Tammie and I moving very soon, we have them all packed up in boxes.
So if you would, Walk with me down memory lane to "The Wonder Years".
"Charlies Angels", "The Love Boat", "Fantasy Island", "Happy Days" were just some of my favorite shows that I watched. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why a teenage boy was so infatuated with "Charlies Angels". I was in love with Farrah Fawcet Majors, and Jacqueline Smith. And when Tanya Roberts was introduced, I fell even more in love. In sports, I followed the Miami Dolphins from their perfect season and throughout all of my childhood. In those days, I was a bigger fan of the Miami Dolphins than I was of the Arkansas Razorbacks. However, Just as evident, in my life today, music was my favorite past time, and the poor Lp's that I loved the most, were abused over and over again, leaving me with very scratchy and disfigured Lp's. AC/DC's "Back in Black" / Def Leppard's "Pyromania" / and Foreigner "4" are just a few of the overplayed Lp's in my collection. But what was played the most? Journey had several with "Infinity" "Evolution" "Departure" and "Captured", but the most played by them was "Escape". Kansas boasted several with "Point of Know Return", "Leftoverture", and "Two For the Show", the most overplayed by them was "Audio Visions". For a few years during my teenage years, "Styx" was my favorite group until Journey took over the #1 spot for good. I would sit in class just like several other millions of students throughout the nation doodling on notebooks and notebook paper. My doodles consisted mostly of the "STYX" logo. It was very unique and intriguing. A friend of mine once told me that it would be cool if I spelt my name that way. Hence the user name, "STOXE" was born. I overplayed several Styx Lp's such as "Equinox" , "Crystal Ball", "The Grand illusion" , "Pieces of Eight" , "Cornerstone" , and "Paradise Theatre". I saw them in concert three times and couldn't begin to tell you which LP got the most play time. I give away my age when I tell you that I had most of these on "8 track" also. My Easter Egg 1974 yellow Ford Pinto had an 8 Track player in it. What a chick magnet. How else do you think I landed that hot pistol of a wife of mine ? But still, the most overplayed are not among any of these that I have named. What are they ? As I go through my collection and pull out "my favorites", many Lp's are stacked in front of me. Both of Boston's first two Lp's make the list along with, "Eagles Live", Ted Nugent's "Double Live Gonzo" "Cat Scratch Fever" and his Lp titled "Ted Nugent", Rush "Exit Stage Left" , Loverboy "Get Lucky", Aerosmith "Toys in the Attic", Cheap Trick "In Color, and in Black and White" , Elton John's "Greatest Hits Vol. 1 and 2" , Van Halen "1 and 2" , 38 Special "Special Forces" , REO Speedwagon "Hi Infidelity" , Little River Band "Time Exposure" , Eddie Money "No Control" , Toto "IV" , Alan Parson's Project "I Robot" , but still the most overplayed has not been listed. The most overplayed LP of "The Wonder Years" arrives at a tie. It comes down between Queen's "A Night at the Opera" , and Pink Floyd's "The Wall". I know every song on each of these Lp's by heart. If any of these songs were on a karoke machine, I could sing them with confidence without looking at the lyrics on the screen and would be able to put on a performance. I remember countless nights of lying in the middle of my shagged carpet bedroom floor, with all of the lights off listening through my huge headphones that looked like ear warmers. I had two of those "canned light bulb" lights that looked as if it was sending electricity through a fluorescent light bulb. I also had a strobe light and a miniature "disco ball light" and I would have at least one of these items on while I was enjoying my favorite long plays. I didn't need any drug to enjoy some of the demented songs from each of these groups, I was and still am, "naturally High" from the music. So naturally high that I actually became, as Pink Floyd would say, "Comfortably Numb".
So I hope that you have enjoyed my walk down memory lane, I know I have.....
Good Day and
ROCK ON