While rummaging around in my closet today, looking for any Christmas presents I may have hidden away that still need to be wrapped, I found a great treasure: a shoebox filled with my old cassette tapes. Strap on your seatbelts, kids. It's time to take a ride through April's Musical Journey! Wheeee!!!
1) New Kids on the Block ~ Merry Merry Christmas. (As if you doubted I'd have that one.)
2) Garth Brooks ~ The Hits. (Yes, I used to listen to country. Quite a bit, I'm afraid. Don't worry; there's more.)
3) Christian mix tape ~ Titled "Lirpa's Mix," this tape held such hits as "Breakfast," by Newsboys (sample lyric: "When the toast has burned and all the milk has churned and Captain Crunch is waving farewell, when the big one finds you may this song remind you that they don't serve breakfast in hell." Awesome, right?) and "His Cheeseburger," by Veggietales, which I used to annoy the crap out of Krista by singing constantly.
4) 12-year-old April's mix tape ~ Featured gooey '90s sweetness, like Belinda Carlisle's "Summer Rain," Eric Carmen's "Make Me Lose Control," and Better Midler's "From a Distance."
5) Pearl Jam ~ Ten. I was in love with "Jeremy."
6) Aerosmith ~ Greatest Hits. I think they've had like eight different "greatest hits" compilations, though.
7) 19 Hot Country Requests, Vol. III. I really think this was my mom's.
8) We Welcome You ~ Praise and Worship Music Sampler. I got this as a freebie when I was a fundraiser for a Christian group in college. Never listened to it.
9) Culture Club ~ Colour by Numbers. Not an original; my mom copied it from someplace else. Then I stole it from her. :)
10) Celine Dion ~ "All by Myself" single. On the flip side "Because You Loved Me," theme song from the movie "Up Close & Personal." hahaha!
11) Sarah McLachlan ~ "Adia" single, also featured "Angel" and "I Will Remember You."
12) New Kids on the Block ~ Hangin' Tough. 17 years later, I finally made it to a concert.
13) Christian mix ~ Jars of Clay. I think I got this from my college freshman roomie. If I remember correctly, the other side has Matchbox 20 songs! ha!
14) The Best of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band ~ 20 Years of Dirt. In my defense, as a little girl I loved the songs "Mr. Bojangles" and "Dance Little Jean." That's a defense, right?
15) The Best of '60s Sock Hop. I used to be obsessed with oldies. This tape had two of my fave songs, "I'm a Believer," by the Monkees, and "Runaway," by Del Shannon.
16) Love song mix from my ex ~ Puke. They're all country, plus one song by Britney Spears.
17) Laughing Hyena ~ Jeff Foxworthy. Ugh. Yes, it's one of those "You Might be a Redneck if ..." tapes. My stepdad gave it to me when I was like 15. You're right, judgmental reader. There IS no excuse for having this tape.
18) Deana Carter ~ Did I Shave My Legs For This? Obviously country. But I loved the song "Strawberry Wine." I really wanted to be that high school girl who lost her virginity to the college boy. It was the Harlequin in me, I suppose.
19) Celine Dion ~ Self-titled album.
20) Mix from Cara in high school ~ Featured "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now," by Starship, "I Want to Know What Love Is," by Foreigner, and "Let's Hear It For The Boy," by Deniece Williams.
21) Hootie & the Blowfish ~ Cracked Rear View. I'm pretty sure I got it at a garage sale. Best find ever?
22) Boyz II Men ~ Cooleyhighharmony. I wore that bad boy OUT!
23) Jeff Carson ~ Country, of course. My mom got it for me because we like the song "The Car." It made her sad cuz I was going off to college.
24) "Cocktail" soundtrack ~ Who didn't own this one?
25) Tim McGraw ~ Not A Moment Too Soon. Fine. I admit it. I used to have a crush on him. Happy now, jerks?
26) Whitney Houston ~ "I Will Always Love You" single. Loved it. Loved "The Bodyguard." Loved her. Loved Costner. Loved it.
27) "The Sound of Music" soundtrack ~ Meow, Captain Von Trapp.
28) Meredith Brooks ~ "Bitch" single. I could swear and not get in trouble! It was awesome!
29) Bon Jovi ~ Keep the Faith. Only song I liked was "Bed of Roses."
30)
Shai ~ If I Ever Fall In Love. Loved that song and its follow-up "Baby I'm Yours."
31) Ritchie Valens ~ I don't know why. I blame the movie "La Bamba."
32) Whitney Houston ~ I'm Your Baby Tonight. Great album. I love me some Whitney.
33) Mariah Carey ~ Self-titled album. Dudes, I totes sang along with this tape every night! My stepdad continually yelled up the stairs for me to shut up. But nothing could hold back my tear-filled rendition of "I Don't Wanna Cry."
34) Soho ~ "Hippychick" single. I have no idea why I got this tape, or how I'd ever even knew the song.
35) 20 Greatest Hits 1961 ~ Only song I even know on there is "Duke of Earl."
36) "
Boomerang soundtrack " ~ I have a perfectly logical explanation for this, so put down your pitchforks and torches. I wanted the Boyz II Men album with the song "End of the Road" for Christmas. So my grandma went to Sam Goody (now out of business) and asked exactly for the tape with that song. And they give her this soundtrack, which does have the song, but it wasn't what I wanted. What would you have me do? Spit in my dear Gram's face? I think not!
37) John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band ~ "Eddie and the Cruisers" soundtrack. Shut up.
38) John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band ~ "Eddie and the Cruisers II" soundtrack. Shut up!
39) Toby Keith ~ Ay yi yi. I'm ever so regretful. I really liked the song "Should've Been a Cowboy."
40) "Les Miserables" soundtrack ~ Saw the show in high school. My stepdad bought me this tape in Eau Claire. Then on the way home, he fell asleep at the wheel and almost killed us. Ah, memories.
41) New Kids on the Block ~ Merry Merry Christmas. Duplicate from Kristen.
42) Mix from Jolene ~ Features "In the Ghetto" (I forget who sang that version) and "At Last," by Etta James.
43) College graduation mix from Jolene ~ Featured "April Come She Will," by Simon and Garfunkel, and "Alone," by Heart.
Now, return the favor and name some of
your more embarrassing musical memories. I know you have some!
