Musical Firsts and Stories
Do you remember your first CD? What about your first cassette tape? For the older folks out there, what was your first record or 8-track?
The first album that I ever owned bought was, believe it or not, Vanilla Ice’s To the Extreme. This was back in middle school, probably during 7th grade, but I really don’t remember for sure. I do know that I didn’t own it for long, though. Here comes a story 
While listening to it one day, I went to take a shower. Mom walked by my room while “Hooked,” a particularly “dirty” song, was playing and immediately took it away from me. Ah, man, that was my Vanilla Ice! How could she do that?!?
I didn’t know what she had done with it, but I was determined to play detective and find it (I was a big Hardy Boys’ fan at the time and in love with character Callie Shaw 
). I thought she had thrown it away, so I first looked through the garbage with no success. Either the garbage had already been taken out, or it was still alive somewhere. There was still hope! After a few more days of looking, success! There it was, stashed in the top shelf of a cabinet, buried under some gift wrap and plastic bags. Thrilled at my find and my sleuthing skills, I was at least smart enough to leave it alone for the time being. It wouldn’t have done me any good to take it back, anyway, so I retreated to my room to come up with a plan.
Ah-ha, I had it!
Next time my mom and dad were out of the house, I grabbed it, ran to my room and proceeded to dub a copy. Just in case they came back before it was done, I hid the boom box in my closet and turned the volume down. Yes! Victory is mine!
Uh oh! Good thing I took precautions. They had come back before it was finished! Now I had another problem…I was holding evidence of my crime - the original cassette. Now I’d have to sneak it back when they weren’t looking and the sooner the better. No prob, thanks to Frank and Joe Hardy’s detective school
AH! Now I had another problem - when would I be able to listen to it? If mom heard me listening to it again, I would be seriously grounded. The walkman! Yes, I’d be able to listen to it using my trusty Sony Walkman and headphones. I couldn’t listen in the house, though, because they’d be suspicious. I was just going to have to be patient and wait for a chance.
It soon came, a day or two later when I was asked to mow the grass. I grabbed my headphones and walkman and fired up the lawnmower. I hit play and started circling the backyard. Silence. I hit the brakes and fiddled with the walkman, wondering what was wrong. I turned up the volume some and still nothing. I stopped and started the player and still didn’t hear any Ice. Surely it dubbed okay! Out of frustration, I cranked the volume all the way up and hit more buttons. Wait - I heard something. I cranked the volume again and heard the faint, but sweet sounds of “Ice Ice Baby.” Then it dawned on me that by lowering the volume on the boom box while dubbing, I had caused it to be recorded at an low volume. Stink! I could barely hear it while the lawnmower was idling, so I had a very hard time listening while actually mowing. Bummer.
Lightbulb! Later that night, I hid my walkman in the crack between the mattress and the headboard. Once my mom had tucked me in and left the room, I pulled it out, hit play and went to sleep listening to the smoothing strains of Vanilla Ice. Word to your mother!
Ah, childhood memories
The first cassette single that I owned (and maybe my first cassette tape, period - timeline’s a bit fuzzy, so I don’t know if it came before or after Vanilla Ice) was I’ll Be There by the Escape Club. I think mom liked it better anyway.
The first compact disc that I even owned was Clay Crosse’s My Place Is With You. I think I got it my junior year in high school, and actually ended up with two copies - the one I bought and then as a Christmas present later that year. I liked it at the time, but that’s definitely not my musical taste anymore. Boring!
Hah, here’s another related story that just came to mind. Well, not really a story, but funny anecdote at least. My brother and I (sorry, bro, but I am dragging you into this ) were fans of M.C. Hammer. (Actually, he was just Hammer at this time of this story, but I digress.) For whatever reason, we actually argued about who was going to buy Hammer’s latest masterpiece Too Legit To Quit. David owned Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt ‘Em so I wanted to be the one to get Legit. I remember standing on the front porch one day, watching him and dad as they walked to the car to go shopping somewhere, threatening him not to get it. He didn’t and I ended up buying it soon thereafter. I made him of copy of the tape and all was well with the world Who knows why we thought that we both couldn’t buy it, or why I felt that I had to be the one to spend my money on it. I’m sure good ol’ David would have made me a copy anyway.
So, what were your musical firsts?
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Feb 8th, 2006 at 21:05:06
I can say that I remember all of that. I thought I told you about the tape in the cabinent one day when I saw mom getting things out to wrap a present, but that could have been after you discovered it. I do remember the buying cassette ordeal. I remember as well, our discussions over who was better, mc hammer or vanilla ice. Fun times.
Feb 8th, 2006 at 22:28:27
Well my musical firsts were not by choice… But it’s all good.
The Beatles, Barry Manilow, and some Moody Blues were the first artists I ever really knew (and kinda liked).
Until I got into school, and even then until probably the 2nd grade, the only music I ever really heard was that of the Beatles (thanks to my mom that is
)
When I was an infant appearently Barry Manilow tapes would calm me in the hospital when my parents would have to leave. And I heard a lot of him in my early years too.
My first (and only) cassette was ‘Flaming Pie’ by Barry Manilow. I think I was in the first of second grade then. I really loved it, played it over and over.
My first CD would technically be ‘Yellow Submarine’ by the Beatles, that was in the 4th grade. Though I’ll pretend that never happend heh
. The first CD I bought on my own free will wasn’t until the 7th grade. It was Avril Lavigne’s ‘Let Go’. I really liked it. Though today I can’t believe I ever listend to such a (imitation at that) corny, poppy artist. (Her second album, however, is a lot different musically, and I enjoy it very much!)
Today I mostly listen the the Christian Rock scene, and ska music of all kind. I also still enjoy jazz and blues very much as well.
Oh, and I loved that story very much there Chris. Yea, I won’t instigate anymore here. I have a grin on my face right now haha. Well, okay, I’ll shut up now
Feb 9th, 2006 at 07:25:34
Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I forgot about this… While To the Extreme was the first album I bought “of my own free will,” as Bryan phrased it, Michael Jackson’s Thriller was actually the first album I ever got. I believe my maternal grandparents bought that for me in kindergarten or first grade. I remember getting it at my great-grandma’s house in Erlanger. Can’t believe I forgot about that at first.
Feb 9th, 2006 at 09:31:01
My first cassette tapes were Tear for Fears and Run DMC, which like you Chris my Mom took away my Run DMC tape. I eventually got it back though and didn’t have to do any investigative work. I can’t remember what my first cd was. I basically listen to Christian music now, one of my favorite Christian groups is Mercy Me, great lyrics. But I do like all kinds of music from Bluegrass to Rock and from Old Jazz to Country. One music I can’t stand anymore is rap kind of ironic since one of my first tapes was a rap group. I guess I have grown up.
Feb 9th, 2006 at 11:14:07
I know my first record I bought (how’s that for making me feel old) was a 45 of Walk like an Egyptian. Thats when I lived in VA. Well, i think that was the first. But thinking harder it may have been a 45 of Rock Me Amadeus. I think my first CD was a Metallica one. NO clue what my first casette was. My first MP3 was the Mighty Mighty Bosstones “More Noise and Other Disturbances”. I think.
Feb 9th, 2006 at 17:04:44
Haha, Paul, the Bengals mention the Hardy Boys in “Walk Like an Egyptian”
Feb 9th, 2006 at 22:15:17
I think my first cassette was a mixture of my older sisters records, technically I didn’t buy the music but…First one I actually bought was Anthrax, think the title was “Attack of the Killer Bees” (explicit version) or something like that, then it was onto Megadeth and Guns ‘N Roses then onto Metallica.
I think my first CD was Metallica “And Justice”
Feb 10th, 2006 at 00:06:07
My first tape that I bought was Whitney Houston’s first big album. The one with “Greatest Love of All.” Oh, and then there was Michael Jackson’s Thriller. My first record that I purchased myself was in 1st grade I bought a record of the single “We are the World.” I can’t believe I’m admitting that I’m old enough to know how to work a record player. *Sigh*
Feb 10th, 2006 at 08:30:12
The first tape I ever bought, which I still have, is dc talk - actually I got their self-titled debut thingy and “Nu Thang” at the same time and just about wore them both out.
I also remember this one time in middle school a friend gave me an Ace of Base tape for my birthday. (I saw the sign…) My mom thought it was bad and threw it away and I don’t remember being too upset about it.
Feb 11th, 2006 at 01:25:42
I bought the Ace of Base tape in 92 or 93, don’t remember…Just remember it was before I was married.
Feb 11th, 2006 at 20:54:33
Chris, didn’t you go out and by Ace of Base as well…I think you had their second album as well…..
Feb 11th, 2006 at 22:00:14
Yeah, I have Ace of Base’s “The Sign.” Don’t know if I ever had their second one, though.