Kokomo

I was listening to "Kokomo" by the Beach Boys today. I remember when it came out back in 1988.

I remember thinking, "Who are these old guys?  And Uncle Jesse from Full House is with them."  The song was huge. I just couldn't see what the big deal was.

At the time, I listened to 1980's rock. Groups like Van Halen, Def Leppard, and Twisted Sister. My musical tastes were limited, to say the least.

I remember watching MTV (back when they actually played music) and saw this video.

I remember thinking "Who's the old guy with Michael Jackson?"  (Now that I'm in my 40's, Paul, at 41 in the video, doesn't look so old anymore.)

Since that time, I started reading the liner notes included in the albums. Usually they would list people that helped in the making of those albums. Also, bands would sometimes list those other bands who influenced them. So I determined to find music by those influential groups and artists and listen to them. By doing this, my mind was blown!

It started slowly. The groups I listened to we're influenced by groups such as Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd (which is still my favorite). So I got into those groups and also found out who influenced them. The Beatles, the Beach Boys.

So, what's my point?  You should keep your mind open to new (or old) experiences.  By finding out those things that inspired my favorite artists, I was able to move beyond them and discover new favorites.  Instead of being bound to the 1980's hair bands, I've moved on and now I listen to quite a number of genres.  Even Disco.

Additional Note:  Those who know me know that I'm an extreme Disney-phile.  If I'm able, I turn most any conversation to the Disney parks or movies.  So here goes...

The video for Kokomo was filmed at the Grand Floridian Resort at Walt Disney World, which hadn't even opened to the public.  The Beach Boys were the first guests ever to stay there.