Turn to Stone

ELO always reminds me of my ex-girlfriend's parents. One of the rock bands they returned to loving after having banned all pop culture for several years to do right by Jesus. Interesting that this song evokes the story of Lot in Genesis. Hopefully none of us will turn to stone for enjoying ELO; we might rock out, though.

Artist: ELO
Year: 1977
Rating: Luke Hot

Apologies for bad puns.

Tom Sawyer

This song was hot in 1982 when I was in a fifth-sixth grade combination class at Daves Avenue School in Los Gatos, California. One of the sixth graders convinced Mrs. Ringsted to play it in class during the time we were reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The class also took a field trip to the Town & Country shopping center on Winchester and Stevens Creek Boulevard in San Jose to see a revival screening of the 1973 film Tom Sawyer, starring little Johnny Whitaker and everybody's favorite Surprise! Hollywood! Lesbian! Jodie Foster.

Post Script: The janky, underpopulated Town and Country Village is long-since defunct, and currently the site of upscale "Satan Row" as we call it in the San Jo vernacular. Where have all the old strip malls gone? Sigh.

And this is the string of memory I recall whenever I hear that opening Middle Earth-Meets Outerspace synth line and firm Neil Peart drum intro.

Artist: Rush
Year: 1981
Rating: Hot!

If You Leave Me Now

Cheesy or not, Cetera and Co. hit on the anticipatory anxiety of loss that is a nearly universal human emotion: leave me, and part of me, surely, will die. Am I feeling this epic about the anticipation of lost love today? Part of my mental tinkerings always go to this well-trodden topic.

Artist: Chicago
Year: 1976
Rating: Luke Hot

Another classic tune from the Bicentennial Year!

Note: This song has appeared in the blog before, as part of a Chicago retrospect entry.