Yesterday I was sitting in my office working. I had music playing while I worked, as I normally do. I am really a music lover, going way back to my childhood.
As one song came to an end a new song started playing, I instinctively reached over to the volume control and turned up the volume, before the song even got a chance to get started. It then suddenly hit me… why did I turn it up?
I thought about that for a few minutes, and the only thing that I could come up with is that there are just certain songs where we want it to be loud! We want to be totally engrossed in the music when certain songs play. Certainly, it is different songs that give us that reaction – different songs for different people.
As I thought about it, I realized that for me, and I think for many people of my age, the ultimate “turn it up” song is “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynrd Skynrd. I mean at the beginning of the song one of the band members says into the microphone – “turn it up” – and I think we all do. At least I know that I do. Something about that song that it just has to be loud. It has to envelop us while we listen.
What are your “turn it up” songs? I’d be interested in hearing! For me, certainly Sweet Home Alabama, and others too. Anything by Boston. Let’s hear yours!
Depends on the mix. I can play Clash “Combat Rock” fairly loud— the new Foo Fighters one—too loud I get bass fatigue and start nodding off. Oh I play mostly vinyl through a high end system.
Many good one sin my collection: http://www.discogs.com/user/armyslowrdr/collection
Argent is always a good bet. Foghat. A lot of classic rock… but it seems the earlier the better to assure an undistorted and caring mix. Too much of today’s rock is just a blur with most everything mixed dead center…no fun.
Cool Pete. Thanks for sharing and keep jamming.
For me several songs but in general a lot of stuff by “the Who”, Won’t Get Fooled Again. Creedence, Fortunate Son.
Yep! Those songs make sense to me, Robert!
Also to expand certain favorite tunes regardless of mix or recording quality will coz a turn up in volume:
Gerry Rafferty–Baker Street
Great White–Once Bitten, Twice Shy
Saliva–King of the Stereo
Theory of a Deadman–Bad Girlfriend and Porn Star Dancing
and keeping it classic—the entire Styx Paradise Theater album.
It is a must with some numbers, it just sound better, more realistic like the concert.
I do it with a lot of numbers, but to mention just a couple: Pink Floyd – all the time
Stevie Ray Vaughn, Good Texas blues….gotta turn up the volume,
To enjoy details and the feel – it has to be turned up 🙂
Oh, you are so right on those, Axel. You gotta get into the concert mood on those bands.
For sure—have you heard of the Texas Hippie Coalition / That is some wild ass rock right there.
In other Texas Rock News–ZZ Top is playing Fayette County Fair Saturday Laborday weekend. The band that made Lagrange famous is finally actually going to play there !
I am with you completely on Gerry Rafferty.
I will have to check out Texas Hillbilly Coalition. Never heard of them.
Hey Dad,
I’ve got quite a few, lol. Basically everything from Green Day, Blink 182, The Story so Far, +44, Box Car Racer and Rage Against the Machine. A few from Metallica, AC/DC and Linkin Park. A lot more, just can’t think of them right now, lol.
Hi Son, well, I can tell that we are from different generations. But I know you also like Sweet Home Alabama.
Aaron–Now Green Day rages in a good way; I dig their stuff. RATM and LP not so much. Keep spinning—-errr–or is it “dialing up a song” on the phone these days ? Rock on !
Anything by BB King. Close second is anything by Rossington Collins or Lynyrd Skynyrd. (One and the same actually.)
Also of course ACDC or Foo Fighters.
Heck, it’s hard to pick a favorite. It just depends actually. Turning it up is all about the mood. Sometimes I turn up classical music!!!!!!, LOL.
Ha ha, I can’t imagine going for the volume control on classical music
Hi Bob,
I really grove to play air guitar to “Black Magic Woman”–Santana really makes that guitar sing! I also turn up for Elton John’s “Philadelphia Freedom”. My in-laws (Filipinos) are all great singers who are very impressed with my Karaoke renditions–Elvis, Beatles, and even Sinatra’s “My Way.” (I know–I risk death singing that one in certain venues in the PH, but I’m just a silly American who can nail it!)
Bob, did you ever live in Baltimore Maryland?
Regards,
Joe
Hi Joe – Thanks for sharing! Sounds like fun!
I have been to Baltimore before, but never lived anywhere near there. Mostly, I am a “west coast” guy! 🙂
Hi Bob,
I have been living in Metro Manila for the past 6 years. I married my Filipina sweetheart in 2012 after 4 years together here. I came across your website last week and find the info you provide excellent. My questions is whether it will be easier to get my 13a in Guam, rather than here?
As for Turn it Up songs, being a country boy from Nashville, I have to agree the Sweet Home tops the list, then Creedence, Alabama,George Strait’s The Fireman, and of course “FreeBird”!! Zepellin’s RocknRoll, anything by Boston, J Geils Band.
Looking forward to your reply. God bless
Doni
Hi Doni – Thanks for stopping by my site and for leaving a comment!
I hope you are enjoying life in Manila! I have been living here in Mindanao for about 16 years now, and loving it. I rarely go to Manila, in fact in 16 years I have been to Manila twice – when I arrived here and one time around 2005 or so. 😉
As for the visa, you could do it here or in Guam. If you don’t have things like a place to stay and such in Guam, it will be more cost effective to do it here in the Philippines, because it will take at least a few weeks to get everything done that will be needed. I got mine in San Francisco, but if I were already living here, I would just do it here.
Like you, I am more of a country music lover, but I’ll sure mix in a few rock songs as well, especially Southern Fried Rock like Sweet Home Alabama. 😉
There is one thing about music that amazes……it could be years before you hear a song again…..but when it plays you can sing a long and remember the words……why can I not remember what I did last week
Hi Gerry – Yeah… that is very interesting! I never thought about that, but it is so true!
Hi Bob,
Sweet Home Alabama he he your missing home Bob ?
American must have been wonderful during the 60s. 70s and maybe 80s some great tunes were written over those years.
On the subject of language Bob …
The one thing I would really like to know and that is this new Generation Y slang lingo je je mon Cebuano speak that is used by the younger generation which is very hard or impossible to decipher.
Cige = Sige = ???
Jud = Jod = gayud = only / really ???
I’ve tried to decipher it with a little success but not good enough to rely on if you know what I mean.
I’ve read some of your interesting discussions and stuff about Mindanao how to live there etc
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Bret
Hi Bret – I enjoy American music, movies and entertainment, but the truth is that I don’t miss the States at all. I enjoy living in the Philippines nad have not been back tot he USA in 16 years, I doubt I will ever go back. 🙂
Yes, many Cebuano words have different spellings, no doubt. Think about it.. for example, “cige” The Filipino alphabet does not even have “C” in the alphabet, so “sige” is most common! Jud? It is more of a regional thing.. for me, I always write or say “gyud”. ha ha… a sign of the times, I suppose!
Thank you for stopping by, Bret! Nice to hear from you!
I have thought about the turn up the volume routine many times and the conclusion I have come up with is simple, it all comes down to the ” More Is Better ” thing.
” A Few ” decades ago it was more difficult and a lot more costly to get good Bass from most consumer audio equipment than it is today. Although an audio or music purist may not agree I think many listeners including myself like a lot of bass for a bigger boulder sound. With todays automated manufacturing techniques, changes in technology, computer designed speakers made with more state of the art materials we can enjoy more bass for less money. Some of the small portable music players I see a lot of younger people carrying around with them really blows me away with the sound they get out of them.
My favorite turn up the volume songs ? Too many to mention but I will generalize some to include many of the dance type songs issued on the Cameo and then Cameo-Parkway label in the early to mid ’60s ( I think I am dating myself here LOL ) , the Phil Spector ” Wall of Sound ” productions from the same era and Car Wash by Rose Royce to name just a few. These songs have a lot of bass in them and back when these songs first came out for most of us the only way to get more bass was to turn up the volume !
Hi Bob – Nice to hear from you! Oh my, you are predating me with that 60s music! I didn’t really get to know much music until the 70s. 🙂
Hi Bob; That is interesting about “turn it up!” However, at my age, being a jazz fan, I go back before before your mother was born. My “TURN IT UP!” is Benny Goodman’s Jazz at the Philharmonic closer “Sing Sing Sing.” Without all the modern sound technology, these guys made your heart race! A guy called Gene Krupa on drums, Harry James on trumpet & of course the “Good Man” on a licorice stick. To me, it is like the national anthem: I have to “stand up!”
Hi Bill – Thanks for stopping by and for commenting! Hey, I like all kinds of music, including Jazz and other types. I am a (former) musician myself, a trumpet player. I have not only listened to your type of music, but played it as well. It has been many years since I have played the trumpet, but when I was active, I was urged to go professional.
Thanks again for leaving your comment, nice to hear from you!
I love driving around with Jason and The Scorchers, Ramones or the Cramps cranked. They bring out good reactions in people. I love belting out Yano music and singing at the top of my lungs. Yano is the Filipino answer to the Clash.
Hi Chaz Worm – Oh my, I don’t know what to say! I have never even heard of any of those bands that you mention! 🙂 ha ha
Now Bob. I can understand you not knowing Jason & The Scorchers. The first cow-punk band of the early 80s. Or the Cramps. The the punk goth rockabilly band of the early punk movement. BUT THE RAMONES was the band that launched 1000 bands. They’re even in the Rock Hall of Fame.
But YANO is a great Filipino alternative band from the mid 90s. Their big hit was Banal Na Aso. Eraserheads are a great Filipino band too.
You know, actually, I misspoke. I am familiar with the Ramones, although only slightly. I don’t follow Philippine music though, although I have heard of, but never heard the music of the Eraserheads.
I will go one step further. I named my first born after my.favorite Yano song Tsinellas.
Yes I named my daughter “sandals”
I named her Ceanella.
Hmmm… Fun topic….how much time do you have? Ha ha ha….music lover and player…..there are a couple of lead pipe cinches for me: Allman Brothers ” Statesboro Blues”, BB King “The Thrill is Gone”, Snow Patrol “Chasing Cars” (of all things!) pretty much ANY Eric Clapton… A number of “less popular” sounds, as well as, Classical and Jazz. Rodrigo’s Concerto de Aranjuez”…Some music just cries out to be heard with “live” intensity….A good set of headphones is essential to me….so as not to impose my eclectic musical tastes on my friends and family. I’ may be deaf by the time I’m 80! 10 more years of submersion!
Hi Easy – Sounds like you have a real nice variety in your musical tastes! I am also a (former) musician, and like many types of mucic!
Protect those ears!
It is also my ” pull over to the shoulder and stop the engine” and turn it up: Stairway to Heaven.
As my Boholanon wife and I are finishing up our working careers here in Hawaii, we begin our preparations to fulfill our long time dream/plan to return to Bohol. This includes surfing the Internet and discovering fact filled and fun sites like yours. I have wanted to chip in a comment since running into your site months ago. This topic did it.
My family made stumps in Cowlitz County for a couple of generations and then became forest managers……go figure. Left Washington in 1985 to be a Marketing and Finance Advisor to the Ministry of Agriculture in Bohol thru the U.S. Peace Corps program. Hence the asawa.
Our youngest just graduated high school and in about two years, she’ll be studying in the Mainland. That is when we, pahon, pahon will be returning to Bohol. Got a slug of relatives in Davao City. Maybe we can enjoy a cup of coffee when we visit them.
Hi Scott – What a coincidence, I lived just south of Cowlitz, in Clark County. Small world!
Thanks for stopping by. Davao is a great place to live, I hope that Bohol also fulfills your dream!
I had read that you were from Clark County. Infact, my great grandmother was a Martin (Francis), from Canada. Don’t know if any of her kind came south went west after my great grandfather and her settled in Minnesota. Aloha and Mahalo for your site.