Guilty Pleasures Vol. 2

Sounds like the title of an Adult Video, doesn't it??

Anyway, over the past few weeks I've been digging through some of my old cassette tapes from when I was younger and popped a few in to take a listen. Here are some that I love:

Cyndi Lauper - "She's So Unusual" - 1983
I think every track on this album is classic pop which you have all heard on the radio. Songs like "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", "Time After Time", "She-Bop", "All Through The Night" and on and on. My favorite track is the opener called "Money Changes Everything" which has been covered by a number of bands. A straight-ahead rocking tune with a killer synth line. I eat that stuff up!

Jim Croce - "Photographs & Memories" - 1985
This was one of my dad's old cassette tapes. He was such a huge Jim Croce fan. This particular album is a 8 song greatest hits compilation. I wouldn't really classify this as a guilty pleasure since Jim is an amazing songwriter, but then again you don't see a lot of people listening to him either. He's got a lot more hits than you think! Songs like "Operator", "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown", "Time in a Bottle", "Mississippi Lady", "I Had to Say I Love You (In a Song)" take me back to simpler times.

Night Ranger - "Seven Wishes" - 1985
That's right...Night Ranger. Remember the band with hits such as "Sister Christian" and "Don't Tell Me you Love Me"? I got this album the same day as I got the Joshua Tree tape from my uncle. He tossed this one into the mix along with Cinderella. This is classic 80's rock ballads and big choruses. Hair band to the max. Great stuff.

Madonna - "Like a Prayer" - 1989
Best Madonna album ever! The song "Like a Prayer " is awesome, in fact I forgot that this was on my Roots vol. 1 mix. Other key tracks are "Spanish Eyes", "Cherish", and the disturbing last track ,"Act of Contrition" where she recites the Act of Contrition over this song played backwards and this eerie choir. Cool, nonetheless. I'm sure the Catholics don't' appreciate it! My mom loved this album. She would always play it after we went to bed.

I'll have to post some more guilty pleasures later. Tonight Amber and I are going to Kettle Moraine State Park to hang with some friends who are camping all weekend long. Then we're driving up to Neenah tonight and then to my mom's surprise 50th no Saturday. She won't know what hit her!! Then on Sunday I have to start packing for my trip to Colorado next week.

Tough loss for the longshots last night. 9-11 in extra innings. I left two runners stranded on base in the 8th. There were two outs and I was up. I struck out looking and it broke my heart. I can't say for sure if I got a hit that we would've won, but it would have been better if I would've at least swung the bat! I did have a sweet out at the plate and a nice hit earlier in the game.

I'm looking forward to July 4th. It's classic Americana. A time for community. A time for family. Fireworks. A good Springsteen record playing. Grilling. Cold beer. A Frisbee.

Have an awesome weekend, all of my faithful blog readers!