Shooting Star, Bad Company, 1975
I'm almost ashamed to admit that I wasn't exposed to a deep dive of classic rock until after I graduated high school in 1989. I watched Kid 90 this past weekend and it has me thinking about old times.
Unlike many of my friends, I had an amazing home life growing up. My parents have been together for 50+ years and I think they did a pretty good job of raising me. My best friend, however, had some problems at home. Two days after we graduated, she moved out of her parents' house and asked me to move in with her.
We got a place and it was a bit of a party pad for all our hometown friends who didn't go away to college. My best friend was the responsible one and looking back, I have no idea how she kept the rent paid and the utilities on for a year and a half. Needless to say, we didn't have a TV so music was everything.
Led Zeppelin, the Eagles, Steve Miller Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pink Floyd, CCR, Fleetwood Mac, Jimmy Buffet, and Bad Company -- these bands were my life's soundtrack from June 1989 to December 1990. Up to this point in my life, I had only heard the radio hits of any of these bands. I laugh to myself when I get nostalgic and listen to any of these now -- it's as if the music is actually, literally part of me.
I was shocked when I found out that Bad Company was an English band. Shooting Star feels so uniquely American. Talking with that friend group about Bad Company and Shooting Star specifically was the first time it hit home for me how music is truly universal.
In retrospect, I'm so thankful for that unexpected period of independence I had in the 18 months after graduation. I'm absolutely amazed that my friendship with my best friend from high school made it through that experience. She has a heart of gold, without a doubt. It's a bit melodramatic to say this, but it's crazy that any of us lived through those years and didn't become shooting stars.
https://youtu.be/9YEmC6cTXKY
Comments