Week of 12/1/2014

"Deck the Halls" by Mannheim Steamroller, off of their 1984 album, "Christmas"

My absolute FAVORITE rendition of this traditional Christmas carol. Mannheim’s use of synths (I especially LOVE the bassy ones), make for an unforgettable ensemble of 80s holiday goodness. Tons of artists sing and perform Christmas songs, but not many manage to do something iconic with these novelty tunes, and Mannheim Steamroller absolutely does it. Their album is simply titled “Christmas” not just because it’s the music they’re performing. No, it’s Mannheim Steamroller’s “Christmas”, and it stands out in a delightful way~ 🎄💙 

Week of 12/7/2014

"Hang in Long Enough" by Phil Collins, off of his 1989 album, "...But Seriously"

Just tell me what you want and I'll find the key
Reach out and touch it's all yours~ 💙

I’ve grown up listening to Phil Collins all my life, but never, for some reason NEVER, had heard this one before. My Dad rented from Netflix his “Serious Hits… Live in Berlin 1990” DVD, and it’s the second song he performs. The horn section is what makes this song shine, with of course Phil’s powerful drumming and vocals, cementing this song as one of my top favorite tracks by him.

Week of 12/14/2014

"Sweet Emotion" [David Thoener Remix] by Aerosmith, off of the soundtrack for the 1998 film, "Armageddon"

Sweet emotion~ 💙

Retrospective Note 2022: I had previously made "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" my song of the week back in 2014, but I have NO clue why. It's an awful song. I've never done this, but I went ahead and retconned my own song of the week post. It's now "Sweet Emotion", but more specifically, the one used in "Armageddon", which has a more powerful snare than the original recording. Both are good, but I LOVE how this remix sounds.

Week of 12/28/2014

"Ain't It Fun" by Paramore, off of their 2013 self-titled album

Don't go crying to your mama

'Cause you're on your own in the real world~ 💙

Retrospective Note 2019: I didn’t realize it then, but what a perfect way to end Chapter 2014. 2014 in biblical numerology (as cool as it is, take it with a grain of salt) means perfect (20) spirituality (14), and I’d say 2014 was indeed quite the spiritual awakening for me and Jess. We spent a lot of time in our bibles that year, and focused on volunteering at our church as we ministered to high schoolers. It was the year we both got baptized, and truly began to understand what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. It all started in 2014, and 2015 would be year the our faith would start to be challenged, as we began to enter the “real world”…