Twenty-two years ago, I was a teenager. I loved most British Classic Rock and my favourite group was Genesis. I know I loved the Beatles as most of the local radio stations would play the hits. To be honest, I didn't have a "favourite" one. The Beatles were always just collectively "fab."
Not all people look back fondly on their secondary school days. I can recall joining the environmental club in the 9th grade just to be a part of something because I couldn't twirl a baton to save my life. By the third year (22 years ago or 1992), it was standard to find me sitting in the back of the class wearing an over-sized jacket and a Sting T-shirt. When called upon to answer questions, I panicked as my Sting-hating classmates were always curious by my long-winded answers. The person I admired the most told me "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bologna." It was encouragement that got me through the end of the year.
Back at home, my most admired person had been dating my parent for about a year. We got to go to the Genesis concert that summer with the girl who was virtually my step-sister by now. She went to my school and was only a year younger. We didn't have tons in common but we liked each other enough to hang out at each others houses while our respective parents were on dates. We also both couldn't stand my little sister.
I didn't have cable television, so a major network must have aired the video for "Hope Of Deliverance." In the Billboard charts, it was only a hit on the AC charts(source: Wikipedia). I really remember liking it and the video for "Off The Ground" which was released after the album came out. Much of that interest that I had towards the actual album I can only remember in flashes. I can't even remember if I bought the cassette myself, but once I heard "Biker Like An Icon" on Saturday Night Live, I must have kissed the shoes of the person who handed it to me. I was that kind of a teen- melodramatic, passionate, and impressionable.
My virtual step-sister wasn't herself on a family trip. We stayed at a beautiful hotel but I was sad because I didn't feel like she was enjoying it. It took the car ride upstate and most of the afternoon to figure out that this "virtual step-sister" was giving me the silent treatment and we had to share a room. Thank goodness for that copy of the "Off The Ground" cassette and a working Walkman because I started sulking badly. I think I might have even sung the praises of the album at one point just to ease the tension of the moment and my little sister running in and out of the adjoining bedroom. My parent and my admired friend did not see the piercing judgemental eyes of virtual step-sister. No, we CAN'T work it out.
Away from our shared high school, I did what I would never do on school grounds- Lose my temper. "What is your problem? Why won't you tell me what you think I did? I didn't do anything!" The reply? "Your annoying!!!!!". I glanced over to my "actual" sister jumping on the bed and darted out of the hotel room. It's safe to say the Walkman was with me and that holiday was ruined as our respective parents wanted to take us all home.
I lost the cassette eventually but I quickly lost my virtual family that same year. I didn't lose my interest in Paul McCartney's music. Music is timeless and often personal. I would love to find the promotion for this album and I think I remember this photo below (credit:eil.com). I've got the CD now and a few items in storage somewhere. "Off The Ground" is precious but don't get me chatting about some of my love for the other albums. I understand that might get annoying...
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