Between roughly April 1987 (a month before my 15th birthday) and June 1988 (a month after my 16th), I did all of the following:
- Traveled to Europe, where I had my first real crush.
- Received an electric razor as an unexpected present from the folks.
- Made my one failed attempt at traditional high school popularity (J.V. football).
- Attended my first arena rock concert (Rush’s A Show of Hands Tour)
- Got my first real job (“sandwich artist” at Subway)
- Began blowing all of my money on audio equipment (including my first CD player).
- Attended my first stadium rock concert (Pink Floyd’s Delicate Sound of Thunder Tour).
- Got my driver’s license.
The March mix is a collection of songs that now leave me paralyzed with nostalgia. As best as I can remember, these are the some of the more important songs that accompanied my life that year, when everything, it seemed, was so painfully important. This one could easily have grown to a 2- or 3-disc set. Conspicuously absent are: Peter Gabriel, Sting, King Crimson, INXS, The Police, Robert Plant, The Clash, Yes, Roger Waters, Indigo Girls, Howard Jones, Led Zeppelin, and Boston (yes, Boston).
- “Litany (Life Goes On)” by Guadalcanal Diary
- “Pretty in Pink” by The Psychedelic Furs
- “Subdivisions (Live)” by Rush
- “Medicine Show” by Big Audio Dynamite
- “Never Let Me Down Again” by Depeche Mode
- “Dear God” by XTC
- “Welcome to the Occupation” by R.E.M.
- “Abacab” by Genesis
- “It’s Over” by Level 42
- “One Slip” by Pink Floyd
- “Just Another Day” by Oingo Boingo
- “Cool for Cats” by Squeeze
- “If I Should Fall from Grace with God” by The Pogues
- “Another Tricky Day” by The Who
- “Give Blood” by Pete Townshend
- “The Working Hour” by Tears for Fears
- “Bullet the Blue Sky” by U2