Episode #255
The Album I Learned to Impress a Girl
During his junior year in 1978-79, Dave wanted to impress a girl in his friend group. When he learned that she was a serious Billy Joel fan, he borrowed a cassette of 52nd Street and listened closely even though Billy Joel had never been a particular favorite. Then Dave came up with a plan: learn “Stiletto” on piano and see whether the extra effort might get her attention. The playing was, by Dave's own account, pretty poor. The strategy worked anyway - for about four dates. Eventually they both realized they were better off as friends. This episode is about one of music's less-discussed uses: the things we listen to, learn, and occasionally study a little harder because somebody else matters to us. It is also about the odd doors that can lead us into a record - and why the reason we first listen does not make the listening any less real. Side One Spin: What song or record did you learn to impress somebody, and did it work?
