Confessions of a Music Geek

My name is Rick Moore and I’m a music geek. I realize that’s hardly a stunning revelation to anyone who knows me. Music has always been an important part of my life. Now don’t get the wrong idea. My love for music is all in the listening. In terms of talent, let’s all agree that I couldn’t carry a tune if it had two handles.

Oddly enough, my passion for music hit about the same time as I started running in high school. Of course, as this was decades before the advent of the iPod and since I couldn’t carry my parent’s stereo system along with me when I ran, music was relegated to whatever song was buzzing through my head on that particular day. To avoid the torture of “Moonlight Feels Right” or “Silly Love Songs” gnawing at my senses, I started playing music I liked before leaving for school in the hopes they’d remain in my head until practice.

I maintained that procedure for years, hoping against hope to have the right song wired into my head for any workout or race. And there were certainly times that it actually worked. Whenever I think of Jefferson’s Starship’s “Runaway,” I still recall running through the streets of Myrtle Point, Oregon in a cross country meet during my senior year in high school where I tied for first place with my teammate. Or a few years later when - courtesy of a soft rock radio station - the Manhattan’s lovely “Shining Star” floated in my mind during a five-mile race through the beautiful, forested trails of Silver Creek Falls near Salem, Oregon.

But I wasn’t always so fortunate. There was a time when I went out for one of my first runs in a rural town that I’d just moved to in southern Oregon. That my route included a few miles of narrow roads with minimal shoulders and lots of pickup trucks in a hurry to get somewhere on a hot afternoon was bad enough. But taking this workout to the truly painful level was being unable to dislodge the always hideous “Kokomo” from my head. I don’t know what I’ve ever done to the Beach Boys to deserve that, but there were at least one or two times that day that I half hoped one of those speeding F-150’s would just put me out of my misery.

Based on all of that, you cannot begin to imagine my excitement of purchasing that first iPod. I could now hear whatever I wanted to hear when I was running. Nor was I limited to one song. I could listen to whatever album I downloaded into it. Even better…I could put together a playlist of music that I liked. If I wanted to hear The Rolling Stones, U2, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen or the greatest hits from Andy Gibb, I could do it. (Okay, I’m only kidding about that last one. Don’t look at me like that. Still, I could if I wanted to. But I never did. Honest!)

Moving on, the arrival of the iPod not only improved my motivation to run, but eventually, it began to influence the music that I listened to and purchased. When I picked up my first iPod, I was moving from merely a Music Geek to the elevated status of “Music Snob.” That meant dismissing some artists and bands for other artists and bands that no one else listens to and where you spout profound snippets of useless knowledge that serves no practical purpose outside of a few Trivial Pursuit questions. Since we’re all friends here, I can humbly attest that it didn’t make me the life of the party or enhance my dating life.

I bring it up because while I appreciate the talents of someone like alternative county singer-songwriter Allison Moorer – and I do! – sad testimonials of her rather horrid childhood weren’t exactly the music that was going to get me out of bed and onto the pavement for a run. But the Strokes would do just fine. As would Beck or Weezer.

As the years went on and I started becoming more serious about my running, I found that the right music encouraged me to increase my mileage, running more days per week and for longer distances. I slowly realized that I was not only purchasing music for my listening pleasure, but that I was also giving more and more consideration to how this music would sound on my iPad during a run. What would it sound like on a warm summer morning? Or a chilly October day? Could it motivate me to complete a long run on a Saturday morning?

While nostalgia is part of getting older, my musical tastes also modified to have a much greater appreciation for songs and artists that I’d moved on from years earlier. With the “Music Snob” in me sufficiently squelched, I could dare to admit that there were a couple good Journey songs (And that does not include “Don’t Stop Believin’’!) or that Duran Duran do provide a fun vigor to a playlist. And I could even allow myself the absolute guilty-as-charged pleasure of relishing an old disco track. I could say without fear that “I Love the Nightlife”

It’s at a point now where I often buy music simply for running. Case in point, the other day, I downloaded an album from Bodega, a punk band from NYC and had it in my iPod two days later for a morning run, listening to the songs and wondering which ones could make their way to either the racing playlists for the upcoming Drake Half Marathon or the Market-to-Market relay.

Before I close this blog, it’s only fair that I offer a few musical recommendations. Just so you know, they’ll likely be artists or bands you’ve never heard of before. But what kind of Music Geek would I be if I suggested listening to Dua Lipa or the Foo Fighters? You don’t need me to tell you about them.

Instead, what about taking a chance on The Wild Nothing? This band is essentially a man named Jack Tatum who mines deeply into 80’s music, creating a wonderful sound that finds the sweet spot between nostalgia and alternative rock? “Letting Go” is a good place to start.

While I won’t talk about Dua Lipa, I will suggest Jessica Ware, a talented British R&B singer whose catalog is always a treat. But for running purposes, I suggest checking out her 2020 album “What’s Your Pleasure” with a playful disco sound that helped carry me through the miles during the pandemic. “Please” is on my playlist from last year’s Dam to DSM.

At the risk of overplaying my 80’s hand, my final recommendation is Nation of Language who could be the love child of New Order and Pet Shop Boys. They’ve only been around a couple years, but their synth-rock music has moved them quickly into one of my favorites. “Across that Fine Line” serves as a good introduction.

As I end this, you can pretty much count on future blogs that delve into this wondrous obsession. I also suspect that I’m not alone with any of this. Feel free to offer your thoughts on this topic. And most definitely feel free to share any recommendations you have. I love finding new music! Or did I lose you at “Andy Gibb?”