Share A Vivid Memory Tied To A Specific Album

[emtee]

This can be about any subject matter you wish. Something that, when you hear the album, a vivid memory will forever be tied to it.

I served aboard the USS Tattnall and back in 1983, after the marine barracks were bombed, my battle group was ordered full-steam to the coast of Beirut, Lebanon. For months we steamed back and forth along the coast, so close that we were within easy range of multiple types of guns and artillery, so going outside was always a danger.

At night, this mountainside was aglow with tracers flying up and down as different factions shot at one another, and us as well. When two of our aircraft were shot, things escalated and became even more intense. The battleship New Jersey and her 16" guns, along with ours and the Ticonderoga were lobbing shells often. Our planes would fly over in an attempt to identify the anti-aircraft locations and after doing so, we would shell them, along with the planes.

One night I had to go to the fantail and drop a device into the water that measured the acoustic properties of the water. I was a sonar tech and operator. As always, I was a little skittish to be outside after dark because we were fired upon regularly. I grabbed my Sony Walkman cassette player and threw in U2's Under A Blood Red Sky and scrambled to the rear of the ship.

The scene was mesmerizing. Red and orange tracers in every direction. Explosions. Death unfolding all around me. I remember feeling like I was detached from it all - watching a movie - but not living it.

Instead of racing back inside (which I was basically ordered to do) I leaned back against the anchor housing, put the headphones on and pushed play. For 35 minutes, with the U2 album playing, I sat there and watched all this unfold. It was a very surreal event that will forever be tied to Under A Blood Red Sky.

https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/12/18/Two-US-ships-pounded-anti-aircraft-positions-east-of-Beirut/7198440571600/

[DragonAttack]

Some day, perhaps I'll mention a couple of specific ones, but nothing remotely would come close to that experience!

I let the wife read your story while I was in another room, and she went 'HOLY CRAP! loud enough for me to hear.

Question:  have you ever listened to 'Under A Blood Red Sky' since? 

You'll be forever remembered when I might hear anything from it (with that 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' version being on my 'best of' disc).

[frogprog]

Thanks for your service, Emtee!

[Stadler]

Yeah, that's a tough one to compete, with!  I've said it to you before, Emtee, but again, thank you for your service.

I will have a post here, but I want to think about it a bit.

[emtee]

Not a competition guys.. I just love reading about people's connection with music.

I expected many would have memories tied to past girlfriends, or first week of college, or when you got braces, etc...just any story that conjurs a strong musical response.

Thanks for the kind words btw...appreciate it!

[WilliamMunny]

Not a competition guts. I just love reading about people's connection with music.

I expected many would have memories tied to past girlfriends, or first week of college, or when you got braces, etc...just any story that conjurs a strong musical response.

Thanks for the kind words btw...appreciate it!

Your OP was the post of the day in my book—I literally have nothing that comes close...might have broke the thread, Emtee

[ProfessorPeart]

The first thing that came to mind was Anneke van Giersbergen's Air album that she released under the Agua de Annique project name.

I was in a brutal car accident in December of 2007 and after my month and a half of hospitalization I finally went home. The album that I ended up listening to a lot on my rides to the doctors and eventually rehab was that album. It was released just before my accident. It's not even that it's her best, it was just there and connected with me at a time when my life was in complete shambles as I learned how to walk again. I guess listening to her beautiful voice just brought me some comfort when I needed it most.