Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader has been tagged by Eric with a meme request. You know something? Your Maximum Leader thinks this is the first time he’s been tagged with a meme in months at least… Certainly it is the first one he has categorized as under the subject category “Memes” since moving to the new blog style…

Anyho… On with it!

1. Person who most influenced your musical tastes:

Your Maximum Leader would have to say his sainted mother. Mum is a classical music lover herself. His early childhood memories are filled with a soundtrack sung by Sherrill Milnes, Placido Domingo, Beverly Sills, Maria Callas, and Kiri Te Kanawa. Your Maximum Leader’s love of classical music definately comes from her. As does his love of other music. Mum used to play the guitar. She would play various folk songs and some “classic country.” It was not until much later in life (perhaps aged 10-12 or so) when he started to listen to more contemporary music. A few longtime friends stand out in his memory as being the ones who exposed your Maximum Leader to different types of music that he loves. Tom M exposed him to “alternative” music. Dave C exposed him to lots of classic rock and heavy metal. (Although your Maximum Leader isn’t really a big metal fan some bands are actually quite worthwhile.)

2. Top 5 songs to drive to:

This is sorta tough. Your Maximum Leader is sort of moody when it comes to car music. Right now he has a mix CD in the Villainmobile and the following songs are among his all-time favourite driving songs. (In no particular order.)

Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash. Preferably the live version recorded in Folsom Prison or San Quentin.

Driver 8 by REM. This is actually your Maximum Leader’s favourite REM song.

Key to the Highway by Eric Clapton and BB ing. Your Maximum Leader probably has 4 versions of this song in his album collection. This one is best for driving. It is off the “Riding with the King” album. It is a clear blues-y recording that has a groove.

Once In a Lifetime by the Talking Heads. Your Maximum Leader has been caught driving through town from time to time singing loudly “Same as it ever was. Same as it ever was. Same as it EVER WAS.”

Promised Land by Elvis. Okay. This was originally a Chuck Berry song. But The King owns it in his recording. Your Maximum Leader has 3 or 4 Elvis versions. He recommends the one off of “Platinum, a Life in Music”

3. # of CD’s you own:

Oy. This one caused your Maximum Leader to go and count. Answer: 148. This makes him want to go out and buy two more. If you would like to get completely pedantic about this, your Maximum Leader counted a multi-disk set (like a Wagner Opera or Elvis Boxed set) as 1 CD. He counted titles not actual disks.

4. Song/CD you were listening to when you lost your virginity:

Why is there a general assumption that there was music going? In fact, in your Maximum Leader’s case there was no music playing. Not like he would have heard it over his pounding heart.

5. Song(s) played at your wedding:

Humm… Let’s see. “Ave Maria,” “Hail Mary Queen Enthroned Above,” a latin “Kyrie,” and “To Jesus Christ, Our Sovreign King.” Like Eric, your Maximum Leader assumes the question means at the Church service.

6. Favorite sad song:

Oy. Toughie. Very tough indeed. “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” Pretty much anyone’s recording of it. This might be a little cliched. But that is one hell of a sad song.

7. Song you’d like played at your funeral:

Well… Your Maximum Leader has always espoused his love of the pre-Vatican II Latin Funeral mass. He’d really like to have one where the priest stood with his back to the congregation the whole time and never mentioned your Maximum Leader’s name until the end when he asks the Lord to accept the soul of our departed “name here” into his care.

But in terms of music… If he could have Richard Wagner’s “Liebestod” from “Tristan und Isolde” playing that would be great.

And that is it…

Now, your Maximum Leader isn’t a big tagger of others when it comes to memes and things. That said he’d be interested to read the answers of any of this Minsters…

Carry on.