What You Hear is Not a Test: Keeping it Real with Israel Carrasco!

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You're tuned to SDM&M, the 

blog that celebrates diversity 

and where everybody is a star. 

We are joined today by our good friend 
Israel Carrasco.  Israel responded to 
my invitation to send in a song list and 
become my guest blogger.  

Israel lives in Anaheim, California and hosts the always entertaining Israel Carrasco Monologue Jokes .  Old schoolers like those of us who matriculated at the Shady Dell School of Hard Knocks in the 1950s and 60s are in for a real education and, I might add, a real treat, as Israel introduces us to his favorite songs.



With that I'll step aside and 
say Israel...be my guest! 

Although I lived in a 
different era and the 
music I listened to is 
different than what is 
normally played here,
I thought that I would 
include a list as well 
and the stories behind 
them. I'll begin in 
chronological order 
from earliest to latest. Hope you enjoy these songs as much as I do. 

#1- "Rain Drops Keep Falling on My Head" 
- B.J. Thomas (January 1970, written by 
Hal David and Burt Bacharach, theme song 
from the 1969 motion picture Butch Cassidy 
and the Sundance Kid) 

This song was very popular in the 70's when my family came 
to the U.S from Mexico and it was a song that I associated 
with the simpler and fun times in America. 



#2- "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" 
- Freddy Fender (1974) 

This used to be my grandmother's favorite song. My grand- 
mother died and I almost got choked up writing this as I'm 
listening to the song now but it's a beautiful song. She 
would do her chores and feed me the same thing every 
Saturday. "Chillaquilles, beans, and French bread with 
butter." Afterwards, I would play with all the kids in the 
Pico/Union area of Los Angeles. 



#3- "What a Fool Believes" 
- Doobie Brothers (March 1979) 

This song takes me back to East Los Angeles. At that time 
East. L.A was filled with "cholos" and they would park their 
low riders and play this song on their cars while smoking 
weed and drinking beer. 



#4- "Rapper's Delight" 
- The Sugarhill Gang (1979) 

This was the song that made me love rap music. The first 
time I heard this baseline, I fell in love with the rhythm and 
the sound they called "rap". This song is not only a classic 
but has stood the test of time and it put the world on 
notice that rap has reached the mainstream. 



#5- "Holiday in Cambodia" 
- Dead Kennedys (1980) 

This was song about the massacre that occured in 
Cambodia at the hands of the Khmer Rouge. This 
song was significant because it came at a time when 
the political climate in America was tense especially 
since it came at the height of the cold War. Punk 
Rock music during the late 70's and early 80's also 
created alot of great songs that were influenced by 
the politics of that era. 



#6- "Shake the Disease" 
- Depeche Mode (1985) 

I used to have a casette tape and I would play Depeche 
Mode's tape over and over again especially in my drama 
class where I met some good friends. They took electronic 
music to new heights. 



#7- "Big Mouth Strikes Again" 
- The Smiths (July 1986) 

The Smiths are one of the most underrated bands in the 
world. Not only did they make great music but Morissey 
was a freaking poet. All you have to do to support this 
contention is to look up the lyrics to ANY Smith's song 
and you will find wit, intelligence, and a wicked sense of 
humor disguised as songs. 



#8- "Rock Box" - Run-D.M.C. (1984) 

Without a doubt this song forever changed rap music. This 
was one of the first instances in which rock music and rap 
was used. At that time it was revolutionary. Run DMC was 
the first rap group to debut in MTV and the first to be 
endorsed by a major company (Adidas). Run D.M.C also 
brought in an aggressive style and realism at a time when 
most were just rhyming for the sake of creating party 
rhymes. They were talking about poverty and crime as 
they experienced it in Queens NY. I remember listening 
to this music in awe because it was so powerful and 
refreshing. In a sad side note, the beloved DJ Jam Master 
Jay was murdered a few years ago. R. I. P. 



#9- "Fight the Power" 
- Public Enemy (April 1990) 

This group, though political in nature, schooled the world 
on the great divide that exists between Blacks and Whites. 
I would listen to PE and feel like I just left a seminar on 
black history. They are prob. one of the most influential 
groups in hip hop. Sadly, the trend in rap music has gone 
away from politics and towards gimmicks. 



#10- "Debaser" - The Pixies (1989) 

This is my favorite rock group ever. I can talk for hours 
why this band is amazing. Suffice to say that they created 
the blue print for what was later to be called "grunge" 
music. The Pixies played that type of music before it even 
had a label. They are pure energy. They always get me in 
a good mood. Their sound is unique and they create 
perfect melodies. What makes them even more attractive 
is that they down play their greatness and even write 
songs about silly stuff and yet they pull it off because their 
music is that good. 




WHOA! 
Israel, that was 
quite a journey! 

These songs of yours cut through the crap and get to the point. Intense message music like this can be jarring. It's not for the faint of heart; but it is essential listening for those who are serious about expanding their horizons and increasing their awareness of what's happening in the real world. These songs give us an understanding of where you're coming from, Israel. They, along with your outstanding blog, reveal that you have seen, heard and experienced a great deal in your life.

I can perhaps best relate to the Sugar Hill Gang because
I was heavily into the club scene during the 70s and 80s.
I remember dancing to "Rapper's Delight" (1979) and the group's other 12-inch hits "Apache" (1981) and "8th Wonder" (1981) along with "The Message" (1982) by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" (1983) the anti-drug opus by Grandmaster Melle Mel.

A street kid gets arrested, 
gonna do some time 
He got out three years from now 
just to commit more crime 
A businessman is CAUGHT  
WITH 24 KILOS! 
He’s out on bail and out of jail 
And that’s the way it goes 
RAAH! 

"White Lines" was co-written by music industry veteran and Sugar Hill Records founder Sylvia Robinson, remembered by boomers as one half of the Mickey and Sylvia act that had a big hit in 1957 with "Love is Strange" and another hit as a solo artist in 1973 with "Pillow Talk."

Thank you good friend 
Israel Carrasco for sharing with us 
the music that shaped your life! 


Who's next?

If you have a Top Tunes list I'd love to see it.  It would be fascinating to discover which songs meant the most to you in your youth or which ones resonate now in the present. Why not do what Israel and others have done? Make a list, submit it in the form of a comment and I'll get it posted. It can be a list of your favorite songs, the most exciting songs, best songs from a particular time period similar to my mid 60s Dell survey...anything you like!

COME ON 


AND BE 


MY GUEST! 


Have a Shady day!