Introducing rock to your kids: #2 - Pat Benatar "Heartbreaker"

My little girl knows what she wants.  Of the hundreds of books in our apartment, Callie only wants 3 or 4 read to her.  When the TV goes on, it's Yo Gabba Gabba or nothing.  But the beauty of giving her something she likes--carrots, for instance--is that she will sit there in total bliss and have the time of her life.

And so began my quest to find her the perfect rock song.  Months went by.  Callie perched on her chair coloring, me desperately playing songs in hopes of drawing a reaction.  Zeppelin - nothing.  Stones - nothing. The harder I tried, the more futile my attempts seemed.

Then Pat Benatar came on and Callie stopped coloring.  She raised her head and stared at the speakers, perfectly silent and hypnotized by the drums.  Think of a deer munching on berries that suddenly hears footsteps.

Pat Benatar won Callie's heart with her song "Heartbreaker."  Who can deny the monstrous opening guitar riff, the awesome chorus, the caged-animal vocals?  You can't help but feel like you're in some 80s gang movie, running through an alley or scaling some giant fence.

Callie, the mild-mannered and sweet 2 1/2 year old, turns into a raging rocker when Pat sings for her.  She slams her air drums, jumps, spins, howls, yelps -- all  the while making some sort of pirate face.  Watching her rock to this song is a thing of beauty.  Together with her brother, they have developed some sort of odd chaotic choreography.  At 2:15, when Pat sings accapella, Quinn and Callie take one final rest before going into an all-out, no holds barred blitz.  They flip, twist and turn their bodies into positions that seem painful, and I can't help but throw my arms into the air and shout:  VICTORY!

-Neal

Here's Pat in action, rocking "Heartbreaker" on American Bandstand -

Introducing rock to your kids: #1 - AC/DC "Givin' the Dog A Bone"

I am not one of those parents who thinks his son is a saint. I've seen my 4-year old bring his little sister to tears too many times to know better. This became clear last winter as I actually rooted for his classmate to win in a snowball fight. Does that make be a bad dad?

That being said, one of my favorite things about Quinn is his purity and hunger for drama. This brings me to my first rock recommendation for parents who want to get their kids started on the right foot: AC/DC's "Givin' the Dog A Bone."

Let's cut to the chase - AC/DC is rock. Go through their catalog. You won't find any guest vocals from Justin Bieber or albums with grandiose orchestral arrangements. Just pure, animalistic, fist-pumping rock.  Good luck finding lyrics that deal with inner turmoil, repressed emotions, or lost love.  If it's not about rock, playing rock, listening to rock, or thinking about rock, then it isn't AC/DC.

And so for all you parents who want to introduce real rock to your kids, I highly suggest "Givin' the Dog A Bone" off AC/DC's Back In Black album. My story to Quinn goes something like this:

One day AC/DC was walking down the street, when they saw a dog crying. They went over to the dog and said, "What's wrong, little puppy?" He lifted his head weakly and groaned, "Ugh, I'm soooo hungry." Luckily, AC/DC had a dollar in their pocket so they went to the pet store and bought a bone for the dog. The little puppy was so happy they decided to write a song about it.

There you have it....a somewhat crude lyric turned into a beautiful message about saving a dog in need.

Check back each week for a rock recommendation. I am also scheduling private guitar lessons and parties for the summer. Visit nealcarlsonmusic.com to contact me or find out more.

Thanks!
-neal