Xanadu

Posted on April 28, 2017 by joey

“Xanadu-u-u!
Xanadu your neon lights will shine!”

A-Z through April has me pretty desperate here at the XYZ of things FOR THE FOURTH YEAR.

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Eventually I’ll be writin about xanthan gum. Mercy!

So, love it or hate it, Xanadu was influential in my childhood. Not necessarily the movie, cause even when I was young, I rolled my eyes at cheesy romance stuff, but the music, oh the music!

I was seven when my mother took me to see Xanadu.

I didn’t fall in love with the skater dude. No, me being me, I preferred Gene Kelly. To be fair, I’d already seen him in a lot of old time movies at Grandma’s house. When I was a kid, I believed people in the olden days simply didn’t have coloring, or if they did, it was subtle like old pictures, and due to my great grandmother’s portrait in an opera costume, I also believed they wore rags. I was very happy to live in color time, with blue jeans and white roller skates with pink stoppers, and —
I want to make it clear to you as it was made clear to me, I want you all to know —
My father didn’t have a Rubik’s cube when he was a kid, and it was not because they didn’t have color.
I really was a peculiar kid. I know.
I read The Giver without questioning the apple and Fiona’s hair, though.

Speaking of hair, the ribbons in Olivia Newton John’s hair!

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Yes, I had to have the ribbons — braided into my hair or around barrettes and combs — long flowing ribbons that would stream from my head and connect me to the muses while I skated. Yes, I have always had a magical imagination, and it’s the perfect size, thank you very much.

Meanwhile, back at Xanadu. The blend of styles…

SO much ELO!


That album’s one of the ones I remember obsessing over.
So good. So, so good.
Except the ballads. I hate ballads.

Happy Friday Everyone! 

About joey

Neurotic Bitch, Mother, Wife, Writer, Word Whore, Foodie and General Go-To-Girl
This entry was posted in Personally, Random Musings and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

65 Responses to Xanadu

  1. baldjake70 says:
    April 28, 2017 at 12:47 PM

    Ballads are great, especially when done by a heavy metal band.

    Liked by 3 people

  2. micheleacrossamerica says:
    April 28, 2017 at 12:52 PM

    Loved Olivia Newton John!

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Ally Bean says:
    April 28, 2017 at 1:00 PM

    I remember the music *instantly* but I don’t think I ever saw the movie. Or even knew there was one. As for ribbons in my hair, I was all about that.

    Congrats on doing your 4th A to Z Challenge. You rock the alphabet.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. cindy knoke says:
    April 28, 2017 at 1:41 PM

    Happy Friday and what a fun Friday post!

    Liked by 2 people

  5. coldhandboyack says:
    April 28, 2017 at 1:49 PM

    I was a big ELO fan. Mostly I just liked looking at her. It was a pretty bad movie, but the music was good.

    Liked by 2 people

  6. sustainabilitea says:
    April 28, 2017 at 2:19 PM

    Olivia was/is so pretty. 🙂 I wondered where you’d go with X and you went a long way. Happy Friday.

    janet

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Carrie Rubin says:
    April 28, 2017 at 2:30 PM

    Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes, I loved that movie. I feel I can finally admit that now. So thank you. 😄

    Liked by 2 people

  8. marianallen says:
    April 28, 2017 at 3:21 PM

    OF COURSE you preferred Gene Kelly! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

  9. bikerchick57 says:
    April 28, 2017 at 3:32 PM

    I’m typing and singing along here…Xanadooo-ooo-ooo… I loved that song and I also loved ELO, so thanks for giving me one more thing to smile about today.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Erika says:
    April 28, 2017 at 4:23 PM

    And here I thought this post was going to be about an alien planet or something 😀

    I also thought they didn’t have colors besides black and white as a kid. The Wizard Of Oz was confusing for me because of this.

    Liked by 2 people

  11. Dan Antion says:
    April 28, 2017 at 5:01 PM

    I do enjoy ELO. Nice job with the cgsllfmg.

    Liked by 2 people

  12. Maggie Wilson says:
    April 28, 2017 at 5:47 PM

    So. Great treatment for the letter X – but I have to confess – never did see the movie – Not sure why… perhaps an overdose of Grease?

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Lies Jack Kerouac told Me says:
    April 28, 2017 at 5:58 PM

    Really had it bad for ONJ…worked at a radio station where one of her posters was plastered on a wall in the studio, so we were forever exchanging meaningful glances. Still waiting for her to call me…

    Liked by 1 person

  14. darsword says:
    April 28, 2017 at 6:00 PM

    I always thought the reason people didn’t smile in the olden days was because everything was sepia or black and white!

    Liked by 1 person

  15. vanbytheriver says:
    April 28, 2017 at 6:59 PM

    What a great take on a tough letter…all I could think of was Xavier Cougat ????

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Alice says:
    April 28, 2017 at 7:23 PM

    OMG, haven’t thought about RIBBON STREAMER BARRETTES since I was, like, 12.

    When I wouldn’t dream of doing my hair without them…

    Liked by 1 person

  17. ghostmmnc says:
    April 28, 2017 at 8:02 PM

    Xanthan gum! Yes, I want to hear you talk about xanthan gum, please? haha … Good choice for letter X. Seems I saw the movie, but not sure. The song is really good, though. … I still have one of those ribbon streamer barrettes. It was my daughter’s, or one she made for me… it’s burgundy and yellow! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  18. lorriedeck says:
    April 28, 2017 at 8:28 PM

    Gosh, this takes me back! I saw it in the movies too and I’m with you, I loved Gene Kelly! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  19. blogmomrocks2 says:
    April 28, 2017 at 9:13 PM

    I saw it in the theatre as well when I was a kid.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Jaded Jeni says:
    April 28, 2017 at 9:39 PM

    Yessss! *clap clap clap, crosses arms over head* Xa-na-du!

    Watched this with my momma as a kid and it’s been a favorite ever since. I regularly play the songs from it on my Spotify, lol. I was also a bigger fan of Gene Kelly over Michael Beck.

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Benson says:
    April 29, 2017 at 7:45 AM

    I don’t recall seeing this movie. I am sure my wife at the time did. I was 30 when it came out and I was pretty ambivalent about ELO and Newton John. Of course I can see the fascination for a young girl. Big hair, streamers and roller skating. Wow. Those 80’s. Thanks for brightening up an otherwise dreary day. Of course you realize I am gonna haf to play some Foreigner.

    Liked by 2 people

  22. Joanne Sisco says:
    April 29, 2017 at 1:32 PM

    I’ve never seen Xanadu … not even sure I knew it was a movie … but ELO + Gene Kelly = big Saturday smile 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  23. Judy E Martin says:
    April 29, 2017 at 4:19 PM

    Oh I love a bit of ELO Joey. They did some brilliant songs and are far too under-rated! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  24. Sharukh Bamboat says:
    April 29, 2017 at 4:33 PM

    For me, the word Xanadu reminds me of the poem Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

    Liked by 1 person

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  26. bedlamanddaisies says:
    May 1, 2017 at 12:24 PM

    I haven’t seen the movie, but I had barrettes with long flowing ribbons!

    Liked by 2 people

  27. reocochran says:
    May 3, 2017 at 10:53 PM

    I liked ELO, Jethro Tull and also Pink Floyd. I was also one who liked black and white movies. I loved Roman Holiday and Gregory Peck was to me the “one” but liked Gene Kelly! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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