I don’t have a whole lot of things from my dad. I was in college when he died at age 50 from oat cell cancer, and the few things I have are letters (most of them not fun reading), the screenplay he sold to Michael Douglas with an autograph to me (never produced), and a childhood baseball mitt.

I also have a tape he made for me a year or so before he died in 1996. I don’t remember why he made this for me, but I have a feeling it was a trade for one I probably sent him. I think it was just a “well, we’ve missed a lot the last few years, here’s what I’m into,” type-thing, which probably means I sent some Nirvana and Nine Inch Nails. Yeah, I bet he loved that.

Anyway, here’s the song list from his tape, titled “Dad’s Type of Music”:

Side A

1. Tom Joad - Bruce Springsteen
2. Youngstown - Bruce Springsteen
3. The Future - Lonard Cohen
4. Goodnight Saigon - Billy Joel
5. Piece of My Heart - Janis Joplin
6. Brilliant Disguise - Bruce Springsteen
7. Candles in the Rain - Melanie Safka
8. Philadelphia - Bruce Springsteen
9. Atlantic City - Bruce Springsteen

Side B

1. Pancho and Lefty - Willie Nelson (with Merle Haggard)
2. Downbound Train - Bruce Springsteen
3. Independence Day - Bruce Springsteen
4. I’ll Be There Where the Heart Is - Kim Carnes
5. Flashdance - Irene Cara
6. You Got It - Roy Orbison
7. California Blue - Roy Orbison
8. Space Time Continuum - Vangelis
9. Heaven and Hell - Vangelis
10. Alpha - Vangelis
11. The Show Must Go On - Three Dog Night
12. Allentown - Billy Joel

What I like about his choices–even if I’m not crazy about all of the songs–is how much they reflect different things: his New Jersey nativeness, a variety of mood but tending towards the dark, and to some extent being stuck in the 80s (like father, like daughter).

Also, I think maybe he liked Springsteen a little bit.

I like a wide variety of things* but particularly moody and brooding stuff (like the album I’m listening to right now).

* My “eclectic taste” score came up 99 here.