They say the _____ you grew up with often becomes the rule by which you judge all subsequent _____s. Fill in the blank with anything you like, and the premise remains pretty much the same. Think of all those adult complaints that end with "these days," "used to be," and "anymore"? In a way the hopeful lens through which we viewed childhood taints our critical eyes. Music is no exception. For my dad the proverbial bar will always be set at Journey, Led Zeppelin, and Fleetwood Mac. "It's poetry ," he once described Journey's "Wheel in the Sky." "No one writes songs like that anymore." And while I could think of half a dozen songwriters whose lyrical metaphors could rival Steve Perry's output, arguing is not really the point. Nostalgia is a tough negotiator. I can think of plenty of music that shaped my young adolescence -- the Spice Girls, R.E.M., indie folk, Smashmouth -- but the music that threads my growing up
