Tuesday, January 31, 2012

For Owen: A Month of Sundays


Two Sundays have passed since I last made an entry. Two Sundays have passed since my wife gave birth to my son—a fine excuse for neglecting a blog in my book. No less, here I am again, posting on a Tuesday night. It might as well be Sunday morning for all I know, I have not had a full night’s sleep since…


For some time now I have been dreaming up a reason to create a month long, daily entry: A Month of Sundays. I even considered waiting until February just so I could pull it off with a little less work. (Jokes on me this year I suppose.) I now have the best reason I could possibly hope for, the first 29 albums experienced by Owen Thomas. Each day in February I will post another album that I have spun for my boy. Depending on my state, I may even write a little something about it. Hopefully this chronicle will remain on the information super speedway until he can one day find it. There may be some repeats of what I have already posted. That should only underscore the importance of those records in my opinion. I have kept a tally of the records that he has heard since he came into this world, merely buying me some time as I learn to cope with sleep deprivation and allowing me to keep up with this particular project.


Thank you for following along thus far. I hope you enjoy this foray into the world of recorded music. So, hold on to your hats and glasses, this here is the wildest ride in the west…

Sunday, January 15, 2012

This Rose Will Never Die



The in-laws were at our house today so, what could-a/should-a been a Sunday morning record ends up being some soulful jams in the evening time.
The pure emotion that Mr. Yusuf Islam can deliver in a simple chord and phrase is truly arresting. When music was everything in my world, back in the days of early adulthood, I found Tea for the Tillerman (I no longer have a copy of this album or else that may have been today's selection, but I digress). Sometime later I discovered the film Harold and Maude; a fantastic story with a great soundtrack (Which was not officially released until 2007, crazy. I was unawares when it hit the music stores back then. And now, I am not sure if I want to fork over the 100's of dollars for this rare, even if recent, release. Maybe a re-release is in our future? Again, I digress). I was young, and in love and those words meant so, so much. A few of the tracks from the film can be found on Mona Bone Jakon, released the summer before the triple platinum, Tea for the Tillerman. No less, I now find myself young, if just at heart, and very much in love. Once again feeling every sappy drip off of the ceiling of my emotion. Every time I spin this record it pulls at my heart strings. It reminds me of the times of intense feelings and discovery; the eagerness of experiencing what is to come. Those times have come full circle to where I find myself now, with a great eagerness to experience what is to come.
The first time I remember hearing the sounds of Cat Stevens was as a child. My father most definitely shared some of the glory hippy days of old. In fact, he and I were together when I purchased my copy of this fine record. I look forward to passing on the sweet, solumn sounds of heart felt folk songs wafting from the hi-fi for the young ears that are about to enter this wild world. The next time I post I could very well be a father myself. Damn, think I'll spin this record again, and play it loud for my baby in the womb. No time like the present!

I think I see the light coming to me, coming through me, giving me a second sight. So, shine, shine, shine...

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Unity



Chalk it up to a late/early-life crisis. Not quite ready for the mid-life dilemma of self. Op Ivy's Energy, an anthem of my youth when skateboarding and a nice buzz were all that mattered. Waking up to daily discoveries of life and possibility will never end however, things seemed to carry more energy back then. Now there are a whole new set of considerations to deal with on a daily basis. Please don't get me wrong, today's post is not meant to be a downer at all. It is pretty rad when the sound of the needle scratching across a plastic wafer can bring such pleasure in nostalgic recollection. I think I'll browse the leafs in January's Transworld Mag again today (volume 30! issue #1). The Gonz reigns on high...

Monday, January 2, 2012

Late Nights, Early Mornings…



It has been a hell-of-a holiday season. Prepping for a new life on the horizon, some late night scrabble on the eve of the New Year, and a fantastic Osechi feast on New Years’ Day (no, I did not listen to U2 that day). No real excuse for being late however, here is my entry:


Woke up late/early for the holiday and went straight for the tocadiscos. After perusing the selection I came upon what might possibly be the best morning, smoked salmon scramble record available, Modern Lovers 88 by Jonathan Richmond And The Modern Lovers. Speaking as a child of the 70’s, a product of the 80’s is who I am. I love the sounds, the sights, the smells of all that came of that decade —well, almost. I love hot nights, and dancing late at night, and I am not just talking about those two particular songs. January 1st was not hot, nor was it night, when I spun this record (it was about 10:30 AM—a true Sunday morning record).


Happy New Year !!!

heart,
Brian