smoe.org mailing lists
ivan@stellysee.de
| From | <jim@groovedisques.com> |
| Subject | Re: Cool music epiphany |
| Date | Thu, 26 Jun 2003 15:32:51 -0400 |
[Part 1 text/plain ISO-8859-1 (1.8 kilobytes)]
(View Text in a separate window)
Phase 1:
After a childhood of AM radio hits and a handful of albums by the Beatles, the Band, and Traffic (thanks to my hippie uncle), my love for rock 'n roll took full root in 1978 (I think that was the year), when I saw The Last Waltz and The Kids Are Alright and discovered punk rock. My best friend and I visited George Washington University. He bought Never Mind the Bollocks; I bought the US release of The Clash. Those albums opened the floodgates. This was also the same time that I tore cartilage in one of my knees, jeopardizing my already longshot of a brilliant career in athletics. I bought a Strat (after Robbie Robertson) and spent the next 24 years chasing another longshot.
Phase 2:
In the Fall of 1981, a thousand miles from home, I began smoking a lot of pot and having ample time for a variety of mind-expanding pursuits, odd albums, and assorted hijinks. Got to hear The Residents' Duck Stab album during my first particularly expansive night. I remember another time when I was introduced to XTC's English Settlement. In August 1982, right before school started, I visited a friend in his hometown of Libertyville, IL. HE had a high school friend who was now managing the record store at his hometown mall. His friend told us to come over 15 minutes before closing. When we got to the store, he said, "Look around and get some ideas. It's the end of the month, and we're way below our expected theft quota. When the store closes and everyone's gone, I'll give you 15 minutes to grab whatever you want." We took home 76 albums between us on our theft quota spree. I'll never forget how nervous we were when we were met at the door by my friend's mom, wondering why we !
each had a huge stack of albums in our arms.
Jim
www.groovedisques.com
For assistance, please contact
the smoe.org administrators.