Remains

For Christmas, I gave my father most of my classical CDs, all my Dylan and a few other random bits. I sent my cousin in Berlin a few disks that I thought she’d like – some Nick Drake, June Tabor and Ravi Shankar. Yesterday I had Helen and John look through the large remaining collection.

She hadn’t heard of some of the bands. This meant that the poor girl was subject to my pushing.

You don’t know Leo Kottke? DAY-UM, you MUST take Standing In My Shoes. 

Never heard of Richard Thompson? Hand of Kindness – you totes NEED this. And take this – Shoot Out the Lights. It’s him and his ex-wife and bandmate. One of the best goddamn albums of all time.  

Belly? No, not heard of them? They were from here, Boston, and really awesome. Only did a couple albums though. You gotta take this one!

Brian Eno? Yeah, he collaborated with the best, produced (def punched up) a bazillion records for talented newcomers BUT he was pretty fucking awesome all on his own-like. Take this one, Here Come the Warm Jets. It's absolutely BRILLIANT and you MUST listen to it. Repeatedly!

Indeed, I tend to talk in all caps and boldface when blathering on about music and musicians who I'm obscenely keen on.

I managed to push some of my opera CDs on her too. I mean, rilly now, who on the planet doesn't love The Queen of the Night aria from Die Zauberflöte? That Mozart dude? He wickedly rocked!
 
I've been deaf for 11 years now and it's taken me this long to let go – I need/needed to do this – and will continue to so.

On Saturday a friend’s talented drummer son is taking part in a percussion competition (I think that’s what it is) at his high school. I’m not expecting the Kodo Drummers of Japan but, given my big, long love of percussion, I imagine I’ll still get a good dose of that mondo effective drug – music.

A snippet of lyrics from Richard Thompson’s brilliant Tear Stained Letter from Hand of Kindness (I can hear it in my head even now):

It was three in the morning when she took me apart
She wrecked the furniture, she wrecked my heart
She danced on my head like Arthur Murray
The scars ain't never going to mend in a hurry

Just when I thought I could learn to forget her
Right through the door come a tear-stained letter
Oh, oh, oh love love
Cry, cry if it makes you feel better
Set it all down in a tear-stained letter
Oh, oh, oh love love love
Cry, cry if it makes you feel better
Set it all down in a tear-stained letter