Science fiction, fantasy, mystery and what-not
Well, it’s a typical lament, innit? “I wish I knew then what I know now, when I was younger.”
Seems like my mind is in a folk-rock (should that be called frock? No?) disposition from its recent streamings. Croce, Fogerty (and I’ve been streaming CCR), and now some Faces. Here’s a 1973 gem, “Ooh La La). Love the piano playing on this.
This one comes via another blog’s memory prompt. Jill Dennison posted “Photographs and Memories” the other day. It brought back a sharp memory of hearing that song. I was driving in my forest green 1965 Mercury Comet sedan. I’d graduated earlier that year, 1974, enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, and was waiting to leave for basic training. But that day, I was driving my girl friend home on a sunny fall day. Two years later, when I was stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB, I married her. We remained married forty-three years later.
Funny what a song can bring to mind.
Walking along in damp and chilly sunlit air, my writing energies bubbled up. I was ready to write. From that streamed the phrases, “Put me in, coach, I’m ready to write today.” That’s a twist on the John Fogerty song, “Centerfield” from the album with the same name (1985). The song has become a baseball stadium mainstay in America. At least one major league player has complained about hearing it so often.
“Don’t say it ain’t so, you know the time is now.”
Black Friday began a few weeks ago. I received word on a Tuesday when a mailer arrived announcing that every Friday was Black Friday was Black Friday. Others didn’t start Black Friday until Wednesday or Thursday, but many vowed to continue it until January 1, with one chain declaring that every day is Black Friday.
For some reason, all this Black Friday chatter delivered Steely Dan performing “Black Friday” (1975) to my theme song stream. Steely Dan’s version of the day is much different than the buying extravaganza of this year. Steely Dan’s song relates more to the Black Fridays of financial and social collapse.
Think of Black Friday as you will.
A little humor, a little Arlo Guthrie, a little Thanksgiving Thursday throwback theme tune. Pretty good alliteration, doncha’ think?
“Alice’s Restaurant” (1967).
The memory stream plucked this blast from the past and delivered it straight to my head.
I don’t mind. “Golden Years” by David Bowie (1975) is a song that I enjoy. I’m going into my golden years, I’ve decided. They’re not the golden years of many people’s thinking, which translate to twilight years, but good years. Unlike the Bowie song, I’m not running for the shadows, either. Life’s taking me somewhere, angel. I’m just a hazel-eyed optimist.
Exchanged some comments with a blogger last night. He’d reminisced about enjoying Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, and AC/DC with his brother while they were growing up (Boys Will Be Boys). That reminded me how much I enjoyed Clapton, and eventually led me to streaming “Pretending” from his Journeyman album (1989). I like the power with which the song opens after the slight piano intro. The song lifts me up when I stream it in my head while I’m walking.
He ran ahead with his tail up, as I’ve so often seen him do.
Then, stopping, he looked back and meowed, as I’ve often witnessed him do.
Smiling, I waved and called his name. He turned and went on.
Still smiling, I turned aside.
And I went on, too.
Henchfloof (floofinition) – a trusted housepet; a member of a gang of housepets.
In use: “Snuffy the cat didn’t trust any dogs except his beloved friend, Max. Max, a big fluffy-white Samoyed-Spitz mix, was Snuffy’s henchfloof, protecting the feline against anyone entering their yard.”
Today’s music pops is a 2006 song that popped into my stream courtesy of a friend. I met him in 2006, and we became good friends. Chatting with him today reminded me of this song.
By the Dixie Chicks, there’s a lot of back-story behind this song, “Not Ready to Make Nice”. I know the song because of the previous controversies with the Dixie Chicks and their stands, which I supported and admired. The coverage and events behind the song made it a big hit so I couldn’t help but hear it as went about my life.
Given today’s polarized politics, not just in the U.S., but many other regions, I think the song is a respectable choice for today’s theme music.
Cheers
Michael Seidel, writer 