Science fiction, fantasy, mystery and what-not
Ever experience something unexpected that turns out to help you? Sometimes it’s a friend, an encounter with a stranger, or a pet, but you end up telling them, “You’re just what I needed.”
Yes, had that last night with my beer buddies. My time with them was just what I needed, prompting today’s theme song by the Cars, “Just What I Needed” (1978).
Cheers
“Forever in Blue Jeans” started splashing through my memory stream this morning. I’m not certain what called it in. My dreams didn’t feature blue jeans or Neil Diamond, so I don’t blame my dreams.
Thinking about the lyrics, I infer from them that blue jeans are okay. From that, and maybe I’m stretching, but blue jeans are the po’ people’s clothing.
If so, that’s from a completely different era, in my mind. Even by the time Neil and his guitarist wrote this song in the late seventies, blue jeans had moved up in income brackets. Way back around two thousand, I recall reading an article about wealthy folks having tailored blue jeans made for them. Although poor and lower classes still wear them, blue jeans are more about being hip and casual now.
Anyone, here’s Neil with his song.
P.S. – what is “baby’s treat”?
Today’s theme music is from the Van Halen tributary to my streaming music mind. “Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love” is off of their debut album in 1978. Essentially a power trio of Eddie on electric guitar, Alex on drums and Michael Anthony on bass, David Lee Roth provided the vocals. That first album had a number of elemental songs on it, nothing fancy. Eddie’s mind-blowing guitar playing was showcased, especially the solo, “Eruption”. “Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love” offers more of that against a head-rocking beat and emphatic vocals. There’s no doubt that they’re not talkin’ ’bout love.
We went downtown to Ashland’s plaza last night to see the menorah lighting. While watching it, naturally I began streaming Journey’s “Lights” (1978), because, you know, lights. Steve Perry was the group’s vocalist in when the song was first released, and I prefer his treatment of this song. Of course, streaming it to myself while a menorah was lit, we shivered in the cold gathering dark, without a bay in sight, amused me.
WTH.
Today’s chosen song comes via an Australian TV show on Netflix called Sisters. I remember the song, “Born to Be Alive”, but couldn’t tell you anything about it. Researching it on the net, I found out it’s by Patrick Hernandez, it reached number one on the U.S. Disco Chart, and the song was released in 1978. I was assigned with the military in the Philippines then. The world wasn’t as wired as much as it now is.
It’s a memorable song, though, because the lyrics and choruses are simple, and he enunciates them well.
Surfing my thoughts this morning as I thought of my dream and tended my dream, I began streaming a Rolling Stones song, “Beast of Burden” (1978). I always considered the song a defiant protest song, but also a pondering reflection of relationships’ complexities, asking at its base, what does it take?
This was in direct response to dealing with Quinn. I was giving him his meds. He doesn’t like them, and hides in anticipation of receiving them. Giving them to him is a small battle, but with experience, I’ve developed a winning technique. Afterward, Quinn takes off and hides from me, distrusting my approach. Yet, he returns in a little while, looking to me for comfort and food.
As an aside, the meds seem to be doing as hoped. His energy levels have gone up and he seems less miserable. While he’d been declining, he’d stopped grooming himself, and had lost his voice. Yesterday, I saw him wash his face after eating for the first time in weeks, and today, he’d found his meow, and his tall was pointed up in classic Quinn fashion when we went into the room for me to feed him.
So I’m hopeful, but I usually am.
This song, “Rock Lobster” by the B-52s (1978), is a fun party song. It provides an excellent opportunity to play dead buy when Fred Schneider sings, “Down, down, down, down,” as the music winds down behind his urging. There’s also the goofy fun of trying to make the animal noises with Kate Pierson.
So relax, kick up and enjoy some humorous, upbeat rock.
I dislike it when I awaken and can’t recall my dreams, but glimpse tantalizing pieces scudding through my mind like high clouds on a late afternoon day.
That’s today’s situation. I don’t know if it’s connected, but I then began streaming bits of Jeff Wayne’s musical “War of the Worlds”, 1978. I thought I’d share some of that, with the Black Smoke Band, Richard Burton narrating “The Eve of the War”, and Justin Hayward (Moody Blues) singing.
This is a hopeful song streaming today. “Love Will Find A Way” by Pablo Cruise (1978) is about experiencing the betrayal and heartache of lost love, and the wonder whether you’ll ever find love and happiness. Some don’t try, once they’ve been burnt. Others think that love doesn’t exist or matter, and more settle for a safe zone of living with another that you sometimes love, but sometimes hate. A few, though, never find love, and an’t sure about what they seek.
I’m familiar with Atlanta Rhythm Section (ARS) but they never grabbed me. They were too mellow for my taste. I heard a lot of their music, though, first through the radio, and then, through a friend. ARS was one of his favorite bands. I believed that was because he was from Alabama, with stops in Georgia. Although he was a Crimson Tide fan, he rooted for the Atlanta Falcons and Braves. What was odd (to me) is that his other two favorite bands were Boston and Van Halen. Van Halen ruled as number one, with Boston slotted in as his number two favorite. He never specified whether he was a David Lee or Sammy fan, but I think he leaned toward the latter because he was a Red Rocker fan when Sammy was a solo artist, but not much of a Montrose fan. Still, with those two as his top two choices, it always seemed a little odd that he enjoyed ARS, and also The Little River band.
Whatever. Today, for some reason, I’m streaming “Imaginary Lover” by ARS, from 1978.
Michael Seidel, writer 