Driving to the grocery store is usually a mundane activity which I nevertheless enjoy. But today gave me an epiphany, one I had to share with my friend from the ‘burg, Forrest Hummel (named Steve Layne by his parents, corrected by his peers in Jr High). Forrest and I share a love for music, he with the far more encyclopedic knowledge and collection, plus experience as an actual rock star singing lead for our class’s band Korrosion (previously Fourth Reich). Here’s what I said;
Hey Forrest:
Man, I was heading to the grocery store and punched WCBN, the student station, ‘cause you never know what you’re going to get. Today “Sunshine of your love”! Kathy wasn’t with me so I cranked it up. I realized they couldn’t play this live! There are two guitar tracks, a steady rhythm then Eric’s cosmic picking. They would have had to have a second guy in the shadows, and I don’t think they did that. Did Korrosion ever play this? ”Power trio” is 3 guys last I checked. The DJ segued into “World of pain”, carrying me to my parking place at Busch’s. Having misplaced my earbuds, I was deprived for the duration of my brief shopping spree. Back in the car, it’s” SWALBR”, then a pause to explain it’s the 50th anniversary of Disraeli Gears (wrong, it was released in ’67 when we still were in high school) then read an excerpt from a Rolling Stone record review. He finished with “Outside woman blues”, pointing out how well the arrangement followed the 1929 Blind Joe Reynolds original. By then he was up against 5 o’clock and had to turn it over to some chika interviewing a sensitive Pollack author.
Home, Kathy was done with her day’s teachings. I asked her to excuse me to my headphones, where I am now listening (at high volume) to Disraeli Gears (Deluxe Edition) on Spotify. Much more stuff than on my high school vinyl. Man, did we have the music or what? I don’t think you were among the crowd that ate up the heavy stuff. How we loved it when Cream or Led Zep laid a new one on us. Then, of course, Mountain. RIP Leslie West.
I wonder if today’s kids ever experience that excitement for a new record we used to? I guess there are still timed releases, digital. But you don’t line up at a record store for a digital release. Such a loss. I’m happy to say I still remember the feeling. Didn’t we sometimes stand in line? Maybe that’s why I still hang on to those obsolete vinyl discs. I still remember the thrill when I first touched them.
Remember, it’s all about the music.
So there I left it. Here are links to the Cream songs I mentioned, plus a bonus;
Sunshine of your love
world of pain
SWLABR
outside woman blues
Mississippi queen (not Cream). Cream’s success left many hungry for more hard, guitar-heavy, blues-based rock. Leslie West with his group Mountain satisfied immensely. He died this year and his old albums bear listening much as do Cream’s. Happy I till have some.
Be sure to turn up your speakers to LOUD (11 if you have settings).
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