As much as I love music--and believe me you, I do love music!--I'm aware that some might not consider me a serious afficionado. It's true that, unless I'm spinning a record with the intention of writing about it, I may not listen as intently or studiously, and I guess that could mean I'm not listening seriously. I rarely sit and listen to albums in their entirety. I almost never listen to vinyl. I listen to CDs and, most often, wavs and mp3s. I stream occasionally, but unless I'm listening to radio, I prefer to play tracks that I own. And yeah, I listen mostly in the car. An audiophile I am not. I'm also not a musician, nor a student of music theory. I can never hope to achieve any true understanding or appreciation of the music beyond that of a mere bystander.
But yeah, I love music. I love immersing myself in its splendor, cranking the volume to near distortion and beyond, reveling in the evergreen thrill of a guitar lick, a bass line, a rhythm, a harmony, a hook dispatched from Heaven above, perhaps even a clever or insightful lyric or phrase, all finding their precise, perfect place in the grooves we mortals perceive.
Turn it up. Exult in the whole and/or marvel at its construction to the extent that suits you. Feel it. Love it. Appreciate it. To paraphrase what my ancestor Ben Franklin said about beer: Music is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
I'll drink to that, Uncle Ben. It's time to get happy. This is what rock 'n' roll radio sounded like on another Sunday night in Syracuse this week.
NEXT WEEK: Our Featured Performers will be THE HALF/CUBES! And TWO lucky listeners will each win a free copy of the Half/Cubes' fab new album Found Pearls. But to have a chance to win, you've gotta listen live on Sunday night. BE THERE!
This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream, and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO.
You can read all about this show's long and weird history here: Boppin' The Whole Friggin' Planet (The History Of THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO). You can follow Carl's daily blog at Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do).
TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS are always welcome.
Carl's latest book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) is now available, and you can order an autographed copy here. You can still get Carl's previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books, OR an autographed copy here. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.
No comments:
Post a Comment