The senses are said to be both functional and transformative. I know individuals who catch a trace of a perfume and the scent reminds them of a particular person. Or the taste of a meal or even the sight and smells of a meal being prepared transport them to an experience enjoyed (or not) in the past. I have no such proclivities. What I smell, taste, or see is here and now. And then gone.
Music, however, is my eternal and constant provocateur. I retain early childhood memories of being in the back of my parent’s car on an evening excursion and listening to the SABC (South African Broadcast Corporation) version of Top of the Pops. Slightly older, I memorized countless of the dueling hits between Cliff Richard and Elvis. Even today, nearly sixty years later, I can still feel the impact that hearing California Dreamin’ made while I was being driven home through the Johannesburg suburbs by my brother – him newly in possession of a driver’s license and so no longer in need of borrowing my bicycle to visit his girlfriend, but now in return obligated to transport me to and from my friends in our Mother’s Ford Cortina.
So while I have a tolerance for the Big Bands, an appreciation of early Jazz, and a respect for certain Classics, it is Rock that takes me on my sensory journeys. This may be because I was born in the decade when Rock took form, with Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochrane and Buddy Holly creating words and music that still resonate. Will Summertime Blues ever lose its relevancy? Never. Of course I was too young to remember their breakthrough stylings and it was only later that I came to know them. I came of age - musically – in the 60’s. And was there ever a better decade to wake up and turn on the radio or the record player? No. From Del Shannon to Deon to The Beatles and Rolling Stones and The Kinks and The Who and The Doors and Beach Boys, Janice Joplin and The Band and Carol King and Joni Mitchell and and and ….
The early 70’s continued to foster fabulous creativity and diverse musical greats. Up until disco that is. But the wave of sounds coming from bands formed in the early and mid 70’s carried me through those lean next ten years. Otis Redding, Queen, Santana, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Wilson Pickett, Sly and the Family Stone, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Cars, Blondie, The Ramones, Devo, the Talking Heads, and my favorite cousin, Aretha. Just kidding. About the cousin part. Then of course in leapt Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Prince, Madonna, U-2, Bowie and Depeche Mode to keep me company and provide life coaching as I navigated New York City and the vagaries of being an adult.
Because I lived in South Africa in the 50’s and early 60’s I didn’t actually know the ethnicity of many performers. If you were able to find their records they were encased in bland solid covers devoid of photographs. Unless you knew someone who had been overseas to the UK or US and brought back originals you, like me, likely had no clue Little Richard, Ray Charles, Fats Domino and even Nat Cole were black. Similarly, as some have told me, when they first heard their music they were surprised to learn that Sia, Rod Stewart, and Amy Winehouse were white. And that The Bee Gees weren’t three black women. Later, when we went to live in Zambia, I could tune into Casey Kasem’s top 40 on the local radio (a wonderful and classic example of US aid to developing nations). I raided the record collections of my friends from The International School of Lusaka. The Moody Blues, Cream, Led Zeppelin and Traffic entered my consciousness along with Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan and of course, The Band.
This musing is titled On Music – Part 1 because the topic and the myriad of songs that drive the senses to longing for lost friends and loves, to moods of melancholy and foot stomping ecstasy, and to awe at the raw talent of the musicians is too grand to capture in a single essay. So at some stage there will be a Part 2 and likely a Part 3 and Part 4 and and and ...
I’m going to end with a top 10 – my line in the sand, no excuses or honorable mentions or there are too many to list. But I’ve put them in alphabetic order because while I’m willing to make a stand I’m not that definite on the order.
1. The Beatles
2. Bruce Springsteen (and the E Street Band)
3. The Clash
4. The Doors
5. Dire Straits
6. Joni Mitchell
7. The Kinks
8. Linda Ronstadt
9. The Rolling Stones
10. The Who
11. Everyone else
Man up - share your list.
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Here are two of the finest ensemble versions of classic tunes. Skip any ads (apologies) and watch/listen all the way through:
Dire Straits 🙌