I’ve fallen in love with the album, “Duke” by Genesis all over again.
I originally bought it because one of the songs was getting so much airtime on a local rock n roll radio station. Didn’t have streaming audio or MP3s (remember those?) so my only option was to get the vinyl album. That’s still here somewhere, packed up in a box with some of the albums I “borrowed” from my mom over time.
Tonight, instead of carefully dusting the shiny black vinyl grooves and gently placing the metal stylus on the spinning platter, I’ve stumbled across this album thanks to my magic music AI butler who suggested it to me. How things have changed.
Technically it’s not rock. Not dance, but some parts are dancy enough. Kind of progressive rock-ish.
Loads of sweeping vocals.
But the thing is love the most are the chord changes. They are like what I imagine feeling like flying is like.
Neil Diamond did an outstanding job with his music for the “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” thing. Never saw the movie. The book was really good. Most folks reading this won’t remember that, either.
But I could imagine this album’s music would be an an outstanding accompanying score for the idea of that story.
Haven’t heard this album in like literally 35 years.
I wore it out in my first apartment as a solo bachelor. In my mind’s eye I can still see the turntable where I’d play the album before heading out to work the evening shift at a local Mexican place as a waiter.
Not one for reliving the glory days. That’s because the glory days start every morning when I’m celebrating another day of living. (There’s another song that comes to mind… look up “Rare Earth I just want to celebrate”)
But sometimes there’s a composition that just hovers, gently but powerfully, right in front of you, waiting for you to see it. Really see it. For me this is one of those things.
Not hearing this set of songs in over three decades after hearing it often for a year or so is an odd thing. It’s like experiencing a very familiar sensation for the very first time. Yah, that idea messes with my head, too.
Will I wait another three decades to hear it again? Maybe. There’s so many full albums to experience still that I’ve never heard before.
But tonight, we’re surfing these marvelous chords.