I remember my dad's old albums: Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass (The Lonely Bull). I remember "The Sound of Music" and my grandmother loving that. All the while, in the back ground, the Beatles were being played at my cousins' and by my brother. I remember "Jesus Christ Superstar," loving it, but hating Godspell. The Beatles.
The Beatles. They were everything to me. I still remember playing "Sgt Pepper" in my bedroom and being floored. Now that music wasn't new to me; I heard it before. But playing that album in my bedroom was something I'll never forget.
I think I was somehow influenced by my aunt noticing got her musically talented son gave his dad a 45 for Christmas. It was that funky song "Every Time I Move I Lose." My aunt noticed something about how it's always music between her husband and son. I somehow latched onto that.
The Beatles. Sure, I liked Led Zeppelin, Bad Company (my first concert), and other stuff. Kind of. The Beatles were IT. My dad says he remembers me as a really young kid swaying in the back of our family car singing, "She loves you yea yea yea."
My first album was a Christmas gift: Honky Chateau by Elton John. The first album I ever bought was Elton's 11-17-70.
My mom and dad influenced my tastes a lot. They didn't like "noise" and I am still drawn to melodic music as opposed to free jazz stuff. My mom liked funky sax music and I have such a weak spot for the that stuff. She liked funky stuff. So it's fair to say that my love of melody is very akin to Louis Armstrong stuff as opposed to be-bop (Coltrane).
But the Beatles. The absolute best.
All their different phases. Psychedelia. White Album. I remember crying to the song "Piggies" on the White Album when I was a kid feeling bad for the little pigs!
Speaking of crying and music, some music did and some still does, get the tears going. Organ music in Church. The song "Jesus Christ is Risen Today." That one made me cry, but even more when it became forever associated with my parents getting rid of our dog Tina during Easter time, 1972. "A Lover's Concerto."
I became more open to different music other than the Beatles when I gave Peter Gabriel's "So" CD a listen. Got into some great stuff on his "Passion" CD. I used to play the first four songs or so on that CD over and over while reading "The Last Temptation of Christ."
Springsteen. Another revelation for me of good rock and roll. Brian Wilson and "Pet Sounds" as well as his "Smile" release. Like my cousin, I think I've always been a music person rather than lyrics person. Love the sounds!!! But that sure didn't stop me from getting into Dylan.
Made some early recordings perhaps in my early teens that I really wish I still had access to. Some were just pieces of Beatles songs that I pieced together from their albums. But what I really wished I still had is a "Revolution 9" type of sound collages I made.
Also I remember getting an album called The Best of Muddy Waters, or something like that and trying to figure out that stuff on guitar.
Wrote a song in college trying to show a friend who loved Dylan that anyone can write a Dylan song. Yea right!
Got a four track recorder with a friend in the mid 80's or so and wrote a ton of songs with and without him.
Took some guitar lessons from a great guy who taught me some good chords. Also took lessons from the legend Joe Sgro, but I am sorry to say I that I did not take those lessons as seriously as I should have.
I remember a book called "Improvising Rock Guitar" that at least got me started doing some cool Chuck Berry stuff. Wished I was better at improv. Has always been a struggle.
Got into piano. Loved the sounds of the Sudnow Method. And now I'm back to the guitar.
Really getting into the Robert Conti stuff. Music.
Music. Still in my life. It refuses to go away.
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