for everything you have missed

I have had to add "music" to my blog's description, since, really, there is no way for me to get away from it. I thought at first that I would simply add "writing," because it is sometimes the lyrics, more than the tune, that capture you--there are so many moments in life I can find a chorus for. But, I will sit with "music" for now, since it has found me again. I went to see an old friend perform tonight (a fellow Astorian, so perhaps that will be another way I tie this all in--ah, connections). I have been slowly touching on all the things I let go in my past life. Many old friends. Myself. I have written a little about the effect of this before. There are songs that can take you out of time in such an instant that it is physical. I have about 16,000 songs in my iTunes Library. Many of them not placed by me. Hundreds of the ones I would call "mine" are not there, but I am finding them again, slowly. Because I let go of music for a long time; and though I would find a great tune now and then, I mostly did only to share it, then give it away. I realize I've spent so many years listening to someone else's soundtrack that I've been unable to hear my own--and unfortunately, that's not as bad a metaphor as it seems, it's quite literal. And no, I do not say that to play on tragedy. None of that. There was life and love and memory in all of that listening. So many songs the reason behind the combination; their passion and meaning perhaps why it remained longer than should have been allowed (connections). Now to put all those years into a playlist.

The person who performed tonight was introduced to me by a friend, and it was through our love of Cohen that we realized each other's existence. My friend was at first a co-worker, so there is the publishing angle, for all of you keeping track ... the pleasure of this evening began with snippets of Cohen (and Neil Young ... heh) during the set up, and the rest of the night, equally sublime. I have the new CD here and will listen, but his first, "Her Sacred Status, My Militant Needs," after five years, is still one that I can turn to. And while I have not yet been graced with a live performance of the following, this is indeed, in word and chord (with its beautiful guitar), one of the songs that has been replayed, over and over, to get me through the days. Ladies and Gentlemen ... Mr. Richard McGraw ...

Click on: "A Poem/Confession" to begin ...

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Fabulous:
The History of Music, 1965-2004, according to We Hate You and Your Horrendous Taste in Everything