Dear Friends,
Today is my mom’s birthday. When I asked her what she was doing today at Granny’s party on Sunday, she kind of laughed and said, “A whole lot of nothin’, I guess.” To me, that sounds like a fantastic birthday.
Over the years, my mom has been pretty easy to shop for on her birthdays. When I was a boy, I could always get her perfume. Then, when I was a teenager and in my early 20s, it was hearts. Anything with a heart on it or heart related, and she was covered. Come to think of it, that extended into my 30s.
Lately it has been owls, and I think in the last four years, I’ve probably given her a parliament of them. Yep, that’s what you call a group of owls. Who determined that? I feel like I should ask her today, “How’s the parliament?”
I haven’t figured out what to get her yet and I’m running out of time. I just didn’t want to get her another owl. Books are always good. Maybe I can find a good one today before I head over there.
*****
I crashed out yesterday after dinner and got no tiling done. I woke up when Rhondi called, and I made some measurements so I can cut some later today and go up the last remaining section. I’m blaming the heat and the pizza and the shitty sleep I’ve been getting for the last month.
I need to get some decent nights of sleep before we head out. Friday is going to be a long day, but not as long as the first day of the trip usually is. I figured out that this version of heading to Maine doesn’t have a single 700-mile day. Close, but the first real day is the longest and it is less than 700 miles. Still need to get a few good night’s sleep, though.
*****
I forgot to say this earlier: Happy birthday Mom! I love you.
*****
In honor of my mom’s birthday, I’m going to write about a record that we enjoyed together a lot when I was younger. I would visit my mom on the weekends and for extended summer visits until I moved in with her during my junior year of high school. One of the best memories I have of those times, though, is driving around with her (and sometimes my Aunt Julie and cousin, Ben) listening to whatever music we were digging at the time.
Mom had a Honda Accord for a while in the early 80s and it had a pretty nice stereo in it. Music sounded really good in there and we would turn it up and sing along with a lot of different things. As I think back, I feel very fortunate that both my parents really like music and encouraged me by example to do the same.
In 1983, one of the biggest songs in the world early in the year became a favorite of ours to listen to while we were out driving around. Released in January that year, the Eurythmics’ album, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), had a huge hit with the title track and we listened to the cassette of this record a lot. Annie Lennox’s voice was something special.
I had kind of forgotten about how amazing she is as a front woman until I saw the reunited Eurythmics perform on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction show on HBO. She still commands a stage like a prowling tiger and sounds amazing. I regret never seeing them in concert.
Dave Stewart is like a mad genius when it comes to catchy riffs and terrific arrangements, too. Again, I forgot this as my growing musical interests took me away from bands like the Eurythmics during high school. As the band’s popularity increased, my interest decreased, but I still listened every once in a blue moon and have a few of their records in my vinyl collection now.
The thing about Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) that makes it memorable is how cool it sounds beyond Lennox’s amazing voice. There are sounds going on here that seemed so new and fresh for the time. They still sound great, too.
Right after the title track, for example, is the song “Jennifer.” It’s just haunting. Lennox sounds great, but if you really listen, Stewart programmed some really cool sounds into the song. I remember this being probably my favorite track on the whole thing back in the 80s. I’ve always been a sucker for girls with green eyes and in the song, “Jennifer” has green eyes.
I was finishing up eighth grade at the time we were really listening to this a lot, and I remember feeling like I was kind of cool for liking a new, hip band. Eurythmics were definitely something a bit left of center at the time. “Somebody Told Me” is a good example of this, too. It kind of slinks into your brain and takes up residence for three and a half minutes.
“Love Is a Stranger” is also a great song. I realized as I was listening over the last few days that I still remember the lyrics pretty well. Many of the other tracks sounded very familiar, but I had lost the connection with the words over the last forty years.
The bookend of “Love Is a Stranger” is “This City Never Sleeps.” I have to believe this song inspired a lot of the mid-to-late 80s 4AD bands. It’s a slow burn and shows off how well Eurythmics doubled (and tripled/quadrupled/quintupled) down on the strength of Annie Lennox as a singer. She did all the vocals on the record (including backing vocals), and she/they sound great.
I’m glad I revisited this one.
*****
See you tomorrow.
Well, one more set for the parliament.
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