Monday, Monday -

[kyburg]

I love the fact Discovery Channel is using this little ditty to notify us all that "Dirty Jobs" is moving to Monday. Of course, it leaves me with a permanent earworm, but still.

I remember this album from when there were 4-track machines. Yup. It was an alternate setting on the first 8-track deck older brother had in his car...and the album was on a clear, pink-tinted cartridge. I remember it well.

Older brother was the one who brought Barry Manilow home for the first time, remember. Blame him.

I spent a lovely yesterday on the metro going into Hollywood, visiting Amoeba Records and Borders, having lunch at a place we could hide a seriously good gaming session upstairs at (with TASTY chai lattes, OMG) and then going home again. Connections made smoothly, weather cooperative and a very good time was had by me. Found a nice selection of stuff to keep me busy - and a nice surprise.

Herb Albert's "Whipped Cream and Other Delights" album has been remastered and re-released on CD. I'm tempted to make a post entitled "I was raised a poor white child in Riverside County, let me show you how" over it - if there was one guy that could be the Kenny G of the early 60's, it was Herb Albert. The dude (and his stuff) was everywhere. I'll post some tracks later -

But I found the Three Graces album I went in search of, a couple of soundtracks and discovered that while Amoeba knew who Ketchup Mania was, they planned to bin their stuff in a woefully small section of the store next to the traditional Japanese music, when they did have it in. Very scary.

I was pretty chuffed. I was in the rock, opera, jazz (picked up another Curtis Steiger album), alternative as well as world sections of the store, actively searching. Big improvement over the beeline for Pop and staying there I used to do.

Now, to rip and import everything. *rubs hands together*

Jim sounds like a barking seal, but improving.

I'm getting my memories yanked a bit - they do that when someone mentions coping with caregiving - it's not a bad thing, but I'm reminded how quickly the years Cliff needed care "folded flat" once they ended. Believe me. There are years I just don't remember much - because I was either working, at the hospital or at home providing care, and that was it. The nineties just kind of flew by - no, I didn't notice what was at the movie theater, on television (after QL left in '93, that was that for network TV) or playing in the clubs. What I don't recall though - was being overly angry about it. Angry about the HOW, yes. angry about the lack of resources to make it more humane, always. But just to say "damn, I got screwed" - no. Believe me, there were plenty of folks around ready to say "SEE! This was all a mistake!" if I had, I guess. Not giving anyone that satisfaction, folkies. Sorry.

*shrug* I knew. I knew when I met him, found out he was diabetic and so on. I made the decision early on - because it had to be made early on, it was that kind of lock - if I didn't want to deal with the diabetes and the shortened lifespan, I'd better run, and run FAST. Didn't run. Just that simple. And I am...that stubborn.

But boy, I wouldn't make anyone do it if they weren't willing up front. You never work so hard for nothing, worse than nothing.

Comments

[cahwyguy.livejournal.com]

Heh, I have the original vinyl of the Mamas and Papas "Monday Monday" album, as well a quite a few well-worn TJB albums -- all of which have been copied to CD as well as burned to my iPod.

Osaka is saddened by this... or maybe just groggy.

[redqueenofevil.livejournal.com]

Herb Albert may have been wayyyyy popular, but I'd never compare him to the drivvel that is Kenny G.

Albert's style was kitch, but still musical. G's definitely not. Just bad.

Plus Albert collaborated with Sergio Mendes, and that gives him brownie points. Because Sergio is a fab pianist.

[tomlemos.livejournal.com]

my cousin brought over his Beatles albums he got from his mom.

The sucker has a butcher cover "Yesterday and Tdoay".

Herb Alpert and Kenny G in the same line?

well, I'll forgive you, but we know who the better of the two are...

Especially when you can say Herb Alpert without someone trying to hurt you.

[kip-w.livejournal.com]

My copy of "Monday, Monday" was on a 45 that I bought off of a table of scrambled (unjacketed) 45s, each with a hole drilled through the label, for 29 cents. I got "Creeque Alley" from the same place.

I don't think I bought it, but I was terrifically impressed with a used LP of the Alpert album at a used-record store in Statesboro, Georgia, circa 1981, that had apparently belonged to a 14-year-old girl with religious objections to the naughtiness. She carefully razored the photo off the cardboard, leaving a thin layer of gray beneath, and wrote in the blank that it was a BAD cover.

In the 90s, I found a book of Alpert's greatest hits in a truly scary thrift shop in Newport News. It had been a bowling alley, and all the nice wood had been ripped out, leaving scary places between bits of floor. Most of what they had for sale were apparently scavenged heating units. There was one little section of books and stuff, and there I found the music. I was so creeped out by the place that I didn't chat with the owners, who were happy to see that I'd found the music. It had been their son's. He had a band. I still cringe that I didn't ask them to tell me more about it.

I still play from the book. Lots of great memories lurk between those covers. Acapulco 1922, Whipped Cream, A Taste of Honey... I love playing pieces at random and stumbling on stuff I used to hear all the time. And all but about 30% of the music seems to have been written by Italian- or Jewish-surnamed writers from America, like Julius and Cissy Wechter (Spanish Flea).