March 30, though, is also one of the saddest days of the year for me.....on March 30, 1990, which happened to be my beloved's 24th birthday, my father, with whom I had a kind of strange, love/hate relationship passed away (I had kind of strange relationships with both my parents, but they are both gone now and I'd be thrilled if they were both still here with me, arguing and fighting and all)....he was but 47 years of age at the time of his passing, he was a morbidly obese man (350+) who really never ate much, it was just in his genes, along with diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea and more, all of which he generously passed along to me.....fortunately, I live in the age of the gastric bypass, which I had in 2008, (I was 375 at the time, hence the name "BigScott" which sticks with me still)....gastric bypass saved my life, and had it been perfected in 1990, may have saved my Dad's life as well.....one of my greatest regrets is that my son Grant never got to meet either one of his grandfathers, both of whom were damn good men and would have been a great influence on him....it is my hope that I live long enough to meet my own grandchildren, just NOT TOO SOON!
So, musically, there will be nothing "rare" or spectacular today....what I thought I'd do is post my wife's favorite (rock) album (she likes lots of different types of music, unlike me, strictly a rock-nazi), as well as my Dad's favorite album (he had a huge record collection I inherrited, and, like myself, continued to enjoy "new" music that I would share with him (He loved the Clash, Ramones, Blondie, and more)......I credit him with instilling in my my love of music, similarly, I credit my late Mother with passing along her/my love of literature......to my wife, I credit with instilling in me my love of life itself, because without her and my son, life, to me, would be one sad, dreary affair.....
My wife's favorite album has long been Bowie's "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the SpidersFrom Mars", certainly nothing wrong with that......she's always loved the way Bowie has been such a "chameleon", and while this might not be my pick as my favorite Bowie album (although close), it is hers, and who could argue much? Side one is the lesser, but still has "Five Years" and "Moonage Daydream", but side two.....whoa....."Lady Stardust" (allegedly about Marc Bolan), "Star", (my fave) "Hang Onto Yourself" ("the bitter comes out better on a stolen guitar, you're the blessed, we're the Spiders from Mars...") the amazing title track "just a beer light to guide us"), the unreal "Suffergette City"......"Rock N Roll Suicide" is for my money the WEAKEST track on the side and it's amazing too......five star album, without question, and exemplifies my wife's good taste in music if not in men.....
My Dad's favorite album was a close call, The Beatles "Sergeant Pepper" and Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" were in heavy rotation for a LOT of my young childhood, but, with a gun to his head, I think he would have chosen Jethro Tull's "Aqualung"......a man of faith who always kept a mind open enough to have doubts, he played this album over and over......and a fine album it is....."Hymn 43" is my absolute favorite (also done in an amazing cover version by Alabama Thunderpussy), but the title track, "Crosseyed Mary", the great "Locomotive Breath", "Wind Up" and more are a perfect soundtrack for a life of agnosticism. The album, by the way, is selected in the book "The 50 Worst Rock N Roll Records of All Time", which has got to be one of the most puzzling and frankly stupid statements ever made, at least of those made by someone other than myself.
My parents were very young when I was born, 18 years old both, and in 1962 that was not all that common....predictably, they divorced when I was about 8, and my childhood was not the greatest, but I KNOW they did the best they could do and I miss them both tremendously......we didn't have our son until we were in our thirties, thusfar it seems to be working out well, we shall see......after I'm gone, maybe my son will post a blog review of MY favorite album ("Forever Changes" by Love).....the circle of life.......
ZIGGY STARDUST-01 Five Years/02 Soul Love/03 Moonage Daydream/04 Starman/05 It Ain't Easy/06 Lady Stardust/07 Star/08 Hang Onto Yourself/09 Ziggy Stardust/10 Suffergette City/11 Rock N Roll Suicide
AQUALUNG-01 Aqualung/02 Cross-Eyed Mary/03 Cheap Day Return/04 Mother Goose/05 Wond'ring Aloud/06 Up To Me/07 My God/08 Hymn 43/09 Slipstream/10 Locomotive Breath/11 Wind-Up
I know, I know.....chances are if you are reading this blog, you have these albums......well, sometimes it's not all about YOU.....I try to deliver unusual and interesting albums each day, but for today, I put up two very easy to find discs simply as a tribute to two people who were/are very important in my life.......
If you read yeseterday, you'll recall that my neighbor's tree fell, basically destroying my garage but knocking out the electricty, making it impossible to upload the Jesus Lizard albums.....they'll be up soon, electricty was restored last night, and my fucking neighbor's insurnace should be purchasing me a new garage (the old one was a piece of shit anyway).
The above pics are of my wife Carla, the first one is her and I shortly after we met WAY BACK in 1995 (neither of us looks much like that anymore, but she is A BUNCH closer to it than myself.....) I really wish I had a good picture of my Dad, but I don't, but today, March 30, is "thier" day!