At left: Ben Hall, at Bohemian Cafe on Saturday. One of those things about age that makes me profoundly uncomfortable: I get sentimental very quickly.
Like, really sentimental.
It overtakes me suddenly, and there I am, shedding tears over seemingly peculiar, unrelated or odd events. Such as Ben Hall and his guitar playing. Which was just like my late stepfather's. (Note: although the outdated link claims Ben is 18, he has now reached the ripe old age of 22.)
Until I was sitting there listening to Ben, whom I hadn't heard before, I didn't realize I had unconsciously avoided the music of Chet Atkins for a reason... I was suddenly aware that the "thumb-picking" guitar-style of Ben's, was the same as my stepfather's. I have avoided it for many years, flipped radio channels and such, because it made me so emotional. And as Ben described his style of playing, I thought, oh no... because I probably would have avoided his fabulous guitar playing if I had known.
I listened, and promptly got all teary-eyed and emotional. It is so embarrassing, reminding me of a line from Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now: "I cried like some grandmother." Yeah, I guess he means me. I have arrived!
Does any music do that to you?
Here is Ben's playing, the signature thumb-pickin style.
Cannonball Rag - Ben Hall
~*~
This song is as old as I am, seriously... careful, its about death, and way before the Doors made drowning at night sound sexy and existential.
I can hardly believe its taken me this long to post it!
Endless Sleep - Jody Reynolds
~*~
And speaking of the Doors, here is the 60s version of drowning for fun:
Moonlight Drive - The Doors
Let's swim to the moon
Let's climb through the tide
Penetrate the evening that the
City sleeps to hide
Let's swim out tonight, love
It's our turn to try
Parked beside the ocean
On our moonlight drive
Let's swim to the moon
Let's climb through the tide
Surrender to the waiting worlds
That lap against our side
Nothing left open
And no time to decide
We've stepped into a river
On our moonlight drive
~*~
Sorry so morbid, but its been a rather morbid week in America, yes? ;)