New Music

Made it home decently early last night. Managed to get the shop buttoned up by 6:15, grabbed a quick dinner out with Bobbi Ann at the Village Slice, and was driving in my driveway by 7:30 PM or so.

And what was waiting for me, but a gift pack from my sweet daughter. A birthday gift to her ole man. A birthday token given with love and thoughtful endeavor.

I had been whining that I had no spiffy CD case to use to transport my growing collection. And what did I find in this bubble pack envelope? An official UNC CD case with the Tar Heel badge proudly emblazoned in hard metal on the front.

Excited that my Lis thought enough to send me a present along with a card, I opened it to check out the storage system and how many CDs it would hold. Tucked into almost every slot was a newly burned CD containing music she knew I did not have. Must be 10-12 hours of music crammed into that officially sanctioned UNC Tar Heel CD case.

I promised to give myself $50 to go crazy down to Bull Moose Music. I wonder if now what with all this new music my daughter mailed my way, I guess I don't have to spend the 50 bucks now.................... Uh, yeah I still have to. I made a promise. I have to keep my promises. Duty and obligations, no matter how unpleasant, should always be commitments met. And as tough as it may be, I will do what I promised I would do. Go buy some new music.

Besides, there is no such thing as having too many CDs, records, or tapes in one's collection. Classical to Heavy Metal, it's all good. The more the merrier. I draw real comfort when I look to my collection and know there is always some tune in that mess that will fit my mood.

And more important, there is no such thing as bad music. Just music played badly. There is music I have no time for. Most Hip Hop for instance doesn't make my panties perk up. But I would be the last one (or close anyway) to say Hip Hop is bad music. I am sure to many folks out there it's the cat's meow. Their hair stands on end - Hip Hop makes them move in sinful ways.

So I sit here typing and sucking up new music. Amy "Rehabbed almost" Whitehouse, Pearl Jam, and an Eddie "The original and first real Gnarly dude" Vedder solo CD so far. Yeah, new music. Music to listen to for the first time hoping to find some singular and exciting tune. The odds are with me considering the sheer number of musical minutes digitized and saved on plastic discs in that officially sanctioned UNC Tar Heel CD case.

As we speak, "I am Mine" on the Riot Act album by Pearl Jam has just been graced with the honor of an immediate re-play. I think I have found a real keeper here. Classic Jam. Excellent! ............Wait a minute, the tune "You Are" needs a repeat too. Might even turn into s Three-peat.

New Music always does this to me. I start out slow and critical and then at some point I get the point, understand the new tunes, get into the groove. And I lose it, forget what I am doing and fall under New Music's spell. Makes my hair stand on end- New Music makes me move in sinful ways.