Monday, January 3, 2011

Happy New Year!

I don't usually make New Year's resolutions.  Instead, I try to think about general ideas that I want to work on.  Don't ask me what the difference is, I just know, in my mind, there is one.  This year, though, I think I want to make a few resolutions.  The normal ones:  eat better, exercise more (I'd like to run a marathon or get close), listen more and talk less (I'll never truly achieve this so I'll be celebrating everytime I decide not to talk -- won't be much).  The rest of the resolutions have to do with music:  sing better, learn piano better (I'm going to teach myself), sing with Brian, etc.  It's been difficult to do this over the holidays.  Both Clara and Brian have birthdays in December and we always have a neighborhood New Year's Eve party which takes up time.

Oh, but speaking of music, for Brian's birthday (which is New Year's eve), I got him a turntable and some vinyl.  He loved it and so did the neighbors.  Everyone brought their records over for the party and we had a great time changing albums, talking about albums, comparing notes, etc.  One thing I realized is how the "album cover art" genre has disappeared!  Now, we look at CDs sideways to see which one we want to play or we have list on an iPod or already on the computer.  But back in the day, you had to flip through the albums to choose one.  And as you mentally do that, I bet you're thinking about all that great album cover art.  I know I am.

I'm not sure if I have a favorite album cover.  Someone brought over Who's Next and I discovered that on the cover The Who is peeing on the rock.  I hadn't noticed that before but I was a really naive child.  I guess I still am because someone had to point it out to me.  And along that line, of course someone brought over Sticky Fingers.  And while, neither cover is my favorite (music is good though), they are memorable.  Some of my favorites are:  Abbey Road, The Unforgettable Fire, Pin Ups, Diamond Dogs, that's all I can think of so far.  Do you have any favs?  Tapes were becoming really big in the 1980's but I always wanted the album because I wanted the cover art and liner notes, etc.

Well, that's what we've been up to lately, and what I plan to be up to in 2011.  I would add that another resolution is to blog better this year but I think the real resolution is to have many exciting experiences so that my posts are vastly more interesting.  Watch out!

Happy New Year!

4 comments:

  1. happy new year...what a cool present as well...i have some old vinyl in my parents basement still i think...

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  2. I do miss cover art. And liner notes! I have bought both music and books before on the strength of the cover art alone. Once we're all digitized and kindled and whathaveyou, what then?

    Choosing my favorite covers would be so difficult because there's not only my own collection to go through but also all the stuff my parents had (have). I'll have to think!

    Happy New Year!

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  3. Happy New Year! One of Paul's favorite bands actually put out new music about 18 months ago..... vinyl with CD and cover art.

    Faves:
    Greeting From Asbury Park- Springsteen, cover looks like a postcard
    King Crimson- all
    Jethro Tull- all
    Pink Floyd- all
    And that's only the beginning.....
    Glad you are all enjoying the return to my childhood.

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  4. happy new year!

    i hear you!! about the whole resolution thing...and i too am gonna give things a whirl this year....

    i have a ton of vinyl but since it's lived in various basements for the last 15 years i'm expected its in baaaad shape.

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