Memories | Tracks In The Dust

Archive for the tag “Memories”

11 Jul 2014

Songs That Remind You Of Summer

It is the middle of SUMMER here in Texas, and like always I reflect on the music that made up my younger years. Summer was special because school was out and the weather was ripe for enjoying time at the beach, or camping or traveling. Just sitting out in the backyard in a lawn chair and when I was older cruising the main-streets ( gas was so much cheaper than, but then the cars only got single digits miles per gallon.

Ahh but the songs! My son and I got thinking about those “songs” that made up the memories of summer ( and those that also reminded us of winter). My list was totally different than his (with a few exceptions). But it was fun. I recall listening to the songs on “transistor radios” on the beach blankets, on the AM radio in the car, and later in various Walkman- like things with headphones. But they were indelible and still conjure up those sweet memories.

What are your summer songs?

Here are 6 of mine.

1) The Beach Boys: Do It Again

Actually it could be very many of their songs, this is just one I love. In America these guys are the definition of summer music for a generation or 2! LOVE the outfits in this old video.

2) The Kinks: Sunny Afternoon

Ray Davies is very underrated as part of the Brit Invasion and all the great songs beyond. Love this one. Was and still am a big fan (Waterloo Sunset is another).

3) The Rolling Stones: Honky-tonk Woman

First time I heard this was out in my backyard out of one of those little radios, I turned it up so loud it broke it. I went out that day and got the 45 PRM version and played it to death.

4) America: Ventura Highway

I was listeing to AM radio on my way to the beach and the windows rolled down. My friends were in the car. We sang the do-do-do’s like we were never going back home (the beach forever dude).

5) Steely Dan: Do It Again

We were in the basement of my best friends house. It was a late Friday afternoon. We had opened a 12 pack of Budwiser, we were playing pool and thinking about the weekend coming up when we would be going to the lake up in the woods and fish and eat and drink (not necessarily in that order). We jacked up the stereo and took it all in. Steely Dan is damn cool.

6) Blink 182: What’s My Age Again

Okay so I spent 7 years in a row going with my kids to Warped Tour. I got immersed in the music of their generation. I gotta say I love the energy and… sure I was a fan of that same type of music when I was a teen. There is always high-energy teen angst music playing somewhere. Thanks to my kids- spent some crazy summers on hot pavement finding a lot of new bands. Of course there was some irony on this Blink 182 song …. yeah sure.

Posted in Life's Sound Track (Music) and tagged Arts and Entertainment, Beach Boys, Blink 182, favorite songs, Life's Soundtrack, Memories, moments, Music, Rock music, Songs of "summer", The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, tracks in the dust

03 Jul 2014

Childhood Memories of the 4th of July

It is that time of the year again where here in America we celebrate our Independence from the British. Independence Day (4th of July) also seems to serve as a time to acknowledge the “middle of summer” although that is far from technically correct.

It does seem to be a passage from the beginning of summer to heading toward fall, at least that is how I saw it when I was a kid growing up in mid-west America. It helped to mark time on the calendar until school started again.

As I grew up the 4th of July was one filled with fond memories of celebrating that was like no other holiday of the year.

The Cannon Shot

Warm weather mornings would start off with one exploding “report” we kids would call a “cannon shot” fired off at the same time in the AM at all of the city-owned parks. It was like a blast to remind us all that “in the dawns early light” the flag was still there. It would be followed by anticipation of the day which would include a very festive 4th of July parade through the heart of main street in downtown.

The Parade

It was a big parade, including several marching bands ( the mid-west was full of competing marching bands). They would play great tunes with huge horn sections and drums (drum and bugle corps I think they called them). It was always great. In between would be floats from local businesses, clowns on cycles, honorary cars with veterans from foreign wars, the Shiners, the Lions, the Mason’s, 4H … clubs and organizations of all sizes and shapes would participate. It was a cross section of Americana in the middle of the 20th century. The town would line up on the curbs and hours would pass before the fire-engine brigade would finish it up. [Actual picture below from that time]

The Cook-out (barbecue)

Later in the day my dad would rev up the charcoal grill (no gas grills in my memory existed in my yard or anyone elses those days) and he would rotate chicken on the rotisserie and mom would make various salads ( if you call jello salad, potato salad actually salads). It was “all good” on the screened in porch with refreshments and chips for us kids.

The Doll Buggy Parade

At some point there would be a neighborhood parade that would include a “doll-buggy” promenade of kids with their bikes and wagons with flags and crepe-paper and smiles as their parents looked on. Just a few blocks length, but the city would barricade the streets for the 15 minutes it would last- it was special to the families. Not sure how many of these happened over the entire city- but it seemed to happen in my neighborhood for many years- I think as a remnant of an earlier time. It finally stopped happening.

The Fireworks

Then lastly came the FIREWORKS! In my town since we lived on the coast of the Great Lake Michigan, fireworks were sent above the lake shore at dusk and it would seem the entire city would be there. They were always memorable, and when the bigger/grander one’s would explode you could hear a collective “ooo” or “ah” from the entire crowd down the beaches and parks that line the shore of the Lake.

Sparklers

When we would get back home we would lite sparklers on the lawn and dance around in complete awe. Long thin pieces of metal that would have sparkling chemicals that could actually get extremely hot. My mother would always caution to be careful to hold the end but not ever touch them. We would have a cold-water metal bucket to put them in when we were done.

Those are my fond memories of my childhood 4th of July. I think there are indelible snap shots in my mind.

Live people in “bronze makeup and stiff bronze-like costumes” would depict this memorial statue. Was always anticipated in the 4th of July parade

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Happiness, Holidays, Independence Day, Marching Bands, Memories, moments, Old-fashioned Holidays, Parades, The 4th of July, tracks in the dust

27 Jun 2014

Relax and Take It In

Just take the time to look around, and see what you have found.

I have to say it is hard to do. To stop and just appreciate the art of relaxation.

But then our lives are going so fast. For many of us meditation of the day is not on the schedule.

In these days of self-diagnosed ADD and ADHD we have come to leave it as an excuse then I suppose.

But there are times when it is just good to relax and take it in. I am going to plan on it.

Turn off your mind relax and float downstream.

Posted in Before and After Things Change and tagged Beatles, Meditate, Memories, moments, Music, Postive Thinking, Reality Check, reflection, Relax, Self-Awareness, Slow Down

26 Jun 2014

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Do You Remember Your First Record Album?

There is such an eclectic bunch of music going on in my head these days. I have been reflecting back on those days when I got my first “record player” and then again when I got my first stereo record player.

When I was a kid, I resorted to using my parent’s HI-fi console, complete with cloth covered speakers and walnut finish…and a spindle turntable with a drop down function that would allow you to play a number of 33 rpm vinyl records or with the adapter it would accept 45 rpm singles too. The sound was just incredible for its day (nothing like now of course). Once the tubes warmed, up it was a great way to blast the 15 watts of power I’d guess it had.

So I remember firsts with albums based on what it was played on.

On my parents console; “Introducing the Beatles” on Vee Jay records got worn out by the needle before I got a new copy. It was just the greatest album I had ever heard. Even remember begging my dad to loan me the money (under $4) to buy it at the local department store.

My first record player was all plastic, all in one portable player with 2 speakers ( but mono I think). When I got it I was certainly special to me. I shudder to think that anything would last long with the wear and tear the turntable would have likely induced. “The Monkees” first LP was introduced to my new portable plastic dream!

My first stereo was actually a hand-me down from my brother, but certainly welcomed as it was very “stereophonic” set, entrenched in my own room. A Zenith brand all in one system with separate speakers that fired upward with a cone-shaped thing above them to distribute the sound. The important thing with that was that was also the first time I owned “headphones” (take that Beats). The White Album by the Beatles became a favorite that Christmas season and I fondly remember the headphones making semi-permanent marks in my skull.

When I finally had a job of my own I invested in my first “real” stereo system, after shopping carefully and deciding I was never going to be able to actually afford the McIntosh equipment I fell in love with at the Hi-Fi Fo Fum, I did get my JVC amplifier and tuner and a great turntable from Technics (I wish I had- it was totally manual with a weighted platter- just what the DJ’s use today). The EPI bass reflex speakers helped to make “Pink Floyd” Dark Side of the Moon one of the frequent players. That system ended up fueling many house parties in the future before its retirement.

So I do remember my first record album, but I also recall the equipment that made it such.

Technically my first album I owned was probably a Perry Como album. But later in life, with 1000’s of LPs later, I fondly remember the music and the times.

What is your first recollection?

Posted in Life's Sound Track (Music) and tagged Beatles, being remembered, Change, Classic Rock, favorite albums, Favorite Music, LP Record, Memories, moments, Music, Pink Floyd, Record Albums, Rock music, The Beatles

19 Jun 2014

Attention, Please!

No one these days ever seems to work very hard at paying attention. The desire for attention is so strong among all the noise that today”s modern world can produce. After all we live in an ADD kind of world. It seems like everybody’s got Attention Deficit Disorder because the media, the daily grind and the high-speed technology have left us perpetually distracted. That leaves us with little time to pay genuine attention to the people and the world around us.

Huffington Post

When you walk into a room full of people, at work or at home, how many of them are busy focused on their electronic device, phoning or texting? Seems like most of our eyes are always focused on down, engrossed in a video, the Internet or Facebook, and then on top of that we plug in our earphones and keep from hearing the people around us.

How often are you in a public place like a restaurant or at a party and you (or your friends) are more focused on “friends” on Facebook or Twitter than the live action right in front of us?

We have to look to ourselves to find the lost art of “paying attention”. I have posted before, our capacity to listen is precious. To understand what someone is saying is very precious, and even more than that is the ability to understand its meaning.

We are so ready to respond to what someone is saying, that we are missing what it is they mean. That is if we have listened at all. If we are not distracted by the next text pinging our phones, or the next Twitter that is going to say some profound thing in 145 characters or less. When the person right in front of us is likely saying something more important. Responding can be something more significant if we can just listen and understand the meaning.

So advice to my kids- put it down. Look into someones eyes, be sure you are listening, Comprehend the meaning. Take it in, digest it. No need to respond right away, but be thoughtful and make sure you are paying attention. It is really the “instant message” you need to hear.