Record Store Day ....

who knew?!

i was looking at a new blog last night, about including musical references in your writing, that really struck a chord with me.  that got me to thinking about how i could incorporate music into my blog, like a jukebox of some sort.  then my eye happened across this little notice: April 20 is Record Store Day.

i love, love, love music ... all kinds of music.  but the music of the 60's is my favorite because it brings back so many memories of my life back then.  sock hops in high school ... remember those?  and all my years with the USO in Milwaukee, dancing up a storm with all those cute sailors from Great Lakes Naval Training Station.  even today, a man in a Navy uniform, especially bell bottoms, is still enough to get my heart palpitating.  or it could be my high blood pressure medicine.  nah, i'm sticking with the bell bottom theory.

anyhoo, because it's officially Record Store Day, i've added a play list at the bottom of the right-hand column.  i will do my best to rotate the playlist regularly.  feel free to nudge me if i don't.  but for today, my FIRST mobyte play list includes, in this order, 3 of my top favorite songs EVER, 3 more that rank up near the top, and 1 that i discovered within the last few years that has quickly earned favored status:

1. Lion Sleeps Tonight by The Tokens 
2. Duke of Earl by Gene Chandler 
3. Sunshine of Your Love by Cream (and which, whenever i hear it, i stop whatever i'm doing midstream and get up and dance!) 
4. Sitting on the Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding 
5. You Don't Have to Say You Love Me by Dusty Springfield 
6. Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers 
7. Lonely Avenue by Ray Charles 

tidings of comfort and joy

i LOVE Christmas music! there, i've said it. now it's written in stone and i can never go back on it.

the other day i was bragging to my Irish brother about my extensive collection of Christmas music. but when i went to find some of my cd's so i could actually play some festive holiday music, none were to be found. i searched high and low to no avail, so i gave up and moved on to other projects. projects? ok, ok, frittering away time on the computer.

but then as i sat in my computer chair, i thought to myself: "where would i be if i were a Christmas cd?"

lo and behold, as i glanced at the box of Irish travel books to my left, i realized there was a small carton under that box. i pulled it out, and voila, there was the label "Christmas music" ... huzzah!

so for the last few days i've been playing a great selection of music while frittering away my time, er-r, working on Christmas projects. i love the old, traditional music like you find on "Croon and Swoon" and "Croon and Swoon II" ... who doesn't remember Gene Autry's Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Bing Crosby's It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas, Rosemary Clooney's White Christmas, Mel Torme's Christmas Song, Eartha Kitt's Santa Baby, Johnny Mathis's Winter Wonderland. This is the music I grew up with, and they're all sentimental favorites. Included in the mix, of course, are quite a few classical cd's, like the Three Tenors, Mannheim Steamroller, and a mix or two of opera stars singing the holiday classics. Really lovely music.

Every year I add 1 or 2, or 3, new cd's to my holiday collection. The last few days I've listened to James Taylor, Loreena McKennitt, Emily Lou Harris, Celine Dion, Yo-Yo Ma and Friends, Sting. Coming up soon will be Josh Groben, Linda Ronstadt, Bette Midler's Cool Yule, Asleep at the Wheel's Santa Loves to Boogie, and my new ones for this year, Annie Lennox and the Puppini Sisters.

i love to play my Christmas cd's while i'm working around my apartment, whether it's the mundane activity of washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen, or holiday activities like wrapping gifts or making spiced walnuts and rum balls (yes, i've actually done that in past years, imagine that!), or fun activities like working in my holiday journal.

how about you? do you listen to holiday music? if so, what are your favorites? who knows, i might find a new favorite from YOUR list. feel free to share, no one will know, there's nobody here but just us chickens, having a private yuletide chat, slurping, er-r, sipping our Harney & Sons Holiday Tea. ain't life grand?!