Love on a Farmboy's Wages

Today I turned off the television. My children were not pleased. The poor dears had to read or color or clean their rooms. It is downright shameful the way I treat them. Shameful.

Our quiet living room was also confused. Where was the noise? The perpetual sound? It wanted, no it needed, music. How else is one to hang up loads and loads of laundry? But we're not talking just any music. We're talking vinyl. LPs. Records.

You see last week my husband found a steal of a deal at a garage sale ... a record player, with built in speakers! Now we have something on which to listen to our collection. For the past 15 years we've been hauling records from place to place to place. Yes. Records. And you know what? I love them. I love the pop and click that comes with vinyl. I love picking up the needle, sliding it over the record and gently releasing it onto the spinning surface. This action is much more satisfying than the simple push of a button. It reminds me of my brief days as a college DJ, setting a record in place and cueing up a song. And, perhaps, I am stuck in the eighties. Our collection includes David Bowie, The Psychedelic Furs, Elton John and The Sugar Cubes. Currently I'm listening to Crowded House and I just finished The Jazz Butcher.

The thing that cracks me up is my son, at twelve, also loves eighties music. He's downloaded the likes of The Clash, The Kinks, Jane's Addiction and Men at Work to his ipod.

There is a meme cavorting around Facebook that has you put your music selection on shuffle and then answer a series of questions. I thought it would be fun to do this with both my music collection and my son's collection. Strangely I found songs on my computer I didn't even know I had. Anyway - here goes ... my answers are in pink, my son's in blue.

1.) If someone says “are you okay” you say?

When I Come Around - Green Day

I Miss You - Blink 182

2.) How would you describe yourself?

Photograph - Weezer

All that I Want - the Weepies

3.) What do you like in a guy/girl?

Just Because - Jane’s Addiction

Sailor - Hem

4.) How do you feel today?

A Boy Named Sue - Johnny Cash

New Soul - Yael Naim

5.) What is your life's purpose?

I Walk the Line - Johnny Cash

Rose and Hips - Keren Ann

6.) What's your motto?

I Miss You - Blink 182

Beethoven’s Bagatelle in A Minor - Alfred Brendel

7.) What do your friends think of you?

Bad - U2

The City and the Traveler - Hem

8.) What do your parents think of you?

With or Without You - U2

Heart of the Matter - Moon Mountain Ramblers

9.) What do you think about very often?

Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen

Veterinary Rhythm and Blues - Jonathan Hoffman

10.) What is your biggest turn-on?

When the Sun Goes Down - Arctic Monkeys

Wake Me Up - Norah Jones

11.) What do you think of your best friend?

Pigs in Zen - Jane’s Addiction

Drifting - Four Non Blondes

12.) What is your life story?

Close to Me - The Cure

Fly Me to the Moon - Jazzamor

13.) What do you want to be when you grow up?

Fluorescent Adolescent - Arctic Monkeys

All that I’m Good For - Hem

14.) What do you think when you see the person you like?

Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2

Baba O’Riley - The Who

15.) What will you dance to at your wedding?

Down with the Sickness - Disturbed

Cha Cha Cha 57 - The Tao of Groove

16.) What will they play at your funeral?

Yellow - Cold Play

My Lady Blue - Eric Serra

17.) What is your hobby/interest??

Jesus of Suburbia - Green Day

The Cruise of the Dolphin Tribe - Eric Serra

18.) What is your biggest fear??

I Stand Corrected - Vampire Weekend.

The Simple Story - Jane Birkin Feat and Feist

19.) What is your biggest secret?

Santa Bring my Baby Back to Me - Elvis Presley

On Your Porch - The Format

20.) What do you want right now?

Love on a Farmboy’s Wages - XTC

Lazyhead and Sleepybones - They Might Be Giants

21.) What is your obsession?

Sweetest Thing - U2

Funky Picante - Marc Antoine

22.) What will your child's first words be?

A-Punk - Vampire Weekend

Happiness Runs - Donovan

23.) What do you say when you look in the mirror?

I Fought the Law - The Clash

North (World) - Peter Kater

24.) What is your opinion of sex?

Unless it Kicks - Okkervil River

Crying Shame - Jack Johnson

25.) What will you post this as?

Apeman - The Kinks

Espuma Bossa (acoustic mix) - Panaphonic Feat

Good Times

I used to be a DJ, for a brief period, in college. For reasons unbeknownst to me I signed up for a class to get my FCC license. I had no previous aspirations to be a DJ and truth-be-told had very little musical knowledge. But, the school was offering the class and I took it. Then the college station, KUCI, gave me a reggae show. Reggae. What does a small town desert dweller know about reggae? Nothing. But I had a DJ partner, Gabe. This kind hearted guy took me by the hand and led me through the wonderful world of rastafarians. We’d sit in the booth and listen to record after record (yes they were actual records then) choosing songs for our show. Looking back I wonder if the universe knew this type A nerd needed a little rasta in her life. But I digress.

Gabe and I would play all kinds of artists; Bob Marley, Musical Youth, Eek a Mouse and Steel Pulse. One of my all time favorite songs was, is, Lyin in Bed by Ziggy Marley; the LP was old, it would pop and scratch and somehow those imperfections went perfectly with the song.

The station was filled with wonderful people; Todd the 20-year-old manager with his sleek suits and thin ties, his slicked back hair and congenial personality; Mike, quiet and reserved but with a wealth of musical knowledge and a taste for jazz; my dear friend Freddie, the punk in tight black pants and a white t-shirt, black eighties hair long on one side and short on the other, the only guy man enough to take ballet. And girls too; Daria who was Molly Ringwald incarnate only edgier and Shari the short spunky chain smoking piano player.

The only other person I distinctly remember was Francesca. Francesca had gorgeous long curly hair. And Francesca was different from the others. She was different because she hated me. She didn’t just hate me, she absolutely despised me. And to this day I do not know why. We never had that sit down heart-to-heart, that glorious moment where all is out on the table, all is understood and forgiven. No. As far as I know she is still out there jamming needles into my voodoo twin (now that would be one explanation for my chest pain...)

Well, one day Freddie and I were in the station elevator and there, on the wall, in her writing, was Shalet is a slut. Clearly this was meant for me. I’ve not met many other Shalets, have you? Freddie and I looked at each other with raised eyebrows. The hate had been taken to a whole new level. The hate was written on the wall. And, though not intended, the hate was funny. Suffice it to say I can count all of my sexual partners on one hand, one, two, three. That’s it. I’m not exactly in the slut category.

But, funny or not, this action, this writing on the wall, demanded reaction. Something had to be done. Finally, a plan was hatched. To quote the Grinch it was a wonderful awful idea.

And what did we do? We posted these notes to the station bulletin board - smack in the middle of the lobby for everyone to see.

(Forgive the picture of a picture)
The big note says:
ShaletHoneyBabyLoveMachineO'Mine:
Thanks so much for last night: I'm still not walking straight!
I had no idea you were so flexible! Keep up the good work!
Freddie

(Actually he did know just how flexible I was - we took ballet together! But again, I digress.)

The notes stayed up for the better part of a week. Everyone but Francesca thought they were hilarious. After that, sadly, Francesca faded from my life. But I’ll always remember the lessons she taught me. First, do not subscribe to what others say; negative people can not knock you down unless you give them permission. And second, a great way to fight hate, to break it down, is with humor.

And now, though I’m not particularly religious, I must quote Ziggy Marley:

Praise god i say, praise god each day.
he helped me to overcome
i remember once i couldn’t get out of bed
so i sing and say..yeah.

Finally I’d like to thank NPR for playing reggae today and dragging me down this dusty memory lane. I hadn't thought about these events in years; then I heard the music.