We Deserve To Be Rocked!

Yeah, Another Blogger

The late Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Bluebeard, which came out in 1987 and which I read a few weeks ago, isn’t one of the best books I’ve ever pulled off a shelf. I mean, the plot is not particularly compelling. And whatever points Vonnegut was trying to make don’t congeal. But sometimes I’m a forgiving soul! And this was one of those times. Meaning, I enjoyed Bluebeard (though there’s no arguing that The Sirens Of Titan and Cat’s Cradle, among others, are better Vonnegut creations). It’s a breezy read. Its witticisms and absurdist underpinnings kept me flipping the pages. And eventually the book found its way into my heart when it helped to spur the production of this essay. See? It can pay to read a mediocre book!

Bluebeard is the supposed autobiography of septuagenarian Rabo Karabekian, a once-acclaimed but now-forgotten abstract painter who, through no real efforts of his own, has become ridiculously wealthy. But his riches mean little to Rabo. Hell, just about everything means little to him. He isn’t a basket case, but he passes through his “golden years” with emotions that rarely jump above a flatline pattern. Rabo would do well to allow joy to enter his life a whole lot more often.

I’ve incorporated Bluebeard into this opus as a result of my attention having been turned to one of the first pieces I wrote for this website. That occurred when I noticed, on my WordPress statistics page, that somebody in our big, old world recently had taken a look at said story, upon which I had bestowed an incredibly ungainly title:  Are We Just Boring As We Get Older? Jackson Browne, And I, Say It Ain’t Necessarily So (click here if you’d like to read it).

Well, last week I read that Browne essay to relearn what it’s all about. Shit, like I should have been able to recall something I penned almost five years ago? I’m lucky when I remember which drawer I keep my underpants in. Turns out that the piece is about the power of music to improve your life. Browne, a primo singer-songwriter who has been going strong in the music biz for over 50 years, has clear thoughts on the subject. Here are his words from my story. They are what he had to say, back in 2014, to interviewer David Dye when asked if people become boring in later life: “As you age, you look for ways in which to sustain yourself . . . Music is restorative, the act of doing it, the act of listening to it. Man, it’s good for you. It can really make the difference in how the rest of your life goes, and especially how you feel physically.”

Right on, Jackson! I couldn’t agree more. Music can calm you down. It can take your mind off your troubles and woes. And, way better from my perspective, music might lead you to inner regions that are so pure and enchanting, you can’t believe your good fortune in being there. Jackson’s quote put me in mind of Rabo Karabekian. Music seems to be absent from Rabo’s life, and he’s all the poorer for it.

Rabo aside, I’d guess that music plays anywhere from a reasonably big to a real big part in most peoples’ lives. Speaking personally, which I sure do a hell of a lot of in this publication, I’d be one sorry f*cker were music to be taken away from me. Listening to music sometimes makes my day. At the least, it helps to get me through each day. Unlike in my youth and middle age, I don’t need to hear tons and tons of music (like Rabo and Jackson, I’m into my 70s), but not a day goes by without a healthy dose, at minimum, of tunes greeting my ears.

And most genres of music suit me just fine. Jazz, blues, reggae, soul, classical, you name it. But more than anything, I like to be rocked. Rocked, that is, by loud, pulsating rock music, the varieties of same that prominently employ electric guitars. This doesn’t happen too much in my house, where my wife Sandy prefers music to be on the more sedate side of the spectrum. But I’ve made it a point over the past 12 months to attend concerts that rock me to the bones. I hadn’t done enough of that in the previous 10 or so years. Paradoxically, Sandy often accompanies me to these shows.

Rocked I was, and mightily, on January 11 when my much-better half and I went to a four-hour, five-band rock concert at City Winery, in Philadelphia. The bands took no prisoners. Nothing resembling a ballad was played that night. I liked each act, but one was head and shoulders above the rest. Namely, Joe Grushecky And The Houserockers (Joe is from the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, has been rocking and rolling forever, and is pals with Bruce Springsteen). During long passages on each of their songs, the singing stopped and the group’s three-guitar attack took to the skies. Closing my eyes, I let the dense, rushing waves of sound bring me as close to “heaven” as I’ll ever get.

Joe Grushecky And The Houserockers (Joe has the red guitar. Some band members wouldn’t fit in the photo.)

Yes, music, whether you’re a listener or performer, can be a nourishing force that opens hidden doors. And it’s not the only one, of course, though I have to think that it reigns supreme. For some people, painting or sculpting might take them to magical places. Or skiing. Or playing basketball. Who knows how long the list is. I believe that, consciously or not, we all crave more than the everyday, no matter what our age. And that, at least now and then, we want to soar. Man, we deserve to be rocked, in a good way of course, musically or otherwise. Damn straight about that. Our time on Planet Earth is limited, after all.

(Please don’t be shy about adding your comments. And if you’re thinking about sharing this story on social media, go for it! I thank you.)

119 thoughts on “We Deserve To Be Rocked!”

  2. cindy knoke January 20, 2020 / 12:18 am

    I haven’t read it, but I have read everything else of Vonneguts. ‘Rented a tent a tent a tent…..beats working in the shoe factory.’

    Liked by 2 people

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 20, 2020 / 4:59 pm

      Bluebeard is the first KV novel I’ve read in ages and ages. I wonder how popular his books are these days. He was a big name years ago.

      Like

  4. sniderjerry January 20, 2020 / 1:03 am

    Hi Neil,
    This is one of your best essays.
    I can’t imagine a world without music.
    Rock on and on and on…
    Good vibes, Jerry

    Liked by 1 person

  5. cath January 20, 2020 / 4:55 am

    I’m shamed to admit I’ve not read any Kurt Vonnegut – now I’ve discovered he wrote a version of Bluebeard, I’m properly intrigued.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 20, 2020 / 5:02 pm

      Hi Cath. If you decide to read KV, I’d say that Bluebeard is not the place to start. Maybe Slaughterhouse Five, or Cat’s Cradle. I’m anything but a Vonnegut expert, though.

      Liked by 1 person

      • cath January 20, 2020 / 6:10 pm

        Thanks for the tip. It’s always good to get advice from someone who’s been along the route before…

        Liked by 1 person

  6. crowcityblog January 20, 2020 / 7:47 am

    “Bluebird” is just about the only Vonnegut novel I have not read. So it goes.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 20, 2020 / 5:03 pm

      Hi, and thanks for stopping by. If you decide to read Bluebeard, I’d be interested in your opinions of the book.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. talebender January 20, 2020 / 7:54 am

    Couldn’t agree more about the power of music….I joined a barbershop chorus three years ago, and wish I had done it decades ago! Music reaches the soul…..

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Eugene Knapik January 20, 2020 / 8:24 am

    There was a time in my life when I gobbled up everything Kurt Vonnegut wrote. I couldn’t get enough of it. Then something changed. I still appreciated his writing but I couldn’t read it anymore, and many of the books fused together in my mind. Now I don’t remember very many details of them, except that Billy Pilgrim became unstuck in time. Maybe one day I’ll read them again and see how they hold up for me.

    As for music, well I love music, and particularly music that plays hide and seek behind the mainstream. When I was 40, I was living in an area of Toronto known as Little Portugal, and I kept hearing this wonderful accordion-driven dance music. I got this thought in my head that I should learn to play it. How hard could it be? I bought a button accordion and in the next few years, learned a lot of corridinhos and viras and more. I had no particular association with Portuguese culture. I simply liked the music, and once I started playing, I found that learning music nourished me in a very unique way.

    A decade later, I made a crude “oil can” banjo and started to learn to play old time music in the clawhammer style. I fell hard for the banjo, so much so that over time I played less and less accordion and more banjo. I eventually bought myself a couple really nice banjos and today I play regularly with a friend who plays guitar. If you had told me when I was in my 20s that in my 50s I would be playing clawhammer banjo I would have scoffed. Life takes us in all kinds of unexpected directions. Now I’m trying to learn fiddle, and maybe that will be my musical focus in my 60s. I’ll say this – playing music feels great, and it is so rewarding. It challenges me in every way. I have no spectacular musical talent but I’ve learned that I can learn to play if I apply myself to it with regular practice and discipline.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 20, 2020 / 5:06 pm

      Good to hear from you, Eugene. You’ve been on an evolving musical journey for a long time. I predict that in your 70s you’ll decide to learn how to play the pedal steel guitar!

      Like

  9. Elizabeth M Soltan January 20, 2020 / 8:38 am

    Just heard somewhere that listening to music for about 2 hours a day has measurable health benefits. Your essay has been “scientifically proven”!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 20, 2020 / 5:07 pm

      Glad to hear from you, Liz. It’s probably true. If nothing else, I’d guess that listening to music reduces stress levels for a lot of people.

      Like

  10. Robert Parker January 20, 2020 / 9:09 am

    “Music is, to me, proof of the existence of God. It is so extraordinarily full of magic, and in tough times of my life I can listen to music and it makes such a difference.” Kurt Vonnegut
    I’m with you on this one, Neil, cannot get through the day without music. Or week, or month, or year. There’s great stuff Everywhere! A good thing about the internet – – last night, I ran across a band from the Peruvian part of Amazonia, pretty good little groove going. All kinds of great stuff all around the world. Bombino & Tinariwen – -Berber guys come out of the Sahara, discover electric guitars, and start rocking. Some good bands have come out of Milwaukee, where I’m living now – BoDeans, Violent Femmes – a few years ago there one here called Kings Go Forth, sorry I missed them, you’d think it was a 1972 soul group from Philly. And now you’ve told us about Grushecky, I’m listening to him on YouTube, good! kind of a Springsteen vibe, and will tell my sister to check him out, she’s going to school outside of Pittsburgh. Glad you old folks are getting your batteries charged up with some rock’n’roll!! 🤘

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Paula B January 20, 2020 / 9:56 am

    Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers are a big favorite of ardent Springsteen fans like me. How terrific that you got to see them in person! Your passionate blog is inspiring me to get off the couch and see live shows more often. I love that you call music a “nourishing force.”

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 20, 2020 / 5:11 pm

      I figured that there was a slight chance that Bruce would show up as a surprise guest at the concert. Alas, it didn’t happen.
      Have you ever seen Willie Nile?’ He and his band were part of the bill.

      Like

  12. Des January 20, 2020 / 10:06 am

    Sometimes books and musical pieces with no discernible plot line totally capture my imagination. Or is it that I just totally missed the point? Either way, sometime the elusive is what I’m looking for.
    I’m right there with you, inspired daily by something I’ve read or some music I’ve listened to. I agree, music is magical! It touches something undefinable deep inside us. Inspiring post, Neil!

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Rhonda January 20, 2020 / 10:10 am

    I am right there with you about the importance of music, man. I am also a fan of Jackson Browne. What a poet he is! The song “Pretender” is especially brilliant. Great post!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 20, 2020 / 5:14 pm

      Thanks, Rhonda. I heard a song or two very recently from Late For The Sky. Some of the songs on that album are majestic.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Rhonda January 21, 2020 / 5:34 pm

        Majestic is a great way to describe his music!

        Liked by 1 person

  14. Debra January 20, 2020 / 10:19 am

    When I listen to soul-shaking blues, I’m transported to another world…which can be a very good thing nowadays!

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Jacqui Murray January 20, 2020 / 10:43 am

    You are so right. I don’t know how I got away from music. I was a pretty good violinist in the day. I went to all the concerts of my kids–who played music. I owned a dance studio for years. I taught dance for longer. And now, I rarely listen to music. I need to rethink that…

    Liked by 1 person

  16. joyce hamilton January 20, 2020 / 11:00 am

    ROCK ON!!!!!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Amielle January 20, 2020 / 1:38 pm

    Music really is something, right? It can give you all kinds of feels depending on what type of music you listen to. Can’t imagine the world without it.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 20, 2020 / 5:19 pm

      Music-making (and listening) seem to be built into human DNA. You’re right — the world would be much the poorer without it. Thanks for adding your thoughts, Amielle.

      Like

  18. JT Twissel January 20, 2020 / 2:22 pm

    Oh my, that plot does sound familiar although I haven’t read a lot of Vonnegut. I think nothing is more inspiring that to see an elderly couple rocking out! Why not!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 20, 2020 / 5:20 pm

      Rock and roll is the music of my youth. I like it as much as I ever did.

      Like

  21. andrewcferguson January 20, 2020 / 5:13 pm

    Neil, looks like you struck a chord (sorry). As you know from my blog, I go deeper and deeper in love with music the older I get. To be honest, left to my own devices I’d play guitar and write songs all day for a week….

    …and thanks for the tip about Joe Grushecki. Right up my musical street!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 20, 2020 / 7:49 pm

      Grushecky has been at it for a real long time, but I think he always has had a day job too. I read once that he was involved in education for a school system either in or near Pittsburgh.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 20, 2020 / 7:50 pm

      Hi. I’m a big fan of Jackson too. His singing voice is very distinctive. There’s no mistaking it.

      Like

  23. viewfromoverthehill January 20, 2020 / 7:53 pm

    Here’s a recommendation for a really good read: ‘My Sister’s Keeper’, by Jodi Picoult. It held me glued….

    Liked by 1 person

  24. LTodd January 20, 2020 / 7:59 pm

    I agree that music feeds our souls. My workouts would be so boring without rock and roll blaring through my earphones. The beat creates the pace, especially during a run. It also motivates me when cleaning the house.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 20, 2020 / 9:13 pm

      You know, I’ve started doing a lot more exercising than I had been. I take half hour walks. Listening to music makes the time go by faster and more enjoyably.
      Thanks for adding your thoughts. Take care.

      Liked by 1 person

  25. tanjabrittonwriter January 20, 2020 / 10:52 pm

    Music can touch strings in our hearts like few other other human creations, other than the written word. To both you pay homage with your musings, Neil.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. swabby429 January 21, 2020 / 7:57 am

    As a former music director and DJ broadcaster, music was ever present in my life. After leaving the business, I went on a music fast for a year or so with the only music being that on intercom systems in retail stores and tunes my friends had on in their homes and cars. Eventually, I moderated between none and abundance. Now, I have a more balanced approach and listen more mindfully. Most days, I listen to something that suits or lifts my mood.

    Liked by 1 person

  27. Isabelle January 21, 2020 / 8:25 am

    How can I live on this planet without the pleasure of reading a novel or listening to a piece of music, I wonder. Good both of them are justified in your post. Can’t agree more, Neil.

    Like

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 21, 2020 / 9:40 am

      Our species’ creativity has resulted in countless wonderful results. Thanks for adding your thoughts, Isabelle. I appreciate that a lot.

      Liked by 1 person

  28. Paddy Tobin January 21, 2020 / 12:29 pm

    I have seen the enjoyment of music enrich the lives of others but I am as unmusical as a farmyard galanised bucket. My place of enrichment, of quiet and peace, is in the countryside admiring wildflowers.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Paddy Tobin January 21, 2020 / 12:32 pm

      I wish to add – just to save myself from complete scorn – that Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry’s “I don’t know why I love you but I do” has been an earworm for the last month and my three year old granddaughter adores my rendition as I walk around with her, head nestled on my shoulder. She even sings along!

      Liked by 1 person

      • Paddy Tobin January 21, 2020 / 3:42 pm

        LOL You are too kind (Translated into Hiberno English: you are full of it) LOL

        Liked by 1 person

  30. tylerus January 21, 2020 / 2:00 pm

    A most intriguing post. Funny, [way] back when, music was my life. I couldn’t have a cup of coffee, cook, clean, whatever, without it in the background. A few years ago – maybe because my personal life began to prove [quite] challenging – music became increasingly annoying to these ears. Hopefully, I’ll find that passion again. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 21, 2020 / 3:12 pm

      You’re right that music can be irritating some times. Maybe you’d find certain classical music pieces (played at low volume) to be enjoyable.

      Like

  31. SandyL January 21, 2020 / 4:39 pm

    I don’t think of myself as being particularly musical but certain songs are indelibly tied to stages of my life. Like I never liked rock music until I lived in China and couldn’t ‘hear’ it anymore. Suddenly that background ‘noise’ on the radio wasn’t there, and the strange-ness of living in a different country was even more strange. Back then (late aughts, before streaming) I’d play the songs (on CDs) to bring me home to familiarity.

    Liked by 1 person

      • SandyL January 22, 2020 / 12:12 am

        I like particular bands or songs – I’m never sure what actual genre they belong to. Right now, my playlist has Lola Marsh (an indie group from TelAviv), Shakey Graves (blues/folk/R&R from US), Elise Legrow (Canada – blues), The Palms (US) – all easy listening for when I’m busy in the kitchen. Last summer, I ‘discovered’ David Gilmour and OD’d on classic Pink Floyd. And a couple years ago, when I was coming back to Canada full time, I couldn’t get enough of July Talk (a Toronto rock band). Then there’s the occasional oldie that always gets me up and dancing … like “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  32. George January 21, 2020 / 5:42 pm

    As I wise man once said, “I know, it’s only rock n roll, but I like it”.

    Keep on rocking in the free world, Neil!

    Liked by 1 person

  33. Image Earth Travel January 22, 2020 / 5:13 am

    Wasn’t it Shakespeare that said “if music be the food of love, play on”?
    I can’t survive without music – no exaggeration.
    Never read Kurt Vonnegut so thanks for the great review.
    Many thanks for stopping by my travel and photography blog.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 22, 2020 / 12:42 pm

      Hey there. Thanks for adding your thoughts. I’m not positive, but you might be the first person to refer to Shakespeare in my stories’ comment sections. We can’t go wrong with Shakespeare. He was an ultimate genius.

      Liked by 1 person

  34. Mike January 22, 2020 / 9:26 am

    Your metaphor about how creative moments “open hidden doors” is as apt and powerful as Jack London’s observation.

    Liked by 1 person

  35. selizabryangmailcom January 22, 2020 / 1:02 pm

    You and my husband should have gotten married! He feels the same way about music. I mean, I love music too, and certain songs really move me, in one way or another. But not into it like you guys are. And believe me, sometimes he just stares at me from across the room, blankly, like he’s trying to figure out who I am and how we ended up together, lol

    Liked by 1 person

      • selizabryangmailcom January 22, 2020 / 9:40 pm

        Man, does he! This is what he said:

        Big beat, Electroinical, Venezuela harp music, New wave, Progressive rock
        Sixties lounge music: Burt Bacharach, fifth dimensions, Dion warick, early Beatles, do wop, Buddy Holly, early Jackson 5, early rap, funkadelic, and then he sent me these links:

        Liked by 1 person

  36. Pazlo January 22, 2020 / 4:40 pm

    Music is ancient. One of the oldest forms of human expression.
    Going back to stereotype drumbeats of natives, and chants around the fire.
    Few can hear music without nodding their heads or tapping their feet.
    It is as natural as smiling.
    Music is used to help old people (even older than you and I, if we can imagine it), particularly those losing touch with this world.
    Folks who seem to be lost within their own minds come alive and will sing along to songs they know, even though they hadn’t heard them in fifty years.

    Rock on, Neil.

    Seek peace (and the beat),

    Paz

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 22, 2020 / 7:15 pm

      Evening, Paz. I wonder when music started to become part of human culture. Have you read anything that discusses that? My guess is somewhere between 20,000 and 50,000 years ago.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Pazlo January 23, 2020 / 9:07 am

        The oldest number regarding evidence of human creativity I am aware of relates to the finding of a small carved figure in a cave in Germany. It was dated to be 40,000 years old. My guess would be that music preceded that, owing to its magic ability to be able to be created with nothing more than a tongue and lips, a stick and a stone, dancing feet and clapping hands.
        I’d rate 50,000 as a reasonable, perhaps conservative guess.
        We really don’t know when the music started. Rhythmic movements and songs by rote are elements of nature we can see today in other species. Mating dances and the like.
        So, somewhere between Lucy (14,000,000 years ago(?)) and 50,000 years ago seems like a good ballpark.

        Keep beating,

        Paz

        Liked by 1 person

  37. johnlmalone January 22, 2020 / 9:24 pm

    I was a great fan of Jackson Browne during the seventies and bought all his albums. I still love his music. Like you I like music full stop. The seventies was awash with great albums and performers and many of them still rock my world but hey! we have to leave room for the new. You’re doing that, and I’m keeping up by listening to contemporary music stations, mainly playing indie acts.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 22, 2020 / 10:22 pm

      I just put on a CD that I haven’t listened to in ages: Washington Square Serenade, by Steve Earle. It’s a good one.

      Liked by 1 person

      • johnlmalone January 22, 2020 / 11:02 pm

        don’t know that one, Neil. Will look it up on YouTube 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  39. ellie894 January 23, 2020 / 10:00 am

    Hi Neil, this is a great piece and if Bluebeard got you to writing about music then it I’d say it was well worth the time. The Jackson Browne quote is new to me, very nice. I’m with you on music, almost all kinds, and the Rocking kind…Rocks! Just can’t beat it.

    Take care,
    Suzanne 😊🎶

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 23, 2020 / 1:29 pm

      Hi Suzanne. We’re lucky that music-making became an intrinsic part of human behavior. Life wouldn’t be as good without music, that’s for sure. See you!

      Liked by 1 person

  40. cincinnatibabyhead January 23, 2020 / 6:19 pm

    Guess what I’m doing Neil? Yup reading your take and listening music. Surprise huh? Good words fella.

    Liked by 1 person

  41. yvettecarol January 23, 2020 / 9:17 pm

    Hear, hear! I agree with you, Neil. Life is short and we deserve to be rocked!

    Liked by 1 person

  42. D. Wallace Peach January 24, 2020 / 9:23 am

    I think we’re naturally musical creatures, Neil. (In fact, I think our planet is naturally musical). Cycles, rhythms, the drumbeat in our chests, the sounds all around us, the flow of our language. It’s no wonder that we tap our toes, drift into nirvana, headbang, or want to jump up and wiggle.

    Like

  43. cigarman501 January 26, 2020 / 8:04 am

    Huge fan of Kurt Vonnegut. Thanks for the “leads” on others.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 26, 2020 / 11:00 am

      Hi there. KV wrote more books than I had realized. Maybe I’ll read another of his works fairly soon.

      Like

  44. librepaley January 26, 2020 / 11:54 am

    Way too long since I last read Vonnegut, and this has made me vow to make a revisit. I remember enjoying Bluebeard, some years ago, the way he created an entire biography, a history and a man, and always enjoy how a minor character in one novel can pop up in a more significant role in another. From the vain and fashionable artist in Breakfast of Champions to the sympathetic protagonist later on.

    Like

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 26, 2020 / 2:18 pm

      Hi. Bluebeard didn’t enthrall me. Still, I’m glad to have read it, because I hadn’t read anything by KV in many years.

      Like

  45. ckennedyhola January 27, 2020 / 10:38 am

    Once, a long time ago when I was elected president of a board, I started a meeting by asking people what they couldn’t live without. Most said music. Rock on!

    Liked by 1 person

  46. Annika Perry January 28, 2020 / 12:17 pm

    Neil, I’m not sure you’ve sold me on ‘Bluebeard’! As for the music, such ‘heavenly’ music when one’s soul soars with the music is incredible … life is sublime at such times!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger January 28, 2020 / 1:58 pm

      Hi. You’ve used the right word: sublime.
      We’re fortunate when sublime moments enter our lives.

      Liked by 1 person

  47. alhenry February 5, 2020 / 10:07 am

    Sorry, Neil, to take so long before getting my two cents in here, but I was lying on the beach in Barbados, listening to reggae. And not just any reggae, but the masters of reggae: Marley, Cliff, Toots and the Maytals. The beach in Bridgetown pumps out the music all day long and there is no happier customer/beachcomber than me. Especially after a rum punch (or two) from the beach bar. Barbadians are a very genial, relaxed, “it is what it is” sort of people. I credit at least some good part of this to the fact that music permeates their public culture.

    On a postscript, I just want to add that I loved hearing that someone else reads books that came out decades ago. I just got around to V.S. Naipaul’s “A House for Mr. Biswas.” Truly enjoyed it. Funny. Sad. Reflective.

    Liked by 1 person

  48. Silver Screenings February 9, 2020 / 6:55 pm

    I was pleased to hear you’ve been going to concerts that “rock you to the bones”. That is completely awesome. Because, as you say, time on earth is limited, so make the most of what you love now.

    Liked by 1 person

  49. Sophia Ismaa February 11, 2020 / 11:57 am

    I haven’t yet read a Vonnegut novel. I completely agree that music is so important. Every month, I’ll go through a phase where I just have the sudden urge to listen to old school Bollywood songs, and I always cherish when I get this feeling. I don’t want to overindulge it though because I find it more precious and meaningful to take it up when it hits me by surprise.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yeah, Another Blogger February 11, 2020 / 12:51 pm

      Hi Sophia. Instead of being obsessive about music, you let it enter your life when it feels like the natural thing to do. That’s an interesting and very good approach.

      Liked by 1 person

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