Spinning Records while House Sitting Brutus the Meowless Cat
What made Brutus so awesome? One thing: he had no “meow.”
a nonlinear romp through the music that influenced my life.
What made Brutus so awesome? One thing: he had no “meow.”
When Springsteen sings, it looks like he’s trying too hard. It looks like he’s about to give himself a hernia.
For Houstonians, before there was Beyonce’, there was ZZ Top. There have not been a whole lot of major bands and artists who call Houston home; afterall, Houston is not known as a cultural mecca. But, during the 1970s and 1980s, it was hard to turn on the radio in Houston and NOT hear a blazing ZZ Top song.
As I gaze back upon my life, I can chunk it into meaningful periods according to the music that I listened to at the time. These periods tend to coincide with major life events — or transitions.
Pictures at an Exhibition is one of the very few classical pieces to which I ever listen. There are ten movements in the piece, each representing a different painting at an art gallery, and the imagery really comes through — from lumbering ox carts to bustling markets to the majestic Gates at Kiev. But, it was the dreamy, repetitive Promenade which played over and over in my 7th grade head.
I began exploring the alt-country music of Uncle Tupelo which eventually led to Wilco’s first album, AM. I was hooked by Wilco’s alt-country heritage and vibe, and then I was transfixed by their evolving artistry and sound.
Have you ever loved a song, but had no idea what the hell was being sung? Well, that happens to me all the time.
One fine Gulf Coast evening outside of Seville Quarter — probably on nickel draft beer night, a memorable incident occurred which I think about to this very day.
Sometime in the early 1980s, I first heard Rush’s Moving Pictures album, and I was, like, “Whaaaaa…?”