It’s only GROK ‘n roll, but I like it!

If anybody happens to read the “about Doug” link on this blog, they will note several references to “rock ‘n roll” in my bio. That’s right- in addition to being a political commentator (junkie, really), my other love (besides God, family, and country, which come first, of course) is music. Not playing it, mind you- just buying and listening to it. After a half-hearted attempt at mastering the guitar, I decided that all the good tunes have already been played (or yet to be played) by others and I am best suited to fan status. This short piece is the kickoff to what I hope will be a regular weekly posting on this topic…

With 25 gigs of music on the multiple computers and drives in my life, I often think about what a truly great time it is to be an audiophile. Growing up first stacking albums on the turntable and then later turning many into homemade cassettes (8-tracks NEVER did the job for me)- using the latest “Dolby” cleaning techniques, of course- has left me fully appreciative and cognizant of the awesome music technology of today.

In a strange twist of events, the loss of my nearly 200 albums in a flooded basement back in 1982 coincided with the advent of compact disc technology. It was shortly thereafter I got my first CD player. There was only one problem- there were only a handful of “rock” CDs available to purchase at the time- The Police, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John… that was about it. When entering a record store, one would find 4 or 5 CDs locked in a glass case like some expensive jewelry. Additional titles, other than in the classical genre, were slow coming at first. The release of Dire Straights’ classic 1985 work, “Brothers in Arms”, digitally recorded and making fuller use of the expanded format afforded by the compact disc, began what would soon be viewed as the death-knell of the venerable record “album.” And the start of an era that music enthusiasts could barely even imagine- the digital music age.

In addition to the technology and equipment changes, the means of searching for and purchasing music has evolved as well. Back in the seventies, there was a record store in Woonsocket R.I. (the “big city” adjacent to the town where I lived) called “The Music Box.” Mom would drive me and some friends there because it was a store that would actually ORDER titles per customer requests. I remember spending hours perusing the fat yellow book of music for albums not found normally found on the store shelves. Pay the four bucks and wait for the phone call from the store. Sometimes it took 3 or 4 weeks to receive the order. Today, I link to Amazon.com and, besides being able to search and find anything within mere seconds; I can have it OVERNIGHT if I wish, or IMMEDIATELY if I take a download. Wow!

In addition to recorded music, I love to attend concerts. Luckily, I live in Gilford, NH where there is this fantastic concert venue known as Meadowbrook Farm. I will write often, I’m sure, about the shows I have seen, and will see at this great facility. Last week during their first annual “Bike Bash,” I saw John Kay and Steppenwolf on Wednesday, Quiet Riot and Skid Row on Friday, and Foghat and Blue Oyster Cult on Saturday.

Playing Now: "Slash’s Snakepit- Ain’t Life Grand"

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Doug

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