28 June 2009
Just as we had a great night enjoying the timeless music of Simon and Garfunkel on Thursday night, we arrived at work on Friday morning to the news that Michael Jackson had died.
Music evokes memory. As I closed my eyes and listened to various pieces on Thursday night, I remembered my schooldays and younger years. Michael Jackson will always have that effect on millions of people.
24 June 2009
I first heard Simon and Garfunkel maybe 30 years ago. I heard a cassette tape being played with what were then very unusual sounding songs. They sounded unusual but were very attractive. It was the “Bridge Over Troubled Water” album. I think. Not long after that, I watched parts of a video. This was when videos were in chunky VHS cassettes. That video was the reunion concert of Simon and Garfunkel. I was hooked.
A few years later I hurt my back. I hurt it very badly. I was in and out of the hospital over a period of maybe 5-6 months. I stayed, at one point, up to 2+ months. Guess who kept me entertained most of all when I was all tied up with traction devices?
Things stayed quiet for a while for those 2. They “broke-up”. Not long after that, Paul Simon showed up solo. Well sort of. He had a whole troupe of South African musicians with him. His “Graceland” album was a ground breaking music phenomenon.
I was in Uni in Sydney by then. I was too broke for most things. I most definitely could not afford to buy the album. I had to enjoy “Diamonds on the sole of her shoes”, “You can call me Al” and of course “Graceland” itself all on radio. Thankfully, Aussie (Sydney) radio was pretty good back then and stations like 2Day and 2JJJ were blasting Paul Simon’s master pieces end to end.
Paul and Art now have grey hair. Art, surprisingly, has almost as much hair. But it is clearly greying. Paul has greyed worse than Art. They both move even slower now. But I bet they’d sound just as great. I’ve got 3 tickets to see them live tomorrow, at the Rod Laver arena, in my hot little hands. Tress, Kiddo and I will be there. What a treat.
20 June 2009
Tress and I got married…
Herald Sun News Business Spectator BBC Front Page Malaysian News BBC Football Word today