Why am I up at this ungodly hour, listening to rock and roll and chewing gum? Because it's the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end. Something lovely must come to an end so that something lovely can start up.
I can't say what indeed has ended just now, though I could say it is any number of things. But I feel it in my bones. Feeeel it. And it comes in as a soundtrack, a film. Have you seen Pirate Radio?
When I was 16 a girlfriend of mine, very much like many of my girlfriends, who was very kind and sweet and very good took me to her big big church in the city where we teens were hussled into pledging our life to the Lord and then corralled into a basement room and asked to give up everything that was near and dear to us, that being rock and roll records.
It was my fault maybe, I'd asked the question. Do we have to give up everything? Even things that we love like our record collection? And the hip shirted man in his 30s said "yes, can you give your whole record collection today to serve God?".
I dug God. Certainly on my terms. He was alive there in the stars everynight right? Made me feel good, made me feel alright. Why was God separate from rock and roll. I didn't get it. Wasn't God everything good? God works in mysterious ways...
I needed a healing to be sure. But God healed me through rock and roll and I know I'm not alone. It still happens everyday all over the world.
* * *
And so thank you my teachers especially you Paul...xxoo g'nite sweetheart g'nite
I saw Pirate Radio and really loved it. Music has been a great source of healing in my life. I was a devoted follower of the Chuck E. Weiss trio on Sunday nights at Highland Grounds. That is where I met Ellen and through her I met you and Paul. My life is enriched having found my messiah. Thank you for taking the torch and carrying it on to the next performance.
ReplyDeleteCindy,
ReplyDeleteI just stumbled upon your blog for the first time. I'm a graduate student working on some research on the history of rock criticism, specifically Crawdaddy! at the moment. As Paul's wife, I was wondering if you would be willing to help me out a bit with some sources and interviews with some of the magazine's contributors.
It would be amazing to interview Paul himself, but considering his condition, it may be impossible.
Please email me if you have the time and resources to help out on this project.
mistich2@gmail.com
Take care,
Dave Mistich
Back to you - and yes, I also saw and was pleasantly surprised by Pirate Radio - in many ways, this post so reminds me of the Dobie Gray song, "Drift Away".
ReplyDeleteOne should never have to give up music, art or literature in the name of any deity. These are the elements, along with culinary arts, that are universally shared and bind us together.