The first few times I heard "Shannon" by Henry Gross, my mind was focused strictly on those Beach Boys harmonies. It was years later when I found out it was about a dog. Cut to a few days ago when I saw a Neil Finn social media post about the song "Recurring Dream," a favorite of mine that somehow hadn't made any official Crowded House record upon its release. It finally showed up on a Crowded House oddities set called "Afterglow" which I listened to this weekend, and while waiting for "Recurring Dream" to play, the song "Lester" came on, another song about a dog. And a real beauty, too.
Can one have a favorite song about an animal? The line, "I will change if Lester lives" really gets to me. Cut the phrase down to "I will change if..." and it’s something I’ve said to myself quite often in my lifetime, and maybe a few too many times in recent years. To be honest, I never make good on the deal. I hope that doesn't bite me on the ass.
Anyway, it sucks getting older, but is also
impossible not to. Though, I will never be too old to be moved by music and most recently, it was "Lester."
12 comments:
Lester is a lovely ode. Recurring Dream appeared in the Tequila Sunrise OST (a mediocre Robert Towne film, and starring Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell from 1988).
- Paul in DK
I just checked and I was relieved to discover I did a Weekend Listomania about animals back in 2009. Time to update that, I think.
"Old Shep" (Red Foley version) always does me in.
"Tequila Sunrise" soundtrack also features the Beach Boys/Everly Brothers abomination that is "Don't Worry Baby."
Bob in IL
I agree getting old sucks but I also saw this quote before ……."Do not regret growing older, It's a privilege denied to many "
so I am caught between the 2. But that’s life I would say.
Lester was fixture in the old webmaster Neil would do from his home studio, and I think he's in the Weather With You video. He was a very good boy.
Webcast, stupid auto-correct
"I will never be too old to be moved by music". Words to live by.
Afterglow is one of my most played Crowded House albums. It doesn't even seem like a random collection to me. Could have been one of their best proper albums without My Telly's Gone Bung which I don't much care for and ruins the flow for me. Every other song is high quality. Lester is definitely a highlight and Sacred Cow and I Love You Dawn are also favorites. Happy Holidays!
Everything you said, especially "My Telly" ruining the flow.
Getting old does suck. I turned 61 this year and was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Luckily it was caught in time and the surgery was successful. Just need to get PSA tests every few months for the next 5 years. But it certainly gave me a new perspective to appreciate each day and that includes the music in my life. And after all of these years, I really appreciate this board and the music I've discovered from it!
Ruff! Ruff-ruff! Ruff.
Your comment about the "I will change if" thought process reminded me of a lyric from Michael McDermott's latest, Lighthouse on the Shore. The song is called "Nothing Changes" and, at first, I thought the chorus was a bit simplistic: "nothing changes if/ nothing changes" but then Michael explained the song at his record release show. As a recovering addict, he gets contacted a lot by people who are fighting their own addictions and want his support in getting clean. They're all excited to be sober, but when Michael asks them if they're "ready to do the hard work" to overcome their addictions, they suddenly get all quiet and disappear. At that point, I realized the core truth in Michael's words: nothing changes if you don't put in the work to make the change. I'm not fighting an addiction, but I do have a health issue that has affected me for a while now and I have been afraid to take the steps to address it. But now I keep hearing these words in my head, and so I have finally taken the first step to seeing if I can get it taken care of in early 2025. Hoping I see it through.
Best wishes to you, Sal, if there are changes you need to make that hopefully you can find the way.
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