Swamp Pop to Swamp Rock

Original sound:



...add some rock 'n roll and you get:

Toadies

One of my favorite past-times is digging through music shelves at the local cd store allowing the cover art of new beginnings and memories to speak. I hear the passion seeping out from the small 6X6 plastic case, listening to its coalescent chorale of meaning; its "truth." When I take time to think about this process of music selection, it is no simple matter. Musical engagement has its own level of experience and I ascend to meet these voices in anticipation, looking forward to the subsequent "conversation" about to take place. It might seem silly to try and make sense of this experience, but think about it...what are these emotions we feel in anticipation of a brand new cd or for purchasing an old classic from distant paths? What is the unconscious relationship between the self and music?

Growing up i would ride my bike to Karma, my childhood local cd store. The smell of incense traveling through the aisles ready to prompt the emotional indulgence that awaited. Looking to see which cds had the "parental advisory" stickers as i was always drawn to that sticker:) I would pull out my ziploc bag of change to pay for a cd...$12.99 in quarters and nickels; it was spiritual.

My first concert took place at Union Station in Indianapolis; my favorite band at the time was playing and I persuaded my parents to let me go unsupervised. Seventh grade and on my own walking up this backdoor stairwell, already vibrating with excitement. I had my brown long-sleeve UPS shirt on, baggy, ripped up jeans complete with chain, and blue faded airwalks that took me up the iron-grated steps as i thought, "this is me."

new wave

if you look back at my recent posts its plain to see that a number of them are involving music videos of some sort. i have decided to take this blog in a new direction for awhile, which is towards the fusion of music and theology. simple enough. it is telling that my two passions are music and theology yet i haven't spent much time explicitly thinking about these two delights in relationship. so, for awhile i will be posting on the relationship between music and theology and hopefully all of these posts will come from "within"...the place where darkness easily hides the naked soul.

for me, music is an emotional expression speaking in words which would otherwise be deemed confusing and untranslatable. isn't it interesting how a song is able to explain to oneself what oneself is feeling, better than oneself? maybe this is the relationship i am planning on exploring; the deep, eternal reflection of music.

jazz-like theology

theology is like good jazz.

there is an ebb and flow of time signatures, incredibly precise solos, spotlights and backgrounds, straightforward and experimental pieces, combined and separated musicians who, although playing together, allow unity in diversity to arise. watching this 1967 Miles Davis concert i am reminded of the many "voices" that take turns speaking yet all the while taking part in this grand conversation. watching the strengths flow out of miles davis' fingers and tony williams' feet reveal the possibility in seeing difference of experience to present a complete picture. when the song is parsed one is able to see the beauty of the individual yet the emotional ride of this song, "footprints," is somehow made sense in the overarching theme of unity, i.e., musicians in relationship with their own tune and the tune of one another. theology is like good jazz.

The Roots and Rev. Vince Anderson

...doesn't get much better than this