Vinyl Diving
You learn a lot of things when you take over a record collection.
Throughout the last few years I've developed the rationale to discuss music with people older than me. While talking about what Pavement record is the best and why is great to do amongst friends, there is something undeniably fulfilling talking to your father about Ted Nugent or your grandpa about Johnny Cash. I look at my mother in a completely different light knowing that she has seen Cheap Trick about eight times and that she says, "Robin Zandar was singing "I Want You To Want Me" each and every time to me." I know that I can never truly trust my dad because he hates The Beatles. These conversations educate, entertain and do nothing but benefit all parties involved.
This past Christmas my grandpa gave me possibly the best gift a music fan could get - he and my grandma's old record collection. I currently sit on 250 musky smelling records; most of which I've never heard of. "Maybe you can do something with them on that website of yours," he said. Thus began my nosedive into the old and unknown.
The first artist I chose was Elvis - sure everybody knows Elvis; but if you are anything like me you've never listened to Elvis. An absolute favorite of almost everybody over the age of 55, Elvis is completely lost on any generation below the age of 35. Odd, considering he is arguably the most important figure in music history. Last week was also Elvis' birthday (January 8), so I thought it would be a nice gesture to pay homage to "The King."
This particular record is Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite and was recorded at the Honolulu International Center on January 14th, 1973 - three years before he was unable to perform and four years before his inevitable death. The song itself, "My Way," is an eerie song in retrospect. Elvis essentially tells us his life is just about wrapping up and "final curtain" is coming. The string section featured in this version is wonderful and accompanies his beaten down voice perfectly. That is, until the end, when Elvis just belts out so all of the islands can hear him.
STREAM: Elvis – My Way (Live From Hawaii)
Posted by Wes Soltis on Jan 14, 2008 @ 12:00 am
