#TBT

Because I'm in need of some cheap sunglasses

Cover Story

Since I'm technically on Christmas break and technically have a little bit more free time, I thought it was time to bring back TBT. I feel like I've been listening to a lot of junk food-type music lately {read: Taylor Swift's new album on repeat.}and it's time to get back to that soul food stuff that hits you right in the gut. So here's the story behind All Along the Watchtower:

I've always loved this song. It's kind of got this foreboding feeling you can't quite shake after it's over. Written the year after Dylan was in a motorcycle wreck, it was recorded in the same studio where he created Blonde on Blonde and features on the album John Wesley Harding. In a biblical twist, the lyrics have been linked to Isaiah chapter 21:

Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise ye princes and prepare in the shield. / For the Lord hath said unto me: Go set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth. /And he saw a chariot with a couple of horses, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels, and he harkened diligently with much heed/... and behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, 'Babylon is fallen, is fallen, and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground. 

 Now, as all good Rock n' Roll nerds know, Jimi Hendrix has covered 3 of Dylan's hits {and possibly a fourth? and a fifth!}. This is my personal favorite. Recorded in London and finished up in NYC, Dave Mason actually ended up playing bass on it. {cool, huh?} It was actually Hendrix's only Billboard top 20 hit, solidifying my belief that Billboard rankings amount to squat.

Dylan's take on the cover:

It overwhelmed me, really. He had such talent, he could find things inside a song and vigorously develop them. He found things that other people wouldn't think of finding in there. He probably improved upon it by the spaces he was using. I took license with the song from his version, actually, and continue to do it to this day.

and from a separate interview:

I like Jimi Hendrix's record of this and ever since he died I've been doing it that way...Strange how when I sing it, it's a tribute to him in some kind of way.

Pretty moving, when you think about it. I love how covers can evolve beyond the original creator in that way.

And since we've got a new {and probably the only} reader with us,  I'd like to take a minute to introduce my Dad to Meraki and Agape:

#TBT

Had to throw in the hashtag. You know, for good measure.

TBT

My Dad got all three record players in the house working again
Which means we're both rediscovering old favorites, like this one:

It also happens to be playing on some random credit card commercial
Which inexplicably makes me cry every time I watch it.
{Don't ask. My hormones are very confused these days...}

Tomorrow Peter leaves for London.
The day after Luke comes back home.
And then it's Christmas!

I'm definitely looking forward to celebrating Christ's birth at church Christmas eve,
then lounging around with my family Christmas day.
We have a tradition of breaking our fast after the 24th service,
While reading the gospel of the birth in the bible.
Then we each open one present
{usually some awesome book from our parents that gets read the same night- nerd much?}
and have a relaxing Christmas morning opening presents and lounging in our pajamas.

We don't get up at 6 to open our presents anymore,
But I still look forward to that precious time with my family each year.
I was in London with Peter's family last year, and it just wasn't the same
{though I did steal their tradition of Christmas crackers to get the party started this year :)}

What are your family traditions?
If you're not Christian, how do you celebrate the holidays?
{a Jewish friend of mine gets Chinese food and watches movies,
which sounds pretty nice and relaxing to me!}

TBT

I'm giving a presentation on the therapeutic riding program I worked at the past two weeks.
Eep! I'm so nervous!
Wish me luck :)

TBT

I keep hearing this song in some random commercial,
and it keeps reminding me how good fleetwood mac is
not just in their pre-America blues days,
but during their more pop decades as well
{ok, the 80s were kind of a wash,
but the self titled album + rumours completely make up for it, imho.}

TBT

I decided to start posting two songs a week, Peter

There's just WAY too much good music in the world,

old and new,

to fit in just one! 

I love John Fogarty,

I've probably said that before, but it bears repeating.

That fellow can write a song. 

For some reason this has been the one that's been stuck in my head lately (:

Have a great week!

I'll try to post from Delaware, but I can't make guarantees-

Peter and I might be having too much fun :D