Facebook reminded me that it’s the anniversary of the morning I woke up to this dream, one of my 3 Most Memorable Music Dreams.
Have you ever had a music dream? The other ones that stand out for me are the time I got to meet my childhood heroes The Band in the basement of a club, a basement that wasn’t too different from the one on The Basement Tapes. I met them, however, on one of those post-Last Waltz shows, before band members started dropping, as Robbie Robertson feared they would, if they continued on The Road. One Band member was more out of it than the next. It was a very sad dream.
A joyous music dream I won’t forget is the time I saw David Thomas of Pere Ubu live, wearing a gold lamé suit and singing Elvis Presley‘s “Burning Love.”
Just outside my Top 3 list is an image-free dream I once had of hearing a Frippertronics version of Them‘s “Gloria.” If I had the patience, I might one day be able to make that dream come true.
Just last night, I dreamed I was in the Springsteen family kitchen, making myself a ham sandwich. Making the dream even more surreal, it was Lucky Town-era Bruce,
Just last night, I dreamed I was in the Springsteen family kitchen, making myself a ham sandwich. Making the dream even more surreal, it was Lucky Town-era Bruce,
Roy Wood? Isn’t he a dream anyway? He is one of those musicians where I take it personal – really, this is all you’ve given me? it’s been decades, make me some more freakin’ great music? I deserve it, it’s your responsibility, you owe it to me!
I love me some Jeff Lynne/ELO – great pop doesn’t come any better – but we all know Roy Wood is the true genius. How come everyone doesn’t know? Why doesn’t he care enough to out-do Jeff?
Thank Christmas song must have provided some kind of annuity.
I wonder if I can track down Roy Wood and get an exclusive Rock Town Hall interview with him? Mmm…
Good luck, Mr. Mom!
(Oh, and that “Thank you Christmas song” should be “That Christmas song”)
I’ve head dreams where I hung out with Jerry Garcia. I don’t remember details, and I’m not sure there were details. It was more just the feeling that he was like the big brother I never had. He was cool to hang out with, and he didn’t treat me in a condescending way, but he was maybe not totally reliable, and not exactly a role model.
Hey BigSteve, sounds just like the dreams I’ve had where I listen to Jerry Garcia’s songs and afterwards can’t remember anything about them. Hold on, that’s real life…
I don’t remember dreams, I used to remember them and analyse them and stuff, but read a book, Colin Wilson I think, which discussed various theories about the state and I was persuaded by the one that says dreams are the dustbin of the soul, there to help clean out all the garbage stored up needing to be dumped in landfill. Since then I don’t think I’ve remembered anything about them.
Al and Mr Mod, no matter how far or often I stray, I always return to Roy Wood as probably my greatest musical hero. Even though I’ve not even heard great swathes of his output, even from his glory years, the music he made with the Move and the singles with Wizzard transcend practically anything else for the sheer joy I feel whenever I hear one of his songs.
Some years ago he headlined a free gig on Northampton Market Square. It was a strange event altogether, the Levellers, who can normally fill arenas here played to about sixty people in the middle of the afternoon, and Neville Staple from the Specials did a storming set. Roy Wood came on and did three or four songs and then a thunderstorm hit and the power went off, leaving Woody wandering about on the stage for the next half an hour while two or three hundred people stood in the rain singing I Wish it Could be Christmas Every Day without respite. Eventually power was restored, with just enough time to play the song. They got about three quarters of the way through and the power went again.
I didn’t meet him, but one of his singers got a photo and my complete Move cd set box signed, the photo had pride of place framed on the stairs.
I believe he lives not very far from here, but don’t know anyone who knows him. A RTH interview would be awesome.
Hey Happiness Stan,
I was toying with the idea of posting a “Please explain Roy Wood/Wizzard” piece, but then realized that it’s not me that has the problem with Roy. Rather it is North American rock radio that never gave Roy or his contemporaries much play or cred. It is a British thing, right? Or is it more of a rejection glam in other parts?
Diving into the middle of Roy’s career is truly alien to me. It’s not the make up or the music Any band that favours straight forward pop instead of virtuosity is fine by me. Yet, I’m not catching your sentimentality.
Perhaps it’s a regional radio thing as well. I never heard any song by The Move or Wizzard on the radio or saw their albums in the stores. Now that I think about it, British bands from that era that aren’t revered, except Bowie and T.Rex. Even Mott the Hoople seems like niche rock. Not to overly simplify an entire era, but the the taste makers of the time weren’t falling over the latest singles from Sweet or Slade. Yet, every rock snob (yours truly) has since carved out a little glam section in their vinyl collection or has a playlist on Spotify.
Perhaps, there is book or documentary that could steer me towards a better cultural understanding.
Cliff, try Shock and Awe by Simon Reynolds which is a good recent book about Glam, although it does lose its way a bit near the end.
Sounds good Joe. Rip It Up and Start Again by Simon Reynolds was a good read. A lot detail in that one about the music scene that was also an examination of the times in Britain at the turn of the 80’s.
Just in case you didn’t get enough detail in Rip It Up, Reynold’s interviews are included in a companion piece, Totally Wired: Post-Punk Interviews and Overviews.
There must be something about April and aural dreams with me. Today, Facebook reminded me that it’s the second anniversary of this one:
“Here’s a weird aural dream I had the other night: I was somewhere, doing nothing in particular, when what should I hear come on the radio but James Taylor covering The Undertones’ “Julie Ocean.” It was just as you would imagine a James Taylor cover of that, or any, song.”