It took some time to put together all that music had meant for me along the way. When I was a teen, I listened to classical (Beethoven the favorite), broadway musical (West Side Story), easy listening voice (Andy Williams) and piano (Ferrante & Teicher), and folk music (Peter, Paul & Mary). Most of the music I had came through the Columbia Record Club which provided a good number of albums to listen to on my portable Garrard player.
I did listen to what was popular on the radio but never that seriously, in that I really didn't know many of the artists very well. I still had some favorite songs and bought several albums. But it wasn't until after I had been back from Vietnam for quite awhile that I first realized that much of the popular music had been an integral part of my journey.
My wife and I went to see Love, Janis, a play based on the book of the same name by Janis Joplin's sister who lived in Denver. Janis's psychedelic Porshe was on display in the foyer. Part of the play was a girl singing her songs quite accurately. (not sure it did her voice much good) To my surprise, I knew most of the lyrics. But further, I was quite glad to know that they fit into my life as did so many songs by other artists.
From that point, I began collecting all the songs and music that were important to me. Fortunately, iTunes was soon available, and I was able to pick and choose my way through the quest of filling in the music from my past and also what I was enjoying from what had come out more recently. I was glad to complete my history. To be truthful, I didn't particularly enjoy Janis's music when I first heard it. I didn't enjoy a lot of the music of that time. For example, I remember watching the film about Woodstock with friends in Vietnam. In a way it couldn't get much better than that. But not even half way through, we all decided to leave and do something else.
I didn't know the true extent that this music appreciation had affected my life until even later. But the music kept popping up in some very poignant and interesting areas. One was in a book and play titled A Piece Of My Heart, a very typical Janis tune.
I had read the book, so was anxious to see the play. On a minimal stage with young actors in a small theater in Denver, what I knew came to life in a way that I almost shook with having no further way to deny all that happened there ...and here
I don't think my theater companion noticed, ...and I'm glad.
When I think of those times and those years, there were many individuals and groups that had meaningful contributions. But for me, some loomed particularly large and continued to provide music for the journey. The artist that I had neglected the most was Bob Dylan. From that time until now, I've come to appreciate him as the prophet of a generation. Knowing the songs he wrote that were made popular by others adds to my appreciation.
I'll not go into detail as others are far more informed than I. Mainly, it was the music that was there, that made a difference, that lasted until this day and that formed a memory however understood.
For me, John Denver is another large contributor for then and over time. In Colorado, it was mandatory for Denverites to play Rocky Mountain High any time they went to the mountains, or sing it very loudly. High here could mean a couple things. One being obvious, the other was the amazing feeling you had standing on a fourteener. It was said that you weren't a true Coloradoan until you had seen a plane fly beneath your feet. There were, and still are, 53 mountains over fourteen thousand feet. A popular fete was to scale all of them. Fortunately, there were a couple you could just drive to the top and some more where you could get close.
The mountains must have been a great inspiration to John, but he wrote about many things. He was criticized for his simple and sentimental tunes, but I don't think anyone remembers those critics now nor do that many fondly remember some of the music that was supposed to be so much better.
John might quite naturally be more appreciated here. Such was seen when a stage play of his life was presented at the Denver Center Theater. Though the play, various actors sang his songs with many theatergoers singing along.
Any number of John Denver's songs could be considered a favorite, but Leaving On A Jet Plane was the one that marked a particular day for so many. But John wasn't as well known at the time as were Peter, Paul & Mary who popularized it. Both versions are done rather well.
There were few groups that we got to see gradually age in all the different ways we can, but Peter, Paul & Mary went from youthful folksingers to liberal activists to PBS fundraisers. Sure, I enjoyed the early work the most but appreciated what they later, as a group or an individual, contributed. Noel Paul Stookey's Wedding Song was particularly beautiful.
Music came in all shapes and sizes. I have enjoyed
the variety which was a big change from where I started. But when it came to what was playing in the background at so many important moments, what made up the soundtrack of my life, what made me stop for a moment to smile or to shed a tear, and what lasted until now and still holds so much meaning, it was largely from a few artists. There was plenty of thankfulness and fulfillment, but I soon thought it was the same for many others whose taste in music and experience in life was much different from mine. We all needed music for the the next mile ahead. I can not imagine the journey without it. BONUS PIC
The Sangre de Cristo mountains were the first fourteen footers we saw in Colorado as we came in from the Southwest. We went on a picnic in the snow with my aunt and her family.
