Allegheny reverie

On my long drive back and forth between Parkersburg, WV, and Frederick, MD, I had no CDs and three types of radio stations: preachers, country and western, and public radio. There's a limit to how many times I want to hear the latest on ISIS and congressional reaction to Obama's speech.

So I scanned and scanned the airwaves looking to grab a signal offering something more. I'd occasionally get lucky and, knowing the signal was but a brief gift, I listened more carefully than I usually do to the radio. My observations:

Stevie Wonder's Superstition is an all-time great song, in my book. The power of his voice, the fullness of the funk, the horns--it has it all. The Wikipedia entry speaks of its "iconic funky clavinet riff played on a Hohner Clavinet C" by Wonder. I don't know what that means but I believe it is what makes it so Wonderful. Sorry.

Mick Jagger/Keith Richard's "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is one of those songs that gets me thinking about composition. The French horn in the intro--who thought of that? The boys' choir. The jubilent congas and maracas. The shifts in mood and tone. I don't understand the verses but I just love the way the song unfolds.

Bono has one of the most passionate voices in rock. It's not just loud, it's passionate. When I listened to With or Without You, I can feel his heartache.

And my new fav song is All About That Bass. Meghan Trainor's voice is SO soulful. I just love the way she glides up and down the scales at the end on one track as she repeats in monotone, "I'm all about that bass" on another.

Funny how deprivation (no CDs, little choice in radio signals) can lead to intense appreciation of what little is available. I think there's a lesson there...
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