Day 514 Sunday June 17, 2018 1,064 Days to Go
Yesterday the Judy Collins Stephen Stills CD arrived. It’s called “Everybody Knows.”
I get CDs because I like to look at the artwork. I like to touch something. That’s what I miss about 33 LPs. You get to hold them and read the liner notes. You can’t do that with downloads. It’s not the same.
We had seen a piece on the Sunday Morning show about the album, and about Stills and Collins. I have known about Stephen Stills from the periphery of my musical knowledge. I never really knew of his work, what he did, or rather I should say I never associated his work with him. “Oh, he’s the guy in Buffalo Springfield singing, something is happening here/ What is ain’t exactly clear”? It’s like that. Yes, I knew he was in Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young but I never really got into their harmonies and songs. It was the Sunday show that stitched it all together for me. I didn’t know he had an affair with Judy Collins. Or that he wrote “Judy Blue Eyes.” and that it was a tribute to her. I didn’t know Judy Collins had battled alcoholism. They each ended up marrying other people and now that they are touring together they say that they believe that is what saved their friendship (i.e. marrying other people). Wow.
The album is what you would expect – beautiful, poignant and a welcome relief from the crushing terrible news of the every day.
Judy Collins has lost none of her ability. In the middle of the album I was marveling at her clear high voice. I don’t know what she was singing or what she was saying. It was beautiful. It makes me pine for a better time. This album is soul cleansing.
It reminds me of an old saying, “Don’t wrestle with pigs. You get covered in mud, and they love it.” But wrestle we must or lose ourselves. On my last tour to the Mayan country there was a fellow along who said that his grandparents were in Germany when Hitler was coming to power. They all knew he was crazy. But by the time they were willing to act, it was too late.
We must act before it is too late. We must reclaim our heritage, our founding principles. our what makes America America again. It will be a long mud covered slog, but I see no alternative. There is, however, from time to time, something of infinite beauty. This album is that.
1,064 Days to Go
PS Everybody Knows
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