Moon Over Parador

[ehowton]

My father started collecting film music a long time ago. Most of it on 4-track and LP's. The 4-tracks still sound new. When he was serving in Germany, he was excited to have found a record of "Foreign Film Scores" as he could finally broaden his horizons. He eagerly purchased it and brought it back to base. Turns out, because he was in Germany, the "foreign" films turned out to be American films, thus scores he already had.

I grew up with classical, musicals, operas, soundtracks, and scores playing all the time. When I was in grade school, we were allowed to bring in music to share with the class on Friday. My classmates all brought in AC/DC, and KISS. I didn't even know what that was. It all sounded like crap to me. I would bring in something from Rogers & Hammerstein, or the Sherman Brothers. Of course I was also the only one in my class who knew what the William Tell Overture was, and who composed it while my classmates were still referring to it as, "The Lone Ranger."

When I myself was in Germany (building the beginnings of the Tower of Power) I picked up a nice TEAC tape deck for two reasons. One, I couldn't afford the Nakamichi "Dragon" and two, my father's 4-track was a TEAC. (How's that for brand recognition?) CD's were new and I subscribed to a fascinating magazine, "CD Review." This old dude - the editor - was one lively writer, and he loved music. He loved the medium. Every month I would get a 'sampler' CD and voraciously tear into that magazine, reading it from cover to cover. Then I would pull out a good, solid metal-particle tape, and record my father the CD's with Dolby "C" and mail them stateside.

Today, while dropping my kids off there for the weekend, and after my father went to bed (he still works 12-hours a day, 6-days a week) I was pulling some linen down from the closet for my children, when I found his cassettes. They were there with his other media, the records and 4-track tapes, but I don't remember seeing the cassettes there. I started going through them - impressed at the good quality tapes I'd used (anyone remember those hissy 120minute tapes sold in a three-pack at the corner drug store for $.99? Yeah, NOT those) and surprised to find some of my old early 80's tapes as well (I looked for the soundtrack to Ghostbusters but couldn't find it). Anyway, good memories.

Then I remember the Tiburon had a cassette deck in it I've never used.

Dad, I borrowed your Moon Over Parador score (On cassette!) to listen to on the drive home.

Good night and I love you.

Comments

[schpydurx.livejournal.com]

Once upon a time before I knew that there were such things as MP3s and hard drives over the size of 5GB, I too made (mix) tapes. This was before I knew that scores were actually sold, so I put classical (i.e. Mozart, Beethoven, etc.) music on them for a female friend of mine that I hoped to woo. She put up with it for whatever reason, but suffice it to say that she does not talk to me though I am still good friends with her brother.

And for the record (since everyone is discussing the type of music that they typically listen to) I typically listen to either scores or 60's and 70's with just a touch of forward-thinking 50's. There are a few rap songs that I have heard on the street that I have added to my collection. Of course, the vast majority of the rest of my collection is classical (i.e. pre 1900 music; despite my general dislike for Baroque music, I do have a bit of Handel and I should point out that I generally like Bach's work).

I have always wanted to get into jazz, but my mother has always been against me doing so for whatever reason. I should say that the scores to People I Know and The Talented Mr. Ripley have helped me begin to build my jazz collection, but jazz is such a wide field and I fear that it will take me as long to find my likes/dislikes and build a reputable collection as it has taken me to build my classical/scores/Oldies collection. *le sigh*

[ehowton.livejournal.com]

Jazz is a wide field! Up to and including Big Bands? I just don't get it. As far as your mother's dislike for it, jazz in her era used to be linked to loose morals.

One fine night they leave the pool hall
Headin' for the dance at the Armory
Libertine men and scarlet women and ragtime!
Shameless music that'll drag your son, your daughter
Into the arms of a jungle animal instinct mass hysteria!
Friends, the idle brain is the devil's playground, trouble!

[schpydurx.livejournal.com]

Though my mother doesn't live in Iowa, the concept that she is as much as a stickler as the guy singing the song wants the townspeople to be makes me giggle muchly!