ehowton ◾ ◾ Moon Over Parador

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.