All my Stones albums, piled in stacks. I have almost every title, either from the group or from the individual members, that has been produced. I come home and throw a record on the turntable, and all my worries vanish.Just like King Saul in the Old Testament of the Bible, I suffer from depression. It's quite common in the general population, but usually hushed up. The has plagued our family for many generations. But like old Mr. Saul, who had the future King David play to him when he was feeling down, I am soothed by music. That's probably why I have such a huge collection of music, in vinyl, cassette, CD and MP3. Music, in conjunction with my Christian faith, has kept me going for many years, and has been more effective than any of the frequently-prescribed anti-depressants in keeping me on an even keel.
Since I was a kid, I have been drawn toward the energetic, happy sounds of Rock and Roll. And now, forty years later, it still 'soothes my soul' in the words of Bob Seger.
The past few years have been rough ones, and the band that has kept me going all that time is the Rolling Stones. I have nearly everything the band has ever done, either collectively or solo, on records, CD and cassette, and about a year ago, I even saw the band perform live in Missoula, Montana. They were even better than I anticipated.
Stranger yet, I met a friend online who is a friend of the greatest rock and roll bassist of all time, Mr. Bill Wyman. And before I knew it, I had the outstanding "Rolling with the Stones" signed by authors Richard Havers and Bill Wyman.
I don't imagine that many readers of this blog share my taste in music. The bottom line isn't that any one band, or genre, is the pancacea for the worries and problems we deal with on a daily basis as human beings. The bottom line is that the beauty of music gives us the motivation and the optimism to move on. It is God's gift to His people.
Thank you, not only to the Rolling Stones (and my second favorite band, the Beatles) but to all those who make music, past and present, for making live so much better for us all.
For a Youtube clip for the Missoula concert, (the sound and video is not great, because both were shot with fans' camera phones) click this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxxYa9UZu5s
or this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrEE9r4n1t0
4 comments:
I feel the same way about the Beach Boys. Maybe it's got something to do with growing up in a different country from where the band came from. In the 1960s in south London I was just captivated by this place called California, where the sun always shined, there were two girls for every boy and every guy had a Corvette, or at least a 'Woody'
I assume you know the double-meaning of Woody in the US? If not, you have made a great pun unwittingly. :)
Rob
I might add, that for a kid who grew up in South Dakota and Washington DC, California seemed like a foreign country to me, too.
It occurred to me after I wrote it :)
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