Nice intro

 The interwebs are chock full of little swirls and eddies (Munster?). On YouTube you can find woodworking projects, instructions on how to fix a car or a sewing machine or how to play a musical instrument. And often, detailed analyses of some of the rock and roll standards that many of us were raised on. My apologies, sorry-not sorry, for ending a sentence with a preposition.

At least a couple of the channels weekly keep me in suspense regarding whether Stephanie Lynn Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham can put aside decades-long animosities for a final blowout tour of the classic '70s Fleetwood Mac lineup. (Author's note: Like most guys my age, back in the day I wanted Stevie to be my 'girlfriend'.) 

I've seen FM three times: Rumours tour @ TCCC, 1980 @ Reunion (LB was a bit under the weather), and early oughts @ Fair Park (sans Christine). At that last show, I thought the musical director did a phenomenal job utilising backup singers, seamlessly weaving their vocals to artfully conceal that Ms. Nicks' voice is shot. And without wishing to be disrespectful of her, I've found - anyone with me here? - that more and more (over and over?) Christine McVie has become MaryAnne, vis-a-vis Stevie's Ginger.

I probably watch more YouTube than the USDA RDA. So be it. I still hope a full FM reunion of 'The Five' can take place, but it sure seems that 'Bella Donna' is more 'Prima Donna', and likely the biggest impediment at this time.

This post was originally going to be an observation about a curious sub-genre of presumably teen girls playing covers of songs three or four times their age. Some of them seem quite talented - others, dressed very scantily, have passable musical talent, but appear to be marketing something else. Shocking, I know.

Anyway, this young lady, modestly dressed, does a really spot-on 12 string acoustic intro of WYWH, followed by some interesting slide playing on her Les Paul Jr.

Approach with caution

From the pictured cover, you would assume the album was If You Could Read My Mind.

You'd be right. Sort of.

See, when Reprise first issued this GL album, it was titled 'Sit Down Young Stranger'.

Now, SDYS was a fine song and all, but IYCRMM was a breakout hit. Reprise didn't want record (that's vinyl to you, sonny) buyers to miss this, so they re-titled it to correspond with the hit tune.

It was Lightfoot's sixth recording, and remains his top seller. One of the very best of the singer/songwriter genre, it's extremely listenable, including a cover of 'Me and Bobby McGee', rumoured to have featured Kris on harmony vocals. Additional musicians included Randy Newman, John Sebastian, Ry Cooder, and Van Dyke Parks.

Now you know...the rest of the story.

Oh, and yes, of course my copy has the original title.

Jeder Weiß, Verstehen?

When Leonard Cohen died a few years ago, there was much adulation, notably for 'Hallelujah', although his canon was quite extensive. 

This song resonated more with me.

Perhaps the reason this hasn't been taken off YT is that it's not a DHH composition.

 

The facts as we know them

 

Time marches on

Maybe someone will recognize this demolition site. I spent a fair amount of my childhood years there, once one of the largest shopping venues between Dallas and Fort Worth. The view is to the southwest.

Kroger (the original one), Powell's Meat Market, a barbershop, Leonard Bros., Skillern's, M.E. Moses, Cooper's Toyland, Hancock Fabrics (my mother dragged me in there), J.C. Penney, Kresge's, S&H Green Stamps, E. M. Kahn, Mr. Meagher's Chateau Theater, and Sanger-Harris (not in this view - razed decades ago). Not an exhaustive list, but I can remember patronizing or shopping in all of those. There may be others I've forgotten (in 40-ish years). The last couple of places I frequented were the Chateau Theater the mid-'80s, and a couple of visits to Harbor Freight (which was in the old Skillern's slot) in this century.

This shot is looking east. As noted, Sanger-Harris was demolished decades ago, would have been to the right (south) of the Baptist Church. Doesn't appear that the site has been rebuilt (I think these pictures are c. November 2020).

After a brief stint overseas (non-military related), we relocated to the community a few miles south and  west of here. In the years following, much has changed there, as well (a toll road now runs directly over where the stables once stood where I kept my horse).

 

(Naturally, the original of this is blocked)

At the southern end of that community, in those days, there was a secluded lane that was swell for resting one's motorcar, listening to music, and enjoying female companionship. Although 'progress' is encroaching, a check of Google Maps satellite view indicates that it remains a refuge not yet molested by development. I shan't disclose its location.

I gotta know...

 Are these creatures the same?

Just one more

This song came up on my playlist during a bike ride last night. Although I'm irked at what David Foster did to Chicago, I still bought some of PC's early releases (yeah, they kinda have that distinctive '80s sound, as music production migrated from human musicians to MIDIs, Linn and Roland machines, but anyway), including this album (possibly one of my last vinyl acquisitions of that decade. 

This particular album was released, IIRC, the year my wife and I met.

Insufficient

I don't know if I've posted this previously, and don't want to take the time to check the archives.

At DHH's 70th birthday concert in 2017 at AAC, Mrs. John McEnroe joined him onstage to perform a great rendition of this song.