Listening to Phonograph Records

7-29-10

Listening to Phonograph Records

The illustration I have posted today should be called “Child listening to phonograph Records” – the child in the illustration could be me. If I was young enough, I desperately wanted long hair. More than once, when I was a young person, I was mistaken for being a ‘girl’ – because of my (clean) long hair. (Illustration is credited to Ron King, Art Director, Academy of Sciences – from the book “Introducing Our Western Birds – California State Series”, 1967). Odd, I used to sometimes use “Ron King” as a pseudonym!

And I certainly listened to phonograph records when I was a child! I had a few that were ‘mine’, but I also wandered through both my parents and siblings record collections. In fact, I think each and every member of my family had a phonograph record collection (in the 1960’s). Yes, it was groovy back then – but it was the only real way to go! And I have had a life-long fascination with recordable formats – cassette, 8-track, reel-to-reel, mini-disc, CD-R etc.

What would the person in the illustration be listening to? Per the book, you’re supposed to “Listen to recordings of the songs of Western birds”. I was listening to Bob Dylan, Country Joe & The Fish, the Jefferson Airplane, Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention, The Fugs etc. in 1967. Sure, I didn’t get all the jokes…but the music really etched itself into my fertile young mind. I still enjoy psychedelic music!

Recorded music on phonograph records was really my window to the world-at-large. It seemed that there was nothing I needed to know that wasn’t on phonograph records, when I was young. What would I have done, if not for phonograph records?

“Beware a man who is not moved by sound”

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Tonight, Joe & I will be going to see Level 42 play a live concert. They haven't toured here lately...