Two blasts from the past

Last night, reflections on my mortality kept me from falling asleep for quite some time, even though I was exhausted.

Today, I've been churning with emotion all day. That's typical of me. When that happens, I frequently find myself absorbed in music. For no particular reason, these two songs bubbled into my brain.

The first one has nothing to do with anything except that I like it and have always found it energizing. If you already know it, then the odds are that you either love it or hate it. If you've never heard it, then give it a listen and decide.



The second song reminds me of the night I discovered Blue Rodeo in Toronto. This is the first cut on their first album. As I stood in the record store and this piece began, I almost tuned it out, because by reflex--a bad reflex, I must admit--I tend to walk away from country songs. Then, about a minute in, the song changed, and it became a country-rock hybrid.

This live version isn't as good as the one on the album, and it's recorded low, so you'll have to crank it up, but give it a chance. Marvel at how young Keelor and Cuddy look, and let it reach the chorus.



I heard this first in December, 1987. Man, I know it was over 22 years ago, but sometimes it feels like yesterday. Every day has been so full, and yet I still feel that I've done nothing at all. I still burn inside and want more. I want a hundred hours a day, a thousand days a year, ten thousand years of healthy life. I know I can't have any of that, but I'll never stop wanting it.