By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

There are some people who literally seem like a flash in time, a moment blindingly bright, then gone just as quickly. The rock and roll role call is full of those who died too young, some by their own device, others by tragic circumstances, all sad. Among the saddest has to be the death of Jim Croce, fifty years ago. 

Croce was a struggling singer/songwriter for many years before hitting the big time and doing so in such a seemingly simple way. His path to notoriety began after he had entered Villanova University in Pennsylvania in the early 1960s.  The folk scene was in full bloom and Croce joined up with the Villanova Singers while at University, he also was a disc jockey on the college station there. It was also there where he met his soon to be wife, Ingrid. 

After receiving a gift from his parents, for the sole purpose of making a recording, Croce recorded and self-released his debut album, 'Facets,' in 1966, in a limited pressing of 500 copies. His parents gave him the money to make the album with the underlying thought that, once the album failed and he got it out of his system, so to speak, he could focus on life. Instead, he was able to sell out of the pressing which in turn fueled his desire to create. 

From that point on, Jim and Ingrid decided to make themselves a musical team, and began performing as a duo, doing Croce's mixture of folk, blues, country and rock. They set out to capture their dream and moved to New York City. With a bit of luck, they managed to get a deal with Capitol Records who, in 1969, released their sole album, Jim and Ingrid Croce to less than enthusiastic reception. With a child on the way, Jim drifted from job to job before giving music another go after grabbing a deal with ABC Records in 1972. 

Suddenly, everything was starting to click. Released in the summer of 1972, 'You Don't Mess Around With Jim' became a Top 10 hit (#8) followed two months later by 'Operator,' which hit No. 17. Those singles help sell the 'You Don't Mess Around With Jim' album, and by year's end, Croce was a star on the rise. March of '73 brought his first chart topper with 'Bad Bad Leroy Brown,' cementing his status. A second album, 'Life And Times,' rolled out in July of '73 and everything looked great, if only for a moment. 

On Thursday, September 20, 1973, during the 'Life And Times' tour, Croce, along with five others, was killed as their plane crashed into a tree shortly after takeoff, ending the life and career of the promising young singer. The very next day, 'I Got A Name,' was released, with  

'Time In A Bottle' following two months later, hitting the top of the charts. One final album, 'I Got A Name,' was also issued by year's end, thus ending the all too brief life of Jim Croce at age 30. 

It seems odd looking back fifty years at the man and his music. When it was new, and seemingly on the radio all the time, it was hard to imagine just how short a time he would actually occupy, and ever since, those songs have thankfully lived on as part of the soundtrack to that era. Fifteen months and that was it, from hitting pay dirt to it all literally crashing. It’s a pretty amazing, and very sad story. 

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

After releasing five albums in just seven years, the Black Keys were on a roll to say the least. Each album boosted their presence in the public eye and raised their stakes artistically. By the time of the 2008 LP 'Attack & Release,' the Keys had jumped from the indie world (Alive! and Fat Possum labels) to being signed by major label offshoot Nonesuch. 

By that moment in time, they had critics raving and fans drooling over their minimal yet fully packed sound. It was at that point in the timeline that band leader Dan Auerbach decided to shake things up a bit by releasing his debut solo album. Released in 2009 on Nonesuch, 'Keep It Hid,' plays off the sound the Black Keys had built and at the same time, distills things down to, shall we say, a more personal level. 

The album opens with arguably one of Auerbach's best songs, 'Trouble Weighs a Ton,' things are off and running in a more subtle, and striped down setting with Auerbach and acoustic guitar. It's a wonderful showcase for his style and this song. 'Whispered Words (Pretty Lies)' is another gem that shines from a similar approach before full band saunters in mid song. 

Stylistically the album jumps around, in a good way, and keeps the listener intrigued as to what's next! Some songs like ' The Prowl' and 'Heartbroken, in Disrepair' could easily have made their way onto Keys records but it's when he strays a bit that things really gel. 'Real Desire,' 'Mean Monsoon' (with its slithering guitar work), and the beautiful 'When The Night Comes' offer up other highlights while the title track and 'My Last Mistake' are instant classics. 

Auerbach is a creative force who seems to always be looking forward, this is one solid batch of songs, hence, our listing it in the 'Essential' column. Enjoy the music and please, turn it up! 

‘Keep It Hid’ has just been re-issued on Auerbach’s own Easy Eye Sound label, including various colored vinyl variations!

Wellness can be achieved by virtue of completing a journey and maintain a lifestyle. But it can also be magnified by our ability to appreciate and be thankful for the things that we already have! Summit Wellness continues to hum the melody of connection between feeling good and feeling grateful!  

Gratitude is a monthly feature contributed by Matt Anthony, Digital Media Producer and on-air host for the Summit FM. Matt reflects on instances where we might uncover more ways to appreciate what’s in front of us, and how those instances might contribute to our overall health and well-being. 

I’m sure my father broke the law in some way, shape, or form, but when I was 15 years old, he secured a part-time position for me at a local grocery market. The store was within easy walking-distance from our house. And our cupboards and refrigerator were stocked (or as ‘stocked’ as they could be, with a high school teacher trying to provide nutritional content to a wife and 7 children!) with provisions from Lemmons Market, so we all were familiar with it. 

My position at the market was that of a ‘bag-boy’. ‘Personal shoppers’ and ‘delivery’ and ‘online ordering’ were light-years away. Instead, we were the conduit to the store’s relationship with its customers. We snapped open paper bags, arranged them methodically and carefully with a customer’s purchases, and (yes!) carried them to their vehicle! (and even sometimes getting a tip or two, especially during the Holidays!) I loved bagging groceries, especially during a busy Saturday afternoon.  The act of finding order and balance inside of those bags…even amidst the chaos around me…was a Zen experience. (or, what I perceived Zen to be as a 15-year-old.) 

One of the other duties that was required of us was to clean and sweep. On my 2^nd day as a Lemmons Market employee, my immediate supervisor, Rick Miller, summoned me to the back-room. There, he gave me instructions about how to sweep the aisles, the back rooms, and, most importantly, the parking lot. “Customers see this first when they arrive, so this has to be spotless,” he said. 

Rick Miller was an archetype. Short in stature, with flaming red hair and moustache, he spoke (and laughed) with an exceedingly high and very recognizable voice. And could he bag groceries! I was in absolute awe being a witness to his exploits at the bagging-area, snapping open paper sacks with both hands, flipping cans of mixed vegetables and boxes of Tide neatly and orderly into their respective vessels, and gracefully following a customer to their vehicle with military precision. 

Sometimes during a break in the action, I would re-tie my apron, look down the dairy aisle, and I would catch a glimpse of him in the back-room while taking a break. With his back to me and a leg resting on a Charmin box, he would take deep drawls off his Winston Light cigarette with one hand, while the other hand lightly caressed that fiery red moustache. Inhaling, exhaling, and pondering the world as we know it. 

Later in the evening, after Rick had left, I started my parking-lot cleaning duties, as he instructed.  At the helm of the largest broom I’d ever seen, I coughed and sputtered as dust and debris were sent into the air, only to be gathered into large Hefty bags and deposited in the ‘box-room’, a receptacle used for storing empty cartons and garbage.   

Finished and clocked-out, I was exhausted.  Once at home, though, I was pretty pleased with myself.  “Two dollars and 30 cents an hour multiplied by 6 hours,” I thought. Not bad. I’d be able to afford The Eagles album I’d had my eye on in virtually no time! 

The next day, I left our house after school and started the slow walk to Lemmons Market for the evening’s work.  Coming down the alley next to the store, I circled around the box-room and started my way into the back towards the time-clock when I nearly ran into Rick Miller.  He had one foot on top of an empty milk-crate. And, again, an ever-present Winston Light in one hand, and with the other meticulously and strategically stroking that red clump of hair above his lip. Waiting. Waiting for me. 

“Matt! Come here!”  

My heart started to pound.  But he didn’t yell at me. With a firm command, he made me follow him through the parking lot, all the way to the front of the store. And then he started. 

“You missed here. You missed here. You missed right here. You missed over there by the ice cream cooler. And you missed that pile of cigarette butts by the back door.” 

Then we proceeded inside, and the lesson continued.  Again, he didn’t scream. He simply pointed out my errors, and he did so with authority and tact. If someone happened to walk by, he stopped until they passed, and then he continued. 

Finally, after what seemed like a small eternity, he asked me to follow him outside. Once we were away from customers, over near the box-room, he lit a Winston Light and he turned towards me. 

“Whatever you do, whether it’s here at Lemmons, or wherever it is, always respect the work. Make it the most important thing that you’re doing, and then you can never do wrong. Take that approach with everything. OK?” 

I nodded, trying to understand his words. 

“Make that a part of your sweeping tonight.” 

Decades later, I still think of that conversation.  Lemmons Market is no more, but the alley-way that I walked down all those years ago still is. I’ve re-traced my steps there one or two times since then.  The part-time job that my father secured for me, one that I had all through high school and several years of college, helped to form and shape me. In addition to being introduced to cars and other ‘unmentionable substances’, I learned about music, bands, and stereo-systems. I learned about life. 

But what I’m most grateful for is the life-lesson that Rick Miller taught me.  It’s one that I’ve tried to keep in my back pocket with every position I’ve ever held since then: “If you’re gonna do it, do it right.” 

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

In 2002, the landscape for anything resembling rock and roll music was pretty damn bleak. The top selling albums that year included Eminem, Britney Spears, Dixie Chicks, Pink and Celine Dion. 2003 was shaping up much the same way with Beyonce and 50 Cent leading the way. Of course there were rock and roll bands, there always are, we just have to look harder as time goes on. But, much like now, it was slim pickings on the horizon. 

The idea that a full on Rock band could exist in the early 2000s, let alone succeed, seemed abstract at best. We had the White Stripes and a few random glimmers of hope I suppose, but most people's idea of 'rock' at the time boiled down to Nickelback, Three Doors Down and other faceless gibberish. There was nothing genuinely exciting going on. What would it take to get a rock band back in the public eyes and ears, even if for a fleeting moment? The answer surprised most everyone. 

The place, Lowestoft, England; the band, the Darkness, their mission: Let It Rock! "I would say that we didn't have an eye on the scene. We weren't thinking about the other bands and what they were doing, really," Darkness vocalist/guitarist recently told Metal Injection. "When I was 15 I joined a band and my mother was like, 'you've got to look different. You can't just look like you've just walked in off the street. You've got to make an impression.'” Make an impression they most certainly did. 

After a couple independently released singles which scored well in England, the band found itself in a bidding war, ultimately signing with Atlantic Records worldwide. Their debut album, 'Permission To Land,' was released in the fall of 2003 and to mark its 20th anniversary, a deluxe 4cd/1dvd box set has just been issued. 

For those unfamiliar, the Darkness is a hard rock band. Not heavy metal, but hard rock full of glittering prizes such as insanely catchy melodies and songs that refuse to leave your being. Top flight musicianship, something that so often was overlooked due to the top level entertainment the band provided. It was all about glitz, glamor and putting on a show. Long hair, spandex cat suit, high register vocals and a grandiose sense of humor and style was the law of the land.  

A year or so following the album's release, it seemed the Darkness was everywhere! Their single, 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love,' became a surprise hit, even going ‘Gold’ in America and topping charts worldwide. The album sold several times platinum, catching the industry, and the public, off-guard.  

One thing that seemingly worked for and against them was that the sounded like no one else at the time.  Critics were quick to pick up on the influences of both Queen and AC/DC. This was bombast at its finest with great songwriting at the core. It should come as no surprise to note that to make money pre-Darkness, Hawkins was actually a 'jingle' writer, penning commercials for the likes of Yahoo, Ikea and Mars Bars among others.  

From the first riff of album opener 'Black Shuck,' it was clear this was unlike anything going on at that moment in time. No signs of alternative, grunge, or Britpop, and nary a whiff of electronica, boy bands or any other trends of the previous decade. There were ties to 1970s glam but more so in spirit than sound. The Darkness were utterly unique, yet utterly familiar at the same time.  

The one thing that puzzled the public at large was their sense of humor. A lot of people assumed they just couldn't be serious therefore, they must be a parody band, a real life Spinal Tap so to speak. "I think it’s because we were so unfashionable that it felt like we were trying to do a trick on people," Hawkins told Rolling Stone UK.   

"I think it was hard for people to understand how this thing actually emerged and that led to a slight suspicion that we were making a big joke at everybody’s expense. There was even a weird conspiracy that Simon Cowell had put us together," he continued. "Being accused of being a parody so was annoying to me. It was like, if you chipped away at it and accused it of this or the other, what you’d find in the middle is a bleeding heart with rock and roll coming out of every fucking artery." 

So how does 'Permission To Land' hold up 20 years on?  I will be totally honest here. It hasn't aged a day! It still sounds vibrant and fresh and still delivers a punch like no other. Neither the songs nor the production sound dated after two decades, they simply sound like the Darkness! The new box set is essential! In addition to the album, you get all the singles, b-sides, previously unreleased demos, two complete concerts and all the videos! Disclaimer: I have insatiably worshiped this album since it was new and I still believe it to be the finest album released in the past 20 years and one of the greatest debut albums of all time! 

The band briefly broke up in 2005, reuniting after a short hiatus, and has continued recording and touring to this day. They are currently on a world tour celebrating 'Permission To Land' in all its glory. 

In summing up the band’s legacy, Hawkins added, "There was so many principles at stake that we stood for. Guitar solos, the principles of having fucking loud guitars on stage, the principles of wearing cat suits and doing all that stuff, and the principles of not caring what anyone else said. did or thought about us. We just thought fuck everybody, we’re The Darkness!" 

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

Released in early 1994, 'Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain,' showed that Pavement were in it for the long haul. The charm and innocence found on their 1992 debut, 'Slanted And Enchanted,' was amped up a bit with confidence pushing through.  

The single from that first LP, 'Summer Babe,' became a collecge radio hit of sorts, setting the band squarely in the eyes and ears of the exploding indie rock universe. With their sophomore effort, 'Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain,' Stephen Malkmus and cohorts were simply getting better at their craft, fine tuning their distinct ragged and fuzzy jangle into a more focused, though still offbeat, signature approach. 

College radio support colliding with the 120 Minutes corner of the MTV sphere all during the 'alternative rock' boom of the mid 1990s proved the perfect playground for Pavement and other like-minded bands. Suddenly, people were paying attention. Though the band began receiving interest from major labels, they have to this day stayed true to their indie rock roots.  

Matador Records promoted the band and against odds, perhaps, their single from the album 'Cut Your Hair' became a modest hit of sorts, scoring high on the Billboard Alternative charts due in no small part to the amusing video for the song. 'Gold Soundz' and 'Range Life' were also released as singles and though neither fared as well as 'Cut Your Hair,' they nonetheless helped boost the album's profile. 

One track, 'Range Life,' managed to create a bit of a stir by namechecking Smashing Punpkins and Stone Temple Pilots in a less than positive light. It all got a little silly, especially when Lil' Billy Corgan threatened to pull the Pompkins off the 1994 Lollapalooza tour if Pavement were added to the lineup. He hadn't need fear as fellow 'lo-fi' indie rockers Guided By Voices took the gig instead. 

All in all, 'Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain' was an important step in the story of Pavement. So get ready, we have the LP all cued up and ready to roll to make it an Essential Pick here at The Summit FM! 

By Laura Smiley - Summit FM Sales Director

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

As the old proverb goes, all it takes is “three chords and the truth" for a good song. File under "less is more," "don't overthink it," and "keep it simple, stupid!" While I do love music of a more involved or complex fabric, I am always more than ready to champion the simple stuff.

Some of rock and roll's finest moments weigh in at around 3 minutes and 20 seconds, 3, maybe 4, chords, a grand spoonful of enthusiasm and a hook complete with line and sinker. The Troggs, Kinks, Ramones, Sweet, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Neil Young and countless more have catalogs full of examples. It's that kinetic connection that happens when a simple chord pattern makes its way to your ears on its way to your heart. Could be on a piano but most likely, guitar would be the instrument of choice for such a task.

The thing about the simple approach is, while it may seem easy to mimic, it's actually harder than you would think to put the right three chords together with the right lyrics at the right tempo to where it's all firing at maximum power. It is also a true art form to condense all your ideas for said song into a three minute capsule, but when it happens, it can be magic.

Hailing from Ireland, the Undertones created their own slice of 3 chord/3 minute magic with a song called 'Teenage Kicks,' released 45 years ago in October of 1978. Though the members of the Undertones had been friends growing up and actually formed the band around 1975, it wasn't until the punk explosion happened that they perfected their sound and style.

"You find out, luckily enough, that some song wrote themselves," recalled Undertones guitarist J. J. O'Neill in a BBC documentary. "Teenage Kicks wrote itself. Teenage Kicks was written in the matter of 20 or 30 seconds. I remember at the time thinking, where'd that come off, you know?"

The band members all grew up near each other in the Derry area of Ireland where violence, bombings and a serious Catholic/Protestant division was the lay of the land. The politics and violence actually helped give the band a direction, that being to veer far away from their day to day and into a more simplistic, teenage ideal, carrying on the traditions of 1960s pop and rock and roll instead of diving into the political terrain of the Clash or the snarling rebellion of the Sex Pistols, all of which helped set the Undertones apart from the quickly developing clichés of punk.

Taking inspiration from two of his favorite records, guitarist John O'Neil was figuring out how to write pop songs. “As with most of my songs I first had a title," O'Neil told Songwriting Magazine back in 2020. "We used to play the Rolling Stones version of Route 66 and I always loved the chorus where Mick sang, ‘Get your kicks on Route 66.’ Also, one of my all-time favorite records was ‘Back In The U.S.A’ by the MC5 and one of the songs on that record was called ‘Teenage Lust,’ so it wasn’t too difficult to come up with the title 'Teenage Kicks.' Once I had the first line of, ’A teenage dream’s so hard to beat,’ using that chord progression, the rest of the song just literally wrote itself. It’s just so great when that happens."

Released on a four song EP on the local Good Vibrations label, 'Teenage Kicks' instantly grabbed people's attention. Between the direct pop meets punk approach, not to mention singer Feargal Sharkey's unique voice, it was hard to ignore. One set of ears that were captured by the song belonged to legendary disc jockey and tastemaker John Peel, who unabashedly fell in love with the record. "I tell you what, I've not done this for ages, but I think we ought to hear that again," Peel told listeners over his airwaves back in the fall of 1978 as he started the record over to play it again. "That is a mighty, mighty record you know."

Literally at that very moment, the band found itself in demand. As it happened, Sire Records boss Seymor Stein was listening to that very Peel radio broadcast while visiting England. “I was driving down to one of those little seaside places outside of London, we were listening to John Peel,” Stein recalled in the Undertones documentary. “Paul McNally was driving and I start yelling at him ‘pull over, pull over!’ I said to him, I’ve got to sign this band, they are fucking amazing! What a voice and what a song!”

 Having taken the bulk of inspiration from American music, everything from Brill Building pop to the Ramones debut, the Undertones stood apart from their UK counterparts. "It was like joining the dots for us, hearing the New York Dolls, MC5, Stooges and Velvet Underground, it was like, this is what rock and roll was supposed to be about!"

The band released their debut album in early 1979,  going on to release a total of four albums, and a string of singles, all of which are loaded with brilliant, catchy songs. But if you're destined to be connected to one song, a band could do a lot worse than to be forever linked to 'Teenage Kicks.'  "I know that, as a song, 'Teenage Kicks' is very clichéd, not very original," O'Neil added, "but the actual recording seemed to capture something."

"We're talking about a record that even now reduces me to tears every time I hear it," John Peel told the Guardian in 2001. "Sheila, my wife knows that when I die, the only words I want on my tombstone, apart from my name, are: "Teenage Dreams, So Hard To Beat. What more do you need?"

By Chad Miller - Summit FM Music Director

What's everyone been listening to out there? So much new music coming at us, so little time! However, these songs that might fly under the radar to most are what I've been diggin' these past few weeks!

Like what you hear? Please email me at chad@thesummit.fm and let me know what you think!

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

"Rock 'n' roll's a loser's game. It mesmerizes and I can't explain." A rather profound observation made by Ian Hunter circa 1973 in the song 'Ballad Of Mott The Hoople.' The once vital obsession to find and connect to "real" rock and roll was the pastime of many a fan and musician. After punk had come and lingered, it seemed even more significant how to take this music forward while still looking back for inspiration. For many, the band that most symbolized this trek in the 1980s was the Replacements.

Young men they were, living the dream, knocking out songs in the key of ragged glory, drinking heavily, travelling the backroads of America and drinking heavily. Did I mention that already? Sorry, it's just that many an early Replacements show was a race to see if they would finish their set before the bottle let them down, to paraphrase Merle Haggard. I remember a show at JB's in Kent where they started out with the best of intentions, playing songs from their latest album until distraction set in. Long story short, a friend and I ended up writing up a set list of obscure 70s pop songs for them to cover. We placed it on the stage, and at first they were amused, noticing a couple songs that made them laugh, so, they gave it all a go and tried to tackle every song on the list, so much for promoting their new release.

I mention this as a sort of dividing line between the brash youngsters piled in a van and the same crew trying to be taken 'seriously' in the music business.  After signing to Sire Records fans, band and media had high hopes that these Minneapolis-ites would accentuate the positive and prove their anticipated worth. 

Released in the fall of 1985, their major label debut, 'Tim,' delivered on those promises. The eleven tracks on the album showed that Paul Westerberg had more up his sleeves than simple punk inspired pranksterism. The guy could write songs with genuine sincerity and hooks to match. Flashes of this had flashed on previous albums, but here it was front and center, the tendency toward the goofiness of old replaced by a knowing wink and nod in these the songs.

'Hold My Life,' 'Little Mascara,' and 'Left Of The Dial' all still stand tall as classics, while the charm of tracks like ''Waitress In The Sky' and 'Kiss Me On The Bus' hasn't faded. 'Bastard Of Young' should have been the 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' of their day, but alas the music business had other plans. Just for fun, watch the Replacements SNL appearance from 1985, then watch Nirvana seven years later and tell me who had more attitude and spirit. It ain't the Seattle gang.

The album did well on the ever present college radio circuit but failed to break through on a bigger level. One thought for many years was the sound of the album was kind of flat compared to the performance, the original LP having been produced by Mr. Tommy Erdelyi, aka Tommy Ramone. Granted, Erdelyi had talent and had helped navigate those early Ramones albums, but for a guy coming from one of the most important and powerful bands in history, he knew how to castrate a powerhouse band as well. He would repeat this terrible act a year or so later when he produced Redd Kross' 'Neurotica' with the same sense of 'what happened?'

Thankfully, Rhino Records recently released 'Tim - The Let It Bleed Edition' has corrected this issue by allowing noted producer/engineer Ed Stasium to completely remix the album. He has done so to stunning effect. The songs have a new life and power missing on the original. No added frills, just a little polish and shine to the performance already captured but for some reason left flat by Ramone.

So Replacements fans rejoice, this new set has everything and more, including the original mix remastered, demos, live material as well as the new mix. The spirit of the band lives on in this new box set. We are currently in an age where more is more, and if you love a particular album, you often get a chance to deep dive into the process of an old favorite. Lucky you!

Wellness can be achieved by virtue of completing a journey and maintain a lifestyle. But it can also be magnified by our ability to appreciate and be thankful for the things that we already have! Summit Wellness continues to hum the melody of connection between feeling good and feeling grateful!  

Gratitude is a monthly feature contributed by Matt Anthony, Digital Media Producer and on-air host for the Summit FM. Matt reflects on instances where we might uncover more ways to appreciate what’s in front of us, and how those instances might contribute to our overall health and well-being. 

When The Necessary Speaks 

Lord knows that I've been blessed 
I can stand up to the test 
I can live on so much less 
This much I've been learning 
“The Housefire” – Turnpike Troubadours 

I was running out of wall-space in the ‘man cave’.  The memorabilia had built up in almost excessive and obsessive quantities. I had been waiting to hang a championship keepsake on one of these walls ever since I emerged from the womb. But, as Cleveland sports fans know, the word ‘championship’ is normally not one that is found in our lexicon. 

However, there I was, holding a glorious plaque commemorating the Cavs decisive comeback win over the Golden State Warriors.  But there was simply no place to showcase it. 

It was then, back in 2017, that I came to the realization that these things…and their associated meanings…were slowly but surely changing. 

Same with albums. Being a part of The Summit FM and confirming something like this probably would, and perhaps still could, have my ‘music card’ revoked. But it was becoming clear to me that ‘collecting’, and its inherent meaning, was becoming more focused, more refined. 

It's not having what you want 
It's wanting what you've got 
“Soak Up The Sun” – Sheryl Crow 

My friend, Chris Belden, introduced me to the quartet from Shepherd’s Bush, outside of London, in 1975. Up until then, I had been absorbed with AM radio, vinyl 45’s, and especially American Top 40 with Casey Kasem. But when you have older brothers, as Chris did, your world-view becomes renovated. During a visit, we snuck into his brother’s room, turned on his stereo, and dropped the needle on one of his albums. “You gotta hear this,” he whispered. 

Who’s Next from The Who turned my world upside-down. As did Quadrophenia after that.  And Odds and Sods. And A Quick One. And Meaty, Beaty, Big, and Bouncy.  That afternoon, I felt as if my soul had been ripped out and replaced with a raw power and energy that I haven’t felt since. To this day, they remain my all-time favorite band. 

But after years of carting this same vinyl around, something happened.  Prized possessions that had been with me during our radio-vagabond career-tour of Washington, DC, Pittsburgh, Knoxville, St. Louis, and back to Ohio were suddenly being re-considered. And this past year, when a student-intern asked me what I would suggest for an addition to her small vinyl-collection, I reached a moment of enlightenment. And gratitude. 

A signed pocket-schedule from 1996, courtesy of Indians play-by-play voice, Tom Hamilton, made the cut. As did my sepia-toned photo of old Municipal Stadium, along with a framed pic of Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. And while my gratitude-meter for my 2016 Cavaliers championship plaque was off the charts, simply holding it that day also set the wheels in motion.  

Parting with the ‘quantity’ of my stuff made me appreciate that much more the ‘quality’ of their importance. And for the first time in a long time I began to be truly grateful for the things I had, and not necessarily for the things I’d collected. 

Oh, just to be with you 
Is having the best day of my life 
“Thank You” - Dido 

Believe me, I’m intimately familiar with every nuance of Who’s Next. I’ve tossed out imaginary Townshend windmill-chords in my attic until I’ve been close to tearing a rotator-cuff. I’ve matched Keith Moon drum-roll for mammoth drum-roll.(or, at least I’ve tried!) And although my fingers won’t work nearly as quickly as those of ‘The Ox’, I’ve gone to sleep with Entwistle’s thunderous stylings pounding in my head. 

So, with gratitude and a sense of finality, I handed over my tattered but cared-for copy of the 1971 icon to someone who can, hopefully, give it a new life. My selfish wish is that she’ll appreciate it and be grateful for it as I have been. And I am grateful for it, knowing that its songs can live inside me even though I don’t own it. 

I think that’s point. As I sit here in the man-cave, I’ve realized that my room of oddities and collectibles, the museum of memorabilia, was ego-driven, designed only with the intent of, perhaps, impressing others.  It left very little room for gratitude.  

There’s plenty of space on my walls now.  The things that I’m grateful for…both on them and outside of them…are becoming, I think, more transparent, especially as I try to let them communicate to me with clarity and purpose.  On our refrigerator (one that needs replaced, by the way), my artist-wife, Donna, has a quote, neatly pasted above her treasured photo of Bob Ross. It’s from artist Hans Hofmann: “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak”.