I Wanna Rock!

I wasn't very old, maybe seven years old, when I discovered music other than what Disney, the Brady Bunch and the Partridge Family had to offer. When my parents were a little younger, they belonged to a record club that sent them the album of the month and whatever else they wanted to order. They had what I thought were tons of records. In reality there were maybe forty or fifty records, but to my young brain, there were thousands of listening possibilities. I would go into their bedroom where the records and record player were and sift through the big 12" sleeves. The colors were bright and the artwork was beautiful. There was a little bit of everything there; Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, Herb Alpert and Hugo Montenegro, and Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. There was also a lot of gospel like George Beverly Shea. What got me most was the compilations like Freedom Rock. Hey man, is that FREEDOM ROCK? A couple of compilations that I remember were each a two record set. Four sides of amazing rock music like I had never heard before or since. Don't get me wrong. I keep up with music like a junkie looking for a fix. But there is something to be said for music from the late 50's, all of the 60's and early 70's. One album that I still own and listen to is called Get It Together. Some of the musicians and groups on it include Cream, Iron Butterfly, The Who, Vanilla Fudge, and The Kinks. I could go on mentioning The Monkees, but I'll stop there...two albums worth of music! When I first found these records, I wasn't sure what to make of them. I had seen The Monkees on TV, but I didn't think they were real musicians, but there they were. I put the record on, sat down with some blank paper and drew pictures while I listened to this new and amazing music. After I had listened to these albums 30 or 40 times, I wouldn't sit and draw. I would get up and dance and move and sing every word at the top of my lungs. I'm sure it was a hilarious sight to see an eight year old Jonathan dancing like a dork and singing "American Woman. Stay away from me-eeeee" to no one in particular. I grew up with that music and it helped open my eyes to new music and new experiences without denying the music from my past. It taught me that I could still listen to The Brady Bunch kids doing covers of Chicago songs and still fully appreciate Somebody To Love by Jefferson Airplane. My eyes continue to stay open looking for the band of the month or the restaurant I've never tried. Another bit of old music that has been a constant reminder of the need to "Live Now" is George Clinton's line in a Funkadelic song: Free your mind and your ass will follow. My ass has been following my open mind since I heard these early records in my parents bedroom a lot of years ago. I thank my folks for having the records and I thank my brain for getting past the idea of staying the course and playing it safe in everything. Thanks brain. You're welcome, dork dancer.

See some of the other things I'm up to at www.JonathanElmore.weebly.com