November 22, 1997
JoJo's Notebook:
Music helps my work world go 'round
'Told you I'd be back. And, here I am. 'Amazing that it's taken me over 3 months to get back to this area of joanna.org. I'm still not sure what I'd ultimately like to do here. But, something happened to inspire my return this week. That something was music. I talk about it elsewhere in this bit o' webspace. But, this week has been a wonderful one for me. Music-wise. I have a bunch of CDs. Some would say (in fact, they frequently do) that I have too many. CDs are one thing I can't seem to avoid buying. I mean, if I see a CD by someone I like and it's not part of my ever-expanding collection, I buy it. With rare exception. 'Makes it difficult for my friends and loved ones to "gift me" with music, much to their collective chagrin.
So, what do I do with all these CDs? I listen to them while I work. A few years ago, I bought a small stereo unit with a 6-CD changer and set it atop the storage cabinet in my office. Luckily, I've got a private office and don't have to worry about anyone else's taste (or lack thereof!) in music. I take 6 different CDs to work with me every Monday morning, set the program on random, and while away my day listening to music I love.
This week has been exceptional. You see...I bought 6 new CDs last weekend and listened to them all week. They're all wonderful. Every one of them. This is rare. Usually, I'll manage to include at least one CD that doesn't quite mesh with the rest somehow. Or that doesn't quite fit my mood. Not this week. The new additions to my collection (in alphabetical order):
- Sunday Morning to Saturday Night by Matraca Berg
I didn't even know Matraca had released a new CD. What a nice surprise to stumble across it as I browsed the CD bin last weekend. I listened to this the night I bought it while I was making some soup...as I washed and prepared the veggies. It's a wonderful CD. Back When We Were Beautiful got me in the gut and I had to stop to call my grandmother. A sample of the lyrics: "I hate it when they say I'm aging gracefully, I fight it every day, I guess they never see, I don't like this at all, what's happening to me." Do you see why that got me? I'm not sure it's really true about my grandmother but she looks to be aging gracefully to my eyes. She's certainly not giving in, at any rate (she'll be 81 next month). If you've never listened to Matraca, you're really missing out. - The Dance by Fleetwood Mac
I loved Fleetwood Mac in high school and college. I wish I had a dollar for every time I've listed to Rumours. I'm sure I'd be rich now. The Dance is their reunion release. It's got a bunch of their old songs, performed live. The songs all sound a bit different than they did way back when. No surprise there. There was a big surprise waiting for me at the end, though. The USC Trojan Marching Band joins them on Don't Stop. Wow. What fun! - the other side by Wynonna Judd
Starting with the first note of When Love Starts Talkin' I can't help but want to jump out of my chair and start dancing. I don't think this is necessarily a good thing at work, though. It does put a smile on my face. Which definitely is a good thing. At least, I hope it is. And, it's great fun to hear her mom singing harmony again on Don't You Throw That Mojo On Me. - Shakin' Things Up by Lorrie Morgan
The title song, the first on the CD, starts things off with a bang. I like her remakes of I've Enjoyed as Much of This as I Can Stand and Will You Love Me Tomorrow quite a bit. - Lisa Stansfield (self titled)
Lisa's third US release. Wow. Another fabulous CD. Starting with the first note, I was hooked. Maybe even as good as Affection which would be no mean feat. 'Remember back when she did that duet with Barry White? You don't? Too bad. I thought of it the instant I heard her remake of Never, Never Gonna Give You Up. This is good stuff. - Songbook - A Collection of Hits by Trisha Yearwood
A "greatest hits" collection from the singer currently running away with the "JoJo's Favorite Singer" award. How Do I Live from the movie "Con Air" almost makes me want to run out and rent the silly movie. If you've been thinking about buying a CD by Trisha and haven't been able to pick one out, this would certainly be a great one to start with.
Signing off for now...
