The Story
I haven’t listened to much music over the last few years. I’ve never been one of those people who has a huge music collection and knows who produced every Elvis Costello record or other fan-boy fodder. I’m just not that guy. I’m not a music fan, I’m a musician. But over the past few days I’ve really been craving music. So I dug out the same albums that I’ve been fascinated with since 1993 and started back in.
1993 was in many ways the defining year of my life, until last year. 1993 was when I quit college, moved to Nashville, decided that God and I were officially through, met Angel, discovered Tom Waits, discovered Jellyfish, and discovered The Story. Last year kinda trumped ’93 because I gave my heart back to the Lord. There is no event in my life more important than that. Without that, life was completely pointless. Eternally pointless.
So, about The Story. When I was in Nashville I worked at a record store where we received an In-Store-Play version of The Story’s new album The Angel In The House. This album became the soundtrack to my life for the next few years. I listened to it incessantly. It was some of the most beautiful songwriting and singing I had ever heard, and still is.
I got out my copy of that album today and was listening to it in my work truck. I was overwhelmed with sadness. Not only is this album very heavy-hearted lyrically but 1993 was one of the loneliest and saddest years of my life, so the emotional nostalgia that hit me came coupled with the sadness of the lyrics and just made for one very sad listening experience.
Some people like to sit down and have a good cry every now and then. I don’t even know what that means but I would guess that listening to The Story today was my version of a good cry…except I didn’t cry ’cause I ain’t no stupid pansy!
ok Drew,
i have to take exception…lol..maybe the fact that i have over 5000, vinyl lp’s, at least 1000 cassettes,and an ever growing collection of over 2500 CD’s,(90% are not duplicates of lp’s) not to mention 100′s of rolls of 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch, 1 inch and 2 inch tape……i would say i’m a “huge” music “fan” maybe to the point of being a little overboard, ok ok obsessed…..but by no means a “fan-boy” i too am,are,is a musician.. i make my living and help support my family as a full time musician.so i hope i get a pass on the fan-boy label
..wow i sound like i might be a little offened by your comments….i’m not..not at all in fact…ok i’ll start over….lol
i love music too. almost every piece of music i own has some sort of connection to my past….. exept for the ones bought to learn songs from….it’s funny how i can put on a cut and almost touch and i swear smell, where i was back in time when the song was fresh in my life……..
“The Story”….i have evrything they did and even when Jonatha went solo.
Two of my alltime favorite “chick” lps are “plumb” and “10 cent wings” both from Jonatha Brooke (listen to “is this all ” on Plumb and “Because i Told You” &”The Choice” on 10 cent) i think (and this Fan-boy knows everything lol) they far exceed anything she did with Jennifer Kimball…but i also understand the connection one has with their emotional state and the music that creeps into their souls in stress filled times..as in your case in 93…i do love the fact that music still stirs me..and the internet has exposed me to an endless suppy of great music from sooooo many artist that i would have missed had i not gotten over my fear of computers………my current passion is turning people i know on to what i think is great “new” music and hopefully leading them away from the evil path of “top 40 radio”…….oh by the way…have you heard the cut “when love comes to town” by Jonny Lang,Joss stone and Herbie Hancock ?…ok i’ve spoutted off and sounded like a huge know-it-all yet again….later days
I didn’t mean to imply that music fan and musician are two mutually exclusive things. In fact, some of the most fan-boy-esque people I know are some of the most awesome musicians I know. I just meant to say that I’m not one of them. That aspect of music lovery doesn’t appeal to me. Or maybe it’s just that I’m lazy and I can’t afford all that music.
I’ve got all of Jonatha’s stuff through Steady Pull, which I thought was a big disappointment, especially after her first two solo albums were so incredible. After Steady Pull I sort of lost interest. I’m very unforgiving when it comes to music.
i agree ..in fact i have yet to buy the last two ….i’ll have to listen and see …part of my addiction to music had to do with selling high end audio for about 20 years and listening to music 10 hours a day 5 and 6 days a week on my job..so when it comes to content ,sound quality,production, and just pure sonic quality i’m a real snob…..lol.
I meant to chime in when you first posted this on June 20 because it was so odd that this was the night that Jonatha was supposed to play the Duck Rm. I had four tix and she cancelled two days before. Her website posted the cancellation and BBHill said that they couldn’t get her rep’s to call them back and even tell them about it….
Speaking of this: MetroTix keeps their $4.95 “convenience fee” no matter what, fyi!!!!
Thanks Drew, for turning me on to her music.
k