Squeeze me some more?

I can still picture the Harry Belafonte album cover WITH liner notes my dad had. I remember listening to it with him for years. He just was enraptured by the smooth voice and amazing rhythms. I am sure I was taken with it as well. As children are wont to do, when I started making my own way, I wanted to give my dad some prize with my hard earned (in this generation??) money. Harry Belafonte was in town with the Oregon Symphony. I was glad I asked before I bought them. I remember my dad pausing...."Thank you. But I want to remember him as he was years ago". Of course I criticized my dad in my head for missing out on life. For living his life in his green naugahide chair ignoring the great pleasures in life. I forgot that my dad was a professional singer & performer so I can see that he listened differently than most of us.

This anecdote came to my head this morning when Squeeze was featured on a special today. Not the Squeeze that I had enjoyed almost 20 years ago, but the Squeeze of today. A few years ago VH1 had a show where they stalked old band members to see if they could reunite them. Was terribly awkward to see the show where they ever so hopeful host followed DIfford & Tillbrook around to get them to reunite. They fervently declined. So I was elated at my luck to find this show with a reunited Squeeze. Until I saw them perform Tempted. Dude...I will write this where I cannot edit it...My Dad Was Right. I want to remember us dancing to the 30 something band with amazing energy enticing so much enthusiasm out of me that I was sore & hoarse for days.

I am not like the amazing Kym where her range of music tastes are so intriguing that we all are wow'd by her coolness. Nah...I have seen Journey 3 times, Def Leppard 4 times and Bruce Hornsby 11 times. I am pedantic with what I listen to. Needless to say, I love the 20 year old version of Pulling Mussels from a Shell. I love Journey with Steve Perry. I do dissent for a moment and say that I appreciate the latest genesis of Styx without the energy draning drama of Dennis DeYoung. I don't think that the Spinners or Frankie Vallee should be touring either. I am struggling with the Rolling Stones still touring close to 70.

In college I was introduced to The Who. Certainly their 3rd reunion tour has to be enough. I mean that lifestyle has to cut some of the verve out of the performance. Can Pete still windmill? I can almost guarantee Roger can't hit those high notes the same. A few years ago I saw Billy Joel (totally mainstream I know) but he was offering an opening to An Innocent Man. He introduced a young man. He explained "When you write a song at 30, it is totally different to sing it at 50!". I respected him for that. Plus it sounded more like I wanted to hear.

So, I am an old fart. At some point, I do not want to see the guys from Def Leppard on a stage at 60 doing "Poor Some Sugar on Me"...do you mean in an IV drip in the home? Yah...I really do want the Song to Remain the Same.