A time not too far gone, when I was changed by just a song
Steve led the way upstairs, two fresh bottles of Green Spot in hand. He motioned to the right–his bedroom–but we turned left.
It was another world. Posters of groups on the wall–the only ones I knew were the Beatles. A lava lamp in the corner bubbling luminescent scarlet. Dark blue walls with stars stenciled on the ceiling. Comfy black beanbag chairs. Speakers larger than anything I’d ever seen.
And a rack with albums stacked neatly, spines showing.
He smiles conspiratorially as I sat. “Time to open your mind.”
Of course, he started with the Beatles. But not Sgt. Pepper–Rubber Soul. Acoustic guitars. John’s warm vocal and jumpy sitar of Norwegian Wood. The Deep harmonies of The Word. The backing vocals of You Won’t See Me. And the gentle lilting guitar solos of Michelle.
Then he progressed to The Byrds’ Turn ! Turn! Turn!. Such harmonies, it was as if these voices circled my head. I kept staring at the album cover, like reading an ancient papyrus. Steve talked about men I never heard of–Gene Clark, David Crosby, Roger McGuinn. Then, in what became a foretaste, he pulled out a 45 single and played the ‘b side’ (after a brief explanation of what a b-side was) called ‘She Don’t Care About Time.’
From then, it was on to The Doors first lp, to show me how an album’s song was longer than a 45–Light My Fire. It was a good thing he chose to withhold ‘The End’ for another visit.
I was transfixed by the album cover of the Stones’ Satanic Majesties–I had seen these lenticular “flash’ images on cheap rings out of a gumball machine, but never so big. Steve mentioned the album wasn’t very good, but I had to hear ‘2000 Light Years From Home’. Whew. Swirling music, captivating me, and loud guitars. Vaguely unsettling, but still brash and a stiff shot of spine-straightening power.
When done, he proposed making every Thursday music days for me until school opened. I gladly agreed, but I decided to keep our friendship away from others my age.
In time, Steve would prove to be the big brother I never had. Starting with music, we could talk about parents, the war and our ‘revolution’, and finally (of course) girls/sex.