S. A. Gerber

Taste

Classical

when it’s cold—

 

Jazz

when it’s hot—

 

Military

when bold—

 

Gospel

Not—

 

Rap

can be poetry—

 

Folk

is divine—

 

Bluegrass

a kick—

 

Reggae

sublime.

 

Blues

when I’m down—

 

Motown

is gold—

 

Country

at a distance—

 

Rock

‘till I’m old.

                                                                 

  

First Published in “The Freefallin’ S.A. Gerber-Rosewood Press-2023

Opinionated Digression

 

I was there—

 

Sad to say, with very few exceptions,

Rock & Roll let me down around 1975ish.

Bad Company…Journey…Kansas…

Arrowsmith…Boston…Foghat…BTO…REO…

Could all be the same band for all I

know or care. From the same orphanage.

 

Now, some early Bowie hit the mark—

Sir Elton was great.( not after Yellow Brick Road)—

Zeppelin’s first four albums were phenomenal.

But all the afore mentioned bands, however

commercially successful, will, in my opinion, be

relegated  to little more than footnotes in the annals of music.

 

I was there—

 

When some absolute renewal came in the late ‘70’s

with the advent of  Talking Heads, Warren Zevon

and Tom Waits.

True originals, but the decades that followed…

well…we’d seen it all before:

 

A guy from New Jersey trying to be Dylan—

Guns & Roses desperately trying to be the Stones—

Van Halen…Hagar…whatever, creating sound

without substance, and a doomed kid from

Seattle, in Neil Young’s old clothes.

Techno…Industrial…Grunge…

I’ll spell it out in three words…Cra-Pol- La!

 

I was there—

 

To be fair, I guess every generation has the idols

they tack up on the wall. Usually guys, specifically

catered to their taste, and tunes to serve their purpose.

 

I, myself, have digressed. I have more Jazz & Classical

in my collection, that I do Rock & Roll.

 

 

2

 

 

That is not to say that I still don’t harbor some classic ‘60’s

albums, or that my heart doesn’t leap as fast as my hand

to turn up an old Rock anthem on the radio. I’m not just the

‘leaper’ I used to be. (Who is?)

Some will read this and think that I’m just an old fart, out

of touch. Perhaps. Some buddies my age still keep abreast

of what’s new in Rock, and I guess that all right…for them.

 

I do find, that as the years drone on, I haven’t the time

or patience for Cra-Pol-La. That includes not only music,

but film, stage, literature, and G.d help us…television.

I’ve lit on what has stood the test of time. What’s good, is good.

But back in the day…once upon a time…

 

I was there—

I saw:

 

The Beatles—

Dylan—

The Moody Blues—

The Who—

The Dead—

Sly & The Family Stone,

Neil Young $ Crazy Horse,

Tull, Clapton, Santana,

Chuck Berry, Yes, Stevie Wonder,

but regrettably, never Frank Zappa,

The Doors, Hendrix, or Cream.

…and so, it went.

 

I was there…once.

 

Record Requiem

  

My fault completely.

I left the

box containing the

soundtrack of my

youth, on the

floor of a

garage, that floods

when it rains.

My original “Help”,

“Rubber Soul” and

“Sgt. Peppers L.H.C.B.”,

all bought for

two or so

dollars, from the

bin of “Sav-

On drug store…

(A record store

was too far

to get to

by bicycle back

in ‘ot’65.)

…all water destroyed!

Vinyl and covers!

Listened to obsessively,

in sober youth…

later, while immersed

in alcohol and drugs…

and much later,

in sober recovery.

Also lain to

rest were original…

Dylan, Zepplin, Traffic,

and the usual

lot anyone of

my age and ilk,

would have collected.

A true heartbreak.

History and youth,

on record, both

lost forever more.

My fault completely.