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Escape

MeLikeBass

MeLikeBass

Oct 20, 2010
776
819
Indianapolis, IN
#1
Listening to Rush on vinyl with headphones, I started thinking about how years ago, I would escape to my bedroom and my records and my headphones, usually high, sometimes not and it was "F*** the world!"

I started thinking, when did that change? When did I stop escaping into the music? I still listen to music but for the most part its at work, in the background with too many distractions to "escape" as I have to actually work. Then I get home and deal with life there, bills, yard work, working on and around the house with maybe some music on and practicing band tunes of course Im listening to the music but no escape....

Tonite, I escaped. I've been dealing with some rotator cuff surgery so I'm on short term disability and have all the time in the world but this past week was spent in pain and being uncomfortable, having to sleep in my recliner and not getting much sleep...just a side note if you can avoid rotator cuff surgery or probably any kind of surgery please do, its the suck.... but today i finally felt pretty good, had my first PT session and that hurt but did loosen me up some and was feeling not half bad afterwards.

So I strapped on the headphones, kicked back in bed for the first time in a week and enjoyed what I was listening to. I payed attention. To the layers, to the lead breaks, to the vocals, the interaction between the instruments and thought of nothing else. There was no "F the world" and I haven't smoked dope in a long time but that didn't matter. Although I was slightly buzzing from the oxycodone :)

I have a month to go. Then back to work. Depending on how I progress with the PT, part time maybe full. In the mean time, my plan is to listen. To stuff I haven't heard in years. To complete albums, where songs flow into each other as the artist intended. Hopefully that will continue once I'm whole again. Even if its just for an hour....

Escape.
 
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#3
MeLikeBass said:
Tonite, I escaped. I've been dealing with some rotator cuff surgery so I'm on short term disability and have all the time in the world but this past week was spent in pain and being uncomfortable, having to sleep in my recliner and not getting much sleep...just a side note if you can avoid rotator cuff surgery or probably any kind of surgery please do, its the suck.... but today i finally felt pretty good, had my first PT session and that hurt but did loosen me up some and was feeling not half bad afterwards.
Escape.
Click to expand...
Two years ago, I had emergency CABGx4 Surgery. TWO Months away from work. I can relate to your past week...Pain + NO SLEEP.
Anyway, yes...I streamed Pandora; IIRC, I had a Steely Dan channel goin' on...and I sat and listened. Really listened like I had not done in a long while.
Some songs I had not really heard in a long while. Something like "Magic Carpet Ride". Very cool part, even the Verses...how he alters beats 3 & 4 every other Bar.
In general, I was amazed at the amount of restraint & taste in these '70s Rock tunes. This helped during Hell Week. :)

Yes...Escape.
 
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#5
JimK said:
Two years ago, I had emergency CABGx4 Surgery. TWO Months away from work. I can relate to your past week...Pain + NO SLEEP.
Anyway, yes...I streamed Pandora; IIRC, I had a Steely Dan channel goin' on...and I sat and listened. Really listened like I had not done in a long while.
Some songs I had not really heard in a long while. Something like "Magic Carpet Ride". Very cool part, even the Verses...how he alters beats 3 & 4 every other Bar.
In general, I was amazed at the amount of restraint & taste in these '70s Rock tunes. This helped during Hell Week. :)

Yes...Escape.
Click to expand...

As Aberdumbie said and a lot of other people throughout time, simple things we forget. For you and I, we had to have surgery to get back there... There has to be a better, less painful, way lol.
 
#6
More I got to thinking about your recovery, which I hope is going well..... I remembered last July 4th when I had my foot reconstructed. I was laid up a while and I became a YouTube junkie... Everything from the Monkees to Humble Pie. Brought some special memories back.... But not even that so much as it brought back a feeling I had as a young man learning the world thru innocent (maybe not so much) eyes. It was those forgotten feelings I enjoyed.
 
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#7
Man, when I was in junior high and high school I couldn't wait to finish my homework and spend time listening to music in my room. Whole albums start to finish, especially when I first got the album. Reading the liner notes while I listened. Listening again and again to the album. Listening to each part individually and being wow'd by all the little fills, by the way that instrument complemented or countered another, ..... Then listening to the same album again after not listening to it for a while and finding things I didn't notice the last time.

I never have time to do that anymore at home, and haven't for a lot of years. But I do take advantage of my time driving to do that. I always have about 20 CDs in my car and love working my way through them and then getting to put a fresh set of discs in there.

I get a kick out of seeing my son do the same thing now. I didn't necessarily enjoy his choice of music in his early and middle teens, but he's 19 now and he seems to be listening to a lot of singer/songwriter type of bands and artists. I can't usually name them, but he finds some good stuff. I also get a kick out of him putting on jazz and listening to that on long car rides (he goes to college about 3 hours away from home) and just getting lost in it.

Yes, escape.
 
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#8
Yes....The Album art, Liner notes, lyrics, pics, the gatefolds of double LP's or sometimes gatefolds of single albums. The stuff that sometimes came with the albums like stickers, posters of live shots of the band. The whole experience of "discovery" !!

I won't begin to assume that this discovery is lost on youth these days, only that their discovery is different and I'm sure many would say its fine for them. They get what they want. And us old people(I'm 51 lol) and all the old people over time are often saying, it was better in our day. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't but for me, it was better.

And with the re-release of some albums that discovery is somewhat experienced again. Not as exciting as the first time, but theres been a couple times when a sticker falls out that I forgot came with the original or I re-read a liner note which reminds me that some of these bands had a sense of humor, I gotta say its kinda cool :D
 
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#9
MeLikeBass said:
Listening to Rush on vinyl with headphones, I started thinking about how years ago, I would escape to my bedroom and my records and my headphones, usually high, sometimes not and it was "F*** the world!"

I started thinking, when did that change? When did I stop escaping into the music? I still listen to music but for the most part its at work, in the background with too many distractions to "escape" as I have to actually work. Then I get home and deal with life there, bills, yard work, working on and around the house with maybe some music on and practicing band tunes of course Im listening to the music but no escape....

Tonite, I escaped. I've been dealing with some rotator cuff surgery so I'm on short term disability and have all the time in the world but this past week was spent in pain and being uncomfortable, having to sleep in my recliner and not getting much sleep...just a side note if you can avoid rotator cuff surgery or probably any kind of surgery please do, its the suck.... but today i finally felt pretty good, had my first PT session and that hurt but did loosen me up some and was feeling not half bad afterwards.

So I strapped on the headphones, kicked back in bed for the first time in a week and enjoyed what I was listening to. I payed attention. To the layers, to the lead breaks, to the vocals, the interaction between the instruments and thought of nothing else. There was no "F the world" and I haven't smoked dope in a long time but that didn't matter. Although I was slightly buzzing from the oxycodone :)

I have a month to go. Then back to work. Depending on how I progress with the PT, part time maybe full. In the mean time, my plan is to listen. To stuff I haven't heard in years. To complete albums, where songs flow into each other as the artist intended. Hopefully that will continue once I'm whole again. Even if its just for an hour....

Escape.
Click to expand...
So.. What was your headphones escape LP of choice?

I still love to go into my studio sometimes at night when my wife falls asleep and I can't and listen to good ol' records in headphones.
This one for me is a great escape (and an excellent headphones experience)
Oh, @MeLikeBass - get well soon man..

image.jpeg
 
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#11
This past year, I took the plunge on Rush...guitarist in my HS garage band had the debut & Fly By Night…so I go back a ways. I knew I would never be in a band like that...so they were always on my backburner. I liked them, I respected them, but...
Anyway, just bought Fly By Night last night. Of their major releases, I think all I am missing is the debut, Caress Of Steel & Vapor Trails.
...it's never too late.
:)
 
#12
My cousin introduced me to Rush soon after Hemispheres was released. He is a drummer and was, of course, going on about Neil Peart and how he was God blah blah blah lol. Anyway, I was instantly hooked and started borrowing all their albums from him. At the time, and for some years after, Caress of Steel was my least favorite but the more I listened the more I liked and is now a favorite.

As far as my recovery goes(and thanks to all that have wished me well) Im slowly progressing even to the point of playing bass again, although not for long and not a normal setup. I had taken an Ibanez Talman and started running BEAD on it for our down tune songs so when I first hurt my shoulder, i started sitting down at practice and I slapped a capo on at the fifth fret(which i had read about someone else doing it here on TB) for the short scale, as my reach was limited. So thats what I'm using for now. Works out well since I don't need to reach up and the frets are closer together which makes it easier on my whole arm. Even added some first aid tape for fret markers.

IMG_2975.JPG
 
#16
I hear that. My closet doors that opened up to my stereo on a shelf with speakers and row of accumulating albums underneath was like a portal to another demention for hours and hours.

I studied the liner notes, & knew every word and nuance of every instrument being sung or played. That was where the bass first hit me hard. Air guitar and bass was perfected.

These days I still listen to a lot of music, but it's more of a background soundtrack to whatever I'm putzing with at home or when driving.

Brings back great memories to think how satisfying that world was in and of itself. Best wishes in your healing!
 
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#17
catcauphonic said:
I hear that. My closet doors that opened up to my stereo on a shelf with speakers and row of accumulating albums underneath was like a portal to another demention for hours and hours.

I studied the liner notes, & knew every word and nuance of every instrument being sung or played. That was where the bass first hit me hard. Air guitar and bass was perfected.

These days I still listen to a lot of music, but it's more of a background soundtrack to whatever I'm putzing with at home or when driving.

Brings back great memories to think how satisfying that world was in and of itself. Best wishes in your healing!
Click to expand...

Thanks! And a closet full of stereo equip. and albums sounds like a great idea. Nice sized walk in just big enough for stereo, albums, comfy chair and small fridge.
 
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