See That Building?

When I was on tour the first time, back in the halcyon days of the mid-eighties, I lived for a couple of things; of course, you wanted a good audience, but we never seemed to lack for those...but what I really liked was when we had time to walk about any bookstore; new, used, didn't matter.

Did I mention it was the mid-eighties?  No smart phones, no CD, no DVD......in the words of the late, great Peter Falk, "Television was called books!"

Because there was a LOT of time to read, my tastes became quite varied, and they remain so to this day...and by the way, you'll NEVER see me using one of those tablets.  The smell of the book and the sound of the page turning...and the bookmark.....they are things that can never be replaced.

One of the books I greatly remember was WORKING by Studs Terkel.  He spent a decade interviewing people about their jobs, and then he transcribed them.  And it was quite an education for a young man who knew nothing but believed the contrary.  And by the way, I still have the book.

And then they made a musical of it.  It actually works.  Kind of.  It was on Broadway for about fifteen minutes.  The music is good.  Solid.  There are several written by James Taylor, which he recorded himself on an album called FLAG, back in the late seventies. 

I recently came across the soundtrack on CD.  And I was fascinated to discover that Joe Montegna (from Criminal Minds) was in it.  And while there seem to be some ups (such as "Brother Trucker") and some real fun things, ("Neat to be a Newsboy"...just for the idea of holding out the word, "boiiiing."), there are some...well.....("I'm Just Moving").

But the finale......"Something to Point To."

I went looking for a version to put here....but they all lacked a certain quality of size.  Of pride.

And that got me to thinking.....

I'm sure I could go off for several pages on the necessity for the music in a musical to be finely acted, and that for the most part, I, personally, would sacrifice the quality of singing voice in favor of somebody who can act the sh*t out of the number.  And when it doesn't happen, I just want to kill the director.  But that's for another time, friends.

No.  Tonight, it's about Something To Point To.

I really NEED something to point to. 

Like a monument.

A testament.

Hmn.

Actually, I would like to have somebody point me to a corned beef sandwich.

All this writing and thinking and thinking and writing has made me hungry.