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It’s happened four or five times in my life, I think. Four or five times I’ve been listening to the radio and out of the speakers comes a sound that grabs me. A melody, a lyric, a wedding of voice and instrument that brands itself into my being.
Four or five times I’ve stopped what I was doing so I could give full attention to this new sound in my life, and, perhaps more importantly, be ready to jot down any information the DJ might give. I’ve called radio stations just to say “What song was playing at 4:46 p.m., and how can I get a copy?” I hope you have had moments in your life like that.
One such time happened around 1992 or 1993. The new artist: Al Stewart. The CD: Rhymes in Rooms, Al Stewart Live, featuring Peter White. Two sharp acoustic guitars, fast driving rhythms, and a voice that made me wonder “Where’s this guy from?”
One song, one hearing, and I bought the disc. I did not regret the purchase. I had soon committed all 10 tracks to memory, and listening to that guitar today still gives me pause.
Fast-forward 13 years into the present. I no longer live in the state of Iowa, where I lived when Al Stewart’s music first grabbed me. I am no longer a chemist, though I had a brief career in chemistry (which included one of those other times when a radio song demanded my attention, but that’s another story for another time).
Al Stewart’s CD has never been among my yard-sale fodder – indeed, it has traveled with me through a minimum of six moves, most recently my June 2006 move to Spring City.
I live next to the library. While talking to the librarian one day my eyes wandered to the stacks of advertisements near the checkout desk, and I did a double-take as I read that my enchanting Rhymes in Rooms artist would be playing live at the Colonial Theatre in September. ‘Year of the Cat.’ ‘Time Passages.’ I know those songs ... I stopped mid-sentence.
“Huh. Al Stewart’s going to be in Phoenixville. I didn’t know anyone else knew who he was.” She knew.
So around 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30, I will be at the Colonial, eagerly anticipating the live sound of Al Stewart, the wedding of voice and lyric and guitar that so intrigued me 13 years ago. I won’t be disappointed. I hope you have moments like this in your life.
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