whitesail

There is one problem when you have a rather large music collection. I have a tendency to forget a lot of good music. A couple of days ago, I started to listen to Rickie Lee Jones for the first time in a couple of years, and the first time I’ve really listened to her in probably ten years. It’s been an amazing experience. Jenni was in the other room when I was listening and I was literally overcome with emotion during a couple songs.

And I can hear him
In every footstep’s passing sigh
He goes crazy these nights
Watching heartbeats go by…
And they whisper —
We belong together
We belong together

RLJ was probably the first female singer/songwriter that I fell in love with, followed by Joni Mitchell, Maria McKee and Sarah McLachlan. I came across Rickie during a very sad and lonely time in my life and found much solace in her deeply personal and intimate songs.

Some kids like watching Saturday cartoons
Some girls listen to records all day in their rooms
But what do birds leave behind,
of the wings that they came with
If a son’s in a tree building model planes?
Skeletons,
Skeletons.

I also really dug the music, itself. Most of the musicians on her early albums I was familiar with. Most of them were the incredible session musicians that played with Steely Dan and for various electric jazz groups in the late 70’s and early 80’s. People like Tom Scott, Steve Gadd, Jeff Porcaro and Buzz Feiten. Amazing musicians who added much to the music that Rickie wrote, that really didn’t even need their help……

Swing low, Saint Cadillac
Tearin’ down the alley
And I’m reachin’ so high for ya
Don’t let ‘em take me back
Broken like valiums and chumps in the rain
That cry and quiver
When a blue horizon is sleeping in the station
With a ticket for a train
Surely mine will deliver me there

It’s very, very good when you run into an old friend after many years.