Music

Beard rhythms

Boogie Shoes

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I once listened to an interview with KC of KC and the Sunshine Band. He was asked about his music and inspiration for it. He simply stated that coming out of the turbulent times of the early 1970s after the Vietnam War, he wanted to make music that made people happy, music to take them away from troubled times, music to enjoy.

KC struck gold.

Boogie Shoes – KC and the Sunshine Band – 1975

Thank you KC, you made this man’s childhood all the more enjoyable.
Who might our next musical inspiration be?

La Vie En Rose

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Majestic Beauty

La Vie En Rose – Grace Jones – 1977

From Wikipedia: -The song’s title can be translated as “Life in happy hues”, “Life seen through happy lenses”, or “Life in rosy hues”; its literal meaning is “Life in Pink.”-

No matter the circumstance or challenge, we are always blessed with a choice of how we each view and interpret that very moment. Choose wisely.

A little night music

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As the sun sets over the pacific just to the west of where I sit right now, I’m going to kick back and enjoy this live version of She’s Gone.

She’s Gone – Live – 1976 – Hall & Oates

Damn John Oates is fine.

 

Dance floors of my past

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To say that uncertainty rules my head today is an understatement.

I decided it’s best to pause and escape to a place of bliss, a place I’ve spent many enjoyable hours, a place where I can feel life living itself through every muscle fiber and sensation of my being, a place where I can truly escape.

I’m escaping, if only for 5 minutes, to a dance floor of my past.

Round and Round – New Order – 1989

How about joining me for a twirl?

Big Boys Don’t Cry

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I was but a young pre-pubescent boy in the summer 1975 as I swam the pool at Hollow Creek Swim Club a few blocks from my home. I was usually there with my older brother, he would hang with his buddies as they all flirted with the girls. I would swim the pool, practice dives in the triple diving well and search for dropped treasures lost to the bottom of the pool . Once in a great while I would even work up the courage to try the high dive in the middle.

Hollow Creek was a popular and busy place on those hot southern summer days. I was a loner though. Younger than most of the crowd and felt different. All the boys were older and busy trying to impress the girls. I was busy looking at the boys.

Especially one boy. My brother’s friend Jimmy’s friend Kurt. Kurt was cute and Kurt would actually let me hang with him some as he chatted up the girls. He made me feel welcome and included. I realize today, that since I was younger, I was a prop to get the conversation started with the girls. It didn’t matter then because I loved being around him and close to him. It doesn’t matter today because I fondly remember being included and having my first man crush.

Hollow Creek had a jukebox located at the snack bar and the music was piped out to the pool via a couple of those white bullhorn shaped outdoor speakers popular in the 1970s. That summer’s hottest love song was 10cc ‘s “I’m Not in Love”. To this day I don’t hear it without immediately thinking of that community swimming pool, the taste of an ice cold Dreamsicle  from the snack bar and of Kurt’s handsome teenage smile.

10 cc – I’m Not In Love – 1975

The young boy I was that summer felt different. He knew he would always like boys. He knew he’d never feel the way about girls that he was supposed to feel about girls because he felt that for boys. That boy was a loner and frankly was scared of the unknown and scared he would be found out. He was scared that he would never fit in and would always be lonely. Yet that young boy loved life and hoped that one day he would either change and feel like other people, or maybe, just maybe one day he would find one other boy who was like him.

That young boy today is a full grown man who is happily married to wonderful husband and he just filled out his presidential primary mail in ballot for March 3rd Super Tuesday. On that ballot he voted for another man, who like him, was different as a boy and today is happily married to another wonderful man.

If I could say one thing to that boy it would be to keep being just who you are because one day not only will you find love, you will also learn to appreciate all the differences that make up a beautiful world.
Oh, and you will find others who are just like you.

Tom’s Diner

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I was living in Seattle the first time I heard the commercially released DNA remix  version of this tune. It really fit Seattle in the fall of 1990. I had recently moved there and it was the first real city I had lived in and also the first place I had lived other than my hometown. I love Seattle.

I didn’t know of Suzanne Vega nor was I familiar with the original a-cappella version until that 1990 remix was released. In the video below she shares a brief history of the song before treating us to her original a-cappella rendition.

Simple, profound.

Suzanne Vega – Tom’s Diner – Live Acappella – BBC TV 1994

Because it’s beautiful

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What is a good reason to repost something we’ve posted before? Because we think it’s beautiful. Right now we here at Fearsome Beard need some beauty in our world to remind us that there is more beauty & love than there is ugliness & hate.

Stunningly beautiful we might add.

Heart & Jason Bonham – Stairway to Heaven – Live at the Kennedy Center – December 2, 2012 – Kennedy Center Honors – Led Zeppelin

 

Hope.

Healing

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Music is a healing source for me. This particular tune has always been a beautiful comfort in a sometimes confusing world.

The Moody Blues – Tuesday Afternoon – 1967 – Days of Future Past

Anti war

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We here at Fearsome Beard do not believe in war. We do not believe in guns. We do not believe in a supreme religion. (We believe that people have a right to practice a religion if they so choose, but they do not have the right to call their religion supreme to all other beliefs or non-beliefs nor force it upon others.)

We believe in peace. We believe in respect. We believe in truth, honesty, integrity, character and fidelity.

We do not support the actions taken by our government today. We do not support the individual who made that decision, nor do we support those who are complicit in this crime against humanity, civilization and our planet.

Buffalo Springfield – For What it’s Worth – 1967