I Can Fall Asleep At Night.....

As A Rock N' Roll Star. Who couldn't? Who wouldn't? Writing about it is the closest I will ever get to it. I cannot sing, play an instrument, write a lyric, but I can purchase rough textured, silver, glittery stretch pants, dye my hair black and pretend to be a Bowie groupie, and I did. In my mind. Wrote my English term paper on The Duke. Thought for sure my teacher never heard of him. There was a group of us who were heavily influenced by Ziggy. I think we even had a notebook filled with "Bowie Notes." Everything and anything that resembled Davy Jones was slapped together with such ignorant innocence. The classmate next to us could have had on something that slightly resembled our hero, like a mullet shaped freckle and we would have written a couple of pages on Bowie freckles. I will never forget listening to Ziggy Stardust And The Spider From Mars tape. Yes, twas a tape. One side of tunes anyways. The other side was taped over, by me, early on, during my safe Beatles phase and who knew that I ruined a great album. I think it all came to me when I was at Medusa's, a teen dance club, around Belmont and Clark. They had this dance floor with a juice bar and a big screen that played a music video. Most of it was probably old school Nine Inch Nails and Front 242- stuff that I could not get into. But then Bauhaus came on the screen with Peter Murphy and the riff ignited and I was alone, standing still, while the crowd was spinning and I could not help but fall insanely in love with the song. So I dug and I found out who the original singer was and It was all over for me. History. Emotionally turned on, full tilt boogie with open mind and heart and legs and whatever else opens up during times of a musical orgasm. I put two and two together- "Oh, "China Girl" guy and oh shit, I taped over the other side." And I said it, just like that and then I went and bought a new Ziggy Stardust on tape- remastered- and I went to my bedroom and lit a candle and "Moonage Daydream" came on and I cried. It's that simple. I finally got it on vinyl, from a friend, and I am one happy muthu.

They Call Me John

So, I got about 60 or more records the other day from a friend of mine. Purple Rain, Maggot Brain, bunch of Dead, Black Flag, etc.... Also picked up three records from the Kiss The Sky booth at Louche Puce market in Aurora. A Brian Ferry/Roxy Music double record, Mott The Hoople's self titled album and Lennon's Imagine.
They called me John Lennon in high school. Yup. My yearbook can prove it. "Have a nice summer John Lennon." "Give Peace a Chance, Lennon." "Kiss the Ono for me." Something like that. I go for all things androgynous. Apparently, at the age of 14, I decided I would rather be known as a man about 40 years my senior and I was so cool with that. I purposely picked out the most Lennonized glasses I could find in 1988- gold, round specks, that wrapped around my ears in a Mrs. Clause kind of way. I decided to let go of the Cicero high hair fad and indulge my inner flatness. Yup, grew out the bangs too and parted it in the middle, tucked behind my ear...uh, kind of like now. I remember reading somewhere how Patti Smith wanted to be Keith Richards and she pulled if off real well. I inhaled the Beatles morning, noon and night and in ninth grade, I became one with the walrus.
Imagine. What can I say that hasn't already been said. Brilliant record with an ethereal shot of John on the cover and a profound back displaying the words of Yoko. "Imagine the clouds dripping, dig a hole in your garden to put them in,"- Yoko '63. Who doesn't love a good Ono quote? Ok. About a billion. But give the muse some love because without her, we probably would not have heard the heart sinking beauty, "Jealous Guy," "Imagine," "How Do You Sleep," "How," and everyone's favorite- including my husband's- "Oh Yoko."
Last but not least, I give a shot out to Lennon's south side Chi-town genius- "Those freaks was right when they said you was dead." Best lyric evah.