The decade in which I was born has given me a strange perspective on its music. I discovered pretty much all of the 70’s sounds – from prog rock to punk to disco – well after they came into the world. It wasn’t until the late 80’s that I discovered what I was missing. I would characterize the decade as one where budding genres leaped off their inspiration pads and came to fruition. For the month of February, Mental Jukebox will feature some of these gems with a different 70’s song each day. #28DaysOf70sSongs
There’s a category of music that I like to think of as “greater later” tunes. These artists and albums are less desirable to us early on. Some might even be repulsive. But later in life, we have a change in perspective. The songs we once dismissed become the ones we embrace. As an 80’s kid, Carole King’s songs were still making their rounds throughout my life. I don’t know the first time I heard Tapestry, but its songs have always been lurking – on tv shows, in doctor’s offices, on Lite FM. I thought it was old people music. Well, now I must be old because I think Tapestry is a masterpiece. It’s the great American songbook, stacked from top to bottom with unforgettable songs like “So Far Away”.
Why the change in heart? I think I’ve come to recognize how hard it is to write a really good song. There’s so much meaningless trash out there and so few songs that have an earnestness to them. I don’t just mean the earnestness of the lyrics. I’m referring to everything about the song. The way it’s sung. The way it’s played. This is the beauty of Tapestry and “So Far Away”. It’s one of the most honest expressions about the isolation of being on the road and apart from the person that matters most. “So Far Away” is a song from a pop star perspective that’s just as relatable to the average person.
“I sure hope the road don't come to own me.”