Re-listening to the old stuff, and paying attention
 

Man I tell ya, one of the great things about getting old is that you get to refresh your views of stuff you listened to 20-30 years ago.

Early Rush: Hopelessly pretentious! Oh no, what were we thinking! 2112? Are you kidding me? By-Tor and the Snow Dog? WTF! Man it seemed really cool at the time... but by their mid-career things came together so well it still sounds modern and fresh.

Roxy Music, Avalon: Still, still, still one of the finest records ever.

The Doors: I can never figure out whether I love or hate their work, and the passage of time has not changed this opinion. Morrison: greatest frontman ever, or overrated drunken lounge singer? I tend towards the latter, and his sad performance on their last record documents it. Still, there was some sort of fire in a bottle captured there.

Paul Simon, Graceland: remains genius.

Yeah, you always learn something or gain a new perspective from re-listening to music. What always surprises me is, if it's something I actually performed, then listening to it again--even after 20 years--takes me right back to every tiny detail.

I second that emotion.

Preach on.

I watched "Footloose" last night with April...as we watched it, I said, "Wow...this is a homo's wet dream." She laughed and agreed with me. It's still a great movie, but based on re-watching it, it's hokey as fuck.