Wednesday, August 6, 2014

A Great album #100happydays

                                                         


As you all know, I go to a thrift store once a week or so and am always adding records to my collection.

About three weeks ago or so, I found an album I had not listened to since leaving Missouri, or perhaps even before then then.

The album, In the Heat of the Night by Pat Benatar.

Pat Benatar was one of those singers whom I used to collect every album, just about, that came out and whom I eventually got tickets to see when she came to Denver.

I listened to her music and found myself identifying with a great deal of it, especially her music about being alone and a victim of abuse.

One song that I have always thought was unique on this album, was the song "My Clone Sleeps Alone"  This song was about the aids epidemic without coming out directly and saying so.  It is one of those songs you listen to and want to laugh because it seems so absurd but don't because you keep listening and wondering.


What I did not know, until looking at the composers on the music was that many of the songs on this album were covers that Pat Benatar had done, and in some cases her covers were better or as good as the original.  "Don't let it show" was done originally by Alan Parsons' Project, and yet Benatars' version sticks with you.

Another song from this album that was original was "So Sincere" and it is one of those songs that feels like a dual edge sword.

This album has a lot of memories and associations for me, but hearing it again for the first time in the past few years makes it seem all new again, and that is the great thing about a record, it can seem brand new and yet remind you of you at a different time, when things seemed to be easier and perhaps simpler because you didn't have those life experiences as yet.


And the original by Alan Parsons' Project.  You will see why Benatars' version is so much stronger and why she owns this song.




So this is why "In the Heat of the Night" is still one of my favorites all these years later and why two songs especially are favorites from this album,

Hope you enjoy, until next time.