Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Long Player


Do you ever have a spiritual experience while listening to music?

Rob Bell writes: "I remember the first time I was truly in awe of God. I was caught up for the first time in my life in something so massive and loving and transcendent and...true. Something I was sure could be trusted. I specifically remember thinking the universe was safe, in spite of all the horrible, tragic things in the world. I remember being overwhelmed with the word true. Underneath it all life is somehow...good...and I was sixteen and at a U2 concert. The Joshua Tree tour. When they started with the song "Where the Streets Have No Name", I thought I was going to spontaneously combust with joy. This was real. This mattered. Whatever it was, I wanted more."

Music Moments that have made me feel this way (I'm going to show my age!):
- The first time I heard Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'
- Seeing U2, Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead in concert
- Listening to Mozart's Requiem in my grandparent's bath
- Playing Chopin on the piano (way back when I could)

I finally bought Hollie Smith's album Long Player yesterday and we've had it playing ever since. Wow. Wow. Wow. Go and buy it and support a fantastic New Zealand musician! The white girl with Pasifika styles tattoos can sing - a bit of Aretha, a bit of smoooooooth jazz and plenty of Kiwi soul. I'm hoping Man Who Earns the Money got the "hint" when I told him her upcoming concert date! She certainly manages to carry us to a different place with that voice.

(I did really want to start putting some of my Peak Point Ponderings down here but my mind has been tangled up in other stuff and it's been difficult to crank the old brain cells into action the last couple of days.)