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# 2025-07-16 - OCC Retro Media, What's Playing? | |
> The trouble with too many people is that they think that | |
> "outmoded" means the same thing as "useless". They think of a | |
> rifle as a deadly weapon and a crossbow as a quaint toy. They | |
> don't stop to think that a stone axe can kill a man just as dead | |
> as an H-bomb can. An axe is as efficient now as it ever was. | |
Last year i picked on an ONN ONB14AV202 Compact Disc (CD) player | |
from a free pile in my neighborhood. It is in good condition and | |
has no problems. It uses two AA batteries, includes an FM tuner, | |
and has a micro-USB port. Thanks to the port, i can use my old | |
phone charger to power the player and/or charge its batteries. | |
Nice free pile find! | |
The Human Society thrift store sells CD's two for a dollar. | |
Recently i picked up a stack of New Age music CDs there, plus a | |
couple more at another free pile. I won't mention the stinkers. | |
Below are some of the more notable finds. | |
## Book of Roses by Andreas Vollenweirder, 1991 | |
I remember noticing the distinctive cover on this album when it was | |
a new release and i was a kid. I was tempted to spend my | |
hard-earned dollars, but i chose to save my money. Now nearly | |
35 years later i bought the CD for $0.50. Score! Listening to the | |
CD, i would describe it as an ecclectic blend of neoclassical, | |
world music, and some rock. It sounds as though it has some depth | |
and replay value. | |
Book of Roses | |
## Deep Breakfast by Ray Lynch, 1983 | |
I have sentimental attachment to this album. In the early 1990's i | |
befriended an older woman who was involved in scouts. She | |
volunteered to transport scouts on various camping trips. I liked | |
the music she played in her car stereo so much that she gave me a | |
few home copied tapes. This introduced me to Deep Breakfast and | |
No Blue Thing by Ray Lynch. At some point i digitized my tapes. | |
I was happy to find this CD in the thrift store. Now i can replace | |
my wobbly recordings with clear CD rips. | |
Deep Breakfast is a new age album with poppy keyboard & sythesizer | |
sounds. The opening song title "Celestial Soda Pop" ought to give | |
an idea of how serious the music is. By the way, in my opinion | |
Ray Lynch's album "Nothing Above My Shoulders But The Evening" is a | |
neoclassical masterpiece. I recommend it. | |
Deep Breakfast | |
## Spiritual Rhythms by Tomas Walker, 2006 | |
Relaxing southwest vibe. | |
## Cross Currents by Richard Souther, 1989 | |
I have listened to a lot of music published by Narada. To my ear | |
this sounds like fairly generic late 80's world fusion. Easy | |
listening, saxophones, drum machines, etc. This is the kind of | |
music i would listen to while playing interactive fiction. | |
Cross Currents | |
## A Sense of Place by Eric Tingstad, 1995 | |
Twice i listened to Eric Tingstad and Nancy Rumbel play live music. | |
Once in a theater in Corvallis, and again in an outdoor setting in | |
Lake Oswego. The music is generally lighthearted and upbeat. | |
A Sense of Place focuses on soft guitar music. I would call it | |
easy listening. Quotes from the CD jacket. | |
> For me the guitar is primarily a tool used to build my | |
> compositions. I consider myself a composer who happens to play | |
> guitar. ... I feel there are many similarities between the | |
> composition of music and the principles of design; both | |
> incorporate many elements to create an atmosphere that gives us a | |
> sense of security and repose. | |
Eric Tingstad | |
## Tree of Life by Lila Downs, 2000 | |
This album has Spanish track names the music has a Latin vibe. By | |
far my favorite is track 9, Luna. I love the slow drums, which to | |
my ear sound Native American. | |
Lila Downs | |
* * * | |
Today i read a sci-fi story that i saw recommended somewhere, i | |
forget where. The story wasn't bad, but the subject is colonization | |
and the author sympathizes with the colonizers. Kind of painful to | |
read. | |
Condition of Survival by Barry P. Miller | |
tags: occ2025 | |
# Tags | |
occ2025 |