Full Circle

Was in New York over the weekend to see some music. Friday night was at the City Winery, mostly cause Darnielle and Finn were sharing the bill. Couple of my favorite singers on the same stage is generally enough to get me out of the house.

The unannounced addition to the bill was Rosanne Cash. She opened with "Girl From the North Country" which I guess is full-enough circle for most folks. But she closed with a song I'd forgotten about, "Seven Year Ache." Today I looked it up on the wikipedia and find it hit #1 in May 1981. And was followed, after a single week at the top, by the Oak Ridge Boys' "Elvira." AKA what was probably my first favorite song. And AKA what was definitely the first song on the first album ("Fancy Free") I paid my own cash money for. Picked it up at the now-defunct Tower Records at the Beaverton Mall. 4th or 5th grade. First of much cash money to be spent at that Tower Records before figuring out that better deals were to be had across whatever street that was at the Everyday Music.

Years and years later I remember going through the 50-cent bin of used LPs at that Everyday Music and coming across a copy of "Fancy Free." Guess I didn't think it was worth that kind of money at the time. Maybe I wanted it but didn't have the balls to bring it up to the counter. Maybe I was there with a girl (doubtful but it did happen occasionally) and figured I'd do better to make haste to the Sleater-Kinney rack. Kind of wish I'd picked it up now.