My
son wanted to see firsthand what the day after Thanksgiving shopping
madness was all about, so we headed off early Friday morning. First we
went to Best Buy in Everett and then to the Galleria Mall in Cambridge.
We sort of killed two birds with one stone, because he gave me some
gift ideas. I bought them while he browsed in a far off section of the
store. I picked up a few other Christmas gifts also, but the real kick
was checking out the music CDs and DVDs.

I actually bought two
CDs for myself – one was Jethro Tull – and the other was The Lovin'
Spoonful. They were only $5.99 at Borders, and both CDs had each band's
top hits on it. I listened to the Spoonful CD, and man did it bring me
back – you know how music does that to you – you hear a song and
suddenly you're in a faraway place from long ago.

When I heard
Nashville Cats, Rain on the Roof, Did You Ever Have to Make up Your
Mind and Younger Girl, I was back in 1967 – I actually remembered most
of the words. I was driving by myself in my truck and I was smiling and
singing. It was a great feeling. The real clincher for me was Do You
Believe in Magic? That song came out in 1965! I was 12 years old.

Coincidentally,
I am writing this article on Saturday, November 28th, which happens to
be my son Jimmy's 12th birthday. What a co-inky-dink! He is into Green
Day, The Killers and Eminem. I wonder if when he is 56, he will be with
his son in a store and see an Eminem CD (or mind-disc or whatever they
will be called then) and reminisce as he plays it in his spaceship. I
have been listening to my Spoonful CD since Friday.

The 42 year
old memories (yikes!) that the Spoonful songs invoke bring me back to
the corner of Bay State and Kidder Ave with my friends. In 1967 I was
in Sister Helene's 8th grade prison cell wearing baggy wool pants and a
clip-on tie. Speaking of Sister Helene, the Flying Nun debuted in 1967!
My favorite shows back then were Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie (of
course), the Beverly Hillbillies and Gomer Pyle. The Stones were on Ed
Sullivan, and the Beatles performed Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields on
American Bandstand.

So when I pop in The Lovin' Spoonful's CD, a
mish-mash of memories and emotions start stirring around in my mind and
heart. I can tell you that is a special feeling. You can't quite put
your finger on the specifics, but the trip back in time is cosmic, man!
Those songs transport you to a simpler existence – no mortgages, no
kids to worry about and no swine flu. It's sort of like mental time
travel and I love it.

When I was looking through the DVD
section, I couldn't believe all the old shows that were now available –
Hogan's Heroes and Get Smart – just to name a couple.

I still
haven't opened the Jethro Tull CD yet – I want to save it. I'll listen
to the Spoonful and some Lou Christie I downloaded (Lightning Striking
Again and Rhapsody in the Rain). When I hear Rhapsody in the Rain, for
some reason it reminds me of sitting in a parked car at the top of
Powderhouse Terrace, in the rain, with a young lady. The gal's identity
is unknown, but I'm pretty sure we were enjoying the moment. That's
funny because Rhapsody in the Rain came out in 1966 and I didn't get my
driver's license until 1971. Older woman perhaps? Exact details will
always remain vague, but still bring a smile.

The memories that
Jethro Tull will bring back should be interesting, because that was my
"hippie" stage. That song came out in 1971 when my friends and I were
full-fledged hippies. You didn't dare call us hippies, but we were. We
wore bell bottoms, Army surplus jackets and very long hair. I can't
wait to crank up some Tull and experience the memories Ian Anderson and
his crew stir up.

So, my son got to see what Black Friday was
all about and I got an unexpected ticket back to the old days. A simple
shopping trip with a stop in the music aisle opened up yet another
vault of memories from yesteryear, one of my favorite places. Maybe I
will go down to the cellar and see if I can dig up my old green Army
surplus jacket. Perhaps I'll throw on a headband, sit back and let
Jethro Tull bring me back to 1971 and see what happens.