Take Me Away

I'm watching Field of Dreams with my son on a fine Saturday afternoon, and 29 minutes into the movie the tears are just streaming down my face.

***

I'm walking into the CVS, desperate for something to kill the pain at the back of my head, which has been pretty persistent for 4 or 5 days.

I scale things. On a one to 10 scale, my head is about an eight at the moment. My hands are shaking. I buy some Aleve. In about a half hour, it's down to maybe a four.

***

I'm drinking my third cup of coffee, convincing myself that caffeine helps headaches. Or trying to. The first cup seemed to help. The third cup does nothing except make my stomach grumble.

***

I'm sitting across the table from my mother-in-law who, having heard about my headache, is trying to hand me a Darvocet.

I say no thank you, even as I remember the days a decade ago when I'd fake headaches at her house simply to scam pills from her.

***

I'm at my meeting today and I recount this story.

Would you really want to do that and step back into that lifestyle?

No. And honestly, I'm only discussing it to have something to talk about. Turning it down wasn't hard. At all. I'm almost disappointed.

***

I'm walking into the CVS, again, seeking epsom salts. I aim to take a bath in them later, in a desperate attempt to ease this pain.

***

I'm having another Vietnamese iced coffee. It doesn't help a bit, but I finally get the flavor right at least.

***

I'm amazed as Wolfboy plays the Beatles' Help! movie for the third time in a row, laughing at their cheeky jokes and physical comedy.

"I like Ringo!" blurts THEGIRL.

***

I'm filling up the tub, and snippets of song lyrics and conversations from now and the distant past are going through my head:

"Take a chance with me..."

"You been poppin' pills again?"

"Please love me."

"If the path of least resistance is all you ever take..."

"...since before you knew..."

"@#$% you, Brian. @#$% you."

"They hold it together all day, then get home where they're comfortable and just... explode."

And I decide I want some music.

I light a candle and ease into the steaming water as Pugwash's Eleven Modern Antiquities begins.

It's the second time I've heard it, yet I'm humming along almost instantly.

I'm no longer holding it together.

***

I'm in reverie. I am having something akin to an epiphany, just like I did in '04. In my moment of need, gorgeous pop music is lifting me up.

Thomas Walsh, the voice of Pugwash, is singing, and tears roll down my face, blending with the sweat.

I give myself over to the sounds as my face rests against the tile, and I realize I'm falling in love with this music, just like I did with Jason Falkner's Can You Still Feel? back before my daughter was born.

I'm marveling at the natural melodies that pour out of Mr. Walsh. I almost want to guess the first words he ever spoke were "I am the walrus," but honestly, this music of his is not some Beatles-based anachronism. Pugwash fits round pegs in round holes; the amazing thing is where they find the holes.

***

I'm listening to this music, and my head is getting better. It's down to about a two. I feel like getting on my knees and thanking God for this measure of relief.

***

I'm sitting in the living room, trying to make it clear to the kids that when I tell them to get ready for bed, they should do so with all due haste.

I get that goofy smile on my face, and start "Here," telling MOBB, "I'm in love."


Here
I wish you were here
Evidence is clear
To all
Who know
Who know


***

So I'm telling you that you need to get this album. If you can pony up $8.99, you can get the MP3s from Amazon right ...here.

That's a buck cheaper than getting it on iTunes, and you don't have to hassle with "iTunes Plus."

You could, of course, order the CD if you want.

I want you to get this music, and I want you to like it.

Then I want you to contact the band on their Myspace site or on Facebook and tell Mr. Walsh that all the love and sweat he puts into his work is worth it. Tell him BB sent you. Mr. Walsh is a personable chap, and he'd love to hear from you.

Then tell your friends about this music as well, and we can stuff the band's pockets with money so they can afford to play in the western hemisphere someday. I'll meet you there, and we'll smile as we sing "It's Nice to Be Nice" in the audience.

***

My head feels a whole lot better...

Have a good night and a good, safe weekend.

***


The video for "Take Me Away"

I've posted this song in particular because it's a good video for a good song, though you can hear more samples on the Myspace page, and that might give you a better idea about the breadth of their material.

Cheers.