Giving Gideon Its Due/Survey

In case you hadn't noticed, my "don't really blog about work" policy, combined with my time SPENT at work, has cut into my doggone blogging time.

And of course, there's grad school. This week's assignment: read 134 pages of the DSM-IV. Hell, I probably oughta be reading it this very moment...

***

Well, it occurred to me that there's a glaring omission in my music background. That is, one of the formative albums of my life rarely gets mentioned.

It's because it's by Kenny Rogers, see. Kenny isn't exactly cool.

In 1980 he released, believe it or not, a concept album called Gideon.

This may have been the first album I ever bought. I'm inclined to think it was, but I also have a memory of shelling out some greenbacks for a K-Tel compilation called Wings of Sound. I was 11 or 12. Maybe I got them both with birthday cash or something.

It was in the rack at Wilson's in the mall. This was Kenny Rogers, who'd been cranking out hits like "Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town" and, uh, all those other songs on Ten Years of Gold. I didn't recognize any of the song titles on Gideon, and I figured that it too was surely packed with splendid lite country.

I guess I spun it once before we headed out to visit some friends. It sounded... different from anything I'd ever heard before. There were gospel-style backup singers, and the songs tied together in some sort of loose story about a cowboy named Gideon Tanner.

We headed out to do our visitin', and proud young owner of an album that I was, I took it with me.

*

The host was kind enough to indulge me by playing the album there in the living room. As song after song played, he slowly got this look on his face that said, Man, this is pretty damn bad... you got ripped off, kid. Kenny used to be good.

But I didn't care.

I had my first concept album.

*

Yep. Prior to owning Tommy, 2112, Paradise Theater or Kilroy Was Here (God help me), I had a concept album by the one and only Kenny Rogers.

***

And now a survey about high school.

1986 Angleton High School

Fill this out about your SENIOR year of high school! The longer ago it was, the more fun the answers will be. Change the subject to the year you graduated.

1. Who was your best friend(s)?
McAuley. Bryan and Brian were inseparable.

2.What sports did u play? Geekball

3. What kind of car did you drive? A brown '78 Chevy I think.

4. It's Friday night, where were you? Looking for trouble, probably scoring some beer or something.

5. Were you a party animal? I'm not sure. I drank plenty, but I didn't go to many parties.

6. Were you considered a flirt? Never

7. Ever skip school? Of course; I was a journalism student.

8. Were you a nerd? Yup. Co-president of Quill and Scroll.

9. Were you in any clubs? See #8.

10. Did you get suspended/expelled? Nah

11. Can you sing the fight song? Yes, but I'd rather fight than sing it.

12. Who was your favorite teacher? Mrs. Winder!

13. Favorite class? Journalism

14. What was your school's full name? Angleton High School

15. School mascot? Wildcats

16. Did you go to dances? Had to make an appearance.

17. If you could go back and do it over, would you? Sure. Senior year was actually pretty cool.

18. What do you remember most about graduation? Whit sitting in the splits on my living room floor.

19. Favorite memory of your Senior Year? Journalism!

21. Did you have a job your senior year? yes

22. Where did you go most often for lunch? Mostly stayed on campus. Not enough time to really go anywhere.

24. What did you do after graduation? 2 years of working in the mall while I piddled away at JuCo.

26. Where are most of your classmates? Houston area

27. Are you going/did you go to your 10-year reunion? I missed my 20th, which I kinda regret

28. Who was your worst teacher? Nah, none.

29. Who did you date in High School? LLB, Lisa, Angela (sort of)... chased after many more, had one or two even chase me (like "Gummy"...ack! Bruiser, can I get an amen??).

30. Did your life turn out different than you would have expected? Yes!