Happy New Year 2025!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Robert Zimmerman wrote, “the times they are a changin’’. As we start the new year, with changes on the way, these words ring as true now as they did in 1964. On the other side, I am also drawn to the lyric/phrase “the more that things change, the more they stay the same.” So, I find myself agreeing with both Dylan and Peart.

That’s as far as I’ll go with this politically since this is really not a newsletter about politics, but both of those statements also apply to music! One of the fun things I’ve done recently with a new friend was sharing some of my childhood music experiences the first time I heard something cool!

Recently, I came across my parent’s album, Zorba the Greek. I loved listening to the Final Dance on their all-in-one record player, tuner, speaker, buffet, lawn mower (haha kidding on that), that was a common site in many homes, and I’m glad my folks had one.

I fondly remember the feeling evoked by Anthony Quinn’s – “Dance? Did you say dance?!!!” In that scene, Quinn throws off his jacket and rolls up his sleeves, almost like he’s ready to fight. Then he begins to snap the beat.

The music starts out simply enough: a plucked string followed by a plucked couple of strings. A second guitar joins in with a “solo,” if you will, of the melody. That goes on for a bit, then the pace quickens and the excitement of the dance and intensity of the music becomes intoxicating. As the song plays out, there isn’t anything technically elaborate in the music. It’s not a Mozart symphony, but boy, does it have feeling. The kind of feeling that makes you want to, well, get up and dance!

Check out The Final Dance here:

So, during the next year, spend time revisiting something that moved you when you were young, or not young, or even yesterday! As an audiophile, I am keenly aware of what high-end equipment can do for music. It can reveal details in songs you’ve heard a million times and never heard a certain instrument or part, and there’s no denying how cool that is. But I’ve seen people on planes with $29 earbuds jamming out to their music, being moved by what they’re listening to. That’s what this is about. Times change, and things stay the same. Music moves. Spend less time on the news this year, and more with the music you love. That’s my resolution.

CES – an early look. CES just took place in early January. New products are on the way and the end-of-run products will be discounted. If you’re looking for an upgrade, or the right price on that piece of equipment you’ve been dreaming of, call us soon!