Not in an empty room

Wise words from Agent Cooper:
Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it. Don't wait for it. Just let it happen. It could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot black coffee.

In my case, it could also be Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite's South Side Band - one of my favourite records, or LP's which contain some of my favourite songs (Deirdre by The Beach Boys, and 'You Better Move On, The Rolling Stones' version of the Arthur Alexander classic.)

It could even be sitting on the grass with a cold beer and a book by one of your favourite authors (Ngaio Marsh, Raymond Chandler and Haruki Murakami) after just having a swim.

These are a few presents I have treated myself to recently, to fill up sometimes lonely days with words, conversation, lyrics and music. 
Besides, there is something very comforting about reading Murakami when the times are tough - almost all of his main characters do little more than read, listen to music, drink beer or whiskey, and make mouth watering meals for themselves seemingly effortlessly. They are always alone, never lonely. And there is a comforting companionship when one follows another's solitude within one's own.

Senast Inkommet

A collection of recent acquisitions I have amassed recently: one a birthday gift, one found on ebay, another at a second hand shop, and the rest picked up today in Lund at a record fair and in Repeat Records, where I also came across a copy of Simon & Garfunkel's Bookends, which I quickly snaffled up.

Scott Walker - Jackie b/w The Plague / Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman b/w Back in the Race / The Hollies - I'm Alive b/w You Know He Did / Jane Birkin - Je T'aime... Moi Non Plus (with Serge Gainsbourg) b/w Jane B / Nina Lizell & Lee Hazlewood - Hey Cowboy b/w Vem Kan Segla Förutan Vind / Chuck Jackson - Somebody New b/w Stand By Me / Ketty Lester - Love Letters b/w I'm A Fool To Want You /  The Rokes - Piangi Con Me b/w Che Colpa Abbiamo  Noi / The Poor - She's Got The Time (She's Got The Changes) b/w Love Is Real / Simon & Garfunkel - The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) b/w I Am A Rock / Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood - Did You Ever b/w Back On The Road /

I have always considered myself to be more of an LP than a single sort of music listener, but this is apparently changing, as I have 2 Love 45's hopefully winging their way towards me having bought them on Tradera. Long Players are not forgotten though, with The Moody Blues' debut 'The Magnificent Moodies', and Van Morrison's 'Astral Weeks' and Paul Butterfield Blues Band's 'East/West' taking their rightful places on my shelves.

At this rate, I may be able to do a dj hour of new records of my collection to accompany the playlist I am creating of songs about crying, which hopefully I will play 'live' in it's entirety somewhere in Malmö. For some reason I can't find enough sad songs to cover more than 1 ½ hours.