“You should never hesitate to trade your cow for a handful of magic beans.”
- Tom Robbins
It used to be, before every piece of information that has ever existed since the dawn of time, was available on a device the size of a Filet-O-Fish sandwich, you had to make some decisions without complete knowledge. That's how in February of 1978 I wound up buying a record by a band I'd never heard of. Again, it was a hunch, something told me I'd be glad I did. I was.
Today is the birthday of singer Steve Perry of the group Journey as well as his own solo career. He was born this day in 1949. Whether someone likes his or Journey's music, I think even the most hardened cynical contrarian would have a difficult time denying Perry's vocal gift. To me, it exists almost outside the mortal realm. There is a purity there that does not exist in nature. I just have to shake my head sometimes when I hear what he's able to do. He stands alone.
And on the topic of Journey, I want to say as well, I think Neal Schon is almost criminally underrated as a guitar player. You never see his name show up on lists of the revered and lauded axe men of rock, but that guy is fabulous.
Maybe this song highlights them both:
Oh, and Happy Birthday to you too, Tina!