In Memoria

Artist Song
Roger Whittaker  Durham Town  
Elvis Costello and the Attractions  Shipbuilding 
Eels  Railroad Man  
Led Zeppelin  Bron-Yr-Aur  
John Fahey  A Minor Blues  
Eddie Vedder & Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan  Long Road 
Ben Harper & the Blind Boys Of Alabama  There Will Be A Light  
M. Ward  Well-Tempered Clavier  
The Band  The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down  
Beck  Farewell Ride  
Low  Walk You Out 
Sufjan Stevens  Oh God, Where Are You Now? (In Pickeral Lake? Pigeon? Marquette? Mackin ...) 
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band  Amazing Grace  
Grandaddy  Underneath the Weeping Willow  
Neil Diamond  Holly Holy  
Lyle Lovett  Since the Last Time  

Comment:

My grandfather died last week. Although we weren't close, the loss was signficant to me: As the last of my grandparents, his passing marked the end of an age in my family.

One memory that remains after our many years estranged is of us at my grandfather's place watching an old slideshow he'd put together. It stretched from the '50s to the '70s and included some music from the period. As a little kid full of energy, I thought sitting in the dark to watch slides was boring. Today I wish I'd had the patience to sit through it. I now realize my grandfather wasn't skilled at communicating with children; the slideshow was his way of telling me about his past. At least one of the songs, "Durham Town," is included in this mix.

The first movement, songs 1-5, are songs that remind me of him. Many contain clues about his life: his professions, his challenges, his attitude.

The second movement, songs 6-16, references the long drive to the fatherland from which my family migrated, the funeral, the committal/interment ceremony at the cemetery, the family reunion and the rebuilding process.

It ends on a lighter note, signfying the promise of renewal after the bleakness of mourning.

If anything, this mix blurs the line of songs you associate with a person or place and songs that have meaning because of that person or place.

Feedback:

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Dead Man
Date: 8/1/2005
I'm sorry to hear about your loss. I hope putting this mix together has helped you through the experience.
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Orchid
Date: 8/1/2005
Lovely tribute.