I pulled the trigger on the Rode Rodecaster Pro. You're listening to it now. I'll update you on what's happening here inside The Yellow Studio at the end of the show.

Thanks to everybody who contributed. I'll be reaching out in the next few weeks to get the Skype calls scheduled.

Randy

 

Some nights ago. I don't remember what day. Or night. It's 2:15 am and I'm wide awake. Not uncommon.

I fire up Apple iTunes, where all my music resides, including the thousands of CD's I've burned. And the digital downloads I've purchased.

I slap on a pair of headphones, one of about four within arm's reach. I turn up the headphone amp to about 10 o'clock, plenty loud for me at this hour.

Jamestown Revival album UTAH is calling out to me for some reason. Released in 2014 it's been a month or more since I've given it a go...so why not. I've been practically living on their newer release, circa this year 2019, San Isabel. So it's time to dive into my catalog a bit.

This all happens because revival is on my mind. Their band name sparks it, but my love of their music is the draw. UTAH has a song entitled, Revival. So let's do it. I click PLAY.

It's track 6 and track 7 follows, a song entitled Truth. A theme begins to emerge and intersects what's been on my mind the last week or more.

Vince Gill's new record OKIE is a few weeks old and I've listened to it through a handful of times by now. As I'm pondering revival I start thinking of one particular song from this record, The Price of Regret. So I click PLAY and give it a go. Again.

"Everyone knows the price of regret, the things in life we never forget."

Regret. Revival.

By the time I get to the 11th track of Vince's new record (there are 12 tracks total), I've added a third R-word, reputation. The song is entitled, That Old Man Of Mine. It's followed by the last track, A World Without Haggard. Songs of reputation. Legacy. What we remember about people. What people remember us for.

Regret. Revival. Reputation.

I don't suppose all three are important to everybody. Some people claim to have no regrets. I think that's foolish.

Others refuse revival. Some perhaps because their character is so low they're nothing to revive. Did they ever have it? Maybe. Maybe not.

Some refuse revival because they don't want to revive it. Easier, perhaps more short-term fun, to remain in sin and suffering. No going back to a time when they were more noble, more innocent, more helpful and made a more positive difference in the lives of others.

So reputations are largely earned. Deserved perhaps. And I'm not talking about public reputation or how the masses feel. Most of us aren't subjected to that because we're mostly anonymous to the world. But inside our little corner of the world, we're known. For something. As something. What?

When my kids were quite small - toddlers really - I was spending considerable time with an old man who was an important mentor in my life. Weekly we spent hours together talking and studying. I was burning life's candle at both ends, spending close to 80 hours working and devoting time to church and family. It was exhausting, but I was young and didn't think much of it. Truthfully, my energy was quite high much of the time. So one weeknight each week sitting at his kitchen table - sometimes with my family in tow - wasn't burdensome. I wanted to know what he knew and was anxious to learn all I could.

One evening talk turned to family. He was a father with grown children. I was mere years into my own fatherhood and I inquired about regret. He said he had no regrets.

Here was a man I respected. A man 25 plus years my senior. I remember thinking of my own regrets and I had many years to ...