Today we came to America – but first I had to take my Tori Amos – Little Earthquakes B-sides record back to the record store. It was hot and as we were leaving I walked fast, I dropped in, José and Jorge were there, they changed it for me, that’s two RSD records that had damaged pressings, Amos and McCartney’s Red Rose Speedway plus the two albums that were damaged in the post, McCulloch’s Slideling (2003) and The Groundhogs‘ Crosscut Saw (1976). On leaving, I unplugged the stereo, disconnected the computer, emptied the fridge, turned the water off, locked the gate and we left. But before that Olivia filmed me talking about Phase 2 of the In Deep Music Archive project which we will post on Sunday as a GoFundMe campaign, the fact that it is also my 65th birthday is actually purely coincidental.

We managed to make it to the airport in plenty of time. It was such a beautiful day in Porto, it was hard to leave. We’d managed to get down to the Tabacaria as soon as we got up to pick up a parcel from Olivia’s parents for my birthday. Inside a Mexican Day Of The Dead guitar playing Elvis from Siv and two packets of cassettes from Gerd, perfect on both counts, thank you. The weird cutout of Charlie with the big ears was a nice touch. At the airport, the computer was playing up so it took a while to check us in and then just as we were boarding the plane, our accom cancelled, which was perfect really because we ended up in a sleazy Motel 6 near the airport which was actually just what we wanted as we have to fly out tomorrow early afternoon.

We got in at 11.30 PM and we have to be out by 10.30 AM to get to Hoboken to pick up my Seagull from James Mastro at his music store (Guitar Bar). I’ve known James for years, he plays guitar with Ian Hunter in the Rant Band. NJ Brian had kindly dropped my guitar off with him as this quick NJ trip has us flashing by to get the guitar and get to the airport to fly to Dallas. This trip is non-stop and we have no time to spend time with friends in NYC, stay at Jeanne’s, and hit Strand books, we have to be in Dallas from Saturday night.

The flight on TAP, the Portuguese airline, was great because it wasn’t full and it wasn’t one of those mega jets that hold thousands of people. Consequently arriving was easier, less queueing and we breezed through passport control and customs. We found the motel online and discovered if you call, it’s fifty bucks more. We got a free shuttle there, for the hotel next door, at first the driver wanted to charge us but I told him we were foreigners with no cash and he was really cool about it and re-opened the back and drove us to the door, a random act of kindness.

On the plane I listened to eight albums and one song on my new reconstituted iPod, fixed by Biggles’s mate, the man who was responsible for a lot of your fave albums, Will Reid Dick (if you like Thin Lizzy and many more). So what did I listen to:

The Band – Self-titled – 1969
Bob Dylan – Another Side of Bob Dylan – 1964
Bruce Springsteen – The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle – 1973
Aerosmith – Self-titled – 1973
Journey – Self-titled – 1975
Al Di Meola – Elegant Gypsy – 1977
The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds – 1966
Harold Budd & Brian Eno – The Pearl – 1984
Al Green – Let’s Stay Together – 1971

But music today should really be Ian Hunter’s You’re Never Alone With A Schizophrenic (1979) because it might have been a really long time since you heard it. Coincidentally, members of the E Street band play on this album.

Music Of The Daze