How one year in bed got me listening to 70 years of music.
“A few years ago I had an accident that changed my life and propelled me into music. I spent a year in bed recovering from a broken back and in that time I learned to play the guitar, read a lot of great books, watched a lot of good films and did physio every day to teach me how to walk again.
Eight months in, I’d built up enough strength to go into our local town for my physio. A new record shop had opened around the same time and I’d also just come across my mum’s old collection of vinyl. I had the player all set up at home and began listening to full-length albums, rediscovering my love for Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young, Nick Drake, The Band, The Allman Brothers, Chet Atkins & Jerry Reed, Allen Toussaint, and Curtis Mayfield. I listened to everything from the smooth jazz piano of Oscar Peterson to the high-energy punk rock of the Ramones—and I loved it all.
Vince (the owner of the shop in town) and I became very friendly as I’d be going in at least once a week and walking out with something new, often several records. I spent hours leafing through the old cover art of the Blue Note jazz stuff like Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Herbie Hancock, and John Coltrane, or the old blues guys like BB King, Big Bill Broonzy, Professor Longhair, and Muddy Waters.
The cover art alone produced powerful emotions and then listening to the music made me feel like I was back there hearing it all for the first time. When I’d stop browsing, Vince would look up at me and know it was time to show me something new. He’d play me Lightin’ Hopkins or Elmore James all the way through to The Clash.
Almost like the first listener would have heard it, I’d instantly react with excitement or look at Vince with an expression that showed I was unconvinced by what I was hearing. It was something about my openness during that moment in my life which meant that the music really seemed to get through to me.
I used to be a ski instructor in the French alps and on my fourth season working for the ESF (Ecole de Ski Francais) I managed to front flip and break my spine, ironically while doing a mountain safety exam. After that event I had to let go of a lot of things, so I sort of returned to a childlike state of being, very playful and very excited about the discovery of new things, new language, new instruments, new books, new art and new music.
It was the perfect time for me to find vinyl because I had all the time in the world to enjoy it. I’ll never forget listening to Freewheeling Bob Dylan with my legs crossed on the floor in my pyjamas, cup of tea in hand and realising that I could still feel my feet. That picture of him walking through New York on a cold winter’s morning accompanied by his girlfriend will forever stay in my mind as the memory of my new beginning and the discovery of my absolute love for vinyl.”
—Harry Lloyd
“Long Life,” the new single from Waiting For Smith is in stores now.
Waiting For Smith Official | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
PHOTO: LPR AGENCY
