What A Flash Kick!
scum stats: I'd gather a couple hundred pressed, first run sold out, second pressing on the way
There's was a brief little Instagram stories review of this record by trusted tastemaker and die-hard Michigander Fred Thomas, the specifics of which are now forgotten a mere two months later. But it was a review that caught my attention and had me immediately go and mail order the record. I'm happy that I did.
As amateur as it is charming, like a 21st century Vaselines...this record stands wildly alone in the atmosphere, nothing coming remotely close to touching its vibe or aura. Of particular enjoyment is the song "Jane Birkin's Basket" and how my awareness of said title came hot on the heels of a comment made by my wife mere days earlier of how much she dug the fact that Jane Birkin would just use wicker baskets as purses.
The connection made me feel like we were on to something. What...I don't exactly know.
So in a day filled with three bouts of a daughter vomiting, two school drop offs, an arm tugging visit to the doctor, a strep diagnosis, a bribing visit to the toy aisle at Walgreen's, two school pick ups, what sticks out to me is the synchronicity of a comment said by our patriarchal pediatrician.
He asked, rhetorically "If you knew all the stress that would come from parenthood, would you have ever gone through with it?"
To which I responded with a paraphrasing of a quote my mother had retold me some years ago. If I knew all the love and joy and beautiful emotions that came from parenthood I would've RUSHED into it. But if I knew all the pain and pressure and strain that came from parenthood, I don't think I would have EVER become a parent.
What I'm saying...the idea of children (maybe later) doesn't ring true to me. Children came at just the perfect time. One day we will romanticize these times.
Love is a miracle, take it from this 45 YO single guy. Two people having MUTUAL attraction and hopefully spending the rest of this lives together shouldn’t be taken for granted. Add the miracle it takes to conceive a child, also not to be taken for granted, and you get double miracle. It ain’t for wimps, you have to be totally selfless. My respect to all of you out there doing it. Keep the magic alive!