Saturday 9

(Link in meme-roll)

Hotel California (1977)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

 

1) In this song, Don Henley called the hotel's front desk and asked, "Please bring me my wine." He was told they haven't had wine since 1969. When did you last have a glass of wine?

Oh, gosh. It's been a good while. Wine gives me headaches so I don't drink much of it anymore.

2) The lyrics refer to wine as a "spirit." That is incorrect. Wines are fermented, not distilled, and have a lower alcohol content than spirits. When "Hotel California" was popular, listeners who were into wine called radio stations to let them know about the mistake. Are you a wine aficionado? Are any of your friends or family knowledgeable about wine?

I'm not. I work with someone I call a "wino" as a joke, and a lot of other people I know are really into it, but it's just not something I care that much about. Having alcoholics in the family kinda takes the shine off that whole thing.

3) In the song, Henley sings about looking for the door that will take him "back to the place I was before." Don says that refers to a loss of innocence and a longing for a simpler time. When you think about "the good old days," where does your mind wander to?

The mountains, always the mountains, climbing around with my little terrier dog with me, alone for hours. Now, as an adult, I think back on that and wonder if my parents were ever worried.

4) With five #1 singles, six #1 albums, and six Grammy awards, it's generally agreed that the Eagles were one of the most popular groups of the 1970s. Which decade produced most of your favorite songs?

Probably the decade(s) that run from about 1974 to about 1990.

5) The Eagles were formed in 1971 when four of them happened to find themselves hired to play back up for Linda Ronstadt. The men found they really hit off and wanted to keep working together when the gig with Linda was up. Tell us about how you met someone important in your life.

I met my husband when he came up to my dorm room to flirt with and annoy my roommate on whom he had a crush. She fully ignored him, and I felt sorry for him being ignored. Fast forward almost 3 years, during which we were not really on great speaking terms at times, and we were engaged and planning a wedding while trying to finish our senior year of college.

6) The Eagles are still on the road*, filling big arenas for their Long Goodbye tour. One explanation for their enduring popularity is that their music spans genres. They scored hits on the rock, pop and country charts. Other popular categories of music include classical, gospel, jazz, Latin, reggae, New Age, and rap. Which do you listen to most often? Which did you listen to most recently?

I mostly listen to (old?) (classic?) pop with a lot of other stuff mixed in. I do love Eagles' music and all their individual careers as well. I also listen to classical and world music, with some show tunes and a few of each of the above list.

7) In 1976, when "Hotel California" was topping the charts, the trend in home decor was vibrant. Intense copper, bright pink and vivid avocado were among the popular colors for bath towels, mats and shower curtains that year. If we were to peek into your 2024 bathroom(s), what colors would we find?

My main (i.e. master) bathroom is fully seashore based: lots of different blues, a framed print of a lighthouse being hit by a big wave, a sandy-beach-themed shower curtain, dark blue towels and rugs. And oak cabinets. I love that room--kind of pining for another soak in the tub again tonight. It's fookin' cold outside!

8) Handbags were big in 1976. Not just in popularity but in size. Purses routinely had compartments on the inside and pockets on the outside. When you leave the house, do you travel light? Or do you prefer to carry a lot with you?

I have a canvas lunch bag that I use as a "purse" meaning it has in it my book, my baggie of emergency drugs (ibuprofen, Benadryl, etc.), wristguards, chapstick, snack...etc. depending on the day. My wallet is never in there, and my phone ends up in there when I forget to put it in my pocket. I don't carry it with me like a purse wherever I go; it mostly stays in the car.

9) Random question -- How different is your life today than it was a year ago: (a) a lot; (b) a little); (c) not at all?

Not much different. A lot snowier today. I'm sorer all the time these days.

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 * Well, most of them. One is gone, sadly.