Rubbing along

It's sometimes said we never really know what another is really going through and this might be because either it was something they'd never discussed with us or we blissfully assumed that our experiences were the same.

When it comes to what brought us together as adult littles, we may not know of each other pasts, the extent to which the expression of any gender identity through presentation may been of controlled by parents for instance and this may effect their own unique route into it.

I may be fairly open about mine not least cos to me it's no big secret and I feel just talking about these things is of help to others but not everyone does.

If we're together, we do need to take care of each others feelings so no one feels awkward and keep an eye out for those whose sense of fun may come on over as being rather borish or otherwise intimidating.

Some people may have difficult relations with their significant others (usually partners) through either their cross-dressing, gender id issues or just being a little who wants to express it.

Also some of us may have ongoing health issues or disabilities that may not seem obvious to you and equally we may have adapted how we see things to take account of our own limitations that perhaps that we may not always be as sensitive to your needs, perhaps seeing them as less important. It isn't uncommon for someone to say in response to saying how difficult they find their job, effectively "Be grateful for being able to work as I only wish I could" which isn't showing an appreciation for how that situation may be leaving you.

I do feel those of us who don't enjoy the best of health need to ensure we don't lose our empathy with those who while having better health, face other challenges in their lives and respect their needs such as having to up ready for work in the morning. 

It doesn't hurt to try to do better when it comes to rubbing along.

Styx Paradise Theater and Pieces of Eight on SACD with The Grand Illusion

Styx is a progressive rock group that I have always liked.

Not the edition where I do a vanishing trick but the title of Styx 1977 album release featuring Come Sail Away and Little Miss America remastered by Mr Kevin Grey for Audio Fidelity.

I bought it in May 2010.

Processing a warm tonal complexion I really like it even if it's not anything really special just the job done right.

As I have commented in a few places before the Styx catalogue has been left as is from the early days of the compact disc and can be divided between the decent but nothing special and the clearly inferior to lp versions.

On January 19th 1981 the band issued the concept album Paradise Theater based on the real story of a theatre in their native Chicago which came out on laser etched lp and tape versions (8 track and cassette) which topped the US album chart and featured four forty-fives, Rockin' The Paradise, Too Much Time On My Hands, The Best Of Times that charted at #3 and Nothing Ever Goes As Planned.

It was an album I bought near date of release and always loved for the musicianship and story telling in a song.

This new Super Audio cd also playable on regular cd edition sounds quite a bit clear with more definition than the original disc.

Another album of theirs whose cd version left a fair bit to be desired was Pieces Of Eight  based around the story of a boxing bout which on cd sounded thin and splashy

ln September 2017 this disc that featured the 45 Blue Collar Man, Renegade and The Great White Hope was issued on Super audio cd also playable in regular cd having been mastered by Kevin Gray from the A&M master tapes.

This edition is a lot better than the 1987 original cd.

Going forward staying the same

The way that it goes, on the day I was out for a good stroll taking some pictures for another blog as I encountered high school children returning to school after the weekend.

One boy interviewed said being missing so much of junior 4 (aka year six) left him feeling as he transitioned to the first form as we'd of called it of high school kind if funny and too young to be in that year group.

Child development comes on at different rates and he probably is right in saying he doesn't feel ready for that step but as ever the needs of "the system" tend to prevail as he may of benefited from being held back a year to catch up.

I know from admittedly my rather more severe mismatched development I always felt a few years young emotionally and in general maturity from my peers.

That's why this treatment and being back in the sort of uniform I had in my last year at Juniors taken much further up than what is customary now works for me and that will lead into other areas.

I'm coming over

Between playing hunt the outdoor cat who is being put off by other neighbouring ones and the showers here I thought I'd do this weeks entry.

How many of us can recall that routine of going on over to a friend or 'play mate' whither or not it was something that emerged from the playground that day or arranged between Mothers?

I sure can! It happened quite a number of times when I was in Juniors during recess where an invite would be issued and in those days before all this instant messaging and cellphones, you'd skip home to tell Mummy the news and you half imagined your friend doing the same as resourceful as ever she increased the food portions for that days evening meal with little warning as back then food was cooked at home on the range even if some was packaged.

Needless to say if your Mummy was anything like mine there would be some fuss around what your were going to wear as you had to create a good  impression, your hair would be washed and styled quickly and although you would thank your friend and his or her Mommy, it was the done thing to write a thank you note afterward. 

You may also have bought a present if was a more formal organized affair.

I just loved these happenings.

The Dandy Summer Special is back 2014 style

 It's Summer and so childhood rituals may return!

The Evergreen Beano with fun reading and activities has come but guess what is also here against all the odds?

The much missed dandy has a Summer Special this year which was very much in the balance late last year after the demise of the weekly edition in 2012.

68 full colour pages in glossy paper with a traditional binding with all our favourite characters.

A ritual of childhood can be resumed ready for summer trips and maybe even a proper kids  holiday where I can just be age dysphoric me letting the whole of me out.

Lesson for dolls

As no doubt some are aware a different kind of history has been made today, I thought I would made a different post this morning.

I found this image a while ago of traditional German classroom modelled with dolls that reminded me of the kind of junior education I had. 

For one thing we had to write out and learn by rote your times tables up to 12, that were put up on the chalkboard and our teacher did have a long stick they pointed at it (and threatened you with!). 

Also the desk were wooden with a slope that interestingly many are now saying were better for reading and writing on having removed them for flat stackable tables and chairs.

There were maps on the wall, one showing the extent of the British Empire (as was), something we were proud of and a small class bookcase.

Turning rather more to the dolls I find it is interesting a number are in sailor uniforms, a Edwardian idea and like how the person has added matching satchels. 

Philadelphia International The Collection edition with SOS Band box set

Here we go with the latest edition of the Teenbeat series launched a few years back where I look at music that for me at least is linked with my childhood.

Released Monday May 5th in the UK comes this box set of 20 individual artist studio cds from the label synonymous with that styling of Soul Music from the late 1960's to the early 80's around the city of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia International record label where most but not all the key artists issued their recordings.
And that's really where this set scores over previous box sets as it gives you prime slices of the artists albums  as issued of which at least five I and many others would regard as essential albums in a soul collection
Album list:
1.Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes (1972)
2.Back Stabbers – The O’Jays (1972)
3.360 Degrees of Billy Paul – Billy Paul (1972)
4. Save The Children – The Intruders (1973)
5.The Three Degrees – The Three Degrees (1973)
6.Ship Ahoy – The O’Jays (1973)
7.Love Is The Message – MFSB (1973)
8.Keep Smilin’ – Bunny Sigler (1974)
9.Wake Up Everybody – Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes (1975)
10.All Things In Time – Lou Rawls (1976)
11.Life On Mars – Dexter Wansel (1976)
12.The Jacksons – the Jacksons (1976)
13.Teddy Pendergrass – Teddy Pendergrass (1976)
14.Jean Carn – Jean Carn (1976)
15.The Jones Girls – The Jones Girls (1979)
16.Edwin Birdsong – Edwin Birdsong (1979)
17.McFadden and Whitehead – McFadden and Whitehead (1979)
18.When You Hear Lou You’ve Heard It All – Lou Rawls (1977)
19.I’m In Love Again – Patti LaBelle (1983)
20.Life is A Song Worth Singing – Teddy Pendergrass (1978)

A good number of these albums were re-issued on cd  as part of the Sony Legacy Blues&Soul series from the 1990's to early 00's but are out of print attracting high prices new  as well as used but this set uses the same mastering so at a stroke restoring them to the catalogue.

They come in thick card lp style jackets reproducing front and rear lp art clearly with a booklet that gives a brief synopsis of each album and full credits.

Highlights for me are Save The Children, an Intruders album I grew up with on the amazingly clunky 8 Track tape with songs like "I'll Always Love My Mama", the Three Degrees self titled with it's clutch of hit singles such as When Will I See You Again" and the very jazz influenced Life On Mars by arranger and recording artist Dexter Wansel.

For around GBP £38 it's an amazing bargain that gets you exploring further this musically rich seam.

Recently another box set arrived but altogether a different proposition for this was the entire output of a single band whose label was together with Los Angeles based Solar Records the next wave with Motown's star begin eclipsed in the early 70's by Philadelphia International and itself being eclipsed by Solar and this bands label, Tabu Records whose artists who included Alexander O'Neal and Cherrelle of whom I liked in my teens.

Many would say the SOS band were one of the finest pervasive  soul groups of the 1980's but their recordings had been unavailable new for a good while with the earliest titles not even receiving a cd release. 

I had cassette issues of a few albums at the time but they were worn and I was looking for replacements.

In 2013 a Tabu Records re-issue campaign was launched which included the re-issuing of their albums with bonus tracks and a by-product of this was a boxed set version where each album was packaged as a mini lp with just the original tracks and with extra discs for 7 and 12 remixes with a booklet.

I opted for that in around March 2014 this was eventually released as it was just what I was looking for - a complete set of albums - and also it was cheaper than the individual editions.
While some of the bonus tracks have been taken from vinyl, the main albums were not and sound very good on this set.