Thoughts on Life and Words from Adam

Before I get to my most wonderful Norm Burns offering for the week, I have forgotten, several times, to offer up thanks to the always faithful Sammy Reed for identifying that this record, on Halmark, was pressed up in 1977. I think I have this fixed point in my head that most Halmark records are from before 1974, but there's no reason for that, besides the fact that they sounds like they're from 1950 and the first time I saw a Halmark record (my very first song-poem, although I didn't know it at the time), was in 1974, when I was 14. 

Somehow, it's more jarring for me to think that a Halmark song-poem came out in 1977, the same year as major hits such albums as Little Criminals by Randy Newman, News of the World by Queen and the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, then it is to think that a Halmark song-poem came out in 1974, when the vast majority of what was topping the charts that year sucked about as much as... a Halmark record. (Your mileage may, of course, vary.)

Anyway, as always, thanks, Sammy. I was genuinely surprised by this news. 

Today's record is quite fun, on both sides. Because what is more fun than a song observing that we all grow old and become forgotten? Maybe a song sung from the point of view of Adam after being cast out of the garden? 

Song-Poet Stephen Karvec seemingly had quite a bit to get off of his chest - sounds like his friends left him behind at some point, and he was downright philosophical about it. Unfortunately, philosophy is not always expressed in phrases that fit nicely into musical patterns. As a result, we get to hear Norm Burns - one of my favorites - doing all he can to sing the following: "you'll have to face life as it is, as it was, and how it will be later on". Catchy!

Download: Norm Burns and the Satellites - Life

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The flip side, "Divine Love", is, as I've alluded to, pretty clearly sung from the point of view of the legendary first man. He's deeply sorry for listening to that serpent and greatly relieved to have been the recipient of forgiveness and, as the title says, "Divine Love". The final line, repeated three times, is a masterpiece of half-assed lyric writing: "I'm so grateful, father, that you still love me, still". 

Download: Norm Burns and the Satellites - Divine Love

Play: