Month: June 2016

The Listening Chair – Part 2 (Before)

I’m a pretty regimented person.  I like to be early, not on time.  There is a menu board on my refrigerator, and I limit my time in the grocery store to 1 hour and 30 minutes on the biweekly trip to the grocery store.  So, making a post that doesn’t follow my schedule is a departure that I don’t take lightly. I had to share my thoughts, and my love is away in Bali, Indonesia for a week…which makes you my confidant for the next few days.

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Records are great for listening, but not so good at listening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited about a place to sit.  Except that one time, in band camp.  In my last post about the chair, I neglected to give any background to the chair itself.  Well, I still don’t have any.  I do have pictures, and those are worth 1,000 words.  Right?

In the upholsters workshop
In the upholsters workshop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You’ll notice the left arm is missing in the images.  It has both, but I thought it looked dramatic and asked that it not be put back on until the end.  The chair looks to be in good condition from the above angle, but…

A different angle tells another story
A different angle tells another story

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last owner got good use out of this chair.  I see several hours of listening passing on the refurbished beauty that should be in my listening room before my birthday.

Another angle
In the listening room

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s late, and I should be sleeping….but before I go there’s something else I have to tell you.  I have been talking with Vanessa Fernandez and she’s interested in doing an episode of Living in Stereo.  I adore her.

 

Take a look at her covering, Disclosure – Latch

So, you could say my night is pretty good.  To top it off, I got to talk to my love for a bit when I got home.  So, one more record for the evening and I’m going to turn in.  I can’t wait to give you an update!

Hating The Very Best of Prince


“It’s been seven hours, and two days…since you took your love away…” My alarm clock wasn’t obnoxious, nor was it like the shrieking that most people wake up to.  Waking up to Janet [Jackson], more Janet, Prince, Chaka [Khan], Mariah [Carey], and Mary J. Blige should not have bothered me.  I love their music!  I did not like 6AM and most of the time I didn’t like seeing the face of Frasier O’Leary for my period zero AP Literature class.  Being a teenager, there were so many more important things I could have been doing; like sleeping.

My bedroom in 1999

Waking up to Prince – Let’s Go Crazy for the better part of three years let to a unique relationship with my dads album selections, spoken loathing. Thom McCormick was a DJ in his younger years, if it weren’t for music I wouldn’t be here as he and my mother met in Massachusetts as he was spinning.  Music is life, literally for me.

Dad gave me my first album, Kris Kross – Totally Krossed Out in 1992 along with my first turntable, only one other album followed, Michael Jackson – Off The Wall.  I don’t remember what happened to those albums, nor the turntable.

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I’m of the Napster generation, not quite ready for vinyl.

I realized some years later, Prince was on to something.  I had the opportunity to get what remained of my dad’s effects.  My mother spoke of his record collection frequently, “He had colored vinyl, a lot of them were autographed…if you only got to hear him spin; he would love what you’re doing.”  His storage unit went to auction, and I never went inside of it.  I wasn’t interested in the memories contained within.

When I think of T. M. McCormick Jr. it’s normally while I’m listening to Janet, more Janet, Prince, Chaka, Mariah, and Mary J. Blige.  Finding myself reminded to “…celebrate this thing called life…” with good company, good memories, and good music.  So here’s to Prince, the soulful ladies, and my dad.

Dad and I, 1983

 

The Listening Chair Part 1 – This Old Eames…

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Eames Lounge Chair

I wanted an Eames Lounge Chair.  I think it started with The Sims.  Then I saw the one on Frazier…then again when I was choosing components for my stereo.  I figured, I’m a big boy.  I deserve a big boy chair.  Boy, was that sticker shock big on my face.  Spending money on nice things that I’m going to keep around isn’t an issue.  Spending $4000+ on a chair and an ottoman…well, let’s just say I’m not there mentally yet.

These thoughts of luxury seating ebb and flow, and in my travels to San Diego I came across a specimen at one of my favorite Hi-fi shops.  He offered to crate and ship his replica for $650.  My mind was blown, not only were there $4k chairs to enjoy my music in; there were replicas of said chair that I could get for a fraction of the price.  That rabbit hole goes and goes and eventually you’ll be in a dark alley in the garment district of a town unfamiliar, comparing subtle differences between replica manufactures.  The shipping from San Diego to Honolulu was prohibitive ($300).  I was again Eames-less, no prospects of contemporary furniture that would be a conversation piece to grace my listening room.  Amazon, had me searching high and low for a distributor that ships to Hawaii.  I’d found one, but they had the worst reviews.  I stopped looking, knowing one would manifest its way into my life.

About two months ago I met Johnathon, he’s an interesting guy.  He is a DJ’s, and proprietor of Your Enthusiastic Upholsterer. Similar to myself he’s a sailor, but is preparing to retire with 20 years of service.  I’m not the only service member with the entrepreneurial itch, which is a good thing. Our first conversation consisted of all the key areas;  Cars, music, hobbies…but then he said, Eames.  “What was that you said?”  I was salivating with the possibility of filling my room with a locally sourced chair (manifestation is a motherfucker).

A couple of weeks later Johnathon came to the house, and we had a listening session.  One the both of us enjoyed immensely and yielded a familiar result for myself…but Johnathon (in the style of Kevin Hart), “he wasn’t ready”.  Music has moved me in ways inexplicable since I was a child, and I’ve come to have a deeper relationship with it as I’ve grown older.  I completely understand his response.

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Johnathon shares his thoughts on Facebook

 

 

 

 

That’s some humbling shit.  I know how I feel when I’m listening, but sharing that with someone else is a rare and highly appreciated treat.  I digress…the title of this post is “Sitting on Purple Rain…” My new listening chair; dubbed Purple Rain in honor of Prince is coming soon. Thanks to Your Enthusiastic Upholster.  This is going to be a multi part post, and I’m looking forward to sharing the progress with you.

Before

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A before image in the listening room, with color swatches

 

 

 

 

 

Another angle
Comment below and let me know what you think.

Thanks.

 

The secret life of a submariner

What are you looking at?
What are you looking at?

I’ve been in the Navy for 13 years, and have had the opportunity to travel (to mostly 3rd world countries) and expand my view of the world.  Music is what has kept me grounded during my time away from home.  When I have only my brothers beside me, and we are surrounded by the ocean…there was only music to connect me to the outside world.  To cause memories to traverse the depths and stir parts of my thoughts that there is no stimuli for onboard.

The lady and I at the 2016 Submarine Ball
The lady and I at the 2016 Submarine Ball

Running Vinyl for The People comes second to being the Leading Culinary Specialist on a Hawaii Based Los Angeles Class submarine.  My time is stretched pretty thin, as I like to spend as much time cultivating the relationship with my lady as possible.  She’s a business owner so, gladly she understands.  And moreover, she supports my dream and for that among other things I’m extremely grateful.

 

Collecting records started for me in 2007.  I was living in Portsmouth, NH and watching Reign Over Me.  The first time I can remember seeing Adam Sandler be serious.  It made me cry, and not being in the mood for tears…I thought, “I want some records”.  So, I went and picked up a Neumark USB TT.  No albums though.  I went to Best Buy, (yes they sold records) and picked up Lily Allen – {The album with Fuck You}, and went home.  I must have played that album 3 or 4 times before I headed to Bullmoose Music in downtown Portsmouth.  I got distracted by the bar and never made it to Bullmoose, I had smoked my last cigarette; which led to the tobacco shop…which had records.  Ever since that day they just manifest themselves into my life.  That’s a piece my vinyl story.

What’s yours?

Virgin Vinyl Sunday – Amy Original Soundtrack

It’s late, and I’ve been doing a lot today, had a live stream showing how I clean records, cleaned a lot of records, did some household things…but I wanted to change how I do Virgin Vinyl Sunday.  I put two cameras to use and I think you’ll like the results.  Comment below and share your thoughts.  I present to you Amy – The Original Soundtrack.

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