Chapter Thirteen: My Office Has A Window

My Office Has A Window

It was 1980. A new decade. A new hope. Hopefully a new job. I was 20 years old and a Junior in college when the planets cosmically aligned thus setting me on a strange and bizarre sojourn as a newly hired employee at a little red pole barn in Columbiana. This sojourn is titled, “My Office Has A Window” even though in reality, there were no windows at all.

Chapter 13 Wham Bam Thank You Mam

(hey man) oh leave me alone you know
(hey man) oh Henry, get off the phone, I gotta
(hey man) I gotta straighten my face
This mellow thighed chick just put my spine out of place

One day, early in June, Mac (The American Legion Lover) was bent over on his hands and knee’s stocking the shelves in the warehouse when out of nowhere Barney came sneaking in. Being the prankster that he was, Barney snuck up behind Mac and attempted to mount him. He then started to simulate a sex act so heinous, decorum won’t permit me to describe it.

This was a harmless prank for sure, but Barney did not notice that he had an audience. There were customers in the warehouse shopping and they looked on in horror. Perhaps they thought they were witnessing the filming of an X-rated movie. All that was needed was some funky 70′s disco music to complete the scene. (Bow Chica Bow wow) Unbeknownst to Mac and Barney, the customers could see them plain as day and they started to scatter out of the showroom faster than the infamous “Ouzo Gyro Combo Night” clearing of the warehouse by our one and only Benny.

Luckily, no complaints were filed, (Hell, we were in farrn country. Perhaps this type of act was expected) nor were there any phone orders for the new “Warehouse Video” and life as we knew it was back to normal for the crew. Except, from that day on, Mac and the rest of us assumed a different posture when stocking the shelves, ever keeping a vigil eye on where Barney was at all times.

Read Chapter Fourteen Here…

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Led Zeppelin – Houses Of The Holy – 1973

Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy

The year 1973 was a mere two years from the explosion of disco music and the down fall of modern society. Led Zeppelin released their fifth album, Houses Of The Holy. This album actually had a title, unlike the previous offering, unofficially known as Led zeppelin IV. However, the rock band stayed with their bizarre artistic view by not having any words on the album cover. You had to buy the album and crack the plastic protective sheet to explore the lyrics and song titles.

What is the first thing you see when looking at this cover? Perhaps these are outcasts from the movie Splash, starring Darryl Hannah as the sexy nude mermaid coming ashore to mate with Tom Hanks. Perhaps a sequel to the Stepford Wives, Stepford Daughters. Perhaps albino zombies attacking. Yes, a total WTF album cover.

Houses Of The Holy - Back Cover

The back cover of Houses Of The Holy doesn’t offer up any clues as well. No name, no album title, no band members, no year recorded, not a single word or hint of who released the album.

You must remember, this was 1973, way before the Internet, before MTV, before MP3 players. Listening to the FM radio was the base of music knowledge. When we heard a song or album we had to have, we actually had to go to a record store, browse the rows of albums offered, choose our selection, stand in line and pay cash for our record. Finding Houses Of The Holy was somewhat difficult. One had to ask what album was the new Led zeppelin vinyl. Some record stores rectified this problem by adding a sticker to the outside plastic wrapper denoting Houses Of the Holy.

Inside Cover

The inner cover stays with the non disclosure theme. Simply a panoramic view of an old English castle on a hill-side with one naked man holding a naked woman over his head. Perhaps he is sacrificing her to the Gods.
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Jacket Sleeve

Album Sleeve

Zeppelin Vinyl

Finally, once inside the album, the vinyl sleeve offered the album title, song titles and lyrics, band members, year recorded, and all the other album information.

Led Zeppelin is comprised of four band members. Robert Plant – Vocals, Jimmy Page – Guitar, John Paul Jones – Bass and Organ, John Bonham – Drums.

Album Tracks:
Side One: The Song Remains The Same, The Rain Song, Over The Hills And Far Away, The Crunge.
Side Two: Dancing Days, D’Yer Mak’er, No Quarter, The ocean.

Over the Hills And Far Away was the album’s radio air time hit. The exact lyrics follow.

Hey Lady – you got the love I need,
Oh may Be – more than enough.
Oh, Darling Darling Darling walk a while with me,
Oh, you got so much, so much, so much.

Many have I loved,
Many times been bitten,
Many times I’ve gazed,
Along the open road.

Many times I’ve lied,
And many times I’ve listened,
Many times I’ve wondered,
How much there is to know.

Many dreams come true,
And some have silver linings,
I live for my dream,
And a pocketful of gold.

Mellow is the man,
Who knows what he’s been missing,
Many many men,
Can’t see the open road.

Many is a word,
That only leaves you guessing,
Guessing’ bout a thing,
You really ought to know.
You really ought to know.
I really ought to know.

Sidenote: The lyrics printed in the liner notes are not exactly what is listed above. Also, for the record, Led Zeppelin was not the “Panty wetter” music many claimed it to be. Just sayin.

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Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac 1975

Fleetwood Mac Cover

Fleetwood Mac released its tenth album in July of 1975 and after a year on the charts reached number one on Billboards Album charts. This is the second album also titled Fleetwood Mac with the original released in 1968.

John Mcvie is on the left holding the cane and sipping champagne and Mick Fleetwood, who is the tallest member of the band, is depicted as very short juggling the world with the band revolving.
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Fleetwood Mac Back Cover

Fleetwood Mac album back cover has a photo of the band inside a bathroom. Band members from left to right are, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, And John McVie.

At the bottom of the back cover: The song titles are listed in the first two rows, the band members in the third row, and the legal mumbo jumbo in the fourth row.

Side One: Monday Morning, Warm Ways, Blue Letter, Rhiannon, Over My head, Crystal.
Side Two: Say You Love Me, Landslide, World Turning, Sugar Daddy, I’m So Afraid.
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Lyrics Page

The front side of the liner notes had the lyrics to each side. The biggest hit from the album was Rhiannon, sung by Stevie Nicks. The exact lyrics are below.

Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night
And wouldn’t you love to love her
She rules her life like a bird in flight
And who will be her lover..

All your life you’ve never seen
A woman – taken by the wind
Would you stay if she promised you heaven
Will you ever win…

She is like a cat in the dark
And then she is the darkness
She rules her life like a fine skylark-
And when the sky is starless-

All your life you’ve never seen-
A woman – taken by the wind
Would you stay if she promised you heaven
Will you ever win…
Will you ever win..

Rhiannon
Rhiannon
Rhiannon
Rhiannon

She rings like a bell through the night
And wouldn’t you love to love her
She rules her life like a bird in flight
And who will be her lover

All your life you’ve never seen
A woman – taken by the wind
Would you stay if she promised you heaven
Will you ever win
Will you ever win

Rhiannon
Rhiannon
Rhiannon

Taken by
Taken by the sky (Repeat three times)

Dreams unwind
Loves a state of mind (Repeat three times)

Please not that the lyrics on the liner notes do not match up. Perhaps space was at a premium and the lyrics were condensed.
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Album Sleeve

The back side of the liner notes contained the lyrics to the flip side of the album. Playful penguins were scattered on the page.

This album is a Warner Brothers Records, song selections published by Rockhopper Music, 1975.

This album propelled Fleetwood Mac to new heights of popularity. I remember in late 75 and 76 this album dominating the airwaves. It was also the time I got my drivers license and i couldn’t wait to blast the 8-Track of Fleetwood Mac with the bass turned up high in my car.

Good times, good times,

Dreams unwind, love’s a state of mind.
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Yes – Fragile – 1972

Fragile Yes Album 1972

Atlantic Record Company had a progressive rock band on their hands. This band, named Yes, had a unique blend of music melding both classical instruments with the more traditional rock staples of drums and guitars. That blend is the result of the Fragile album.

The left inside cover has the lyrics to the album. One of the hit songs, Round About was always clouded with incorrect lyrics. Below, is the exact lyrics taken from the album jacket.

I’ll be the round about
The words will make you out ‘n’ out
You change the day your way
Call it morning driving thru the sound and in and out the valley

The music dance and sing
They make the children really ring
I spend the day your way
Call it morning driving thru the sound and in and out the valley

In and around the lake
Mountains come out of the sky and they stand there
One mile over we’ll be there and we’ll see you
Ten true summers we’ll be there and laughing too
Twenty four before my love you’ll see I’ll be there with you

I will remember you
Your silhouette will charge the view
Of distance atmosphere
Call it morning driving thru the sound and even in the valley

Along the drifting cloud the eagle searching down on the land
Catching the swirling wind the sailor sees the rim of the land
The eagles dancing wings create as weather spins out of hand
Go closer hold the land feel partly no more than grains of sand
We stand to lose all time a thousand answers by in our hand
Next to your deeper fears we stand
Surrounded by a millions years

The right inside jacket noted the song titles.
Side One:
1 Roundabout
2 Cans And Brahms
3 We Have heaven
4 South Side Of The Sky

Side Two:
1 Five Per Cent For Nothing
2 Long Distance Runaway
3 The Fish
4 Mood For The Day
5 Heart of the Sunrise

Meet The Band:
John Anderson – Vocals
Bill Bruford – Drums, Percussion
Steve Howe – Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Vocals
Chris Squire – Bass Guitars, Vocals
Rick Wakeman – Organ, Grand Piano

The back cover depicts the earth, some sort of ship… It reminds me of the album art of Boston’s debut album in 1976. they had a giant space ship hurtling away from an exploding earth. I can only describe the air ship as a whale with sails attached to it.

The album protective sleeve advertises the other artists signed by Atlantic records. Some of the famous bands are the Rolling Stones,…

The flip side protective cover offers even more artists signed by Atlantic. I have a good many of these albums and they will appear in future updates.

Until then, I recommend buying the Yes CD or rescuing the old vinyl album from your basement as I have done. Slap it on the turntable and turn the volume up loud and let the album rock. Enjoy!

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