Music of the Day, 18 June 2024

Going with the flow

I’m honored to be asked to write a guest MOTD. I am so not worthy, but in true Garth and Wayne fashion, will give it a schwing. This MOTD was inspired by Jackie’s mention of a musician I had not thought about recently, and the story of my discovery of their work…

Thirty-something years ago, when the missus and I were still early in the dating stage, a friend gave us a short mix tape (I did not know of that term then; did it exist yet?) of some tunes appropriate to a Caribbean vacation.

One song that I can remember on the tape was Dire Straits’ Romeo and Juliet. (Mark Knopfler is still a fave.) The only other tune that I can still recall was unknown to me then, and would remain so for years. It was a new age-ish tune, with a repetitive scheme and some indecipherable lyrics. It was mesmerizing and we liked it, but it was not the type of music we normally listened to. Never heard it on radio, or anywhere in public. We eventually forgot about it.

Fast forward about a half-dozen years later and we (now married) were at a small dinner party and lo, this tune came on. “Who is that,” we yelled simultaneously, at our startled host.

Turns out it was Enya, and the song was Cursum Perficio, from her album Watermark. And as these things usually go, Enya was soon everywhere. While she has faded from the limelight, she apparently did all right for herself, selling 80 million albums, living in a castle and all that.

Musical memories are so often random and happenstance. MOTD is a joyful celebration of those moments.