A New Bloom

A friend and colleague posted a thing on social media called ‘20 Albums That Made an Impact on Me’ and I thought I’d use it as a topic for this space, which has been feeling rather neglected of late. As Elisa said, not every post will have a story with it, but knowing me, it will …

First up is Mad Daddys Cat Scratch Fever.

If you know my story, this album (EP, if you want to get all technical about it) wasn’t about the music. It was about my dear friend, known here as guitarist Screamin’ Johnson. Outside the band, he was just Don to me, a warm and funny guy who loved music. He had a cat named Barge — so named because he was huge (like a barge, get it?); I wonder if Barge was a Maine Coon, now that I have one in my life.

Don and I both were on-air at WRSU-FM. Like all DJs, initial shows were graveyard shift, 2-6am. I had a small fan club of listeners, many of whom were drivers passing through New Brunswick in those wee hours. When he worked nights, Don would often call in, just to say hi and to let me know that someone I knew was listening. We shared a show for a bit as well.

Don wanted to join a proper band for a while, so when he got with the Mad Daddys, a local staple, it was an exciting time. I remember when he showed me this cover. I still have my copy in my vinyl collection. Now that he’s on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge, it means a lot. So much more than the music, you see.