I started my long-lasting love story with music at home, listening to my parents’ vinyls.

My folks, they weren’t super into music, but had some great tunes on their collection (mind the fact we had no tapes, only the radio or vinyls, not for a fancy aspect, it just happened): I reckon my favourite albums in there were: “Live at Wembley ’86“, 1992, by Queen; “Profumo“, 1986, by Gianna Nannini; “Titanic“, 1982, by Francesco de Gregori; and “Bridge over Trouble Water“, 1970, by Simon and Garfunkel.

I think I consumed afternoons listening to them. I was raptured. 

Vinyls are slick and increasingly attractive at touch. Turntables are professional machines with a fragile balance, that teach kids to be careful. As a kid growing up with vinyls, you must learn elegance and grace, in order not to break anything/get told off. Moreover, the silence in between two songs is full, nothing compared to the tracks now. It’s the huge difference between analogic and digital:  if we think in digital bits, (where 1 is sound, 0 is silence) back then, even the silence 0 had a mean like beat 1. Fascinating.

Back to the story, that S&G’s album was quite something, and a great catch to my feelings. I could follow the lyrics and identify myself with the protagonists, or just fantasise to get a song dedicated (very original, I know). Two song were absolutely my favourites: – Cecilia: catchy, rhythmic pop-folk song, just after “El Condor Pasa” that was so South American, so joyful yet desperate to get the love back

– The Boxer: music for the soul, innit. Falling in love for a young kid like me was the easiest thing in the universe, more than playing with a ball, more than riding the bike

I recommend the listening, better alone on a sofa, legs up that can’t reach the ground, eyes lost in the melody… a lil kid again…