A real post!

Get ready for . . . an actual post!

• I reported last week that my friend Jess sold me a whole bunch of CDs. One of those CDs is The Beatles' "1" collection. This CD has made me an even bigger fan of the Fab Four. I'm just amazed at the quality of their work, which is now around 40 years old. 1 is a good way to learn about the Beatles' musical history. The songs are all in chronological order, so you can hear their initial influences and the ways they changed their sound as the years passed. I used to think their early years were just pop fluff, but now I see that behind the pop fluff (but it was GOOD pop fluff!), subtle hints of experimentation shine through. "I Feel Fine," for example, has exotic rhythms and a cool guitar-effect intro. Don't forget, this song came a few years before the Jimi Hendrix Experience. My favorite Beatles songs all seem to be Paul songs. "Yesterday," "Penny Lane," "Hey Jude" and "Let It Be" are some of the finest songs ever written.

• In addition to a boxful of CDs, Jess also sent me a huge CD-holding book. It holds over 250 discs! I filled it up today with my collection, and I still have 76 spots free. I hope I don't fill those too soon! It's nice to have all my CDs in one place again. No more switching to another book, for a while at least.

• Natalie MacMaster has a new album out for the first time since 2003's "Blueprint." Her new one, "Yours Truly" is being released on the 10th and of course I'm buying it. She's also coming here to Eugene for a fourth time in October, and I hope to be there. I'll try to take my camera in so I can try to get a picture taken with her.

That's all for now! I wanted to post something non-meme today. You readers deserve it.