October 27, 2010

  • Gallo A'Diva Ti, Part 7

    30 years ago, I went to a new school, Sherman Elementary, located in the Marina.  The teacher was strict, which was a good thing.  As much as I wanted to go outside and play, I knew I had to go to my room and do homework.  Alas, the radio was a huge distraction for me.  The songs from The Police's Zenyatta Mondatta absolutely captivated me.  I would perk up, listen intently, and forget all about my homework.  My grades suffered, but I'm the audiophiles' pop music authority.

    If I could remove the trees, I'd be to see Geary Street from my room.  When I hear the traffic at night, I sometimes recall the times I'd play the cassette.  Zenyatta Mondatta kicks off with "Don't Stand So Close To Me," about a male teacher and one of his female students.  A few years later, my friend Larry and a couple others would go to Alta Plaza park, and act like The Police in the music video.  My favorite from this album is "When The World Is Running Down, You Make The Most Of What's Still Around."  I don't recall hearing "Canary In A Coalmine" on the radio, but I did hear it at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Cafe.  "Voices Inside My Head" is well done.  And you absolutely have to check out Stewart Copeland's bombastic drumming on "Bombs Away."

    For a long time, Aiden has liked The Police's "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da."

    In the mid-90s, while driving along Geary with my friend Yucky, we passed Hamilton playground.  Yucky stopped on Post Street, in front of the concrete building in the picture above.  I did not know until then that the UOP used it to house students.  Her friend was staying there, and her little boombox had round speakers.

    And that reminded me of Gallo's A'Diva Ti, which would be perfect for tiny little dorm rooms.  Alas, the binding posts are too small.  Here, the Deltron bananas from the Q-Audio Tao only go in part way, though more so than the MIT ICONNs.  It reminds me of Yucky's friend, complaining about her bra not fitting, or her bf having a hard time sticking it in.