I remember when I was about 5, my Japanese uncle sent me a 45 of the theme song from Ultraman. My father was delighted that I was mesmerized by the proto anime space hero, as my mother was white American and I didn't have much exposure to the old world culture.
I remember playing that record on my mother's portable record player , I think an RCA unit. The smell and glow of the tubes warming up was very exciting, and sometimes I think my predilection for idler drives and tubes comes from that player.
Later, the Star Wars craze happened, but immediately before my mother played oboe in her community orchestra's performance of Holst's Planets. I was again mesmerized by music, this time live. I was eleven.
The following year, after virtually wearing out my mother's LP of Bernstein and the New York Phil's recording of the said Planets suite, and my sister's Star Wars soundtrack, my mother bought me the recording which would forever change my life - Stravinsky conducting his incredible Rite of Spring.
I was transported to another world, and this was on the very chic but decidedly non-hifi Panasonic SG-999 (OK, it wasn't that bad).
I was hooked on 20th century orchestral music, and I was hooked on hifi! Still am....
I remember playing that record on my mother's portable record player , I think an RCA unit. The smell and glow of the tubes warming up was very exciting, and sometimes I think my predilection for idler drives and tubes comes from that player.
Later, the Star Wars craze happened, but immediately before my mother played oboe in her community orchestra's performance of Holst's Planets. I was again mesmerized by music, this time live. I was eleven.
The following year, after virtually wearing out my mother's LP of Bernstein and the New York Phil's recording of the said Planets suite, and my sister's Star Wars soundtrack, my mother bought me the recording which would forever change my life - Stravinsky conducting his incredible Rite of Spring.
I was transported to another world, and this was on the very chic but decidedly non-hifi Panasonic SG-999 (OK, it wasn't that bad).
I was hooked on 20th century orchestral music, and I was hooked on hifi! Still am....