Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Rosie's Records

We have recently inherited the record player and accompanying collection of records that have belonged to Becca's dad since his days in the U.S. Navy. To my knowledge, these were not itemized portions of my father-in-law's will, nor has he been diagnosed with terminal illness. It seemed to me that we were perhaps helping de-clutter his house, and Becca and I were thrilled to bring them home. As we loaded them into our Pilot, his only parting words were, "Don't ever sell them. I'll take them back if you don't want them anymore."

Each of the record sleeves, presently sorted, cataloged, and stored in milk crates below our stereo, brings with it a distinct odor of cigarette smoke; a price tag also clings to half a dozen of them. Of much greater significance are the memories that are amplified in my wife's mind when the needle lands softly on her father's old vinyl discs. While she can't conjure up stories tied to specific dates or past events, nearly each record refreshes a distinct tone or hue of the recollections of her childhood.

We have inherited more than just what others would put out at a yard sale. We have inherited more than music, a hobby, or antiques. We are, in receiving and playing this record collection, helping to preserve the soundtrack of two generations of Roszels.

Below find the complete catalog of the records that until recently belonged to Mr. Maurice Roszel:


Aerosmith - Get Your Wings
Air Supply - The One That You Love
Air Supply - Now and Forever
Air Supply - Hearts In Motion
The Alan Parsons Project - Eye In the Sky
The Alan Parsons Project - Ammonia Avenue
Ambrosia - Life Beyond L.A.
April Wine - First Glance
April Wine - Harder...Faster
April Wine - The Nature of the Beast
April Wine - Animal Grace
April Wine - Power Play
Bachman Turner Overdrive - Not Fragile
Bachman Turner Overdrive - Four Wheel Drive
Blues Brothers - Briefcase Full of Blues
Bob Seger - Night Moves
Bob Seger - Nine Tonight (Live)
Boston - Third Stage
Bruce Hornsby - The Way It Is
Bruce Springsteen - The River
Bruce Springsteen - Born In the USA
Bryan Adams - Cuts Like a Knife
Bryan Adams - Reckless
Chicago - VIII
Chicago - X
Chicago - Hot Streets (2)
Chicago - 16
City Boy - The Day the Earth Caught Fire
Dire Straits - Love Over Gold
Don Henley - I Can't Stand Still
Donnie Iris - Back On the Streets
Donnie Iris - King Cool
Donnie Iris - No Muss...No Fuss
Eagles - [self titled]
Eddie Money - [self titled]
Foreigner - [self titled]
Foreigner - Double Vision (2)
Golden Earring - Cut
Golden Earring - North East West South
Huey Lewis and the News - Sports
The J. Giles Band - Freeze Frame
Jackson Browne - The Pretender
Jackson Browne - Hold Out
Janis Joplin - Cheap Thrills
Jefferson Starship - Winds of Change
Jefferson Starship - Red Octopus
Jethro Tull - Thick As a Brick
Jethro Tull - Stand Up
Jim Croce - I Got a Name
Jim Croce - Photographs + Memories (Greatest Hits)
John Cougar - American Fool
John Cougar Mellencamp - Scarecrow
John Cougar Mellencamp - Big Daddy
Journey - Infinity
Journey - Departure
Journey - Escape
Kansas - Drastic Measures
The Kinks - Low Budget
LeRoux - Last Safe Place
Manfred Man - The Five Faces of
Meat Loaf - Dead Ringer
Meat Loaf - Midnight at the Lost and Found
Men at Work - Business as Usual
Men at Work - Cargo
The Moody Blues - A Question of Balance
The Moody Blues - Out of This World
The Moody Blues - Long Distance Voyager
Pat Benatar - Precious Time
Phil Collins - Hello, I Must Be Going!
Police - Ghost in the Machine
Quiet Riot - Metal Health
Ray Stevens - Even Stevens
REO Speedwagon - Hi Infidelity
REO Speedwagon - Wheels Are Turnin'
Roy Head - Same People
Sammy Hagar - [self titled]
Sammy Hagar- Street Machine
Steam - [self titled]
Styx - Lady
Stxy - I
Supertramp - Breakfast In America
Turtles - The Battle of the Bands
Uriah Heep - Salisbury
Uriah Heep - Look at Yourself
Uriah Heep - Demons + Wizards
Uriah Heep - The Magician's Birthday
Uriah Heep - January 1973 (Live)
Uriah Heep - Sweet Freedom
Uriah Heep - Wonderworld
Uriah Heep - Return to Fantasy
Uriah Heep - The Best of
Uriah Heep - High and Mighty
Uriah Heep - Innocent Victim
Uriah Heep - Firefly
Uriah Heep - Head First
Wishbone Ash - Number the Brave
Wishbone Ash - Hot Live
Yes - 90125
ZZ Top - Eliminator (2)

A. Wilbur Meshel - The Love Songs of
Barry Manilow - [self titled]
Barry Manilow - Tryin' to Get the Feeling
Barry Manilow - This One's For You
Bill Cosby - Himself
Buck Owens & His Buckaroos - If You Ain't Lovin'
Captain & Tennille - Love Will Keep Us Together
Dawn's New Ragtime Follies (f/t Tony Orlando) - Say, Has Anybody Seen My Gypsy Rose?
Dr. Goldfoot & the Girl Bombs - [movie soundtrack]
Dolly Parton - Greatest Hits
Eddy Arnold - The Best of
Glen Campbell - Greatest Hits
The Great Groups - [compilation]
High Voltage - Supercharged Hits of Today [compilation]
Joe Jackson - Night and Day
Jim Nabors - By Request
Kelly's Heroes - [movie soundtrack]
The Mariachi Brass! - Hats Off
Neil Diamond - Song Sung Blue
Perry Como - Golden Records
Original Rock N Roll Hits of the 60's Vol 16
Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer [soundtrack]
Sandler & Young - Love Stories
Snoopy's Christmas
Sound of Music [movie soundtrack]
The Super Record of Super Heroes
Telestar - Apollo 100 (20 Pop Classics)
Tom T. Hall - Greatest Hits
The War of the Worlds - Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of

2 comments:

Rebecca said...

Why in the world did you put on the internet that we now own Barry Manilow and Dolly Parton?

Shana said...

Nice. Seems like his record collection is mostly 70s and 80s, I think my dad's is a bit older than that (plus heavy on the Bob Dylan). But I know exactly the feeling of listening and almost believing you're back in your parent's house and a kid again.