Kate McGarrigle 1948-2010

I wrote the following for the blog of Butt Magazine:

Kate McGarrigle 1946-2010
When I was 17 ,Rolling Stone put out at list of the top 100 albums you just had to own if you were really living. It was through this list that I discovered Al Green, Richard and Linda Thompson and Etta James. All amazing discoveries. It was also how I discovered Kate and Anna McGarrigle. Their album, Dancer With Bruised Knees was on the list and even if today I do not think it is their best work (Matapedia rocks my world), it transfixed me. Imagine a high school student in the San Fernando Valley awkwardly leaving behind his years of playing Dungeons & Dragons and coming upon lyrics like:

“No being however mighty
Where chaos reigns alone
Will see his feeble love grow
When cast upon a stone
Kitty come home”

Some of the album was sung in French!!!
The worlds that opened up on the day I put that album on my turntable still open up in front of me today. Over the years I have had the pleasure to meet Kate and Anna and Kate’s children Rufus and Martha. The many wonders of the McGarrigles and their tribe continued to thrill me and seeing them perform live was one of the greatest pleasures of my life. Even if ¾ of a concert was taken up with tuning of the many instruments, the ¼ taken up by music making was always transcendent
I have loved the McGarrigles for 25 years. I will continue to love them for 25 more. I mourn that I will never be able to see them perform live again. The joy in my life is noticeably and irrecoverably lessened.
“Talk to me of Mendocino
Closing my eyes I hear the sea
Must I wait
Must I follow
Won't you say “come with me””
My heart is with her whole family.

I will also add that one of the best days of my life was at The Fez here in New York City when I was introduced to Kate and Anna McGarrigle AND Linda Thompson all on the same night. I have received so much joy from those three women over the years and I am so sad that one of them left us yesterday....

Kenny

Click to Download - Talk To Me Of Mendocino - Kate and Anna McGarrigle Cover