I was quite used to finding strange records on the kitchen table during my early-to-mid teens; Hendrix's Band of Gypsys; the Moody Blues' In Search Of The Lost Chord; the Rolling Stones' Through The Past Darkly to name but a few, but seeing the picture of the demonic looking lady peering out from the edge of an empty swimming pool was startling - to say the least! But when I put this big vinyl disc on the turntable of our old Ferguson mono record player and listened to it I think that I can honestly say that that was a life-changing moment.
It blew me away.
And it still does all these years later. Having already heard quite a lot of Jimi Hendrix I was always going to learn to play guitar because of all the really interesting planets that his music took me to. When I heard Frank do his stuff I realised that there were several large and fantastic universes available to tour. Just pick up your guitar and off you go!
Of course, I had to learn to play first; and I always will be learning because there's so much to learn. Forty-one years later and I'm still doing it.
Thankyou, Jimi. Thankyou, Frank. Happy Mothers Day!
