A Love Letter to My Little Brother
Time and again I find myself referencing Cameron Crowe’s “Almost Famous.” A line here, an outfit there, there’s always something of relevancy to me. It’s as if a small piece of myself is embedded into the film, tightly woven into its fabric. I know many friends and mutuals alike who feel just the same, concocting their own Penny Lane outfits and dreaming up their fantastical groupie pseudonyms. One piece of the film I find is often overlooked, however, is the relationship between William and his older sister, Anita.
Little brothers are weird. They’re loud and energetic and, for some reason, always sticky. I’d know, I have my own. Logan. I’ve always loved how his name looks in cursive, especially when it’s written by our mother. The big looping swoops on the L, the roundness of each letter. It’s a gentle name, rolls smoothly off the tongue. Logan isn’t always gentle, though. He’s noisy and weird and funny and has hair rivaling that of the hippies’. He always makes fun of my music taste, rebuffing my “hippie music.” And yet, when my grandfather gifted me a new record player, I could tell Logan was intrigued. He poked the buttons, and popped open the lid, before brushing it off - too cool to be interested in something like that. Or maybe too steadfast to ever be like his sister. But I have faith that, just like William, one day, he’ll be cool.
Although I’m not leaving home to become a stewardess and our mother hasn’t banned satanic rock music and I don’t have a bag full of records to leave under his bed, I do have a wealth of music knowledge. And so, as he enters his sophomore year of high school, I say listen to the following list. “It’ll set you free.”
Logan, if you’re reading this, and I know the likelihood is slim, give them a chance. Really listen. To the words, to the melody. It’s more than just sounds. It’s enlightenment, if you let it be.
Songs for Logan
I’ve made a playlist with sixty-five songs for my brother - here are ten, and the notes I’d leave with them.
Another Brick in the Wall - Pink Floyd
If I could sit you down and force you to listen to Pink Floyd, I would. I think you could love them, if you gave them a chance. They’re a sort of quiet genius - no intricate vocal runs or aggressive instrumentals, but beautiful arrangements coupled with lyrics with no hidden meanings. There isn’t some elusive message you have to search to discover - it’s all right there, out in the open, ready to be devoured. The Wall and The Dark Side of the Moon are some of my favorite records. Ever. I can’t make you understand - just sit in a dark room, wear headphones, close your eyes, and listen.
I know school sucks - believe me. Even for the Leo who thrives on "A+"s and gold stars, it sucked. You, my little brother, however, are the perfect Pisces - imaginative, creative, and sensitive. Don't let school suck the life out of you and strip away your creativity, just get through it. Grades don't define the person you are deep inside, you do. You are not just another brick in the wall.
War Pigs - Black Sabbath
You might love Ozzy Osbourne. He's eccentric and crazy, a character plucked right out of a fantasy novel. He's also an incredible lyricist. But if there’s anything I want you to really love, it’s to not be complacent. Do not turn a blind eye to the injustices and horrors taking place every day, do not let yourself be distracted by petty trivialities like social media drama. Keep your eyes open, and witness it all. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Knowledge is power.
A Day In The Life - The Beatles
Sgt Pepper's is another album I want to force feed you - but I can’t, so this is a good start. Sit back and breathe it in - the plunking piano, the lilting vocals, and the explosion of sound that reaches deep into your soul. Music is art.
Cathedral - Crosby, Stills, and Nash
This song is a masterpiece. Relax and let the music take you away. Close your eyes and I swear you'll see colors. This is the closest thing to an acid trip you should be experiencing, but relish in it.
Smash The Mirror - The Who
“Listen to Tommy with a candle burning and you will see your entire future.” I won't make you listen to all of Tommy, regardless of how breath-taking and immersive it is. You can take this song literally, knowing it's from the perspective of Tommy's mother, incensed by her deaf, dumb, and blind son looking at nothing but the mirror. Or, you can extrapolate another meaning, one I find slightly more empowering and important, especially in adolescence. "How can the mirror affect you?" It doesn't. Don't let the mirror affect you - don't waste your days staring at the mirror, squeezing your face, and finding all of your "flaws." Your looks are the least interesting thing about you, don't let whatever you see in the mirror rob you of your joy. Smash the mirror.
While on the subject of Tommy, I'm sneaking another song in - "I'm Free." Be free, as free as you can be. Easier said than done, I know, but get out of your head and live in the moment - take it all in. Don't just hear, listen. Don't just watch, see. "Freedom tastes of reality."
Hold On - John Lennon
Life is scary. It feels like you've been sucked up into a tornado, spinning and spinning and spinning, searching for something to grab on to, something to ground you. But just hold on, and hold on tight. It really will be alright - it may not be what you expected, but it will be alright. I promise you.
Almost Cut My Hair - Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young
Listen to these lyrics - read them up and down, left to right, back to front. Do not give in an inch to fear. More importantly, let your freak flag fly. Grow your hair down past your toes, if that's what it takes. But just be you, your unapologetic, authentic self. That's the most satisfying thing you can do in this life - unleash your inner beast and don't hold back for the sake of fitting in.
Storms - Fleetwood Mac
You may not grasp the power of the enchanting songstress that is Stevie Nicks just yet, but trust that one day you will. When you get a little older, "Landslide" will be waiting for you. "Planets of the Universe" is there when you need recentering. Stevie Nicks has a song for every moment, every feeling - she's a master of lyricism. "Storms"is there for a broken heart, a sadness deep within. "Never have I been a blue calm sea, I have always been a storm," speaks for itself.
Space Oddity - David Bowie
Close your eyes and listen - you'll feel like you're floating, in the most peculiar way.
All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
Find one person who doesn't like Hendrix, I dare you. This is a cover of a Bob Dylan song - you'll learn more about him later, he can be an acquired taste. Jimi's version, however, is a fiery, psychadelic masterpiece. Dylan's prose interlaced with Jimi's powerful vocals and out-of-this-world guitar playing is an enchanting experience in itself. Absorb it all.
There are so many things I want to share with you, my baby brother. So many things I love that I wish you'd give a chance. But you're a fifteen-year-old boy with a mind of his own, in that phase of your life where you're contrarian for the sake of being contrarian - and that's okay. Just in case, I made you a playlist, filled with these songs and more. Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, Simon and Garfunkel, the list goes on.
They're strangers to you now, a world of unknown faces and strange sounds. But maybe one day you'll come around and maybe, just maybe, you'll appreciate music the way I do. To me, it's not just sounds and entertainment. It's education, it's art, and it's my greatest love - aside from you. You're weird and loud and funny and somehow still sticky, and I love every bit of you. Who knows, maybe somewhere deep inside, you might love me too.
Endlessly, your big sister (who's actually pretty cool if you give her a chance)
Truly a masterpiece. Congratulations!