It's rare for those living in a golden age to realise that this is the case, even when they have a sense that something interesting and unusual is going on. As a teenager I took it for granted that the making of music by extremely talented musicians at a popular level was a given. I knew, as did those of my friends who had ears, that Frank Zappa - for example - was a gifted player and composer, but it never struck me that something rare and precious was happening in my lifetime and it was imperative to get as much of it as possible. Truth be told, I was blasé about Frank and all his gifts, never feeling inclined to buy the albums since I couldn't relate to all the comic stuff.
Today I found myself watching his band from 1974, one of the greatest line-ups he put together (and how, exactly? - I mean, by what magic did all these extraordinary talents come together under his notoriously exacting command?) and wondering how it was I managed to take compositions like Inca Roads for granted, as if they were somehow to be expected. I'd be inclined to congratulate myself for being around when this stuff was being created except I contrived to have little idea how privileged I actually was at the time.
(By the by, amidst all the brilliance on display, isn't it wonderful that it's Ruth who shines above all.)
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