ALBUM: Restless (1984)
MVC Rating: 3.0/$
OK, I’m going to break all sorts of protocol here and say this radio-friendly country duo is all right by me.
In reality, the Bellamy Brothers are a little too pop country radio for me. Not sure where or why I bought this.
But Googling them, the first thing I found was a video where they are havinga singalong with breast cancer survivors at an event by Susan G. Komen, a group that supports these survivors. I greatly admire the group and have written about various aspects of breast cancer research and treatment.
These brave women (and men), who have stared down death, have a lot to teach me and all of us with diseases that have no cure.
The video features a Bellamy Brothers song that is not even on the Restless album. Restless is good for those who like their country music smooth as Woodford Reserve Kentucky bourbon. But the music is a little less rootsy than I care for in my country. I do love some of the lyrics; the singing is fine if not slick; and the music playing is doggone good. Since my diagnosis of Lewy body dementia, I realized I see things differently, probably with a heightened sentimentality. But if they are all about raising awareness and promoting research into a deadly disease, they are all right by me.
The song on the video, we’ve all hummed a thousand times over the years and probably tried to get it out of our heads a thousand times more. It is the Bellamy Brothers biggest hit, but over 40 years they have had a stream of country hits and crossovers. Everybody with a radio is familiar with it.
Well the song suddenly became profound to me, if not for a minute:
Here’s last verse followed by the video.
It’s the season
Let your love fly
Like a bird on the wing
And let your love bind you
To all living things
And let your love shine
And you’ll know what I mean
That’s the reason.
Counting down my 678 vinyl records before I die of brain disease.
Here’s the video