By age 13, I had a small but growing record collection. It included Mary Poppins, a childhood gift that had seen better days, but kept for nostalgia’s sake. I in fact passed it down to my young son years later. Sadly, the LP’s long gone now. A Partridge Family album, with I Think I love You on it; a birthday gift. Laugh if you like, but actually a pretty good album. 20 Explosive Hits, first of the K-Tel series, every song on it, great IMHO. A Christmas gift.
In 1970, thanks to my Christmas wish list, my parents bought me the double album, Jesus Christ Superstar (JCS). I still have it, in addition to the two previously mentioned records, after all these years. JCS was very popular with all my (Catholic) friends, in the small town where I lived at the time. Much to the chagrin of our local Monsignor, who in a sermon one Sunday, tore it apart, insinuated the record was blasphemous.
At 13, I had come to strongly dislike organized religion, finding it hard to relate to, and a total bore. JCS gave me a new interest in Jesus, the story of his life, his teachings, that the Church had failed to do by that point. JCS was also my introduction to the ‘rock opera’, and thanks to all the talented musicians who played on it, certainly broadened my musical horizons.
I love the whole album, one of my favorites being the opening song, Heaven On Their Minds, in which Judas (played by Carl Anderson) warns Jesus of his fears of them (Jesus and the apostles) getting too big.
