"David, Jim Messina for you"

I think Dan and Matt will be able to relate to this, maybe Cody. Czech people? Mom or Neill???

I remember well when the Loggins & Messina "Sittin' In" album came out in 1969. I loved it, for both the music and the sound quality. There were many nights that Jay Perel and I listened to that album, not saying a word, just focussed on the words and music. We'd talk about the sogs after listening to them but not during. We didn't want to interrupt the music.

The "Sittin' In" album led me to the Poco records, which had come earlier. That great band, with Jim Messina as producer/singer/guitarist and Timothy Schmidt, was a forerunner of the Eagles. Jim also engineered and played on the Buffalo Springfield albums -- another groundbreaking lyric oriented country-rock band that ushered in the Eagles and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young supergroups.

Anyway, I loved Loggins & Messina and Poco and played those records more times than I could ever count. Back when 8-track players were the big thing for car sound systems, I made my own Poco 8-track tapes with the EQ adjusted just right for the acoustics of the Pontiac Tempest that I bought from Uncle Leo.

All those songs burned themselves not just into my consciousness, but America's and truly, the world's. Danny's Song, Watching The River Run, House At Pooh Corner, Angry Eyes...all those others. They were a very real part of the fabric of the 70's and 80's, inextricably linked to so many memories and events back then.

So imagine my surprise when Joe answered a call in the shop and shouted "David, Jim Messina for you". He was phoning about having some older tube gear serviced, and wanted to know if I might like to buy some gear he was phasing out. Many long conversations resulted, must involving stories about the old days and discussions about gear and recording techniques. It was an incredible thrill to ask Jim questions about the old records and hear his enthusiastic answers.

Yesterday morning a Fedex truck pulled up with a package. We weren't expecting any overnight shipments so it was a little puzzling. Inside the box was a copy of the "The Best of Loggins & Messina, Sittin' In Again", along with a very nice cover letter.

Listening to L&M and Poco in the 70's, I would never imagined that Jim Messina himself would one day be phoning me and telling me the stories behind those albums, much less sending copies of his records to me. It amazes me, and is a great honor that I wanted to pass on to my family.

Thanks Jim - you made my week, and maybe my whole year.