Absolutely Fantastic

Meet Stanlei Klein

Stenlei is Iolanda's father.  He is nearing retirement as a chemistry professor at a prestigious university in Araracuara. He and his wife live in a beautiful house just outside of downtown with a lovely garden, small pool, covered barbecue patio and another covered area with a pool table.  Pockets in Brazilian tables are smaller.   I've realized how terrible I am at their game.  The Kleins have three daughters ranging from 29-35 years.

Stanlei was very excited to have us in his home for five days, and I can't describe exactly how much fun it has been.  On the second day, as he was finishing preparing and marinating wild goat leg and ribs for the evening's party, I wandered around the house and took a look at his music collection.  He has hundreds of CDs in a glass case in the middle of the house.  It took me only a few seconds to realize two things.  1) We have IDENTICAL taste in music.   2) He knows his stuff.   My favorite bands consist of Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Crosby, Stills and Nash, The Rolling Stones and Stevie Ray Vaughan.  He has everything.  Every Zeppelin album, two copies of every Pink Floyd album, including Animals(Impossible to find on Vinyl), 7 or 8 of Jimi, Stones and Stevie Ray.  Our favorite CSN album is Deja Vu.  Our favorite Pink album is Dark Side of the Moon(not terribly surprising).  We both love Bob Dylan as a lyricist, but don't like his style of music.  Other bands in his collection consist of The Beatles, Jethro Tull, Nirvana, U2, Santana, Allman Brothers, Simon and Garfunkel and many more.

     Absolutely Fantastic.

I chased him down as soon as I could stop admiring his collection.  He had just finished with the goat and was drying his hands.  I told him what I had just discovered, and our similar tastes in music.  He immediately smiled and shook my hand.  We walked back to his CDs and he showed me some of his favorites, we talked about what we liked about different bands.  When I say "we talked", I mean he explained in perfect detail what was happening in different songs, and I listened and tried to keep up.   I am relatively new into following and enjoying classic quality music - I got my record player in March of 2013.  He explained things about songs that I have been listening to consistently for over a year that I had never been able to hear, and in turn, enjoy.  His description of the art of the slide guitar, our favorite style of guitar playing, was spot on.  He would go on to describe how certain songs and bands remind him more of an orchestral composition over a rock song the way certain instruments are put together.  He had the highest regard for Jethro Tull.  The band consists of drums, classical guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, flute and an electric piano that switches from classic to a synthesizer sound.  One of their most popular songs is Thick as a Brick.  I have it on my most played playlist on Spotify, and have probably heard it 50 times.  As many times as I've heard it, I've never really heard it.  I've listened to it, but I've never listened to it.  Turns out, Thick as a Brick is not only a song, but also a Full album!  A 43-minute song.  It only took me one time listening to it to change my opinion.

     Absolutely Fantastic.

I'm outside next to the pool on Tuesday afternoon.  It's about 75 degrees, a slight breeze and not a cloud in the sky(yes, it's in the middle of winter here).  I'm watching the sun slowly slip behind the neighbor's house. The shade from the peak comprised of clay tiles is slowly crawling up my chest.  My head phones shut me off from any other thoughts.  Just my pen and paper as company.  Thick as a Brick starts slow.  Light drum work, simple lyrics and a soothing acoustic guitar quickly followed by soft flute work.  My toes move with the guitar.  Piano enters as the flute takes a short break before livening up again.  My head starts to bounce with the flute.  A little electric guitar before a more vigorous feel from the flute and matching drums.  I'm clenching my jaw while softly swaying my head rhythmically in no specific path.   The whole song flows in and out of peaceful folk to stressful but rhythmic hard rock and the slightest hint of jazz and something I just don't understand.  It's not a song, not an album, but an experience.  Stanlei admitted that after listening to it, he can be pulled out of any sour mood.  Getting well past the 40-minute mark, the experience elevates in tempo for the last time, flute and electric guitar in the forefront with the style of my body movement to the music provided by the back and forth bouncing of the drum and bass together.  The orchestral feeling is alive with a small inclusion of a string ensemble before closing with the electric keyboard followed by a soft acoustic guitar with the lead singer's final chorus.  The sun was barely completely out of direct sight with the closing words of "cause you're thick... as a brick". It went far beyond pleasing my auditory senses as a soothing song.  I didn't only listen to it, I felt it.  A sensation few musical performances have on me.

     "Absolutely Fantastic".

I'm convinced this is Stanlei's favorite phrase, which he used at least 15 times to describe music, especially during our conversation about Thick as a Brick.  A strong Brazilian accent, but a soft and graceful tone of voice.  Just as the flute and drums work together in Thick as a Brick for a perfect fit, his accent, tone of voice and the two words used, along with his use of hands are a perfect fit.

     Absolutely Fantastic.