What I said back then:
Having randomised these entries, these two go together, as do the next two. Just the way the cards fall. So, Mary Chapin. I don’t honestly remember how I first heard her, or of her – on a compilation CD, I shouldn’t wonder, but I remember learning to play her songs on the guitar. This must be 1995 or so – the internet is still pretty heavily text based, and one of the things I quickly discover is OLGA – now a shadow of its former self, but then a cornucopia of resources for the amateur guitarist. I find all sorts of things I’d love to learn, and then I find all the songs from ‘Come On, Come On’ – these, for some reason, are the ones I find most comfortable to learn. I must sound pretty odd, belting out ‘He thinks he’ll keep her’, but I persevere, and I come to truly appreciate these songs as little gems of the songwriter’s craft – there’s nothing like learning to play a song to help you appreciate its inner beauty.
What I think now:
Well, OLGA is no more, and while I understand the reasons, and have a lot of sympathy with artists attempting to protect copyright, I do think that there has to be a better way of protecting copyright than simply making things unavailable. Interestingly, there are plenty of tab sites around now, complete with apps for iPods and so on – I’m not sure that there is any distinction between what Ultimate Guitar does now and what OLGA was doing back then, but I’m sure there are reasons why one died and one thrives.
Since then:
Not a lot more on the Mary Chapin Carpenter front, I’m afraid. She’s a great songwriter, but I think I moved on relatively quickly. ‘I Take My Chances’ is still a great song, though.