WRITING SONGS ...
IS LIKE UNWITTINGLY  WRITING A DIARY - EVERY COMPOSITION CEMENTS THE MOMENT IT WAS WRITTEN, AND THE LOCATION, INTO THE MEMORY FOREVER, ONLY TO BE UNLOCKED IN MULTI COLOURED SPLENDOUR WHEN THE SONG IN QUESTION IS REVISITED, IRRESPECTIVE OF THE TIME TRAVELLED FROM THE INITIAL EVENT. AND, LIKE OTHER SIGNALS THAT RE-IMMERSE YOU IN A MOMENT THAT OCCURRED IN YOUR PAST , IT CAN SOMETIMES BRING BACK THE SHAKES, OR THE SMILES, TEARS OR LAUGHTER, DEPENDING ON THE GRAVITY OF THE PAST EVENT THAT THE SONG WAS ATTACHED TO IN YOUR MEMORY.  ON MY "80 SONGER"ARE SOME OF WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE MY BEST EFFORTS AT PENNING A GOOD TUNE. MANY MAY DISAGREE, BUT THIS IS MY SUBJECTIVE EFFORT AT CHRONICLING HALF A CENTURY OF A SUSTAINED THIRST FOR WRITING WORDS AND MUSIC IN THE HOPE THAT 1 OR 2 MIGHT BE ENJOYED BY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN RACE ( I KNOW A FEW 4 LEGGED FRIENDS WHO HAVE EXCITEDLY HOWLED ALONG IN THE PAST)   WHEN I FIRST FELT THE COMPELLING URGE TO MAKE MUSIC AT THE AGE OF 14, EFFECTIVELY SAYING GOODBYE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF PURSUING ANY OTHER CAREER PATH, I ENDURED A RECURRING ANXIETY THAT MY EFFORTS WOULD NOT BE OF ANY REAL BENEFIT TO THE WIDER WORLD - SONGWRTITING,  I CONSIDERED, WASN'T TO  BE A "USEFUL" JOB.  IT WAS MY MUSIC TEACHER THAT CALMED MY MIND BY ADVISING THAT NOTHING HAS THE ABILITY TO "TOUCH"   SOMEONE LIKE THE ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC. I HOPE I HAVE BEEN, TO A SMALL EXTENT, SUCCESSFUL IN MY INTENTIONS, ALTHOUGH "GLOBAL" SUCCESS WAS AN UNACHIEVED AMBITION, FOR MANY REASONS  THAT WERE BEYOND MY ABILITY TO CONTROL, WITH A HEALTHY TOUCH OF VANITY, IT IS MY HOPE THAT THIS LIFETIME COLLECTION OF MY BEST SONGS WILL REACH A WIDER AUDIENCE  AND LIVE ON FOR LONG AFTER I HAVE DEPARTED.