Friday, December 2, 2011

I Am Somebody

CD Review

Stories written and performed by Linda Gorham. $10.00, plus $2.00 shipping & handling.

Reviewed by Linda Goodman

            In the introduction to her life-affirming CD I Am Somebody, Linda Gorham shares that she is descended from many people, including a grandmother who loved plastic, a grandfather who was a Pullman Porter, and a father who lived by the mantra “proper prior planning prevents poor performance.”   

            Gorham was raised to be morally responsible.  It’s In the Book is a tribute to her father, who used that phrase to verify values.  A typical good daughter, Gorham did not buck her father’s standards until she was a teenager.  Using popular songs from the late sixties to good effect, Gorham decides to do her “own thing.” Ultimately, this leads her on a journey that culminates in a tender scene in which her father interrogates her future husband in an effort to assure himself that the man can be trusted with such a valuable treasure. Ultimately, secrets are revealed that make Gorham see family members in a new light.

            Dog lovers will enjoy Juno, Not My Dog, a touching tale of a pesky dog that gradually creeps into the heart of a child who claims to resent it.

            In Plastic Glory, childhood adventures in a house where everything is covered with plastic lead to a somber moment when a father returns from Viet Nam.  This story is as relevant to today’s military as it was to the military of the sixties and seventies.

            A Prince of a Man features Gorham as an independent, self-sufficient, strong woman who discovers that having a Prince Charming around can have its advantages. Clearly, a woman can be a feminist and feminine at the same time.

            In a clever parallel to the old story of the tailor who becomes obsessed with a piece of cloth, Sofa to Cotton is an ode to reducing, reusing, and recycling. Being environmentally conscious requires some thinking outside the box, but it is worth the effort.

            Realizing that life is short, Gorham ponders life’s treasures and dumps life’s garbage in Red Light Reflections.  Favorite line: “I can open my own doors, but do it for me, because I’m worth it!”

            I Am Somebody is a loving tribute to ancestors, family, and self. This CD is a verbal monument to Gorham’s heritage, and it encourages its listeners to begin building monuments of their own. 

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