Back in 83 a buddy let me borrow his cassette of GUTF. It blew me away, and in short order I had the LP, and although I missed the T-Rex cover, it was okay. I had the album. Back then information was scarce, and I later found out about your Nazareth connection, but it was this album that rocked my world. I actually thought you were Canadian for a long time due to the little postage stamp sized pic of a kid in a bloody Toronto jersey. Being from Vancouver, this was unfortunate, but in terms of jerseys back then the Canucks one sucked.

I remember looking, and looking for the follow up. Still looking, but it’s not clear from the notes whether or not A&M actually put it out.

Then life moved along, but I never lost my love of your first album. I did find your site a while ago, and in the Vault I found out more, and “it was good” – who doesn’t love a good old Bible quote?

Fast forward and we refinished our basement and I was allowed two rooms. One for my guitars and studio (which is mostly full of crap, but all the gear is there) and the one where I set up my old stereo and started to reassemble my vinyl collection (much to my wife’s chagrin). Which is where I am now, and you’re asking me where am I now? I’m in the basement, thanks for asking. So along with blasting out the debut, which still makes me feel like its 83 despite the passage of time, I started to digest your site. Good lord, you’ve set a high bar for storytelling and frankly showing the passion and warts that is music. My take away from all your notes is that you seem to be married to the same lady for 40 years, and this above all made me really happy.

I read in one of the posts that you’re not playing much as you’ve had damage to the right hand. That sucks.

I learned early on that you’re a Scot – Not Canadian, but you know about April Wine, Little Mountain Studios (gone now, I spend a little time their with a buddy when the Payolas were recording with David Foster … I waved at him) so I’ll give you a pass and grant honourary status. Frankly you seem like a guy who’d be fun to have a drink with. If it counts for anything I spent a week at Iona a couple of years ago, and every night we drank at the pub, used the dodgy wifi and then walked back to the monastery where we were staying.

Thanks for all the memories, thanks. I’ll stop my ramblin’ for now.

PS broke my heart to read both of the Washburns are MIA. Maybe one day on storage wars someone will get lucky, and wonder what the fuck they’ve found.

Geeking geek out.

Jevon