Songs Of The Day 10/11/2013: Pastor John Rydgren - "Music To Watch Girls By" + "Hippie Version of the 23rd Psalm"

Pastor John Rydgren (1932-1988) was one of the greatest things ever made. He grew up in Seattle and got his degree from Pacific Lutheran University in 1958. He elbowed his way to leadership of the American Lutheran Church's media department in the late-'60s, when he developed a series of radio shorts called Silhouettes, taped in a church basement. These supreme recordings -- I am not being ironic in my affection for Rydgren's work -- took the teachings of Jesus Christ and wedded them to the parlance of the day, which meant Pastor Rydgren spoke jive. Even though the music he chose as backup wasn't necessarily what all the Freaks were Turning On To, his basso delivery was Barry White seductive and just twisted enough not to scare anyone away from the happening love-in vibes he was blowing your mind with. There are way too many gems from the oeuvre of Pastor Rydgren for me to suggest you stop with these two, so hit this WFMU page for the complete 19-song set. That said, these two are pretty marvelous. He craves my face when it's ugly, man... he's my lifetime trick.