Something Worth Listening To

There was a time - seemingly not too long ago - when you had to buy a whole album (record, tape, CD, whatever) just to get those one or two songs that you really wanted to listen to.  In the past decade, music has been so commoditized that the value of any one individual track is now from 0 to 99 cents.  With the advent of Napster and now iTunes, everyone is free to buy only those songs that they know they want; only the "hits".  On a certain level, this is indisputably a good thing.  After all, who hasn't been burned by shelling out $16 or more on a whole album, enticed by the constant terrestrial radio play or MTV video exposition of a band, only to find that the record was 90% unlistenable crap?

You sir, are no Kurt Cobain!

I remember back in 2002 being really excited about a band call The Vines.  Their song Get Free sounded like a power-trio grunge hit circa 1992; kind of like Nirvana by way of Silverchair.  So, I bought Highly Evolved (the CD with that song on it), and listened to it start to finish.  And you know what?  It was mostly psychedelic bubblegum pop-rock.  With the exception of Get Free, it sounded like a random Beatles record to me - which of course isn't shit - but when you purchase something expecting to hear Kurt Cobain, getting Paul McCartney is a bit of a disappointment to say the least.

So, good riddance to the tyranny of the full album!

But now, I fear that the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction.  Now that kids can buy Smells Like Teen Spirit for 99¢ why would they purchase all of Nevermind for $10?

In this fragmentation of music - especially with older albums - consumers today very well might miss out on the joy of accidentally finding non-hit songs that they like and appreciate just as much as, if not more than, the popular favorites.  Some albums in their entirety are good to own regardless of how many "hits" are on them.  

Therefore, in an attempt to provide some useful advice for music consumers of today (sans any input, coercion, or influence from the bands / recording labels), I will periodically suggest great, must-have albums.

In general, I have found that thoroughly listenable albums can be split into two main categories: those that have a similar sonic or lyric theme running through them (essentially "concept" albums), and those that are broadly variable their sound from song-to-song, but each and every song is independently good, and the manner in which the songs are organized within the album makes listening to the whole thing a pleasurable experience.  While there are perhaps dozens of great albums in each category (grains of sand amongst the thousands of records produced each year), I thought I'd start this series with a couple of the best examples of each type.

1. Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd):

This record is a great example of the "concept" album.  As has been fully described elsewhere, Dark Side of the Moon explores ideas of human life and the human societal condition (Time, Money, death, madness) both lyrically and aurally throughout this album.  The songs, by design, pass into each other seamlessly.  Similarly, the rhythms, chords and tones used in each song of Dark Side are woven together, creating a subconscious correlation betwixt them.  For example, Us and Them (track 7) is a jazzier exposition of the chords in Breathe (track 2), and Any Colour You Like (track 8) certainly has sonic call-backs to The Great Gig in the Sky (track 5).  And, most obviously, Brain Damage (track 9) cannot be completed without Eclipse (track 10).

Even if you are not generally a classic rock fan, or know anything about Pink Floyd, this album, Dark Side of the Moon, is a must-own.

2. The Bends (Radiohead):

Containing such popular hits as Just and Fake Plastic Trees, The Bends was indisputably a commercial success for Radiohead.  With lyrics more mature in their complexity from what Thom Yorke wrote for Pablo Honey, featuring explosive guitars, driving bass, and, alternately, melancholy organ and strings, The Bends is that strangest of all musical things: a tremendously great sophomore record by a popular band.  In my opinion, The Bends remains the best of all Radiohead albums; quintessential in its mid-90s alternative rock.  The songs all convey their meaning and emotion without trying too hard, and have a wonderful variability throughout.  From the sadness of High and Dry or Fake Plastic Trees, to the tremendous power of Bones, Just or Black Star, this album might tire you out emotionally, but you will never tire of listening to it.  Thus, The Bends remains a great example of the second category of must-own albums: every song on it is excellent, and the album overall is evenly and beautifully balanced between the slow and fast, heavy and quiet, sad and angry.

So, if you're thinking of just purchasing Fake Plastic Trees because it has a full "popularity" bar on iTunes, I implore you to forego your coffee tomorrow morning, or take some cash out of savings if you need to, and spend the extra $8 on the whole album.  I guarantee you won't regret it.