As I write this, we’re in the continuous middle of the social distancing, stay at home season of life in America. Each day has slidden into an easy pace where alarm clocks for the family are not necessary, where some daily work can often be accomplished in small doses and where vast amounts of time each day have opened up to other pursuits. Cooking, reading, exercise, home repair projects, music listening and a bunch of other pursuits now fill each day.
Over the last few weeks, many friends have participated in the social media “top 10 albums” postings. Even with no commentary or context other than the album cover, I’ve been reminded of some defining records while also seeing some that arch an eyebrow or cause a head scratch.
Isn’t that the beauty of music?
It is both personal and communal.
It is unique to my experiences while simultaneously being woven into the story of so many others.
You have your favorites, I have mine and so many times they intersect.
In thinking through the album lists, it dawned on me this week that I’ve become a playlist listener vs an album listening purist. I’m quick to hit shuffle or say “hey google play _____” before I turn on a device and listen through a whole album, all the way through, as a complete thought.
What has the modern era done to me?!
You don’t read a single chapter of a novel and say you’ve read it. You don’t watch a movie clip and say you saw that film. So why have I chosen to be satisfied with a tune here or there vs the complete thought encapsulated in the full recording?!
As a teenager, I remember taking my $15 to the record store every week to sort through racks of overly packaged CDs to decide which ONE I would buy and then spend the whole weekend listening to it endlessly. I absolutely loved that as I never knew exactly what to expect. There was intentional discovery in the listening on the horizon. I looked forward to those record store visits. I’d do without many things (necessities and nutritious food, too) to be able to afford a new CD each week.
We all know the digital revolution has changed so much of the music business and the way we encounter, experience and consume it. It just wasn’t until this particular quasi-quarantine week that I really looked at my listening habits and decided to redeem the time with complete album listens.
Here’s how it’s played out: the headphones go in when I think I’ll have an uninterrupted stretch to listen. I’m not fanatical about it, in that, if a call comes, I’ll answer it. If the wife needs me, I’ll pause and respond; but the intent is listening all the way through at least one album per day.
I scrolled through the iTunes already loaded on my phone and picked 14 records, two weeks’ worth to start this process. Understand, my first two weeks’ listening list probably will remind you of some good discs and it’ll raise an eyebrow on others. I’m sure some we will all gladly listen to, while others you’ll actually have to google to even know who they are or were. There are some automatic sure-fire listens like “The Joshua Tree” and “Gretchen Goes to Nebraska”. The only commentary I’ll add is that those were defining pieces of my teenage musical development. They MUST still be regularly re-listened to and through as they’re like comfort food, an old sweatshirt or dark roast coffee in the morning—they just fit me. I’m sure I’ll add to this list as time goes on but here’s where I’m starting, with what I’ve already spun this week checked (no priority of list, just alphabetical):
Bebo Norman-Ocean ✅
Bruce Cockburn-Humans
Charlie Peacock-Kingdom Come ✅
Counting Crows-August & Everything After
Eric Clapton-Slowhand
Guns ‘n Roses-Use Your Illusion 1 ✅
Hozier-Wasteland, Baby!
Jars of Clay-Inland
King’s X-Gretchen Goes to Nebraska ✅
Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris-All the Roadrunning ✅
Metallica-Kill ‘Em All
Mumford & Sons-Sigh No More
Shout-In Your Face ✅
U2-The Joshua Tree
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