That got me thinking about my own music purchasing habits of the last twenty years. I'm also a big fan of the album. I think that artists place songs in a certain order for a reason. It's true that I've bought my fair share of singles since iTunes came around. But, I still prefer to purchase an entire album and listen to it from start to finish. When I'm using my iPod with headphones, I rarely use the shuffle feature. And, I've created only a couple of playlists in my time.
I've been thinking about my friend's question all day. I'd like to try and help him out. So, here's the top 10 list I'm going to give him. Perhaps you should pick one out and give it a try.
- The Strokes - "Is This It?" Nearly perfect. Of everything I've bought in the last 20 years, this is the one I want to play the loudest. Every time I listen to it, I'm reminded of a late night years ago, following a dinner meeting in Annapolis. I got in the car, turned on the stereo (I was still relying on CD's at the time), popped this in, turned it way up, started driving, and -- 10 minutes later -- realized I had no idea where I was. Normally, that would quicken my heart rate. Not this time. My heart rate was already elevated as I sang along to song 4 ("Barely Legal"), pounding on the steering wheel.
- The Connells - "Still Life." I really could put every Connells album on this list. I've never understood how they didn't become incredibly big. "Gonna Take a Lie," all on it's own, should have done it for them. Unfortunately, the band's Wikipedia entry says they're "... mostly dormant."
- Matthew Sweet - "Girlfriend." This one is actually 21 years old now. But, it holds up very well. I used to listen to it over and over back in the mid-'90's while working late, finishing up on work I'd carried home with me from Foster Higgins in boxes on the Metro. "Evangeline," "I Wanted to Tell You," and "Nothing Lasts" got me through quite a few proposal reviews.
- Muse - "The Resistance." Nick and I share two common loves -- Penn State football and Muse. I hate the Baltimore Arena. It's dirty. It smells. It reminds me of the circus and the Baltimore Blast. But, it also reminds me of a great night seeing Muse there with Nick right after this album came out -- screaming along til we were hoarse, bouncing til we were covered in sweat. Thanks, Nick.
- Wilco - "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot." The first song on the album, "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" has lyrics that still confuse me. The first line is "I am an American aquarium drinker / I assassin down the avenue." I'm sorry -- I'm just not smart enough to figure out what that means. But, it sucks me in each time. Who cares about the lyrics anyway?
- Pete Yorn - "Music for the Morning After." Yes, Pete Yorn is dreamy. Yes, he was dating Winona Ryder when this one came out. Yes, he secretly wished he was Jim Morrison. But, don't hold any of that against him. This album has everything. Slow songs. Fast songs. Sensitive lyrics (everything in "Lose You"). Silly lyrics ("Kiss / They were the ones / They dressed / Like something so special"). Slow builds. I really should listen to this one more often.
- Arcade Fire - "The Suburbs." At first, I wasn't a big fan. I thought that "Funeral" and "Neon Bible" were both better records. After a half-dozen listens, though, I realized I was wrong. "Funeral" had better singles ("Wake Up" has the best sing-along wailing chorus ever recorded) but "The Suburbs" works better from start to finish. That's what an album should do.
- Hot Hot Heat - "Make Up the Breakdown." Silly fun from start to finish. That works every time for me.
- Green Day - "American Idiot." Catchy. Fun. Loud. Mildly profane. Yes, it's an obvious choice. But, sometimes you just have to join the masses.
- The Killers - "Hot Fuss." The '80's were great. What's that? You don't believe me? Then listen to this album. OK, it's from 2004. But, it sounds just like the '80's.
