Friday, August 20, 2010
THOUGHTS I NORMALLY KEEP IN MY HEAD, part I
I feel bad for my friends, especially those who are so kind and genuine when trying to cheer me up. I love them dearly and it bothers me so that their efforts feel so wasted on me. Try as they do, I have great difficulty looking on the bright side of life - as least when it comes to myself. I want desperately to believe that if they just don't give up on me, that their efforts will not be in vain...but my shell is a tough one to crack. How black is the ink in the well of my soul? No matter how many white drops of optimism are added to it, I fail to notice any greying...even after all these years. Is there any hope for me? I fear I'll lose everyone before I figure it out...
Thursday, August 19, 2010
LAZINESS
I like KT Tunstall's song "Black Horse and Cherry Tree". However, every time I hear the song I am distracted by the "woo-hoo"s throughout it and not because they're bad or shouldn't be there; but rather, because they're the SAME "woo-hoo"s throughout the ENTIRE song and it is so obvious that they are. They couldn't record a whole bunch of those while they had her in studio? It's just so lazy and it's sad. This isn't exactly a difficult thing to do but because they didn't put that little extra piece of effort into it, what should be a really cool song becomes simply aggravating.
The video to this song has stupidly disabled embedding cuz why would EMI make it easy for others to hear their artists' songs... Here's the YouTube link: Black Horse and the Cherry Tree and listen for yourself.
The video to this song has stupidly disabled embedding cuz why would EMI make it easy for others to hear their artists' songs... Here's the YouTube link: Black Horse and the Cherry Tree and listen for yourself.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
I NEED A POSITIVE ENTRY FOR THIS BLOG
It's hardly controversial for one to say they like The Beatles. Liking The Beatles goes hand-in-hand with liking music in general. I don't even name them when listing my favorite musicians because, in my mind, it is simply understood that you do. I don't even think I could be with someone who doesn't thoroughly enjoy their music. :-)
Top 10 lists are always a popular way to waste time. I was recently asked what my Top 10 Beatles songs were. It's surprisingly difficult to come up with one. A Top 20 list would prove to be no problem whatsoever, but the culling necessary to generate a Top 10 has proven frustrating. What do I include? What do I exclude and why?
I'm not interested in being "too cool for the room" nor do I feel compelled to honor consensus and select those songs which have had much critical acclaim over the years. I am simply selecting those songs which, if they were the only ten songs by The Beatles I would ever hear again, I would not feel left wanting.
However, what I have not been able to do is order these songs. I could try, but I'm not sure what it would accomplish. I like songs for different reasons so they don't necessarily compare. This doesn't stop me from saying that "You Won't See Me" is my favorite Beatles song, but the rest of the list isn't about that. So, after the aforementioned song, the nine songs which follow will be listed simply in alphabetical order rather than in any kind of order of superiority that is generally implied in Top 10 listings.
"You Won't See Me" is my favorite of them all. It's just one of those perfectly composed songs. It's simple, easy to learn, and adds complexity over the verses. How enjoyable is it when those "la la"s start kicking in? The music feels like it was written for the lyrics rather than the other way around. Like "Road to Nowhere" by Talking Heads, this song feels like it needed to be written and that the world is a better place for having this song in it. The only thing I've found wrong with the song over the years is that it fades out too quickly. A victim of its time I imagine. The song already runs long (almost 3½ minutes in an era of 2-2½ minute songs) so that may be the reason. I imagine a fan-edit could solve this problem since the music and singing has become deliberately repetitive by that point in the song.
I love the way the piano kicks in during the chorus of "For No One". It totally makes the song. It's also another one of those songs that makes me wonder what happened to Paul McCartney. He wrote these awesome songs with The Beatles and then totally lost it in his solo career putting out just so much dreck. I can't help but wonder how much John and George kept him in check. How he went from "Yesterday", "For No One", and "Oh! Darling" to "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey", "Silly Love Songs", and "Temporary Secretary" is just beyond me...
"I Feel Fine" is one of those songs that's immediately awesome with its deliberate guitar feedback. It is perhaps foreshadowing of the kinds of musical experimentation that the band would explore throughout their career. The song is simple but what makes it powerful is its unbridled joy. This song simply makes me feel happy to hear and to sing.
"I've Just Seen a Face" - How awesome is this song! The joy and anticipation inherent in the pacing and tempo of the lyrics is amazing. I can't wait until I've reached a point in my life where I could feel this song in my heart. For while I have definitely seen a few faces that have made my heart flutter, the endings to these sightings have yet to prove happy. However, despite that, my heart remains at the ready with this song in mind.
"I Will" - I remember this song from childhood. Dad made a mix tape for my brother and me of songs from The Beatles first five albums. This one was the anomalous later album inclusion that ended the tape although it got cut off during the final bongo taps. This song is beautiful for its simplicity. It's short and sweet and to the point. Paul McCartney's songs from The Beatles make me look so forward to being in love.
"In My Life" I think is one of, if not the, greatest song ever written. It's a rare song whose lyrics are so beautiful and well-crafted. There is no one for whom this song could not describe. There's no mention of gender, sexual orientation, race, time period, nothing to make it so that the song could not be applied to you. The song is perfectly general. There aren't any obsolete slang words like "groovy" to take you out of it. It's truly an anthem to nostalgia applicable to all. This song, not "Imagine", should be the one for which John Lennon is known (although "Cold Turkey" is just as awesome. If you listen to it, as the song goes into its long ending sequence, I'll remind you of a story my stepfather told me. He said he had a neighbor who would play music that he absolutely hated so he would put this song into his stereo and crank it up to full volume in protest to this neighbor's shitty tastes. Knowing that story makes "Cold Turkey" tremendously enjoyable)
"Only a Northern Song" - In what may be considered by some to be my "too cool for the room" entry on this list, I have included George Harrison's "Only a Northern Song". This song intrigues me. I've never known what to make of it. While "Revolution 9" is probably their most unusual track, I think "Only a Northern Song" to be The Beatles' most unusual song that was meant to be a song. Its complex arrangement; Harrison's strange, yet thoughtful lyrics; unusual instrumentation; and the fact that the whole song sounds out-of-tune, yet triumphing despite that makes it a favorite of mine that I look forward to every time I put in my version of the Yellow Submarine album (I deleted the repeat songs and instrumental tracks and then added the completed, unreleased tracks from their Anthology albums).
"Something" - This song alone makes me wish John and Paul didn't hold George back so much during their years together in The Beatles. Right away from George's first contribution "Don't Bother Me", you knew that he had some major talent that would unfortunately have to wait for his solo career. It's also another glorious contribution to the love songs of the English language. Who hasn't felt what he is singing about?
"Things We Said Today" - Another example of a song that, while simple in its instrumentation, is powerful lyrically. I can't explain precisely what it is to me that makes this song so awesome, it just simply is. :-)
"We Can Work It Out" - The opposite of the previous song. This one is simple in its lyrics but powerful in its instrumentation. How many of you still feel that tingle as the song slows down a bit and Ringo pounds away on the cymbals? I also admire this song because it was "just a single". You never see this anymore where artists simply release songs because they can. This particular 45 had "We Can Work It Out" as its A-side and "Day Tripper" as the B-side. Two perfectly album-worthy songs released simply for the fuck of it. The Beatles were writing so many songs that rather than do the lazy thing and include them on a future album so that they could take some time off now, they simply released the songs to an eager public. In today's MP3-heavy culture, you would think we would be seeing a renaissance of digital 45s but instead artists are still trying to release full albums.
Thanks for reading! - or simply scrolling on through :-P
Top 10 lists are always a popular way to waste time. I was recently asked what my Top 10 Beatles songs were. It's surprisingly difficult to come up with one. A Top 20 list would prove to be no problem whatsoever, but the culling necessary to generate a Top 10 has proven frustrating. What do I include? What do I exclude and why?
I'm not interested in being "too cool for the room" nor do I feel compelled to honor consensus and select those songs which have had much critical acclaim over the years. I am simply selecting those songs which, if they were the only ten songs by The Beatles I would ever hear again, I would not feel left wanting.
However, what I have not been able to do is order these songs. I could try, but I'm not sure what it would accomplish. I like songs for different reasons so they don't necessarily compare. This doesn't stop me from saying that "You Won't See Me" is my favorite Beatles song, but the rest of the list isn't about that. So, after the aforementioned song, the nine songs which follow will be listed simply in alphabetical order rather than in any kind of order of superiority that is generally implied in Top 10 listings.
--- MY TOP 10 BEATLES SONGS ---
You Won't See Me (Rubber Soul)
For No One (Revolver)
I Feel Fine (non-album single)
I've Just Seen a Face (Help!)
I Will ("White Album")
In My Life (Rubber Soul)
Only A Northern Song (Yellow Submarine)
Something (Abbey Road)
Things We Said Today (A Hard Day's Night)
We Can Work It Out (non-album single)
"You Won't See Me" is my favorite of them all. It's just one of those perfectly composed songs. It's simple, easy to learn, and adds complexity over the verses. How enjoyable is it when those "la la"s start kicking in? The music feels like it was written for the lyrics rather than the other way around. Like "Road to Nowhere" by Talking Heads, this song feels like it needed to be written and that the world is a better place for having this song in it. The only thing I've found wrong with the song over the years is that it fades out too quickly. A victim of its time I imagine. The song already runs long (almost 3½ minutes in an era of 2-2½ minute songs) so that may be the reason. I imagine a fan-edit could solve this problem since the music and singing has become deliberately repetitive by that point in the song.
I love the way the piano kicks in during the chorus of "For No One". It totally makes the song. It's also another one of those songs that makes me wonder what happened to Paul McCartney. He wrote these awesome songs with The Beatles and then totally lost it in his solo career putting out just so much dreck. I can't help but wonder how much John and George kept him in check. How he went from "Yesterday", "For No One", and "Oh! Darling" to "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey", "Silly Love Songs", and "Temporary Secretary" is just beyond me...
"I Feel Fine" is one of those songs that's immediately awesome with its deliberate guitar feedback. It is perhaps foreshadowing of the kinds of musical experimentation that the band would explore throughout their career. The song is simple but what makes it powerful is its unbridled joy. This song simply makes me feel happy to hear and to sing.
"I've Just Seen a Face" - How awesome is this song! The joy and anticipation inherent in the pacing and tempo of the lyrics is amazing. I can't wait until I've reached a point in my life where I could feel this song in my heart. For while I have definitely seen a few faces that have made my heart flutter, the endings to these sightings have yet to prove happy. However, despite that, my heart remains at the ready with this song in mind.
"I Will" - I remember this song from childhood. Dad made a mix tape for my brother and me of songs from The Beatles first five albums. This one was the anomalous later album inclusion that ended the tape although it got cut off during the final bongo taps. This song is beautiful for its simplicity. It's short and sweet and to the point. Paul McCartney's songs from The Beatles make me look so forward to being in love.
"In My Life" I think is one of, if not the, greatest song ever written. It's a rare song whose lyrics are so beautiful and well-crafted. There is no one for whom this song could not describe. There's no mention of gender, sexual orientation, race, time period, nothing to make it so that the song could not be applied to you. The song is perfectly general. There aren't any obsolete slang words like "groovy" to take you out of it. It's truly an anthem to nostalgia applicable to all. This song, not "Imagine", should be the one for which John Lennon is known (although "Cold Turkey" is just as awesome. If you listen to it, as the song goes into its long ending sequence, I'll remind you of a story my stepfather told me. He said he had a neighbor who would play music that he absolutely hated so he would put this song into his stereo and crank it up to full volume in protest to this neighbor's shitty tastes. Knowing that story makes "Cold Turkey" tremendously enjoyable)
"Only a Northern Song" - In what may be considered by some to be my "too cool for the room" entry on this list, I have included George Harrison's "Only a Northern Song". This song intrigues me. I've never known what to make of it. While "Revolution 9" is probably their most unusual track, I think "Only a Northern Song" to be The Beatles' most unusual song that was meant to be a song. Its complex arrangement; Harrison's strange, yet thoughtful lyrics; unusual instrumentation; and the fact that the whole song sounds out-of-tune, yet triumphing despite that makes it a favorite of mine that I look forward to every time I put in my version of the Yellow Submarine album (I deleted the repeat songs and instrumental tracks and then added the completed, unreleased tracks from their Anthology albums).
"Something" - This song alone makes me wish John and Paul didn't hold George back so much during their years together in The Beatles. Right away from George's first contribution "Don't Bother Me", you knew that he had some major talent that would unfortunately have to wait for his solo career. It's also another glorious contribution to the love songs of the English language. Who hasn't felt what he is singing about?
"Things We Said Today" - Another example of a song that, while simple in its instrumentation, is powerful lyrically. I can't explain precisely what it is to me that makes this song so awesome, it just simply is. :-)
"We Can Work It Out" - The opposite of the previous song. This one is simple in its lyrics but powerful in its instrumentation. How many of you still feel that tingle as the song slows down a bit and Ringo pounds away on the cymbals? I also admire this song because it was "just a single". You never see this anymore where artists simply release songs because they can. This particular 45 had "We Can Work It Out" as its A-side and "Day Tripper" as the B-side. Two perfectly album-worthy songs released simply for the fuck of it. The Beatles were writing so many songs that rather than do the lazy thing and include them on a future album so that they could take some time off now, they simply released the songs to an eager public. In today's MP3-heavy culture, you would think we would be seeing a renaissance of digital 45s but instead artists are still trying to release full albums.
Thanks for reading! - or simply scrolling on through :-P
AND SO I KEEP GOING 'ROUND IN CIRCLES...
It's always weird for me to see couples. I've never had a girlfriend. I can't even imagine having one: it's such a foreign concept. I can't picture a woman choosing me when she has the choice of everyone else on this planet. I can't envision her arms going around mine because she wanted to do so. The thought of her wanting to kiss me, hold me, touch me is the equivalent of a syntax error to my mind...does not compute. It's lonely and leaves me despairing more often than not.
It's been suggested to me that I use those internet dating sites. I don't see the problem with that eventually. It's the initially thing that kills me inside. I know the stigma of internet dating has more-or-less been removed in recent years but I don't think the stigma of using it for your first date has been. And it doesn't matter to me if such a concept is a social stigma or not. It's a personal one for me. I already feel like such a loser. The lack of attention/interest I have received over the years from girls has left me feeling ugly. The need to be able to do this, even if only just once, in real life is extremely important. And all my combined deficiencies do nothing to make me believe that I have any way out of this hole that I've dug...
I'm gonna be thirty-two soon. What a horrible thing to realize that, for all intents and purposes, I am in the same boat I was in since I've been twelve - the age when I first started liking girls. I'm a twenty year old twelve year old.
I just can't picture who would want someone like me, or rather...who would want to invest in someone like me. I'm a piece of work. Why be with me when there are plenty of pre-fab boyfriends out there for women? Be with a guy with experience or without? Be with a guy who can drive or one who can't? Be with a guy who likes to go out or be with one who prefers staying home? Be with a guy who believes in God or with one who has no need for such superstitions? Be with a guy who makes decent money or with one who's barely getting by? Be with a guy who you can be superficially proud of or with one who needs to be constantly justified to friends and family? Be with a guy who has weekends off or with one who hasn't had a weekend off since 1999? Be with a guy who has confidence in himself or with one who is broken inside?
The natural world operates on the path of least resistance. Atoms settle naturally into the lowest possible energy state. The low-hanging fruit gets picked first. Predators seek out prey which is old, very young, sick, and injured. I am quite the wall to surmount. I wouldn't even date me so why would anyone else? I wouldn't know what to do with a girl even if I could have one...
And the depression merely mounts. The oldest I wanted to be when I had my first child was thirty-two. I wanted to be married starting when I was twenty-four. I'm nowhere near any of this and so I feel old, I feel unwanted, I feel ugly, I feel despised, I feel like a monster, I feel like a failure regardless of whether it is true or not.
I am a failure.
It's been suggested to me that I use those internet dating sites. I don't see the problem with that eventually. It's the initially thing that kills me inside. I know the stigma of internet dating has more-or-less been removed in recent years but I don't think the stigma of using it for your first date has been. And it doesn't matter to me if such a concept is a social stigma or not. It's a personal one for me. I already feel like such a loser. The lack of attention/interest I have received over the years from girls has left me feeling ugly. The need to be able to do this, even if only just once, in real life is extremely important. And all my combined deficiencies do nothing to make me believe that I have any way out of this hole that I've dug...
I'm gonna be thirty-two soon. What a horrible thing to realize that, for all intents and purposes, I am in the same boat I was in since I've been twelve - the age when I first started liking girls. I'm a twenty year old twelve year old.
I just can't picture who would want someone like me, or rather...who would want to invest in someone like me. I'm a piece of work. Why be with me when there are plenty of pre-fab boyfriends out there for women? Be with a guy with experience or without? Be with a guy who can drive or one who can't? Be with a guy who likes to go out or be with one who prefers staying home? Be with a guy who believes in God or with one who has no need for such superstitions? Be with a guy who makes decent money or with one who's barely getting by? Be with a guy who you can be superficially proud of or with one who needs to be constantly justified to friends and family? Be with a guy who has weekends off or with one who hasn't had a weekend off since 1999? Be with a guy who has confidence in himself or with one who is broken inside?
The natural world operates on the path of least resistance. Atoms settle naturally into the lowest possible energy state. The low-hanging fruit gets picked first. Predators seek out prey which is old, very young, sick, and injured. I am quite the wall to surmount. I wouldn't even date me so why would anyone else? I wouldn't know what to do with a girl even if I could have one...
And the depression merely mounts. The oldest I wanted to be when I had my first child was thirty-two. I wanted to be married starting when I was twenty-four. I'm nowhere near any of this and so I feel old, I feel unwanted, I feel ugly, I feel despised, I feel like a monster, I feel like a failure regardless of whether it is true or not.
I am a failure.
AND NOW FOR THE SINGLES...
My previous post listed my albums in an attempt to discover my favorite music period (un)scientifically. I left out my compilation CDs and other assorted singles. Now I've gone through the remainder of my collection.
I tallied up my collection of singles. Since compilation CDs tend to include some songs that you don't like, I have only chosen to note those singles which I like. In total, I have collected 875 singles that I like ranging from 1935 to 2009. The very oldest ones tend to be Christmas songs (like "Silent Night" by Bing Crosby [1935]) and some old swing-era tunes (like "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller [1939]) and the newest ones represent MP3s that I have recently begun downloading (like "40 Day Dream" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes and the subject of my months-long search "Greeting Committee" by The Pillbugs).
1935 - 3 1957 - 21 1972 - 20 1987 - 11 2004 - 2
1937 - 1 1958 - 23 1973 - 19 1988 - 5 2005 - 1
1939 - 4 1959 - 13 1974 - 16 1989 - 12 2006 - 4
1940 - 2 1960 - 6 1975 - 18 1990 - 3 2007 - 3
1941 - 1 1961 - 17 1976 - 27 1991 - 5 2008 - 2
1942 - 3 1962 - 11 1977 - 32 1993 - 3 2009 - 4
1944 - 2 1963 - 33 1978 - 25 1994 - 2
1945 - 1 1964 - 42 1979 - 27 1995 - 3
1947 - 1 1965 - 50 1980 - 20 1996 - 6
1948 - 1 1966 - 54 1981 - 27 1997 - 1
1949 - 1 1967 - 39 1982 - 26 1998 - 2
1953 - 1 1968 - 32 1983 - 27 2000 - 1
1954 - 2 1969 - 33 1984 - 30 2001 - 1
1955 - 4 1970 - 16 1985 - 19 2002 - 4
1956 - 7 1971 - 20 1986 - 22 2003 - 1
1966 is the clear winner with 54 songs (I'm not listing them).
1963-1969 is clearly my favorite period on the basis of singles with 1976-1986 being the second most popular period. Songs I intend to buy come not only from those periods as well but from recent times as well. The music I've been hearing today hasn't lent itself to me wanting to get their albums although I've been impressed by Little Joy and Sara Bareilles.
I wonder how this list might change as I add to it over the years?
And let me take a moment to thank the advancement of technology. I can't imagine lugging around the massive collection of 45s, EPs, and LPs that a collection such as this would require. Album art issues aside, that shit got real heavy real fast. Viva las CDs y MP3s!
(originally posted in That Other Journal on August 18, 2010)
I tallied up my collection of singles. Since compilation CDs tend to include some songs that you don't like, I have only chosen to note those singles which I like. In total, I have collected 875 singles that I like ranging from 1935 to 2009. The very oldest ones tend to be Christmas songs (like "Silent Night" by Bing Crosby [1935]) and some old swing-era tunes (like "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller [1939]) and the newest ones represent MP3s that I have recently begun downloading (like "40 Day Dream" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes and the subject of my months-long search "Greeting Committee" by The Pillbugs).
1935 - 3 1957 - 21 1972 - 20 1987 - 11 2004 - 2
1937 - 1 1958 - 23 1973 - 19 1988 - 5 2005 - 1
1939 - 4 1959 - 13 1974 - 16 1989 - 12 2006 - 4
1940 - 2 1960 - 6 1975 - 18 1990 - 3 2007 - 3
1941 - 1 1961 - 17 1976 - 27 1991 - 5 2008 - 2
1942 - 3 1962 - 11 1977 - 32 1993 - 3 2009 - 4
1944 - 2 1963 - 33 1978 - 25 1994 - 2
1945 - 1 1964 - 42 1979 - 27 1995 - 3
1947 - 1 1965 - 50 1980 - 20 1996 - 6
1948 - 1 1966 - 54 1981 - 27 1997 - 1
1949 - 1 1967 - 39 1982 - 26 1998 - 2
1953 - 1 1968 - 32 1983 - 27 2000 - 1
1954 - 2 1969 - 33 1984 - 30 2001 - 1
1955 - 4 1970 - 16 1985 - 19 2002 - 4
1956 - 7 1971 - 20 1986 - 22 2003 - 1
1966 is the clear winner with 54 songs (I'm not listing them).
1963-1969 is clearly my favorite period on the basis of singles with 1976-1986 being the second most popular period. Songs I intend to buy come not only from those periods as well but from recent times as well. The music I've been hearing today hasn't lent itself to me wanting to get their albums although I've been impressed by Little Joy and Sara Bareilles.
I wonder how this list might change as I add to it over the years?
And let me take a moment to thank the advancement of technology. I can't imagine lugging around the massive collection of 45s, EPs, and LPs that a collection such as this would require. Album art issues aside, that shit got real heavy real fast. Viva las CDs y MP3s!
(originally posted in That Other Journal on August 18, 2010)
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
MY NEW THEME SONG
It pleases me to no end that there exists a song called "Cynical Girl". It's a song by Marshall Crenshaw (of "Someday, Someway" fame) that came out in 1982 [good to know I've been paying attention all these years!]. It was playing on my store's MUZAK program channel "7890" [70s, 80s, 90s, and today]. I was delighted to hear it but couldn't believe that that's what I was hearing. There was no way it could be "I'm looking for a cynical girl..." It had to be "simple" right?
How delightful to be so wrong! I have to go out and buy this album stat.
How delightful to be so wrong! I have to go out and buy this album stat.
CYNICAL GIRL
(lyrics by Marshall Crenshaw)
Well I'm goin' out
I'm goin' out lookin' for a cynical girl
Who's got no use for the real world
I'm lookin' for a cynical girl
Well I hate TV
There's gotta be somebody other than me
Who's ready to write it off immediately
I'm lookin' for a cynical girl
Well I'll know right away by the look in her eye
She harbors no illusions and she's worldly-wise
And I'll know when I give her a listen that she
She's what I've been missin'
What I've been missin'
I'll be lost in love
And havin' some fun with my cynical girl
Who'll have no use for the real world
I'm lookin' for a cynical girl
Well I'm goin' out
I'm goin' out lookin' for a cynical girl
Who's got no use for the real world
I'm lookin' for a cynical girl
Yeah I'll know right away by the look in her eye
She harbors no illusions and she's worldly-wise
And I'll know when I give her a listen that she
She's what I've been missin'
What I've been missin'
I'll be lost in love
And havin' some fun with my cynical girl
Who'll have no use for the real world
I'm lookin' for a cynical girl
Monday, August 16, 2010
BORED BEFORE THE BANK...
We have all been asked what our favorite music period is. My general
answer is 1957-2000 with some stuff from before (it goes back as far as
1939) and some stuff later (it takes a while for new stuff to catch on
with me) with the main period being the mid-1970s to mid-1980s and then
the late-1950s to mid-1960s as my second favorite.
Based loosely on a conversation I had the other day, I decided to find out if this holds water. I did an (admittedly) unscientific survey of all the albums I own. Now, these are albums, not compilations. Those will have to wait for another survey.
I own a total of 198 albums. I have every year from 1963-2009 represented at least once with the exception of 2007 and two albums from 1959. My oldest album is "An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer" and my most recent is "Raditude" by Weezer.
The results show five or more albums for the years 1967-1971 (1970 peeks with 7. That was the year the now ex-Beatles released their first solo albums) and another period of five or more albums for the years 1976-1986 (with the exception of 1984 which has 3 so 1976-1983 if you wanna get technical). There's also a third period from 1991-1997 (with the exception of 1992 having only 3). 1998-2001 are all tied at 4 each.
The only 21st century artist I have three or more albums for is John Mayer. Every one else got their start in the 20th century.
1959 - 2 1971 - 5 1981 - 8 1991 - 7 2001 - 4
1972 - 2 1982 - 8 1992 - 3 2002 - 3
1963 - 2 1973 - 5 1983 - 6 1993 - 5 2003 - 2
1964 - 2 1974 - 4 1984 - 3 1994 - 5 2004 - 2
1965 - 4 1975 - 2 1985 - 5 1995 - 6 2005 - 2
1966 - 1 1976 - 7 1986 - 6 1996 - 5 2006 - 1
1967 - 6 1977 - 6 1987 - 3 1997 - 5
1968 - 5 1978 - 9 1988 - 3 1998 - 4 2008 - 1
1969 - 5 1979 - 6 1989 - 5 1999 - 4 2009 - 1
1970 - 7 1980 - 6 1990 - 1 2000 - 4
The year 1978 is the clear winner. The albums I have from that year are as follows:
1978:
52nd Street - Billy Joel (singles: Big Shot, My Life, Honesty)
U.K. Squeeze - Squeeze (single: Take Me I'm Yours)
And Then There Were Three - Genesis (single: Follow You Follow Me)
Peter Gabriel II - Peter Gabriel (single: D.I.Y.)
Octave - The Moody Blues (single: Steppin' in a Slide Zone)
More Songs About Buildings and Food - Talking Heads (single: Take Me to the River)
The Cars - The Cars (singles: Let the Good Times Roll, My Best Friend's Girl, Just What I Needed, etc.)
Parallel Lines - Blondie (singles: Hanging on the Telephone, One Way or Another, Heart of Glass, etc.)
But Seriously Folks - John Walsh (single: Life's Been Good)
1981: (tied for third)
Argybargy - Squeeze (singles: Pulling Mussels, Another Nail for My Heart, If I Didn't Love You)
East Side Story - Squeeze (singles: Tempted, Is That Love)
Abacab - Genesis (singles: Abacab, No Reply at All, Man on the Corner)
Face Value - Phil Collins (singles: In the Air Tonight, I Missed Again)
Long Distance Voyager - The Moody Blues (singles: Gemini Dream; 22,000 Days)
Shake It Up - The Cars (singles: Shake It Up, Since You're Gone, I'm Not the One)
Somewhere in England - George Harrison (singles: All Those Years Ago, Life Itself)
Time - Electric Light Orchestra (singles: Hold on Tight, Twilight, The Lights Go Down)
1982: (tied for third)
The Nylon Curtain - Billy Joel (singles: Allentown, Pressure)
Sweets from a Stranger - Squeeze (single: Black Coffee in Bed)
Security - Peter Gabriel (single: Shock the Monkey)
Hello, I Must Be Going - Phil Collins (singles: I Don't Care Anymore, Can't Hurry Love)
Beatitude - Ric Ocasek (single: Jimmy Jimmy)
Gone Troppo - George Harrison (singles: Wake Up My Love, That's the Way It Goes, Gone Troppo)
Abracadabra - Steve Miller (single: Abracadabra)
Business As Usual - Men at Work (singles: Who Can It Be Now?, Down Under, Underground, etc.)
Make of this information as you wish. When I get bored again, I'll see how my collection of singles adds up.
(originally posted in That Other Journal on August 16, 2010)
Based loosely on a conversation I had the other day, I decided to find out if this holds water. I did an (admittedly) unscientific survey of all the albums I own. Now, these are albums, not compilations. Those will have to wait for another survey.
I own a total of 198 albums. I have every year from 1963-2009 represented at least once with the exception of 2007 and two albums from 1959. My oldest album is "An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer" and my most recent is "Raditude" by Weezer.
The results show five or more albums for the years 1967-1971 (1970 peeks with 7. That was the year the now ex-Beatles released their first solo albums) and another period of five or more albums for the years 1976-1986 (with the exception of 1984 which has 3 so 1976-1983 if you wanna get technical). There's also a third period from 1991-1997 (with the exception of 1992 having only 3). 1998-2001 are all tied at 4 each.
The only 21st century artist I have three or more albums for is John Mayer. Every one else got their start in the 20th century.
1959 - 2 1971 - 5 1981 - 8 1991 - 7 2001 - 4
1972 - 2 1982 - 8 1992 - 3 2002 - 3
1963 - 2 1973 - 5 1983 - 6 1993 - 5 2003 - 2
1964 - 2 1974 - 4 1984 - 3 1994 - 5 2004 - 2
1965 - 4 1975 - 2 1985 - 5 1995 - 6 2005 - 2
1966 - 1 1976 - 7 1986 - 6 1996 - 5 2006 - 1
1967 - 6 1977 - 6 1987 - 3 1997 - 5
1968 - 5 1978 - 9 1988 - 3 1998 - 4 2008 - 1
1969 - 5 1979 - 6 1989 - 5 1999 - 4 2009 - 1
1970 - 7 1980 - 6 1990 - 1 2000 - 4
The year 1978 is the clear winner. The albums I have from that year are as follows:
1978:
52nd Street - Billy Joel (singles: Big Shot, My Life, Honesty)
U.K. Squeeze - Squeeze (single: Take Me I'm Yours)
And Then There Were Three - Genesis (single: Follow You Follow Me)
Peter Gabriel II - Peter Gabriel (single: D.I.Y.)
Octave - The Moody Blues (single: Steppin' in a Slide Zone)
More Songs About Buildings and Food - Talking Heads (single: Take Me to the River)
The Cars - The Cars (singles: Let the Good Times Roll, My Best Friend's Girl, Just What I Needed, etc.)
Parallel Lines - Blondie (singles: Hanging on the Telephone, One Way or Another, Heart of Glass, etc.)
But Seriously Folks - John Walsh (single: Life's Been Good)
1981: (tied for third)
Argybargy - Squeeze (singles: Pulling Mussels, Another Nail for My Heart, If I Didn't Love You)
East Side Story - Squeeze (singles: Tempted, Is That Love)
Abacab - Genesis (singles: Abacab, No Reply at All, Man on the Corner)
Face Value - Phil Collins (singles: In the Air Tonight, I Missed Again)
Long Distance Voyager - The Moody Blues (singles: Gemini Dream; 22,000 Days)
Shake It Up - The Cars (singles: Shake It Up, Since You're Gone, I'm Not the One)
Somewhere in England - George Harrison (singles: All Those Years Ago, Life Itself)
Time - Electric Light Orchestra (singles: Hold on Tight, Twilight, The Lights Go Down)
1982: (tied for third)
The Nylon Curtain - Billy Joel (singles: Allentown, Pressure)
Sweets from a Stranger - Squeeze (single: Black Coffee in Bed)
Security - Peter Gabriel (single: Shock the Monkey)
Hello, I Must Be Going - Phil Collins (singles: I Don't Care Anymore, Can't Hurry Love)
Beatitude - Ric Ocasek (single: Jimmy Jimmy)
Gone Troppo - George Harrison (singles: Wake Up My Love, That's the Way It Goes, Gone Troppo)
Abracadabra - Steve Miller (single: Abracadabra)
Business As Usual - Men at Work (singles: Who Can It Be Now?, Down Under, Underground, etc.)
Make of this information as you wish. When I get bored again, I'll see how my collection of singles adds up.
(originally posted in That Other Journal on August 16, 2010)