Thank baby Jesus for 3-day weekends, even if it means I can't wear white until next May. Karate practice is simply going to have to wait.
After last week's human resources hi-jinks, the additional day of recovery could not have arrived any sooner. I can't completely describe the intangible feeling that permeated the working environment during the week that followed, but the feeling reminded me of an awful rotten egg / boiled cabbage fart stench that simply would not quit...or the feeling of wearing a dirty pair of underwear for the third day in a row. Bearable, but miserably uncomfortable.
Fortunately, I managed to distract myself by tracking down a wedding DJ, staring at Mount Vinyl from afar, and spinning the following:
After last week's human resources hi-jinks, the additional day of recovery could not have arrived any sooner. I can't completely describe the intangible feeling that permeated the working environment during the week that followed, but the feeling reminded me of an awful rotten egg / boiled cabbage fart stench that simply would not quit...or the feeling of wearing a dirty pair of underwear for the third day in a row. Bearable, but miserably uncomfortable.
Fortunately, I managed to distract myself by tracking down a wedding DJ, staring at Mount Vinyl from afar, and spinning the following:
1) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs - 2010 - Don't ask me why, but I've always been wary of this band for the simple fact that they are based in Canada. So I was subsequently surprised to learn that front man Win Butler and his brother/bandmate William hail from the mega residential community known as The Woodlands, Texas, and this album is conceptually linked to the Texan suburban childhood experience. I too, come from a Texas suburban upbringing, and I dialed in to the tone of this album immediately. Overall, I enjoyed the album, but I couldn't shake the memories of tee-ball practice and hanging out at West Oaks Mall that kept pervading my listening experience. Maybe that was the point of the album, but I still blame it on Canada.
2) Jethro Tull - Aqualung - 1971 - This was Good Jeff's Doom Guild pick for the week. I had no prior experience with this album, but I do remember my dad purchasing this album on CD when I was a kid (which only heightened the memory lane trip of The Suburbs), and I've always known about this band's preference to rock out with the most rockinest of rock n roll instruments: The Flute. All Anchorman jokes aside, I could see why this album is so highly regarded, even if some moments felt like I was listening to Frodo's backing band. And surprisingly, the rock flute approach worked. I mean it. This is a good album, renaissance magic and all.
3) Pink Floyd - The Piper at The Gates of Dawn - 1967 - Recorded four years prior to Aqualung, and at the same time and studio as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Pink Floyd's debut album is worth a listen if you have any appreciation for their work done on Dark Side of the Moon through The Wall (i.e. the good stuff). This album reminded me of my experience with David Bowie's debut album - very English and hilariously bizarre. This is also the only full album featuring Pink Floyd's original front man, the late and certifiably bonkers Syd Barrett, whose personality ultimately influenced the concept behind The Wall, both the album and the truly awful film. Final vote? Probably best left for hardcore fans only. You may want to pass on this.
4) Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Uplift Mofo Party Plan - 1987 - When things got too heavy with the childhood memories, rock n roll flautists, and the darker side of the 60's, I could always count on the Chili Peppers to lighten the mood. Party Plan pretty much offers the same as its predecessor, Freaky Styley, and certainly nothing has changed with the band's favorite subject matter. Yet the songs here show a bit more maturity than the last album (even if they still take a moment to let you know they want to party on your pussy, baby), and you start to get a glimpse of the band they eventually became. Good listen from start to finish.
Maybe it was the office turnover, maybe it's my upcoming wedding, but I genuinely feel that it was this week's music that motivated me to engage in some introspection at a time when I probably needed to do so. And it's contemplative moments such as these that I love most about this Project. I didn't plan for the reaction I got, and I couldn't if I had even wanted to. I guess the tagline for the MetaList Project rang especially true this time around - this week's list truly gave me a moment to reflect.
Now it's time to repeat.
-A
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