Why do I always do this?
Every time I get a new album by a favorite group, I instantly find myself feeling nostalgic for the band's most recent effort. Even if I didn't really like it much in the first place.
To wit: This week, Wilco released Sky Blue Sky, a perfectly fine collection of songs that I'm sure I'll come to embrace further with each listen. Right now, only one song really pops my ears -- "What Light" -- but I'm sure I'll find more highlights as I get further acclimated to the music.
But right on schedule, here I am feeling wistful about A Ghost is Born. Suddenly, my ears are craving an album that I didn't much like when it first came out. Way back in 2004, "The Late Greats" was the only cut that really captured my fancy. But three years later, I'm celebrating previously undiscovered subtleties from "Hell is Chrome," "Muzzle of Bees," and especially "Company in My Back."
The thing is, I distinctly remember going through the same process three years ago, puzzling over my lukewarm reception to Ghost while devouring Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. And when YHF came out, I rediscovered my love for Summerteeth as I tried to make sense of this new Wilco sound. I felt the same way about Being There when Boss Tweedy took me on that sonic joyride of Summerteeth.
And so it goes. This is nothing new. When my brother brought home his brand spankin' new vinyl copy of The Cars' Heartbeat City circa 1984, I ran to his record collection and broke out Shake it Up. Pop brought me back to Zooropa. Smile sent me scrambling for Sound of Lies. And so on.
OK, it's not a comprehensive rule in my life. Some bands have enthralled me more with each new release -- The New Pornographers, The Hold Steady and Tift Merritt spring to mind, and had I discovered their work in chronological order, I think The Decemberists would fit into that category as well.
But still, it's more than just a one-shot deal. Anybody have a similar experience, or care to diagnose this particular neurosis?
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2 comments:
I know exactly what you mean, yet I'm not sure I can cite specific examples. My question is... does this happen in other areas of your life? Are you just a chronic sentimentalist, or is it only with music? With each new girlfriend, did you suddenly appreciate the previous one more? Did your move to Vegas uncover new wonders of Minnesota? Does this year's Twins team make you long for last year's? (Forget the last one; that's a given...)
I'm finally getting down to your older posts... so much for free time.
I doubt it's chronic sentimentality. Every new Wilco album takes at least a year to get used to; leave it to them to turn softer mostly-accoustic rock and at least one Molly Hatchet impression into a "stunning departure."
But here's how you can speed up that "getting used to it" process: Once "SBS" is installed on the ol' iPod, go into "Settings," turn "Shuffle" on, then head to "Artists," choose "Wilco," then "All," then pick a song at random. The Pod will play all of your installed Wilco in random order. And you'll be pleasantly surprised at how well "SBS" blends with their other material.
BTW, I like the new album. They finally exorcised the last remnants of Jay Bennett... ft
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