|
In Praise of Albums From September 2000 It's a funny thing about albums. There's lots of artists I love, but I don't love any one of their albums. There's lots of songs I love, but I don't love the albums they come from. What is the mystical pull of a great album? An album is a complete unit, similar to a novel or a film. Sometimes parts work, but when the piece as a whole connects with you, that's really something. When an album doesn't click, it's like a book with great sections and characters, but the whole thing doesn't gel. The reason for even discussing great albums at all, is that they are often the way we judge musical artists. To produce a handful of great singles is one thing, but to produce a great album, a defining work, is quite an achievement. In an interview with CMJ New Music Monthly earlier this year, Stephen Malkmus, from the band Pavement, said, "Context is important. Good or bad is not really the issue...What matters is the one you bonded with more." Very true. Defining great albums is a very personal process. We often bond with them for very subjective reasons, that often have much to do with who we are and where we are in our lives when we first encounter them, as opposed to any objective critical standards. In the coming months, as you read one of those Top Albums of the Decade or Century lists, keep that in mind. For example, I've put together one of my own. The difference is that I'm not even bothering to pretend that it is a list of Best or Greatest -- just a totally subjective list of favorites that says more about me than anything else. Click here for the list. |