I remember reading a review of a music album a long time back where the music was described as having 'comfortable corners you could lean into'.
Like a favorite pair of jeans that you've broken in and have been wearing for a couple of years, the best songs are comfortable. When you've grown weary of musical explorations and journeys into the unknown, you return to the solace of the old familiars.
I have a habit of buying more music than I really have time to listen to, and more books than I'm ever going to read. The idea is that this situation is better than the reverse - having a lot of time but no books to read or music to listen to. However, in the interests of sanity, I stopped buying new music a month ago and began to consolidate my CD collection - sorting all the CDs I have, ripping them to my laptop to burn mix CDs and transfer to my phone (which doubles as my portable music player).
It's been a revelation. I stopped flitting from CD to CD, album to album looking for the next new sound to savor or new beat to jive to. I rediscovered old favorites not exactly forgotten, but maybe not paid enough attention to in recent times. With experience, the best songs grow more comfortable, old yet new. An album that definitely scored high in these ratings was U2's second Best of Album which showcased their work from Achtung Baby leading up to All That You Can't Leave Behind.
I'm listening to Beautiful Day for probably the 500th time. Somewhere, One and Electrical Storm strike a chord like they never did before. The Hands that Built America is still as beautiful as it ever was. And yes, Mysterious Ways still rocks my world.
Lifts my days, lights up my nights indeed.
Previously: on U2 .
2 comments:
When it comes to me and great music, It is always the cycles. There are times when I play the same song countless times the same day but then not listen to it at all for years later. However, with U2, when the song comes on, on a radio station or in a restaurant, i always, always pause to listen...
"City of Blinding lights" is currently my favourite!
Ps: Are you getting an Iphone?
'City of Blinding Lights' is awesome :-)
No, the iPhone's too expensive for my needs (not just the phone, there's the data plan etc put together adding $30 a month in expenses...)
Also, I just got a new phone.
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