I was 16. It was
July. My dad was making me get things for our 4th of July party from town. My
buddy, Jamie, was riding with me. A kid at school had recently burned me a copy
of The Gorillaz "Demon Days." I put it in the stereo for the first
time. It was one of my first introductions to a modern concept album. Damn it
was good.
It hardly seems
like nearly a decade has gone by since this album was released. I always listen
to it around this time of year; not because of nostalgia or anything, it's just
one of my "Summer Spins". Albums like Nada Surf's
"High/Low" (Review here: http://ripplemusic.blogspot.com/2014/02/nada-surf-highlow.html)
and Radiohead's "Pablo Honey" also make it in there. Maybe those are
strange choices for summer, but they just sound like the season to me.
Anyway, maybe
I'm biased, but this record really hasn't aged at all. Maybe that's because
it's just that good, maybe it's because music hasn't progressed much in the
last 9 years. I think the argument could be made either way, but, really, the
music on this album is just that good.
I think it was
the first record that showed me you could do more with all these new
styles of music than what was being done. And there aren't many popular modern styles which aren't represented somewhere, somehow, in these songs. Even down
to specific bands (does anyone else hear heavy influences from The Vines in O
Green World?)
I just wanted to
write a quick little blurb about this, but it's July 4, so I'm going to go eat
some catfish, drink some beer, and play with fire.
- Headshot
Comments