It’s New Years Eve and I’m on my way to meet up with a good friend from grade school to see the Flaming Lips perform. In addition to a set of their own music, they will be playing “Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd in its entirety.
I decided to drop the aforementioned album to my iPod to listen to on the way as well as the Lips recorded version. My driving buddy just asked me if I was tired as I had my eyes closed.
“No, I’m just listening to the album.”
Even though I’m only a twenty something I do have my own vinyl experience. Starting at eleven, I would sit for hours next to my fathers Bang and Olufsen to listen to Beatles albums and “Dark Side of the Moon.”
The way we purchase music has definitely changed but I still continue to consume music the same way. I will only purchase and listen to an entire album.
About three years ago I had a plot to only record and release singles. In a conversation with Justin Meldal-Johnsen, I told him my plan and reasoning. He argued that the album format is sacred and a creative moment in time that must be documented in it’s entirety.
In a recent issue of Rolling Stone, record executives discuss mini albums, EPs and singles. The goal is to put more content, in this case songs, in front of fans quicker so they don’t forget about the artist. If you create something great to begin with, how could anyone forget?
In another recent issue of Rolling Stone, “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley was named Song of the Decade. Although it seems like forever ago that that song was playing on iPods everywhere, I remember it and I will always want to listen to the next Gnarls Barkley release because of that track.
After all, I am going to see a band that has been playing together since before I was born perform an album that was released when my father was my age. Why? They both have created an incredible catalog of music. Music that others have remembered and passed on. Music that I will remember and pass on to others.