DIARY
1) Thesis: Done! (Much excitement and exhileration resulting.)
2) I bought the new Nine Inch Nails album. I’m initially disappointed, but I’m going to go on and give it more chances than it deserves. I had hoped that With Teeth was a transitional movement to something better, more daring and different… that Reznor had rediscovered the originality that he ceded after The Downward Spiral. But Year Zero is like With Teeth without them. Nine Inch Nails has been way too cautious in expanding beyond their original sound and the lyrics here are (less offensive) effigies of everything he’s written in the last 18 years. Also, the concept album approach never “saves” anyone… it makes the effort harder. This is something he should have learned from Machina/The Machines of God or, I don’t know, Zooropa. Remember back in 1994 when we all thought Trent Reznor was oh so powerful, and he was probably going to go ahead and devour the world?
3) I got 8 hours of sleep last night, bringing my two night average up to roughly 4 hours and 10 minutes. Coffee saves, as usual.
4) I’m in a very good mood today. I also got a sunflower, and Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Hits, which I used to have, but it got wrecked. Virgin Megastore sale.
– ALMANAC SAYS –
Harper Lee won Pulitzer Prize for her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1961.
– QUOTE OF THE WEEK –
“I sure wouldn’t want to be praying to the wrong piece of wood.”
– Nine Inch Nails on his new album
– QUESTION OF THE DAY –
Submit a list of up to 10 “perfect” albums. Clearly this will favor groups/musicians that you already like, but I have some particular criteria in mind:
– The album should be an organic whole that interacts with its individual songs.
– Every song should feel essential.
– Album and song should articulate
– Are lyrics, song order, even liner notes up for consideration? Why yes, they are.
END OF POST.