cd sunday: the postal service's give up

and so we reach the end.  way back in june i embarked on a quest to share with you my favorite twenty albums.  i hope you've enjoyed the journey as much as i have.  it was tough to select just twenty, and made me realize how diverse my collection is - and the way that my collection has changed over the years.

today's final album is by the postal service - a side project of ben gibbard, lead singer of the band death cab for cutie.  this album is quirky - part indie rock, part electronica, part ear candy pop.  some songs are familiar - you might recognize "such great heights" as the song was featured in us postal service commercials as part of a name copyright settlement, and was covered by the band iron and wine and featured in the indie film garden state.

but the album has even more than that.  some of it is melodic enough to be a lullaby (such as "homage" or "see the light"), while others are uptempo enough to be featured in a play-list for the gym workout.

i cannot remember who introduced me to this album.  it came out while i was in college but i didn't have it during my semester in south africa which occurred at the end of that year (i know this because my cd folder was stolen on that trip, containing hundreds of cds - many in my current collection of around 400 albums are actually burned copies because of this unfortunate incident, give up is not one of them, which means it was not on the trip).  it certainly wasn't very early.  in some kind of odd twist, it made me much more curious about death cab for cutie - i'm not sure how often a side project ends up making people interested in the main event, but that is what happened for me.

so why the photo of the capitol building?  well the opening track always makes me think of washington with the repetitive line from the chorus, "d.c. sleeps, alone tonight".

it is a brilliant album and i'm baffled as to why a follow-up never came forth.  maybe someday my fellow ben will get around to it.


and so, here is the final list.  my twenty favorite albums, in no particular order...

1. u2 - the joshua tree
2. dave matthews band - crash
3. cake - comfort eagle
4. blue rodeo - five days in july
5. the beach boys - pet sounds
6. coldplay - viva la vida
7. weezer - pinkerton
8. mates of state - re-arrange us
9. radiohead - ok computer 
10. nickel creek - this side
11. u2 - how to dismantle an atomic bomb 
12. the beatles - the white album 
13. sloan - one chord to another 
14. o.a.r. - risen
15. paul simon - graceland 
16. jack johnson - brushfire fairytales 
17. led zeppelin - iv
18. belle & sebastian - the life pursuit
19. sara watkins - sara watkins
20. the postal service - give up

cd saturday: sara watkins' self-titled album

the incredibly talented sara watkins has long been recognized as an amazing violinist and active member of the music industry.  for years she was part of nickel creek (a band i've already featured in my countdown), and has worked on a variety of side projects as well.

her self-titled 2009 release is just about as good as it gets.  here sara's charming voice and musical styling shine through.  at moments she has a feisty attitude such as on the track "long hot summer day" (the inspiration for today's photo), while on others she has an angelic softness on "my friend" or her take on "give me jesus".
 
those who live in the los angeles area have the chance to check out sara and her brother sean play frequently during the watkins family hour - a semi-regular night of music at the largo, and one of my favorite things to do in this area.

are you ready for #20?  only one album left on my favorite 20 album list.

1. u2 - the joshua tree
2. dave matthews band - crash
3. cake - comfort eagle
4. blue rodeo - five days in july
5. the beach boys - pet sounds
6. coldplay - viva la vida
7. weezer - pinkerton
8. mates of state - re-arrange us
9. radiohead - ok computer 
10. nickel creek - this side
11. u2 - how to dismantle an atomic bomb 
12. the beatles - the white album 
13. sloan - one chord to another 
14. o.a.r. - risen
15. paul simon - graceland 
16. jack johnson - brushfire fairytales 
17. led zeppelin - iv
18. belle & sebastian - the life pursuit

cd sunday: belle & sebastian's the life pursuit

shortly after this album came out, i was sitting around my friend matt's kitchen.  he happened to be building a set of wheels for a bicycle...  i think it was this one.  this album came on over his computer's speakers.  i was almost instantly smitten.

i had heard the scottish band, belle and sebastian before, but i always dismissed them as being far too mellow with few catchy hooks.  this was different.  this was candy for my ears.  this was joy wrapped up in a musical project.  as each new song came on, i remember saying to matt over and over, "i gotta get this album".

some might think their music is a bit too silly.  sure, songs like "funny little frog", "we are the sleepyheads", and "white collar boy", weigh heavy on cheesy pop lyrics and borderline manic melodies, but i think that is part of the charm.

"the blues are still blue" may be one of my favorite songs from the album.  it is catchy, crunchy, and irresistible. 

i'm really looking forward to their new album - set to be released in only a few weeks.  as for how this picture relates to the album?  i guess i could say something about sunsets and the fact that there is a song called "another sunny day" on the album, but that might be stretching things a bit.  i just really like this photo of a recent pasadena sunset.


my top 20 favorite album countdown is almost over!

1. u2 - the joshua tree
2. dave matthews band - crash
3. cake - comfort eagle
4. blue rodeo - five days in july
5. the beach boys - pet sounds
6. coldplay - viva la vida
7. weezer - pinkerton
8. mates of state - re-arrange us
9. radiohead - ok computer 
10. nickel creek - this side
11. u2 - how to dismantle an atomic bomb 
12. the beatles - the white album 
13. sloan - one chord to another 
14. o.a.r. - risen
15. paul simon - graceland 
16. jack johnson - brushfire fairytales 
17. led zeppelin - iv

cd saturday: led zeppelin's iv

last year we took a hike with some friends on echo mountain.  the day started out hazy and misty.  you might even say it was a misty mountain hop.  okay, i know, i'm stretching a bit, but when i thought about what picture to use for today's album review, this one seemed like the perfect choice.


i want to start off by saying how much i regret putting an album on this list that includes one of the most overplayed songs in the history of pop music.  never the less, this is an album that deserves to make my top 20 favorite albums list.

when i play zeppelin's prog. rock masterpiece, i think of a few things.  first, it reminds me of sitting around with friends (especially mike and steve) trying to duplicate the sounds we were hearing on our own instruments, or simply tapping or clapping out the rhythms.  second, it makes me think of the incredible way that john bonham's drumming shapes my enjoyment of this record (especially on "black dog").  third, it makes me realize how different this album is to ANYTHING else i own or listen to.  zeppelin was a band that was ground breaking and revolutionary in ways that have never quite been duplicated.

this album only has eight tracks, and they are all incredibly good (if not for one particular track being a bit overplayed).  ones that stand out - favorites - are the aforementioned "misty mountain hop" and "black dog", as well as their take on the beautiful song "when the levee breaks".

this is a classic album, and i'm sure many of you feel the same way.  to take a look at the other 16 albums i've reviewed so far on my way to my 20 favorite albums, check out the list below.

1. u2 - the joshua tree
2. dave matthews band - crash
3. cake - comfort eagle
4. blue rodeo - five days in july
5. the beach boys - pet sounds
6. coldplay - viva la vida
7. weezer - pinkerton
8. mates of state - re-arrange us
9. radiohead - ok computer 
10. nickel creek - this side
11. u2 - how to dismantle an atomic bomb 
12. the beatles - the white album 
13. sloan - one chord to another 
14. o.a.r. - risen
15. paul simon - graceland 
16. jack johnson - brushfire fairytales

cd sunday: jack johnson's brushfire fairytales

shenandoah valley.  the blue ridge mountains.  skyline drive.  harrisonburg, virginia.

this is where i went to college.  this is where i fell in love.  this is where i grew into the person i am today. 


it is also where i was introduced to jack johnson.  this may sound odd...  that i was introduced to a hawaiian surfer guitarist in the land of bluegrass, country, and folk music is odd in itself.  but for some reason jack johnson's music was perfect for a college student who was loving life.

i remember exactly where i was when i first heard brushfire fairytales.  my friend josh had invited me to go out somewhere - maybe the local wafflehouse? - wherever we were going, it was late at night, and we were hungry.  josh popped in this cd, and i was instantly hooked.  it was laid-back, upbeat, poetic, and deeply musical inspite of its simplicity.  i knew almost immediately that i needed to track down this album for my own collection.

i still consider it to be brilliant music.  songs like "fortunate fool", "the news", and "f-stop blues", are beautiful, timeless, and deeply meaningful.  others like "flake" or "mudfootball" are playful pieces of music in a lazy saturday afternoon kind of way.

jack johnson's other albums are also worth checking out (we even chose to use his song "better together" in our wedding ceremony) but i think this one (his first) is his most raw and maybe his best.  simply put, his music has been a part of my life.

you can check out the rest of the albums in my favorite 20 album countdown by clicking on any of the links below.  

1. u2 - the joshua tree
2. dave matthews band - crash
3. cake - comfort eagle
4. blue rodeo - five days in july
5. the beach boys - pet sounds
6. coldplay - viva la vida
7. weezer - pinkerton
8. mates of state - re-arrange us
9. radiohead - ok computer 
10. nickel creek - this side
11. u2 - how to dismantle an atomic bomb 
12. the beatles - the white album 
13. sloan - one chord to another 
14. o.a.r. - risen
15. paul simon - graceland

cd sunday: paul simon's graceland

it was my dad who introduced me to this album.  i had no interest in paul simon (i though he was a little to soft and "easy rock" for me), but when i returned from a semester abroad in south africa, i suddenly felt a deep connection for this album.  for one, much of the music on this record was deeply influenced by south african street music.  it even includes south african artists like ladysmith black mambazo.

and when i began to really take the music seriously, i realized, "wow, this is good stuff!"  each song holds incredibly deep meaning and emotion.  there is a deep energy present here that is hard to catagorize.  the music does have some african influence, but it is clearly still paul simon's style.  it isn't quite rock, nor is it folk music in the traditional sense.  it is something new - even now, almost 25 years after its original release.

today's photo is from that semester abroad in south africa.  one afternoon our group took a trip to the beach where we found this incredible secluded spot.  one of my classmates took this photo (my camera had been stolen earlier in the trip (for the 2nd time i might add)), and it came out beautifully.  it is a photo - much like this music - that transports me back in time to that semester of experiencing new cultures, values, peoples, and food.  a time of wonder, excitement, struggle, and stress.  and something i will never forget.

1. u2 - the joshua tree
2. dave matthews band - crash
3. cake - comfort eagle
4. blue rodeo - five days in july
5. the beach boys - pet sounds
6. coldplay - viva la vida
7. weezer - pinkerton
8. mates of state - re-arrange us
9. radiohead - ok computer 
10. nickel creek - this side
11. u2 - how to dismantle an atomic bomb 
12. the beatles - the white album 
13. sloan - one chord to another 
14. o.a.r. - risen

cd saturday: o.a.r.'s risen

the above photo brings back a wave of memories.  the haphazard ugly furniture, boxes of pizza all over the room, friendly faces, and all eyes turned toward the tv.  it could only be one thing - my first college dorm.  my friend dave took this picture during one of our massive late night pizza eating frenzies.  you might be asking what this photo has to do with cd saturday...

let me try and explain.

someone decided to install a small stereo in one of the bathrooms on our hall.  for some reason, o.a.r. (of a revolution)'s risen album ended up being played over and over again.  someone would get up in the morning to take a shower and press play.  the sound would echo off of the bathroom walls and spill out into the hallways.

it became polarizing for those of us who lived on oakwood third - some loved it, and kept insisting that it be played at full volume, others thought it was absolutely the worst, most overplayed album they had ever heard.  i fell in to the first group.  i loved it, and i bought a copy for myself and took it with me to the following year to the next dorm i lived in, and have continued to listen to this album to this day.

something about this album just clicks with me.  i'm sure no small part of that is due to my amazing college experience.  it is something of a soundtrack to my formative years.  songs like the incredibly catchy "delicate few" (the song which was played more than any other on our hall) speak to o.a.r.'s pop song writing ability, while the more melancholy "someone in the road" and "here's to you" were like candy for my young twenty-something ears.

since this album o.a.r. has become bigger and more successful.  some of their songs have been featured in national tv advertising and television shows.  but i don't think they've ever been able to re-capture the raw energy and emotion of risen.  then again, i'm probably a little biased.  i'm sure this feeling is probably due to the context where i first fell in love with this music.  college was an amazing point in my life.  i'm sure we all have music that we can connect with these formative years.  music that touches us on a level that we cannot quite explain.

oh yeah, one more thing, can you find me in the above picture?

1. u2 - the joshua tree
2. dave matthews band - crash
3. cake - comfort eagle
4. blue rodeo - five days in july
5. the beach boys - pet sounds
6. coldplay - viva la vida
7. weezer - pinkerton
8. mates of state - re-arrange us
9. radiohead - ok computer 
10. nickel creek - this side
11. u2 - how to dismantle an atomic bomb 
12. the beatles - the white album 
13. sloan - one chord to another

cd saturday: sloan's one chord to another

when i was younger i traded a vinyl copy of this album for sloan's award winning one chord to another.  i thought it was a steal of a deal.  i ended up playing that album over and over and over again (and still do on occasion).

maybe it was the blue (my favorite color) tilted rendition of the band on the cover, or maybe it was the fact that they were canadian, but what i really liked most was the somewhat quirky nature of this group.  for starters, their songs sounded like they were pulling on musical influences from classic rock to jazz, from big band to grunge.  each of the four members of the band took turns taking the lead vocal for every new song, and they traded instruments with a flourish.

but i think it was the music that spoke to me loudest.  the album opens with the crashing "the good in everyone", a song with lyrics as punchy as the guitar-driven sound.  it features musically tongue-in-cheek songs like "g turns to d", and the laid back sounds of what may be their biggest single hit ever, "the good in everyone".

sometime after college i was visiting a friend in washington dc.  he mentioned that sloan (a band he knew i liked) were playing that night at a venue around the corner.  i couldn't believe it.

it was a surreal experience.  at the peak of their popularity, sloan was playing in some of canada's biggest venues.  however here we were in a tiny club in dc with about 50 people - many of whom were canadian ex-pats like myself.  they played all of my favorite songs, and performed with the same energy and enthusiasm that i fell in love with back in high school - yet, i couldn't help but feel a little saddened by the experience.  here was a wildly popular canadian band that barely made a dent in the lucrative american market.  in toronto that show would have sold out weeks in advance, but in dc their show was an afterthought.

regardless, i will remember that night with a smile on my face.  it was an experience that i'll never forget.

1. u2 - the joshua tree
2. dave matthews band - crash
3. cake - comfort eagle
4. blue rodeo - five days in july
5. the beach boys - pet sounds
6. coldplay - viva la vida
7. weezer - pinkerton
8. mates of state - re-arrange us
9. radiohead - ok computer 
10. nickel creek - this side
11. u2 - how to dismantle an atomic bomb 
12. the beatles - the white album

cd sunday: the beatles' white album

after a short hiatus, i'm back with my top 20 favorite album countdown (in no particular order).  you can see the full list thus far, at the bottom of this blog post.

today's album is from a classic band, and it is one of their classic albums.  rather than explain why i think this deserves to be on my list of favorite albums, i'm going to post a letter i just sent out to some friends.  i think it does a good job of explaining a bit of the feeling and emotion i have about this record...

Hey all,

I recently popped in a Beatles CD and the song "Day Tripper" came on and I was immediately transported back to the 8th grade talent show, playing that song with you all (I still can't believe we didn't win).

Of course that made me think back to practice sessions in the basement, listening to that one song on the White Album on the record player (over and over again), and shooting pool when we didn't feel like playing anymore. Those band practices gave me a chance to belong, to be a part of something meaningful, and to get to know my guitar.

Those are really happy memories in a time of life that I don't necessarily look back on with a whole lot of excitement - still trying to define who I was, still trying to fit in or be cool, and going through growing up and all that stuff.

Not surprisingly, music has continued to be a huge part of my life, and has shaped and transformed me in ways I probably can't even see.

This note is way more sentimental and sappy than I expected it to be, but I just wanted to say thanks for those memories.

I hope you all are doing well, wherever you are, and whatever you are up to these days.

Ben


1. u2 - the joshua tree
2. dave matthews band - crash
3. cake - comfort eagle
4. blue rodeo - five days in july
5. the beach boys - pet sounds
6. coldplay - viva la vida
7. weezer - pinkerton
8. mates of state - re-arrange us
9. radiohead - ok computer 
10. nickel creek - this side
11. u2 - how to dismantle an atomic bomb

august theme day: bright colours AND cd sunday: u2's how to dismantle an atomic bomb

a lot going on today, so i hope you can keep up.  for starters, today is the first of the month which means that today is theme day.  today's theme of bright colours is captured perfectly by the massive 360 stage from u2's rose bowl concert from last year.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

you might be wondering why i would post a photo that is several months old - well, for starters, this week u2 begins the second leg of their 360 tour - a stretch of shows that was originally canceled after some emergency back surgery.  which is exciting news for those of us in southern california who have tickets to the anaheim shows which were originally scheduled for early this summer.

second, today is a sunday which means that i am continuing my top 20 favorite album countdown.  today's album happens to be u2's how to dismantle an atomic bomb.  this album is one of my favorites for a variety of reasons.  for starters, i think it captures both the political and entertainment personalities of the band quite well.

while i struggled to connect with the somewhat predictable lead single, "vertigo", i do think it is an amazing song for a live stadium concert.  the rest of the album is filled with songs that i believe will stand as examples of u2's brilliance.  songs with deep spiritual and emotional meaning like "miracle drug", "crumbs from your table", and "yahweh", set the depth of the album.  but by far my favorite track is the beautiful "city of blinding lights" - which is quite possibly my favorite u2 song.

i know with u2 you either love 'em or hate 'em.  bono is certainly in the same polarizing category.  and their self-proclaimed title of the biggest band in the world certainly causes some to run the other way.  for whatever reason, this has been a band that i've loved for a long time.

1. u2 - the joshua tree
2. dave matthews band - crash
3. cake - comfort eagle
4. blue rodeo - five days in july
5. the beach boys - pet sounds
6. coldplay - viva la vida
7. weezer - pinkerton
8. mates of state - re-arrange us
9. radiohead - ok computer 
10. nickel creek - this side

cd saturday: nickel creek's this side

at some point during college, i had my first taste of the incredibly talented band, nickel creek.  their sound was something fresh and new to me.  sure, there were familiar sounds - the bluegrass that my dad listened to - but it was younger, fresher, and had a bit more energy.  it wasn't just about the genre style with them.  all three were brilliant musicians and talented singers.  they borrowed musical flavors from rock, jazz, and country, and most importantly, made it their own.

the first nickel creek album i heard was this one.  it spoke to me in a spiritual way.  the melodies floated over me and transported me.  the instruments baffled me with their creativity, and it wasn't long before i was hooked.

i won't bore you with favorite song titles - they are all too good to list only some and leave others off.  it wasn't long after living in los angeles county that i caught wind that two of nickel creeks members, sean and sara watkins, performed regularly at a venue called the little room.  going there for the first time was like rediscovering this album.  i was totally captivated throughout the whole experience.  it was (and still is) a magical thing to participate in, and i can't wait to experience it again.

today's photo is an old photo of 'this side' of our beautiful bridge.  i hope you enjoy.


1. u2 - the joshua tree
2. dave matthews band - crash
3. cake - comfort eagle
4. blue rodeo - five days in july
5. the beach boys - pet sounds
6. coldplay - viva la vida
7. weezer - pinkerton
8. mates of state - re-arrange us
9. radiohead - ok computer

cd sunday: radiohead's ok computer

listening to this album is like being transported to another world.  songs don't sound like regular rock songs.  traditional pop music instrumentation is traded in for all kinds of crazy sounding stuff - i'm sure much of it was created in a lab somewhere.

i don't remember what posessed me to purchase this album.  i bought it from a second hand store in pretoria on a trip through south africa.  weird, right?  you would think i would have been buying something south african - but the price was too good to pass up - only a few dozen rand if i remember correctly.

this is considered by many to be radiohead's masterpiece.  the band comes out of the speakers blazing full speed ahead with an industrial charge.  they aren't held back by any systems or restraints, or catering to any stylistic guidelines.  groundbreaking it is, but to me, it is also accessible.  there are some albums that are so experimental that they are almost indigestible.  however this one pulls me in.

some of it is dark, some is melancholy, but it all works pretty well together.  songs that stand out to me are the intoxicating "karma police", the opening track "airbag", and the beautiful "subterranean homesick alien".

i've gotta say, this album stirs up so many different feelings that i had no idea what picture to put with it.  and thus, we get a random shot of some pasadena palms.

1. u2 - the joshua tree
2. dave matthews band - crash
3. cake - comfort eagle
4. blue rodeo - five days in july
5. the beach boys - pet sounds
6. coldplay - viva la vida
7. weezer - pinkerton
8. mates of state - re-arrange us

cd saturday: mates of state's re-arrange us

i purchased this fantastic album after hearing a review on the npr music show, all songs considered.  the reviewer explained that the album was such a fun experience that his young children loved dancing around the house to it.

hearing that might encourage some of you to never take this album for a spin, but it is exactly why i love it.  it is filled with poppy goodness - simple music with positive melodies and fun lyrics.  lots of lovely high strung melodies and barely a minor chord in the whole thing.  each song is driven by an uptempo drum beat and quirky keyboard sounds.

once again, this album is unlike anything else in my collection, and i think that is why it is one of my favorites.  check out the super-upbeat songs "now", "my only offer", and "blue and gold print".  total ear candy.

you might be wondering about the above photo.  it is from a friend's fun birthday party a few months ago.  music like this makes me yearn for more moments like those in my life.

1. u2 - the joshua tree
2. dave matthews band - crash
3. cake - comfort eagle
4. blue rodeo - five days in july
5. the beach boys - pet sounds
6. coldplay - viva la vida
7. weezer - pinkerton

cd sunday: weezer's pinkerton

i imagine this one might be a controversial choice.  after all, it was weezer's self titled debut album (unofficially known as the blue album) that broke through the music charts and made this band a phenominon of the 90s.

their follow-up album was much anticipated, but compared to blue, pinketon (or is it pink or tan?) was considered an epic failure.  many fans were disappointed, critics were harsh, and yet that did not deter my good friend jeff from falling in love with this album.  it was his enthusiasm (and singing along with the music turned up as loud as his parent's minivan could handle) that sold me on this disc.

much like many of the albums featured on my top 20 list, this one is unique.  it features lyrics that make you cringe, cry, and laugh, all at the same time.  the music is somewhat dark and rough around the edges, but is all comes together in one complete package.  some have said that it ushered in the "emo" music style, but but nothing i've heard from that genre comes close to the complexity featured on this record.

favorite songs from this collection are the cleverly written fan mail song "across the sea", the sexually frustrated "pink triangle", and the quiet acoustic guitar song that closes the album "butterfly".

you might be wondering what pinkerton has to do with the norton simon museum, and quite frankly, very little.  however the giant banner on the side of the museum advertises a current exhibit featuring the artist, hiroshige, from whom the band borrowed the cover art for the album.

1. u2 - the joshua tree
2. dave matthews band - crash
3. cake - comfort eagle
4. blue rodeo - five days in july
5. the beach boys - pet sounds
6. coldplay - viva la vida

cd saturday: coldplay's viva la vida (or death and all his friends)

oh coldplay.

i loved this band for a long time.  i payed a ridiculous fee to a ticket scalper to see them on their first major north american tour.  i've been to every tour since then, including the recent tour for this album from which today's photo was taken.

this album might just be the band's best work.  coldplay's latest offering is just the candy my ears are hungry for - catchy melodies, minor keys, harmonies, unusual timing and rhythm, and a big ballad of a stadium anthem to end it all.

i'll admit it took a while to grow on me.  the first listen through - done online before the album was even released - was underwhelming.  it was a little too much of a diversion from their previous work.  it didn't have the same ring to it.  but every time i listened after that, i liked it more.  radio hits like "lost", "violet hill", and the title track, are all memorable, but some of my favorite tracks are the ones that did not receive as much attention.  tracks like "reign of love" and "death and all his friends" are some of the best songs i've heard in a very long time.  and have you seen the music video for "strawberry swing"???  awesome!

my one gripe about this recording was the bonus disc that was released a few months later.  i really enjoy many of the tracks on prospekt's march, the 8 song ep that followed viva, but it wasn't really new material.  several of the songs were simple remixes, and others - like the opening track, the lyric-less "life in technicolor", was re-released as "life in technicolor ii", and was expanded to be a full song.  i love this variation of the song.  why didn't the band just put it on the original album?  there are a few new songs, but again, why not just add them to the original packaging?  seems like a nice quick cash grab in my mind - especially for hard core fans who bought the original album, the prospekt's march ep, and the new packaged version of viva la vida that includes both discs.

never-the-less, this album is certainly worthy of my top 20.  if pushed, i might have to say that it is my current favorite album - or at least the one i listen to the most.

1. u2 - the joshua tree
2. dave matthews band - crash
3. cake - comfort eagle
4. blue rodeo - five days in july
5. the beach boys - pet sounds

cd saturday: the beach boys' pet sounds

i'm not sure what inspired me to purchase this album.  i owned a beach boys greatest hits album that had only 10 songs - their biggest surf hits - and i rarely listened to it.  but something in me wondered what their studio work was like.  some quick research pointed me toward pet sounds - an album considered by many to be one of the most influential recordings ever made.

a quick glance at the back of the cd case showed many songs i already knew ("wouldn't it be nice", "sloop john b"), including one of my favorite beach boy songs of all time - "god only knows"... 

ah, i can't tell you how much i love that song.  beautiful words, music, harmonies,..  it all comes together to create one perfect melodic work of genius.  just seeing that this song was on this album would have sold me right there, but i was pleasantly surprised by everything else as well.

this album became the soundtrack to what i envisioned it would be like when we moved to california.  i'll still pack it in the car when we drive along the coast, and pretend this is music and scenery i grew up with.  but it speaks to me more because this beach boys album is more folky and less about the surf rock sound that made them famous.

i think this is precisely the reason a canadian boy was never really blown away by the greatest hits album that contained songs like "surfin' safari" and "i wish they all could be californian".  it took more heart and depth to win me over to this classic band.

1. u2 - the joshua tree
2. dave matthews band - crash
3. cake - comfort eagle
4. blue rodeo - five days in july