Like most people, I drive around with a ton of CDs in my car. Well, I drive around with a ton of crap in my car, but yeah, most of that crap = CDs.
Since I haven't been reading anything, and therefore have no books to highlight in some kind of monthly recap (a la the old "Weekly Recap," only less, ah, frequent), I thought it might be interesting to write about some of the music I listen to while driving around town.
Last night I mentioned that I'd been listening to the Kinks. I've had their album, Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, for a while now, but I don't listen to it that often. I love Ray Davies' voice! I was talking to a friend of mine, awhile ago, about how many female singers he listens to, and with possibly three exceptions, I mostly prefer a man's voice. I haven't figured out why, though (oh, and those three exceptions? PJ Harvey, Joan Armatrading, and - wait for it - Celine Dion. I know, there are probably better female singers out there, but they're the ones I like*. What can I say?). Anyway, so I'm glad I've been listening to the Kinks, and this album is a really good one.
Tonight on my way to and from my flute lesson, I listened to the Afghan Whigs' 1965. The whole album is really good, but it's not my favorite of theirs. I'm sure I've told this story many times before: Patrick, in 1994 or so, gave me a copy of their album Gentlemen, and ever since then, they definitely rate on my top ten list of favorite bands. I'm not sure why: their music is dark and the lyrics are often referred to, in reviews, as "self-loathing," and while I'm not sure how much the lyrics are a reflection on Greg Dulli, the lead singer and I think main songwriter, I don't think he and I would understand each other in person. His music, however, I totally get. I mean, it's a totally different world of secrets, lies, secret love - he uses the word "fuck" not as an expletive like darn's more emphatic cousin, but as the actual down and dirty act - and he doesn't write about good women (therefore in his songs, women are mostly skanks and users). Maybe he doesn't know any? There's a lot of blame and bad behavior, drug use, and meaningless sex in his songs, and that stuff has been mostly absent in my life (thankfully! I mean it!). But I don't think you have to share the actual experiences to understand the story, and these guys tell a good story. Now, I read in a review that I've never been able to find again that "Greg Dulli has the worst voice in rock and roll" (my memory may have changed the wording of that quote, but I swear I read that sentiment somewhere), but I totally disagree. I love his voice, too.
Anyway, tonight's songs, from "1965," that I really enjoyed were:
Citi Soleil
Neglekted
Check 'em out.
I won't be able to write anything about listening to "Gentlemen" because my copy (#2) broke the other day when I was trying to get it out of the CD case. Yeah, I busted it. I was probably driving and trying to pay attention to the traffic instead of waiting for a safer moment. Well, better the CD than me, right?
*I'm not saying I don't like other women singers, I just can't count. Please add Annie Lennox, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, the incomparable Chrissie Hynde, Abby Travis, Bjork! of course Bjork, how could I leave her off the original three? Well, because that would make it "four." There's also Annabella Lwin, Dale Bozzio... But seriously: I don't listen to these amazing chicks that often. But when I do? I wish I could sing like them all.
