Until recently just about anything new I obtained was imported so I could listen to it whenever I wanted. The purchase of the boom box for work has meant that I no longer need to do this as I can play the disc before making the decision to import.
I have basically one criteria now that an album must meet in order to be the granted the ultimate accolade of an iPod import. It must be an album I love listening to in its entirety. I don’t subscribe to the digital notion of
selecting choice tracks because I’ve never collected songs. I
collect and listen to albums; always have, always will. My
emphasis on listening to albums means I do not omit any tracks from albums
on the iPod except in the most exceptional of circumstances. This means tracks which I particularly loathe
(such as More Than Words by Extreme from
Pornograffiti ); tracks that annoy me to
the point of wanting to commit violence (prime example, Her Majesty from Abbey
Road; why anyone would want to hear
that after The End has brought that suite to a glorious and definitive conclusion
is beyond me); oddities or jokes that no one in their mind would want to hear
even once (such as the hidden Mudhoney track at the end of, I think, their Piece
Of Cake album which is the entire album played backwards); or, sometimes
unfortunately, hidden tracks that are “part” of the final track having been preceded
by 10 or more minutes of silence. (The classic
example here being the Something In The Way/silence/Endless Nameless track at
the end of Nevermind.)
I also have no
problems whatsoever with my practice of not importing bonus cuts tacked onto the
end of extended versions of reissued albums. Those that have made it to iPod immortalisation
are exceptional tracks in their own right, such as most of the non-demo tracks
at the end of the extended reissues of the early Elvis Costello albums, contemporaneous
singles recorded and released at the
same time as an album (such as Hey Joe, Stone Free, Purple Haze and The Wind
Cries Mary which now all appear at the end of Jimi Hendrix’s Are You
Experienced), exceptional one off contributions to charity or tribute albums (such
as the Pavement tribute to R.E.M, Unseen Power Of The Picket Fence, among the mass of
bonus tracks included on the first disc of the Collector’s Edition of their
seminal Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain album), or exceptional B-Sides from singles
lifted off the album (a good example here being Patti Smith’s version of The
Who’s My Generation, the only track appended to the end of the reissued version
of Horses).
Otherwise the only reason I will not import a track is
simply to prevent a duplication or worse of the same recording of a track. Invariably that means a track has appeared in
both its original album context and a compilation. If that is the case, it is the duplicate on
the compilation that gets the flick. If
a song is duplicated because it exists in two or more compilations, a decision
is made based on the merits of the compilations in question.
Additionally, I’m also prepared to delete tracks from
single artist compilations and, especially, box sets. After all most Best Of or Greatest Hits compilations
are arbitrary selections in the first instance and so there is no real harm to
the conceptual unity of the record.
Sometimes, in fact, deletions actually assists in developing an appreciation for
the act. Recently, for example, I
purchased a 4 disc compilation of Carter Family tracks entitled Country
Folk. Listening to it, I realised (backed
up by the liner notes) that the Carters released all of their truly memorable
and ground-breaking material relatively early in their careers. Whilst the entire package is a good one, I’ve
only put the first disc on. Occasionally,
I do the same thing with live albums, especially with long indulgent tracks
featuring guitar, bass and drum solos, triple or box disc sets or crowd calls
for encores masquerading as a track.
But all of these practices do not free up sufficient amounts
of space to place a large number of new albums.
An iPod space death match occurs when I decide to review two albums,
usually by the same artist, with a view towards deciding whether to delete one or
both. Sometimes, neither occurs and both
are spared.
Today’s listening on an otherwise wholly unremarkable day, comprised 6 albums forming the first three
death matches for the year.
Death Match 1
(94) Grinderman –
Self Titled(95) Grinderman – Grinderman 2
Grinderman is the band formed by Nick Cave with just a few
members of the Bad Seeds. The debut album
begins with Get It On a declaration of sorts with Cave bellowing the need to
start over again and getting in the basement.
This is one hell of a gritty album with a primeval feel pervading raucous
tracks such as the titled track, No Pussy Blues, Depth Charge Ethel and Homey
Bee (Let’s Fly To The Moon). (I Don’t
Need You To) Set Me free is a grand scale ballad that fits in well within the
chaos. The follow up is a fine record in
its own right but pales in comparison to its older brother. The second half of the album contains tracks
such as Evil and Palaces Of Montezuma that really sound like proper Bad Seeds
tracks.
Verdict: Grinderman by a knockout.
Death Match 2
(96) The Dead Weather
– Horehound(97) The Dead Weather – Sea Of Cowards
The Dead Weather is one of the bands put together by Jack
White formerly of The White Stripes. The
first album was reputedly put together accidentally as circumstances led to the
musicians finding each other as White was recording some tracks. This seems to be confirmed by the album which
employs – by White’s standards anyway – a variety of styles. A couple of tracks towards the end, New Pony
and Bone House employed a heavier, bluesier style not generally associated with
White’s other bands. This view appears
to have been shared by the band as Sea Of Cowards picks up from these
tracks. The result is an album that is
more cohesive and a significant improvement.
Old Mary, The Difference Between Us and Die By The Drop ranks among the
finest tracks in the White portfolio. In
many ways, this is a repeat of what happened with White’s other non White
Stripes project from the era, The Saboteurs (or The Raconteurs in countries
other than Australia) where the second
album Consolers Of The Lonely was a major leap forward from the debut.
Verdict: Sea Of Cowards decisively.
Death Match 3
(98) The Only Ones – Self
Titled(99) The Only Ones – Even Serpents Shine
Oh dear what was I even thinking in trying to match these up! I suspect the vague reasoning in my mind went
something like, “Well, the self titled album has Another Girl, Another Planet
and City Of Fun on it and perhaps the other will pale in comparison”. No.
Let’s just make two basic points here.
First, the Only Ones produced magical power pop in the punk era and these
are their two best albums. Second, if
anyone wants to understand The Strokes’ main inspiration just play them these
two albums, especially Even Serpents Shine.
Verdict: Otis.Youth knocks himself out.
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