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i’m sitting in my kitchen, listening to the new u2 record.
and just digging the shit out of it.
it is so good.
the album is a whole.
an event.
53 minutes and 41 seconds of moment.

to me, U2 spent the 2000s chasing a parade they used to lead.
they made collections of songs, not albums.
and from a band that made ‘war,’ ‘unforgettable fire,’ ‘joshua tree,’
‘achtung-FUCKING-baby!’… even ‘pop,’ i expected more.
i expected journeys…
(not to be confused with journey. who fucking rule, btw.)
not just songs strung loosely around a few singles.
i’m not saying the new record is perfect…. it isn’t.
but what is so kick ass about it is…. THE ALBUM IS THE STAR!

my dad always talks about the boston celtics in their prime.
how in the 70’s and 80’s they worked as a unit…. a true team.
they were all great players, in such a way that no one person stood out.
support vs stars.
that’s what this record is.
and i welcome it… finally!
do i wish there was a ‘with or without you’ on here, or a ‘one?’
of course i do…
but to see the biggest band on the planet come back around
and embrace a concept as out of fashion as a complete album
is fucking exhilarating…
other bands talk about it and maybe tie their songs
together with a loose theme,
but u2 ALWAYS put concept before songs.
and then their songs emerged out of a larger, grander thing…
on the last few albums though, i felt like they had lost that thread…

everyone loves to bitch about how labels destroyed the album.
how the average music listeners lost faith, after being sold
one or two worthwhile songs for $15….
what is so bad ass to me… right here, this morning, in my kitchen
is that u2 actually REGAINED their faith.
they went for a CD that unfolds…. like a movie. or a book.
they dug in and made something that’s worth $15.
that’s worth the effort.
that grows and evolves the more time the listener invests in it.
and how fucking cool is that?!!

records are dead.
record stores are dead.
everyone’s been falling all over
themselves for years to talk about this.
‘the future is downloading’, ‘people don’t have the attention span’
‘no one cares’… and blah. blah. blah.
we ARE moving to a new frontier, sure…
but apparently no one told my wallet.

making up for lost time in australia,
i went extra ape shit at ameoba on tuesday…
here’s a list.
some are new, some are old…
all are very much mine now.

erin mckeown- hundreds of lions
nellie mckay- normal as blueberry pie (a tribute to doris day!)
gossip- music for men
morrissey- swords (bought for B, truth told… but always worth having)
arctic monkeys- humbug
fun- aim and ignite
INXS- X
tegan and sara- sainthood
crowded house- crowded house
talking heads- naked
erykah badu- baduizm (which i once owned, then sold back. this happens a lot)
roxy music- avalon (which i only have on cassette… oh, for shame)
noah and the whole- first day of spring
REM- live at olympia/dublin.
train- save me, san francisco
drivin n’ cryin- fly me courageous (another hold over from cassette)
7 worlds collide- the sun came out
sly and the family stone- there’s a riot going on’
(on vinyl, btw. like it was intended)

home.

no shows. no plane flights. no suitcases.

this is a new concept for me.
i have to keep reminding myself that i’m not leaving.
it feels very indulgent.
i think i’m gonna start wearing satin pajamas all day.
and smoking a pipe.
then i’m gonna let my beard grow….
and pay people to come to my house to shave me.
oh the glory!
i’m drunk on the sweet nectar of freedom’s kiss!

my only focus now is the new songs. and the new record.
mark flies up on monday for the week to write.
then, the plan is a first round of recording in december…
but plans change. so we’ll see.
plus, it isn’t super easy scheduling shit between spa treatments.
these shoulders ain’t gonna massage themselves, godammit!