October 16, 1996 (thank you wikipedia)It had been a long 3 years since August & Everything After had been released. Me, my brothers & sister, and all my friends had pretty much worn out our CDs from overplaying them. It's funny - I remember Abe, Esther and I all had our own copies of August - and we all lived in the same house! (this was back before the days of CD burners and mp3s).
Nate, Jason & I were unwilling to wait even one extra minute to get our hands (or should I say ears?) on the sophomore effort from Adam Duritz & the gang. I'm sure we would have ditched 1st period had there been a music store open earlier than 10 a.m. But we had early lunch, and I was a level-headed chicken, so lunch it would have to be. Class got out and we all rushed to Nate's Pontiac "Damn Grande" (as we sometimes liked to call it). This was the perfect getaway car for the occasion, as it had what we at the time thought was a killer sound system.
We sped off to TomTom music store in Bountiful. There it stood, glistening on the top of the new release shelf, a beacon to the music world. Never before or since have I more eagerly awaited the release of new music. I think we got halfway through "Goodnight Elizabeth" before it was time to go back to class. It was pure music bliss.
So when Abe gave me a copy of the newest effort from Counting Crows yesterday, Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, it was anything but climactic. The album has been out for months. I even have most of it on my computer, but I've been too lazy to put it on my ipod so I'll actually listen to it. On the ride home, I popped it in. Saturday Nights was too hard on my old ears, so I quickly jumped ahead to the Sunday Mornings songs. I felt annoyed at how I didn't yet know the melodies, and how I couldn't sing along with the chorus.
My worst fears have come true - my music tastes have turned into those of an old man. My desire to discover new music has withered and all but died. So please - a moment of silence while we shed a tear while listening to "A Long December."
3 comments:
To quote Abe Simpson:
"I used to be with it, but then they changed what 'it' was. Now, what I'm with isn't it, and what's 'it' seems weird and scary to me."
Ha ha. I was on my mission when this album came out. While it is no August, it is a good follow up. I bought the album on my mission, but of course I waited until I, ahum came home to listen to it.
I agree GrandAmn it! I downloaded that CD and I couldn't get into it. Maybe it needs the smooth sounds of the fine stock deck of a 1990 Pontiac to make it sound good.
Here's to old men and the great music of the day that will always be the best music ever made 1992-1999.
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