"What's your favourite album?"

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Drawing heavily on that discussion we had on Poptimists a week or two ago, here's my latest Pitchfork column. I wanted something straightforward after last month's reaction-free one (which I'm still quite pleased with) and I appear instead to have accessed my inner Nick Hornby.

Comments

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

part of this is limited funds/access when you're a teenager though innit? every time I bought an album it was a HUGE thing for me, I had to be so sure I wouldn't be disappointed. compilations aside I think I only actually owned less than 20 albums by the time I went to university.

now I think nothing of going on to Amazon marketplace and buying up the entire Janet Jackson back catalogue for 1p + p&p each on a total whim.

I really wonder how teenage Lex (or indeed anyone) would have turned out, with all this unprecedented access to music - I think it would probably encourage a lot more magpieing around all over the place, and discourage obsessive interests in particular artists.

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

JJ's Control was something like the 2nd album i bought when i was up at college!

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I've had that and Rhythm Nation for years - it was the 90s/early 00s I didn't have, and we were talking about some of those singles on poptimists the other day, and I was suddenly like OH SHIT I want a copy of 'All For You'!

$$$

[koganbot]

it seemed weird to me to buy a record where you didn't know you'd like everything on it

At age 9 I couldn't understand why anyone would buy singles. Why spend $1 for one song when you could get 12 for $3½.

Re: $$$

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Oh I didn't buy singles either! I used to tape them off the radio :)

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

i didn't buy many albums (as a percentage) but i taped *so* much stuff off my mates and they would tape stuff off me to the point where i was really gutted when, independantly, my mate jamie bought 3 feet high and rising the same weekend i did...

most of my favourite albums are still slightly hissy taped version often missing half of the last song(appetite for destruction, nevermind, everything's alright forever, bizarro)

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Haha yes the curse of the 49 minute album!