A good album is hard to find...

There are very few perfect albums in this world, that is in terms of overall cohesiveness as a collective entity. Sure, there are lots of albums with great songs, that we would consider "great", but the art of creating a collection whose structure not only accomodates the songs pleasantly, but actually enhances their value, creating a depth of character that is greater than the sum of its parts, well, it may well be all but a lost art, what with people ripping MP3's left and right, the concept of a "concept" is practically lost.

Now, you may not agree with me, but I was listening to Counting Crows' "August and Everything After" and I was reminded of its albumistic perfection. Sure, his voice is a little whiny, but nothing you can't overlook, but its integrity as a whole is unmatched in present pop, which lead me to reflect on those few albums about which I can really say the entire piece is a work of art.

This is my list, thus far, and it represents tastes that cover the span of my lifetime, so don't judge too harshly, or do, I don't really care:

Billy Joel - "Innocent Man" (The LP version, played over and over and over in the living room of my first house on Smithfield Road, languidly imagining, at age 7 what people could possibly be afraid of when referring to love.)

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young - "So far" (The ending with Suite: Judy Blue Eyes cinches this one for me, and I can even forgive the cheesiness of "Our house" because as I learned at age 8 listening to Casey Casum's top forty countdown on my clock radio - early childhood education at its best- it was written for Joni Mitchell, who I would later discover for myself, or rather through Amy who made a mix tape for me that accompanied me through endless hours of solitude on the Miramar beaches)

Joni Mitchell - "Songs to a Seagull" (matches, if not exceeds the perfection of overall coherence of "Blue")

Counting Crows - "August and Everything After" (I already said this one, and it always makes me sigh, remembering the days when... nobody (well, that isn't entirely true, but not in the last couple of months) writes songs for me anymore, and much less two men (ok boys) in ardor and harmony... why can't I still have that???)

Matthew Sweet - "Girlfriend" (Oh god do I wish I still had this tape, I really do miss having a cassette player, if only because I can't listen to this and Depeche Mode's "Violator" which doesn't quite make the list.)

Ani Difranco - "Dilate" (She rocks no matter what, but this album is the only one whose structure amplifies its intensity as if sympathetic vibrations were kicking it into an emotional wave double its original size)


Sigh. It really is a shame that I have hardly any of these albums anymore... I'm gonna go eat worms.