I really often listen to music, whatever the time of the day, but I think there’s nothing like listenning to music while you do something that doesn’t require all your attention. As you’re walking, runing, in a train, etc… you can have a really different approach to music. I selected below a few albums I love to listen in these situations. A few advices first :
1. get a decent music player (iPod is the average quality, almost below average…). The IPod mania really has nothing to do with clear audio reproduction. I really love iPod’s look and feel, as well as its nice integration within the OSX environment, BUT since MP3 is already a destructive codec, you should try many other audio players. You may have great surprises with cheaper devices.
2. get a decent pair of headphones. forget about the trendy in ear things. They’ll destroy your ears and won’t reproduce sound naturally. Try instead to get closed or semi-closed REAL headphones like Beyerdynamic dt770 - my choice for studio and listening purposes - or Sennheiser HD, Audiotechnica, AKG, etc… The main advantage of these headphones is their ability to get you isolated from the rest of the world without having to crank up the volume. They also are really comfortable and often reproduce extreme frequencies (bass and treble) really well. Make your ears a favor, they deserve it.
3. even if you feel in the mood for it, DON’T PUSH THE VOLUME TOO FAR ! Damage to your ears are (often) permanent and un-recoverable.
4. Give other audio codecs a try. You may REALLY be stunned by OGG or FLAC’s ability to reproduce music a clear, sharp and natural way.
OK, now you have the gear, let’s talk about music. These are albums that really should be listenned to outside of your home or desk. I mean, try them in the subway or while you walk in the streets :
1 - Jonny Greenwood - Bodysong - 2003
Radiohead’s guitarist, composer and multi-instrumentist has a really interesting way to approach music. He’s often responsible of gear’s tweaking and melodic deviations that give Radiohead a legitimity as an experimental band, when lots of their tracks structures are really pop/rock formatted. When Jonny was asked by the BBC to write a soundtrack for the documentary “Bodysong”, he delivered a sparkling and free music that enlightens Simon Pummell smart and original direction. Listening to the soundtrack alone is an experience by itself. If you like experiments and sound design, don’t miss this one.
2 - Scientist - Scientific Dub - 1981
Scientist The Dub Chemist has delivered a true Dub manifesto in 1981. Each and every track on this record is pure dub madness. Listening to this albums makes you understand the process as well as the roots and meaning of Dub. While this record is really reggae sounding, it encloses a lot of Dub tricks and crazyness. Special A+ for “Taxi to Baltimore” with its real earth-warming melodies and short tape echoed lyrics. This albm strangely reminds me how both happy and sad life can be. You have to listen to this gem, as the influence of dub on modern electronic or underground music grows bigger everyday.
3 - Miles Davis - Kind of Blue - 1959
extract from a brilliant article by Lou Friedman on popmatters.com
“If there’s one album for jazz to hang its figurative legacy hat upon, it’s this one (with apologies to Trane’s A Love Supreme). There likely will never be a more talented, patient, and willing ensemble cast put together to make such vibrant music again, especially under their given circumstances. Yes, it’s trite and cliché, but it still rings true, after 46 years of shelf life: if you’re interested in starting up a jazz collection, or if you want to have just one jazz album that encapsulates “cool”, then Kind of Blue is your weapon of choice.”
Nothing more to add…
4 - Leila Arab - Blood, Looms and Blooms - 2008
after 8 years of silence, Leila comes back and delivers an amazing record. With her friends Tony Hall (ex The Specials), Martina Topley-Bird (Tricky’s female voice), Luca Santucci (who already appeared on Leila’s debut album “Like Weather”) and her sister Roya singing now and then, “Blood, Looms and Blooms” represents what England has the best to offer in hybrid electronic music.
I’ll write some more about other albums as soon as I get a little more free time.
have fun !