Tales of Life

There's a red line traceable throughout my musical voyage for some 10+ years now. It's the art of storytelling that always struck me as fascinating. I won't get into albums that I discovered after their highlight (Queen Is Dead, Daydream Nation, Unknown Pleasures etc.) but along that line there are some definite standouts that I frequently listen back to and be in awe of, again and again. I think Master of Puppets is the first example on which I was truly amazed by the perfect synthesis of music and lyrics. Dealing with heavy stuff as the emotional traumas of being put away in a mental hospital, the ignorance on part of the ever lurking world domination by armed forces of all kinds and the social blisters like hypocritical religion and drug addiction. It all was perfectly in sync with the epic, heavy music which I absorbed religiously (but never hypocritical) during my teenage years.

Next up was Raekwon's Built For Cuban Linx, I bought that and didn't leave my room for the next two weeks, spinning it endlessly. Around that time I was heavily into the Wu saga. After being numbed by the raw power of the eponymous Wu debut 36 Chambers, the laced in smoke Tical by prime Wu member Method Man it was Raekwon's time to shine. Ghetto mafia tales, completely awe inspiring reality (well for them, obviously) illustrated by Rae's urgent flow. As if that wasn't convincing enough GZA released Liquid Swords, a grim tale of ghetto survival. GZA's flow is one of the most striking in the whole game, can none match his up to this day. Oh go away 50 Cent.

After that [pause] I sought my relief in cheesy ass trance and, well just partied a lot. I came to my senses again with OK Computer. Listening back now I can see why people regard it as pretentious but when it came to me I couldn't ask for a better companion throughout my late teens/early twenties. Dealing with the claustrophobia of being awkward with society's norms and values, Yorke's wailing falsetto's and the cinematic soundscapes, it all added up to becoming my favourite record for a long time. And from that there's an even longer blank, I'm still searching for the next lyrical movie to accompany me during my late twenties. I do hope to give my view on all of these albums on Circus of Fools though, I simply have to I'm afraid as these records are part of what I am today. So maybe, if very irregular, I'll give my story on all those records, including Outkast's ATLiens cos I forgot that one.

Ah..maybe, if you will, you decide which I do first....the indecisive person I am.