by Jeremy Buckley
I’ll never forget the first time I heard OK Computer. I was living in my first dingy apartment near 31st and Harney in Omaha. My roommate at the time was “dating” a girl who came by often. I add quotes to dating because they never actually went anywhere other than to his room for a little R&R. One random afternoon in the fall of 2007, she stopped by for one such date with my roommate. Rather than join in on their fun as an auditory participant, I turned the volume up on the stereo. Loud.
Whatever CD I had in the disc changer made it through the last song and the unfamiliar first notes of “Airbag” filled the room. I listened to the entire CD, more transfixed than I can ever remember being with an album of music. I’ve been an avid fan ever since.
I was reminded of that memory earlier this week when I learned that Radiohead intended to release The King of Limbs on Feb. 19. I instantly started to think of ways to go about listening to the album for the first time. I mean, despite HN Editor Andrew Norman's experience, it only happens once.
I reached out to a handful of local musicians, writers and fans to see if they had any pressing thoughts on listening to a highly anticipated CD for the first time. Here’s what they had to say:
Javier Ochoa, drummer, The Song Remains the Same
“I always get excited for a new Rush album. To see where their amazing talents will take them now. But that is more like putting on a favorite t-shirt. Its always good and reliable. Soundgarden was the same for me. I truly believe their last album Down on the Upside is amazingly misunderstood and under appreciated.
"More recently, the last two Pearl Jam records have been their best in over a decade. Kinda excited about the new R.E.M. After hearing the new singles.
There hasn't been a "must buy" band or artist for me in a long time. There are artist I like a lot. Mars Volta, Silversun Pickups, Cursive … But waiting with high anticipation for a new release hasn't happened in a long time.”
Tim Scahill, keys, vox, Irkutsk
“I remember waiting for years for the QOTSA album — Songs For the Deaf. I had heard them early on and then found out Dave Grohl was going to be drumming through the underground label/music site Buddyhead.com in high school. Then when it came out when I was in college, it was not a disappointment. It was as killer as advertised.
"I'm now excited to see them come through in April and play the album that made me fall in love with them. Easily the most influential band in my life."
Kris Lager, guitar, vox, Kris Lager Band
“Me personally, it takes a few listens to really start to get into something. Even my favorite musicians, like Taj Mahal, The Black Keys, Tab Benoit, Van Morrison, Patrick Sweany, Derek Trucks, or whoever it maybe, it takes a few listens to really absorb the new album. I've always been that way. I like an album better the third time around or after I have seen the live show.”
Jim Reilly, guitar, vox, Pharmacy Spirits
“There have been many albums/artists that I anticipate the new release of over the years, such as PJ Harvey, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, The Faint and maybe some others … But none of those come close to matching the enthusiasm I feel when I purchase and then give the first listening to, of an album by The Cure.
"The Cure have released something like 23 albums and dozens of singles, and extras along the way. In October of 2008, I bought their latest record, titled 4:13 Dream. When I put the CD in my car, the first track, "Underneath The Stars" began and the first thing you hear is an old toy keyboard beat for about three seconds before a drum fill and then the full band comes in with with the same dark, emotional and sexy intensity that they exhibited on albums like Pornography and Disintegration. You even get the rack chimes in the intro that call to mind Cure epics like "Plainsong" and "Pictures of You."
"That song and album had the sounds and feeling that for over 30 years, The Cure has patented and exported to untold thousands of bands, to copy, emulate and borrow from, including Nebraska bands like Bright Eyes, Cursive, The Faint, The Prids (former) and of course, Pharmacy Spirits.
"As I drove home listening to this record, I was relieved. It wasn't another collection of contrived or predictable songs like I thought the previous post 2000-albums like "Wild Mood Swings" and "The Cure" were. It wasn't boring or emotionless. They didn't phone-in this record, I thought.
"For a real Cure fan — the kind that likes albums like Seventeen Seconds, Faith and Disintegration — this album was a homecoming. Old friends were back and despite the joking people do about Robert Smith's flamboyance and weight gain, he and The Cure are just as fresh and though-provoking as any new, hip act at SXSW and just as vital and inspirational to young people with guitars as they were 33 years ago. There's no other band that I anticipate or enjoy new music from, as much as I do The Cure.”
Mark Bestul, guitarist, Icarian Bird and others
“In 1983, I heard U2 for the first time in the form of War and I fell in love with that sound, that band. At that time they were far from mainstream but critics and hip music kids loved them and "Sunday Bloody Sunday" was one of the coolest sounding song titles I'd heard of at the time. At a time when most "alternative" music had left punk rock behind in a sea filled with deadly key-tars and synthesizers, here was a band that still focused on the primary colors of drums, bass, guitar, vocals and painted music with that brush that sounded really piercing, poignant and different.
"The day 1984's Unforgettable Fire was released I took the bus downtown after school to pick up a copy on cassette (to use in my Walkman) from Pickles. As I waited for the bus that would return me to my home, I popped the casette in the Walkman and started to listen. Most of the cassette and a blissful bus-ride later I returned home wishing I could write a song as cool as "Bad."
"Since then, though I don't really consider U2 even in my top 10 of favorite bands or records anymore, I still buy all their records upon their release and remember that autumn day when nothing in the world was more important to me than music.”
Eric Nyffeler, guitarist, Masses
“I find myself getting the most worked up over bands that don't release a lot of albums. It seems like a lot of bands release albums like clockwork (one a year, one every other year) and that steady consistent stream takes some of the excitement out of it. I much prefer bands that only release an album once every four-five years. It seems like they're putting a great deal more thought into every aspect of the album and take time to develop a new direction. For me, examples of these types of bands include Grails, Aesop Rock, Massive Attack, Opeth or Portishead.
"All that being said, any time Converge releases a new album is a time for massive celebration and rock-hard erections.”
Tim McMahan, music writer, Lazy-i.com
"Are you asking what bands' new music do you most anticipate? The answer should be music from my favorite bands, but to be honest, more often than not I'm disappointed when I finally get to hear their new material.
"We expect too much from our heroes, I suppose. A recent example is Lloyd Cole — one of my all-time favorites — his most recent album, Broken Record, was somewhat lacking. Or what about Liz Phair? Her last album was a bizarre inside joke that nobody got. R.E.M., Morrissey, Sufjan Stevens, all disappointments. And the reason is that it's rare for a band to match the quality of the record in which you first discovered it. Radiohead is an exception (especially considering Pablo Honey).
"It's much more satisfying when you run across a new band you've never heard of whose music knocks you over. I remember the first time I heard Okkervil River way back in 2002 when Don't Fall in Love with Everyone You See came out. The band was headed to Omaha for a gig at the now long-gone Junction on Farnam St. and the publicist cold-called me their CD. I wasn't expecting much, but was absolutely floored by the album, and was quickly reminded why I love writing about music — to experience those kinds of moments. Though they've become rather huge since then and sold a ton of records, Okkervil River has never matched that first album, for me anyway…
"That said, I'm stoked about The Cars' new album."
Jeff Runnings, vocals, bass, For Against
"I'll give you the memories of high school 'changed life forever' records: The first Wire, Generation X, Siouxsie and the Banshees, 999, Buzzcocks, and Elvis Costello's This Year's Model left me speechless and dying my hair asap … Catholic schools don't like that!
"As for excitement, there's been plenty these past few months, with Deerhunter, Serena Maneesh, Asobi Seksu, Wire, Radio Dept., Dum Dum Girls, simply dying for the new Pains of Being Pure at Heart, there's simply a deluge of great bands old and new fascinating me almost daily."
Mike Siebels: Vox and Guitar for TenDead
"There are two albums that come to mind: The first is Pantera's Vulger Display of Power. I was a 12 years old and totally floored by it. I had never heard anything like it at the time and didn't even know if I liked it right off the bat, turned out to be one of my favorites to this day.
"The other one has to be Metallica's Kill 'em All, I was real young and my sister's boyfriend at the time brought it over to a house party. I did'nt know what to think!!! I was shocked at the speed and anger in it, I had a hard time sleeping that night because I was sure that music had to be made by the Devil himself!"
Janelle Corr, music fan
"I was most excited to hear a new album TODAY because it is the new COCK E.S.P. album and it showed up as a TOTAL SURPRISE in my mailbox!!!!! Since it is a CD i will have to listen to it in my CAR which i will do while CHAINSMOKING and DRINKING 40s in the DRIVEWAY later!!! i will have NO MEMORY OF IT!!!"
Jeremy Buckley is Hear Nebraska's managing editor. He also coordinates events for the Bourbon Theatre. Contact him at jeremyb@hearnebraska.org.