Flava(rite) In Ya Ear

I start off with an apology – the question I asked on Facebook about everyone’s favorite album (I am mostly doing away with the pretense that people outside my social circle is reading this but if you do not know me and are reading this and want to say hi drop me a line) was extremely mean. It was mean because of how difficult the question really was. As my buddy pointed out, it is like picking a child. And that is very true. How do you pick just one??

I think the issue many (if not all) of us when asked to pick a favorite album is that the album is more than just an album. It’s connected to you and a story of why you are who you are – could be funny or serious, important or frivolous. So, you aren’t just picking 50 minutes worth of songs (unless it’s a double album and we can have a talk about how many double albums are actually good) you are having to pick a point in time of your life. And that shit is difficult.

I was personally happy no one pushed me on giving an answer, because there was no way I would be able to give one answer. I got a bunch of them. But the upshot is that I know have a series of posts to write about over the next few months. What are my favorite albums?

This will not be in chronological order because that takes too much planning and I am not about that life. My first choice for this favorite albums series is “I Love You, Honeybear” by Father John Misty. This is another topic for another day but as you get older, it gets tougher to find out about new music. I only found out about him through my local sports radio station (shout out the Ticket), and a random channel flip to the Late Show with David Letterman as Father John was playing “Bored in the USA.” There is something cool about finding out about something new and actually liking it (although that’s essentially the basis of this favorite album series so I’m not saying anything profound).

The album itself, while not a concept album, is primarily about how he met his wife. But with a lot of drug, sex and alcohol references. To say I wore this album out would be an understatement. Work at that point was difficult and life just overall was not that great, so it was one of those albums that you play over and over. It starts up-beat and promising, like any relationship, even including mariachi horns, before hitting a little bit more of a darker note towards the middle. I don’t know if this is a personality flaw (editor’s note: it probably is) but I have always been drawn more to those types of songs in the middle.

I am bad about walking that line in recommending songs that are the best vs. the songs I like the most, and since it’s my blog I will give you both.

My Favorites: “Holy Shit”, “The Ideal Husband”, and “Nothing Good Ever Happens At the Godd*mn Thirsty Crow”.

Your Possible Favorites?: “I Love You, Honeybear”, “Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins)”, “Bored in the USA”

Lyrics that resonated with me:

“I haven’t hated all the same things as somebody else since I remember. What’s going on for, uh, what are you doing with your whole life? How about forever?” – Chateau Lobby #4

“Sleep in ‘til two then doing shit. Just stay in bed and later lie about it. Obsessing over graying hair, knowing just what people wanna hear. Binging on unearned attention. I’ve said awful things, such awful things.” – Ideal Husband

“Maybe love is just an economy based on resource scarcity. What I fail to see is what that’s gotta do with you and me” – Holy Shit

I would love to hear from you if you give it a listen to hear what you think. Like I said above, picking one favorite album is too difficult but posting a bunch of favorites might be interesting.

Next time up, we play the grocery store game. What’s that you ask? It’s the four most random items that would make a cashier cringe and think you are the strangest person alive. .