In the old days, it was easier -- R.E.M. put out an album, we all went "ooooh" and "ahhhhh," and played it constantly. Or so it seems. Nowadays, R.E.M. (or Bob Mould) (or Paul Westerberg) puts out an album and we all compare it to the old days, when their music was everything to us, and then wonder why, now, when we are all older, it doesn’t have as much emotional resonance. As if it’s their fault, not ours. Hardly. They’ve figured out how to deal with age, ennui and commercial success as smartly as any band in rock history, now, it’s our turn.
This document HTMLized 14 August 2001
I was listening to Magnetic Fields -- 69 Love Songs