While driving to a client meeting this morning I heard “Interstellar Overdrive” on our local AAA station. As I considered just how much of a waste of time that recording is and began thinking about – as I often do, when faced with revisiting what was once a treasured find in my record collection – how much more I like the two solo Syd Barrett albums than Piper at the Gates of Dawn, I realized something else: I can’t listen to my Syd Barrett albums with anyone else. Years ago I’m sure I spun them with friends in my presence, but today, beside the fact that my closest friends and wife have never cared for those albums, I don’t want to spin them with anyone else around. They’re for me to listen to in private. I have my own feelings about them, and I don’t want anyone else distracting me from the relationship the albums and I have.
I’m not sure why I feel this way about these Barrett albums, in particular, and I’m wondering whether I feel this way about any other albums in my collection. Some albums I choose not to play for others because they may be grating or too intense – in no way do the Barrett albums satisfy the “it’s got a good beat and you can dance to it” objectives of much music we choose to play in social situations. Although the Barrett albums are loaded with backstory and a unique mood, they’re not the same as playing the third Velvet Underground album or some mystical folk-rock or ’60s jazz album that your beard-stroking friends might appreciate hearing played in the background. When I want to spin my Barrett albums, I do so alone. Maybe I don’t want to get caught sucking my thumb.
Do you have albums that shun company?
Blue Valentines by Tom Waits
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis
Tender Prey/Your Funeral My Trial by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Closer by Joy Division
Mercury by American Music Club
all too personal.
I tend to not play any real lo fi stuff, like Times New Viking or King Khan and BBQ. It’s stuff I like, and I’d sahre it, but people ask if I’ll turn it off. But I’ll listen to anything just about anywhere. If I’m in a kind of mood where I’m not just listening to music for fun, then I don’t want anyone in the room anyway. Isn’t it funny how no one will stand in front of the TV, or take offense if you ask them to move because you can’t see it, yet they see no issues with asking you to “turn that down so I can talk to you?”
that depends on the company, doesn’t it?
daniel johnston’s “hi, how are you” is a company shunner for some people, but not for others. same with that first frogs album.
the people i know who would huddle in closer if either of those records were playing would get up and walk out if ‘houses of the holy’ started playing.
my suburban housewife sister would stick around if ‘goodbye yellow brick road’ was on, but i sure as hell wouldn’t.
i love that animated syd youtube, by the way.
neil young harvest
I don’t think I’d ever listen to Young’s “Tonight’s the Night” with anybody these days Adult group listening fare tends to require a certain frothiness — which that album doesn’t really possess, does it?
I too, cannot listen to Syd Barrett’s Opel with anyone else around. I get too much in my own thoughts and other people around would just muddle me immensely.
I pretty much shun company when I listen to music – I like to play certain favorite songs or verses over and over, and if it’s the radio I’ll check out my other preset stations during a lackluster bridge.