Anna Minard has “never heard of ’em” and NPR learns how to “get along”
When I was in Seattle on vacation I discovered the coolest new column in the weekly paper The Stranger. Anna Minard just started writing Never Heard of ‘Em. The premise is that Anna doesn’t know that much about the “essential” albums her friends and fellow writers pass her. She listens for the first time, and then writes a review of what it’s like to be exposed to the album for the first time.
So far, she’s done Love, Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, The Cramps, Royal Trux, and Suicide. I must confess that I’d never heard Royal Trux or Suicide myself.
Another cool project is NPR’s All Songs Considered‘s new project called Why Can’t We All Get Along. They’re trying to find the top 10 albums everyone can agree on. They’re posting a bunch of universally liked albums every week and letting people vote all summer to populate the semifinals. One thing I find funny is that for every album “everybody loves”, someone hates it just to be contrary.
Paul Simon’s Graceland, Bob Marley’s Exile, AC/DC… I think it’s kind of funny to come up with a list of music that’s least hated. I know some people who REALLY can’t stand Exile though.
What’s your least hated album?