I have approached this month's Bookhouse Review album choice with a degree of trepidation. . .
I feel like my musical odyssey is a little behind schedule. There's so much of it that happened before I was born that it could take a while to catch up - I'm still working my way through the music which came out of the LA Canyons between '67 - '76.
But, every so often, something modern can grip you. I remember the first time I heard Humming by Duncan Sheik or Either/Or by Elliot Smith or O by Damien Rice, these albums all changed the way I listen to music and I can listen to any of these records all the way through at any time and still love them.
These were life-changing albums.
Since O nothing has really come along to challenge its reign - and that's fine, I wasn't looking for one.
Then I saw this video:
I know. Insane.
It was happening again. I won't say I wept but I was certainly moved in a way I hadn't been since first hearing Volcano or Angeles or Varying Degrees of Con-Artistry.
Bon Iver's album For Emma, Forever Ago, joined my list of life-altering records soon after. Lump Sum, Skinny Love, Blindsided, RE:Stacks. . . it's tough to find a weak song.
So, when I saw that this month's Bookhouse Review album choice - Scratch my Back by Peter Gabriel - had a cover of Flume on the track listing I was nervous. If he murdered, what had become, one of my favourite ever songs, it could be difficult to retain my objectivity when reviewing the album as a whole. (The full review of Scratch My Back will be posted at the end of this month.)
I should mention that the version on For Emma, Forever Ago does not sound exactly like this. It's still great but this stripped down version of man and guitar remains my favourite interpretation of the song to date.
I've put it off for long enough now, I should listen to the cover.
Deep breath. . . . .