The Music

Top 5: Earphones

Back in the decade known to archeologists as “the 1970s”, certain bands very kindly produced incredible records (yes, I’m talking vinyl records here) meant to be listened to via headphones. It’s not so inconceivable in the age of the mp3 player when we mostly listen to music that way, but as stereo sound reproduction through a quality sound system became available to home consumers, the headphones took on a new dimension.

 

Without wanting to get too technical, there are certain albums that embraced the rapidly developing technologies in sound recording, and passed the experience on to the listener.

 

DARK SIDE OF THE MOON – PINK FLOYD

If ever an album was made for listening to inside your own head, this is it. Recorded at London’s Abbey Road studio, where the Beatles recorded most of their works, the group’s months of work on this album was justified. It went to number two on the charts and then stayed there for years. Listening to it now, it’s a marvelous psychedelic ride across the abiding themes of the late 20^th century: alienation, fear, war, madness and death.

 

IN A SILENT WAY – MILES DAVIS

As the 1960s methods of recording changed at a similar pace to the emerging musical styles to be found, Miles was as ever moving ahead too. He had embraced the changes, and stepped away from be-bop to chase something even further out. In the case of In A Silent Way, it was the ‘format’ of a rock band, guitar, horns, bass, drums and keyboards. Within its two songs (one a side), Miles wrote an immense amount of space for guitarist John McLaughlin to roam about in. Listen out for the way the songs morph from one pace to another.

 

MARQUEE MOON – TELEVISION

This band started off relatively unknown, however through word of mouth Television eventually became ‘famous’ amongst music fans. The entire outfit – Tom Verlaine, Richard Lloyd, Fred Smith and Billy Ficca – went into a studio with Glyn Johns (Rolling Stones producer, among others) and cut eight songs that take the ‘rock band’ line-up out of its comfort zone, while remaining true to the idea that people want to listen closely. This album rewards the headphone listener with its wizard musicality and crisp sounds.

 

SUMMERTEETH – WILCO

The height of the collaboration between Jeff Tweedy and the late Jay Bennett was reached here. Done at the high point of Tweedy’s love of baroque 60’s pop music and Bennett’s technological nous with the then-new ProTools computer recording program, it is a sonically dynamic and diverse collection of songs that range from rock to more sensitive Lennon-esque territory. It also comes with 16 songs – enough to reward even the casual listener.

 

LOVELESS – MY BLOODY VALENTINE

Steeped in legend as cloudy as a Sydney summer, the stories about the recording of this album are many and legendary. The group’s label was stunned at the 500,000 pound bill they got from the studio, but what did they achieve? Well, critics – your correspondent included – were divided at the time. However, this incredibly dense album consists of gorgeous melodies and layers of guitar feedback and buried vocals. Amps choke, drums clatter and rumble like thunder and yes – it’s a headphone masterpiece.