Personal Embarrassment & Why Lyrics Don't Matter

I need to admit something. I've never listened to Nevermind by Nirvana. And I'm okay with that.

Last week, I published a somewhat popular article about the death of the key change. The article is framed around Michael Jackson's “Man in the Mirror”, a song co-written by Siedah Garrett. What's cool is that someone tweeted about the song and Garrett favorited it! The power of the internet. But enough bragging. Let's talk about...

That One Album You've Never Heard

I haven't listened to Nevermind by Nirvana. Maybe you consider that grounds to unsubscribe from this newsletter, but I've just never felt compelled to listen to Kurt Cobain & Co. I know the big songs, but none of them have driven me to pick up their magnum opus.

Because of my blindspot, I decided to ask some people around the music industry about theirs. Punk rocker Frank Turner told me that over the last few years he'd “made a concerted effort to listen to everything anyone would consider a classic album”, but everyone else I reached out to had an album that came to mind. The answers were fascinating.

Blue by Joni Mitchell
“I listen to 100s of albums a year, so my attention is generally taken by new music. That’s not a bad thing per se, because a constant journey of discovery can be both fun and rewarding. It also means I’ve got a huge backlog of classics which I’ve never listened to. Not listening to Blue makes zero sense, though, given Mitchell’s influence on many of my favorite songwriters. It’s such a silly omission.” - Kevin Rutherford, Chart Manager @ Billboard

Graceland by Paul Simon
“Graceland always seemed dorky and boring to me. Also, Tommy by The Who. Who's got time for that?" - Max Rauch, Songwriter/Producer (LKFFCT, Ogbert the Nerd)

Aquemini by Outkast
“I missed the wave when Outkast was pivotal. I need to dedicate the time and emotional energy to have this be the soundtrack to a season of my life. That's what makes the music connect with me." - Anonymous, Artist Manager/A&R

Rumors by Fleetwood Mac
“I'm slightly surprised that I haven't listened to Rumors given my love of edgy female vocalists. I've always loved Fleetwood Mac's song “Rhiannon”, but it was never enough of a gateway drug to lure me into exploring their discography." - Vanessa Wilkins, Music Business Development @ Snapchat

The Ramones by The Ramones
“I'm surprised I've never listened to this considering it's only 29 minutes and has “Blitzkrieg Bop”. The Ramones are the type of band you hear so much in public that you don't necessarily crave them when you're listening on your own." - Divine Sweater, Indie Rock Band

Kid A by Radiohead
“The avant-garde and ambient songwriting on Kid A was an immediate turn-off to my younger self who craved the pop-theatrics of Bowie and Springsteen. I'm looking forward to giving it a chance." - Nick Benevenia, Chief Rock Curator @ Audiomack

Car Wheels on a Gravel Road by Lucinda Williams
“Going through the Rolling Stone top 500 albums of all time list the first one I've never heard is number 98, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road by Lucinda Williams. Why have I not listened? I just haven't dove into her discography. This question makes me want to." - Patrick Hicks, Popular Music TikToker

Hell Hath No Fury by Clipse
“In 2018, I went on a deep dive of mid-2000s classics, but never had a straight-through play of this '06 titan. I chalk it up to being overwhelmed with this classic album schedule I made for myself that's pinned to a wall in my living room. Definitely the worst way to experience music." - Donna-Claire Chesman, Author (The Book of Mac: Remembering Mac Miller)

A New One
"La Curiosidad" by Ivan Cornejo
2022 - Acoustic

Lyrics don't matter to the average listener. Saying this as a massive fan of Bob Dylan brings me great pain. But it's the truth. You will struggle to find someone who listens to a song with lyrics they love but music they hate. If you only wanted moving words, you'd pick up a book. Great lyrics are the cherry on top of great music. But it's really the music that's capturing the ineffable emotions that lyrics can only approximate. 

La Curiosidad is proof of that. And I say that with confidence. Because the lyrics are in Spanish, and I don't speak much Spanish. But I know exactly what Ivan Cornejo is saying. And he only needed an acoustic guitar and rambling bass to say it. 

An Old One
"Can't Hardly Wait" by Justin Townes Earle
2009 - Alt Country

This song was originally done by The Replacements, the 80s punk legends who were always on the cusp of stardom. In a tradition that goes back to the foundations of punk, The Replacements' greatest compositions contain an unresolved tension between two antithetical attitudes: nothing-matters and everything-matters-I-just-don't-know-how-to-say-it. “Can't Hardly Wait” is one of those compositions. And Justin Townes Earle's version highlights just how good it is.

Earle, who was lost tragically to an opioid overdose in 2020, was some of the best contemporary country had to offer. His take on “Can't Hardly Wait” demonstrates how great songs are genreless. Though The Replacements initially rocked it out, Earle sings it with a twangy tenderness that lets the beautiful melody shine.

Crying and waiting and hoping,
Chris Dalla Riva

Want to hear the music that I make? Check out my new EP.

Want to listen to more of my recent favorites? Listen to & favorite this playlist.