Log #1 - Bret Anderson is Alive and Well (and He Knows It)

Not one for mp3s and digital downloads I've always preferred my music physical and tangible. Not only for the feel and look but also I feel the art form of an album presents a sum greater than its parts. Would we have had a "Sgt. Pepper's" or "Astral Weeks" without the concept of an album?

But I can see the advantages of having an endless stream of music. Several years ago when my CD player expired I replaced it with a 6-CD magazine changer I found on ebay for around £30. Providing not an endless stream of music but a good 5 hours worth, plenty enough for a weekend. It has been one of my best ever purchases.

This weekend I was shuffling through my 6 CDs and realised my current choices were what I would consider atypical of my usual tastes. How did I get here I thought to myself? Would this be symptomatic of a permanent change in taste or were there good temporary reasons for my choices?

So here the idea of a journal of listening was born. I aim to log the 6 CDs each week with comments and thoughts, perhaps justifications and reasons, even reviews.

The 6-CD changer log #1:
Paulo Nutini-Sunny Side Up
Suede-Suede
Badly Drawn Boy-Have You Fed the Fish?
Sufjan Stevens-Carrie and Lowell
Carole King-Tapestry
Afro Celts-Seed

Mesmerising Suede front man Brett Anderson (Yui Mok/PA )

I don’t have the same out of control lifestyle that I used to have but I’m able to find these pockets of interest within everyday life.

Record of the Week: I love the Paulo Nutini, a lovely new discovery, but I was even more surprised at how much I liked previously unheard Suede when I saw them headlining the recent TTP festival here in Brighton - their debut eponymous album wins it this week. Suede contains many of their anthemic songs that were performed with enthusiastic swagger on stage with singer Bret Anderson channelling his best Bowie/Jagger.