Come on kids

Last night, lying alone in bed, I did something I hadn't done since I was a teenager...I put on my headphones and listened to some music before falling asleep.

I listen to/hear a lot of music throughout the course of the day (19 tracks a day according to Last FM) - on my commute, in the office (I can't work without tunes in the background), having dinner with S. Thinking about it last night reminded me of the "No Music Day" article in last week's Ticket, how we all have music forced on us as we go about our normal activities, be it elevator music, ringtones, hold music. They advocate a complete ban on music, but that's a bit extreme for my liking. Last night I was able to give the music my full, undivided attention, and it was a revelation. 

I listened to the titular track from Radiohead's vastly underrated 2003 Kid A. When it was finished, I listened to it again, just for the sheer unadulterated hell of it. I heard every note, every twist and nuance: the brooding atmospherics of the xylophone, the distorted cajoling of Thom's vocal, the stacatto rhythm driving the whole piece forward. It was an amazing experience - everyone should try it tonight. Pick any song, I'm not going to pretend that Radiohead is eneryone's cup of tea, but give it a go.