Pete Foley
Quadraphenia
It is quite funny how deeply ingrained music is in our memories. For me I think it cues the retrieval of emotions and memories more so even than scent. One of the most visceral and influential albums in my life is Quadraphenia by the Who, for a multitude of reasons that are too long, and too boring to go into here. I won it in an art competition when I was in my early teens, and played it to destruction. Quadraphenia is a story about adolescence, set against the context of the mods and rockers battles that used to rage on Brighton's beaches during bank holiday weekends in 1960's England. Taking a short trip down to Brighton a couple of weekends ago, I found the songs from that album forcing themselves into my consciousness at every step. 5:15, the first track on the second album, (Quadraphenia was the first double album I ever owned) blared in the inner ear of my imagination as the train sped towards Brighton Station. As it played note perfect in my head, my minds eye morphed my fellow passengers into the bowler hatted characters depicted sitting in the train to Brighton in the albums story booklet. Another song, 'Sea and Sand' provided an incessant soundtrack as I strolled along the beach, while 'Bell Boy', and Keith Moon's comedic ravings provided a musical backdrop as I strolled down the hotel laden seafront. Finally, standing, staring out at the windswept sea, as waves pummeled the stony beach, Love Reign Over Me, one of my favorite songs of all time, played note for note in my "minds ear", perfectly retrieved from my memory, refreshed by the salty, ozone rich sea breeze. It's been too long since I devoured a new album as I did Quadraphenia when it first came out. There have been others since of course, but you cannot wear out an mp3 as you could a vinyl album, and sometimes I miss those warm, familiar crackles.
Watch Pearl jam Bring Quadraphenia Alive here www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjB1r77JljM
Or the original Who version here
Quadraphenia
It is quite funny how deeply ingrained music is in our memories. For me I think it cues the retrieval of emotions and memories more so even than scent. One of the most visceral and influential albums in my life is Quadraphenia by the Who, for a multitude of reasons that are too long, and too boring to go into here. I won it in an art competition when I was in my early teens, and played it to destruction. Quadraphenia is a story about adolescence, set against the context of the mods and rockers battles that used to rage on Brighton's beaches during bank holiday weekends in 1960's England. Taking a short trip down to Brighton a couple of weekends ago, I found the songs from that album forcing themselves into my consciousness at every step. 5:15, the first track on the second album, (Quadraphenia was the first double album I ever owned) blared in the inner ear of my imagination as the train sped towards Brighton Station. As it played note perfect in my head, my minds eye morphed my fellow passengers into the bowler hatted characters depicted sitting in the train to Brighton in the albums story booklet. Another song, 'Sea and Sand' provided an incessant soundtrack as I strolled along the beach, while 'Bell Boy', and Keith Moon's comedic ravings provided a musical backdrop as I strolled down the hotel laden seafront. Finally, standing, staring out at the windswept sea, as waves pummeled the stony beach, Love Reign Over Me, one of my favorite songs of all time, played note for note in my "minds ear", perfectly retrieved from my memory, refreshed by the salty, ozone rich sea breeze. It's been too long since I devoured a new album as I did Quadraphenia when it first came out. There have been others since of course, but you cannot wear out an mp3 as you could a vinyl album, and sometimes I miss those warm, familiar crackles.
Watch Pearl jam Bring Quadraphenia Alive here www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjB1r77JljM
Or the original Who version here