I’m listening to Age of Adz for the first time in forever & it’s bringing back so many memories of that night in Manchester. It was the last time I attended a gig with one of my best mates before he buggered off to Australia & hopefully the last time I’ll pass out in public… Nice one, Mike.
Seriously though, I love how an album can take you back to a certain period in your life so quickly. Just as Age of Adz takes me back to a bittersweet transitionary period, there’s a handful of Smog albums that serve to remind me of how far I’ve come in the last few years. At the time of my avid listening, I was beyond reclusive. I had crippling social anxiety, a poor relationship with food & I didn’t much care about anything that was going on in my life. The overriding sensation was that of numbness. I didn’t have the energy to feel angry most of the time. I lived life on autopilot, going from one day to the next with very little purpose. There’s a 4 or 5 year gap where I have little recollection of any events, or the order in which they happened. It’s just a blur.
Now when I listen to those albums, I’m listening from a very different place. I still love them, but in a very different way to when I first listened. Back then they were my crutch. They were a coping mechanism. I needed them. Needless to say, I have a very different relationship with his music now.
I realise this might be a bit of a long shot but I’m going to ask anyway: do any of you guys have any similar associations worth sharing?