Ah, that’s what all those cd’s are for…

My wife asked me last night how long it would take to listen to all the cd’s we have, if I listened for 8 hours a day. After some silent arithmetic that took far too long, I decided 200 days would be a good guess, which means I guessed 1600 cd’s. We laughed at my hoarding for a while, and then inspiration struck: why be so fuzzy about the number, why not listen to them all? I already have decided to gradually visit every bar in Lockport, so this project, also an exercise in pointless completism, will give me something to do at home. Listening in the car doesn’t count, I decided, and every cd must be played in it’s entirety, though I don’t have to “actively” listen to each one; I have to be in the room, but I can do other things whilst listening, like blogging about it. So: I am starting at the cd tower in the fireplace room downstairs, and am listening upstairs through a desktop computer plugged into a PA system I bought for $50 in Atlanta from a church.

1) Handsome Boy Modeling School: So… How’s Your Girl?

This was first because I just got it back from my brother, who loves the first song (as does ESPN, apparently). I like this one better than the 2nd HBMS cd, I think; Del Tha Funky Homosapien, Sean Lennon, Grand Puba, Cibo Matto… great guest lineup. Dan the Automater’s classical fixation is annoying ocaasionally, but still this cd is plenty of fun. (bonus: Fr. Guido Sarducci/Chris Elliot)

2) Nina Simone: Legendary Nina Simone

This is a 3 cd set, so I might not get to another artist tonight. Such a voice, profound and profoundly weird at the same time, bassy enough that many folks mistake her for a man. Too many great songs to mention, but “Mississippi Goddamn” gets me every time. (bonus: Mr Bojangles) (ooh, forgot about her version of “Think It’s Going To Rain Today.” Also forgot her propensity for the occasional shitty cover: “Angel of the Morning,” way overripe with harps).