The Freewheelin’ Jared

Some friends were raving about the new Franz Ferdinand recently. I hadn’t heard it yet. First impression was a poor man’s Roxy Music. That got me thinking. Why do we often listen to certain artists or records when we know there’s always something better out there? Why mess around with the new Dylan (Bob, not Jakob. Jakob’s perfect) when you know there will never be another Blonde on Blonde. Do we need lesser quality work to put the rest in perspective? Maybe, but Blonde on Blonde would still be Blonde On Blonde if it was the last record he ever made. Could we survive on just the “Abbey Roads”, “London Callings” or “Neverminds” or do we need all the inferior work to appreciate the great stuff?

Lets say your favorite meal is Thanksgiving Dinner. Sure you could survive on that alone, all the nutritional bases would be covered. But over time you’re bound to detest the sight of mashed potatoes, apple pie and cranberry sauce. You’d need a break, you’d go to Subway and get an unremarkable, uninspired sandwich and move on with your life nourished and unfazed. Perhaps Franz Ferdinand and the like are our Subways; they keep us going until Thanksgiving when we can feast on the good stuff. Maybe my friends are from Canada, where they don’t celebrate Thanksgiving.