When this "Digging in the Greats" series was conceived of, the basic idea consisted of writing pieces in which I gave my thoughts and personal takes on some of the most lauded and well regarded albums of all time. All of the entries that I have planned to appear in the future will undoubtedly be familiar to most readers, and almost all of them have been written about more eloquently and extensively by far more qualified sources. Despite this, my overwhelming nerdiness can't help but scratch the itch of wanting to write about the quote-unquote best albums ever made. So, what better place to start than with a certified classic that just so happens to be quite possibly my favorite album of all time?
Released in 2000, the Avalanches' Since I Left You is an album whose legendary status has developed more on the fringes of music fandom. It's never quite seen the same spotlight as the "must-haves" of a Barnes & Noble record selection, but there's a good chance that any music listener whose committed to having a well-rounded Topster in 2023 has had some sort of experience with this one. In many ways, Since I Left You is an album that's difficult to not fall in love with. From the first days of its innocuous debut, the album has treated millions of listeners to an auditory safe haven; a refuge that becomes all the more beloved with each and every re-listen.
For those completely unfamiliar with this album, the defining feature of Since of Left You is that the whole album -- every single sound -- is composed entirely of various samples. Even this, however, doesn't really do The Avalanches’ sampling justice. In its one hour runtime, Since I Left You is estimated to contain anywhere between 900 and 3,500 samples. While it certainly wasn't the first album to consist of mostly samples (see DJ Shadow's Endtroducing), the sheer scope of sampling on Since I Left You is a feat that remains just as mind boggling 23 years after the album's release.
During the course of the album's production, the Avalanches could never have predicted that this album was going to develop into the gargantuan achievement it has become. Started in 1994, the band began life as a 5-man punk outfit from Melbourne, Australia. After a few failed band names and a stint of edgy releases, the group's style slowly developed into an affinity for sampling old records, which they then would remix into quirky dance compositions. Over the course of the late 90's, the group's singles and EPs would begin to gain traction in the Australian music scene, eventually resulting in the group being signed to Modular Recordings in May of 1998. From there, the band began work on the production of their debut studio album, amassing a massive amount of records, VHS tapes, and television programs that would eventually become the soundscape of Since I Left You.
Trying to describe Since I Left You in any sort of dialectical sense feels like somewhat of an unnecessary battle. It’s simply something that must be heard to be understood. The album is strange and unlike anything you've probably ever heard, but it's by no means inaccessible. If anything, I'd be willing to wager that Since I Left You might be one of the most welcoming and easy-listening album experiences to ever exist, right alongside greats like Pet Sounds or Songs in the Key of Life. Despite how difficult it is to describe in words, when listening to the first few seconds of the title track, 99% of people will probably have a handle on what the album will sound like. Yet, I have taken it upon myself to try and give my ten cents on my favorite album ever made, so bear with me as I attempt to make the intangible magic of Since I Left You into a blog for your reading pleasure.
Close your eyes, for a moment, and try to picture what usually goes through your head when you listen to music. It might be images, maybe random moments from your life or imagined scenarios that you've stitched to accompany certain songs in your brain. It could also be colors, perhaps a particular smell, or just simply a time of day that feels apt for when this song should be playing. It hurts our brain to actively try and describe what music-listening looks like, but it's probably something we all have the vaguest of handles on. With that being said, I truly have no words that can ever adequately describe what exactly occurs in my head when I listen to Since I Left You.
To some extent, Since I Left You is a concept album. The project was initially titled "Pablo's Cruise" and was meant to explore the story of a hopeless romantic pursuing the woman of his dreams from continent to continent. While that particular narrative was mostly abandoned by the time the album was actually released, it can definitely help give clues as to what pops in one's head while the album is playing: rolling waves, oceanside sunsets, lavish parties, and an overwhelming sense of existential longing. But even with this slight amount of conceptual guidance, Since I Left You is really just a gargantuan collage of colors, sounds, and emotions that remains more open to interpretation than most works of art ever made.
It might sound as if I'm implying that Since I Left You is messy, but this couldn't be farther from the truth. Somehow, an album consisting of hundreds of samples composed by five Australian twenty-somethings is concise, clean, and miraculously cohesive. Even in the sea of samples that this album presents, every single sound is so perfectly incorporated that they become memorable after even a couple of listens. Singing along to Since I Left You is easy, because somehow the Avalanches' have transformed nonsense vocal snippets and barrages of filtered instrumentation into the catchiest of pop ditties. On top of that, the album just sounds fantastic. It's a master class in mixing and sampling techniques, and remains an infallible inspiration for modern-day DJs and producers looking to employ similar techniques.
Now, let's talk about songs. Consisting of 18 tracks (it was initially supposed to be 19, but "With My Baby" was cut), Since I Left You is tour de force of excellence that manages to be just as enjoyable on a song-to-song basis as it is as a full-album listen. Every single song on the album blends into the next, often seamlessly, but every single song is also a fully-formed listening experience that stands just as strongly on its own. The samples are an eclectic smorgasbord of jazz, lounge, hip-hop, rock, pop, and just about anything else, and many of the tracks are populated by smatterings of sound bites from long forgotten films and TV shows. The samples are so obscure, chances are that no one has ever heard any of them before, but the songs are arranged in such a nostalgic fashion that it constantly feels as if there's something about each song you recognize.
On a first listen, tracks like "Radio" and "Flight Tonight" will undoubtedly be stand-outs, bursting with chaotic energy and frenetic vocal samples that are constantly interrupted by AM radio squawks and aggressive French rap verses. Some of the album's calmer moments, such as "Two Hearts in 3/4 Time" or "Tonight” will be memorable for their overwhelming sweetness; a concoction of misty-eyed memories that might belong to someone else, but still can't help but feel personal. There's deep cuts like "ETOH" (named after a former band member who was deported) or the fantastic closer "Extra Kings.” Chances are, however, no song is going to have more of an impact on a newfound listener than the Avalanches' calling card, "Frontier Psychiatrist."
"Frontier Psychiatrist" is essentially a masterclass on everything there is to know about sampling. Initially conceived as a hard hip-hop instrumental, frontman Robbie Chater felt that this sort of rhetoric was disingenuous to the band's personal style. Upon discovering a particular set of vintage comedy records, "Frontier Psychiatrist" was finally ready to become what it was always meant to be. The track is littered with samples, and pairs some of the most memorable melodies and percussion on the album with absurd vocals that discuss everything from golden eyeballs to battling kazoos. Alongside an equally amazing music video, "Frontier Psychiatrist" has earned its reputation as one of the band's most defining singles, and remains just as thrilling and utterly out-of-the-box bonkers in 2023 as it must have been in 2000.
Now, apt readers who are familiar with this album have probably noticed that I've omitted a fairly iconic song from any of my descriptions thus far. This is because, for an article that aims to distill my personal passion about an iconic album, it seems only fitting that we save my favorite song on my favorite album for last. The title track for Since I Left You came into my life at a time that I had no idea I needed it. I was 17 years-old, angry, mentally unwell, and desperate for some sort of meaning. In the summer of 2017, as I vegetated on my mattress and doom-scrolled through my YouTube recommendations, I happened to come across this song, and by association, this album. From the first moments the gentle plucks of a distant Spanish guitar washed into my grimy middle-school headphones, I was hooked.
In just five minutes, "Since I Left You" not only manages to capture what I love about this whole album, but what I love about music. It's a living, breathing work of art, one where forgotten splashes of memory play in my mind like the greatest movie never made. There's a soul to this song, a glorious beating heart that sounds the closest to unconditional love that I think anything but the real thing will ever be able to accomplish. It's beauty made tangible, the essence of the joy that comes from seeing the past and present mingled together in the stunning collage we wake up into every single day, and all of this is just a click away on the streaming service of your choice.
It is really impossible to ever dilute Since I Left You’s significance into a couple of paragraphs. With that being said, my scrivener-heart feels full having given it my best effort. To whomever is reading, I thank you, and hope you will return to further “Digging in the Greats” entries in the future. And finally, to Since I Left You... it's only been about 20 minutes since I left listening to you for this review…. I simply can't wait to go back.
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