'Armed Forces'

When I was a child and I started paying attention to music, I was able to listen to the same piece of music or album over and over and over. Literally, hours of my childhood were spent listening and re-listening to the same Beach Boys or Beatles cassettes or listening to the radio dubbing music off the airwaves like a good pirate.

In my teenage years, listening to an album 10 times straight was no big deal. Yes, I eventually got burnt out and I would have to step back for a couple of months before coming back.

However, in my fleeting 20s, I can't do that anymore. I buy a new album or something's burned for me and I listen to it and I automatically step away for a week and maybe listen again. Some albums don't get more than five listens within a year. Others get more, but never do I hit triple digits at least for a while.

Except Elvis Costello's "Armed Forces." I believe I've given it a solid 12 listens in the past two weeks and I'm prepared to go another week. First, I considered it typical Costello (BritPop before it was cool to be BritPop). Then I kept listening. I started memorizing lyrics (something I hadn't done with regularity in years) and hearing the harmonies and intracacies of the basslines, drums and piano/organ.

I learned to love music again. It's refreshing.