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Interview: Elizabeth Cauley
Listening to 1,001 albums over 1,001 days
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In 2005, the Robert Dimery-edited book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die was released. The title basically says it all: beginning with Frank Sinatra’s In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning, Dimery chose 1,001 albums that you have to listen to before knockin’ on Heaven’s door (why no mention of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid?).
It’s a fun project for music nerds, the kind that check Pitchfork before even looking at Facebook, but what about the casual fan? In August of last year, Elizabeth Cauley, who in her initial entry name checks both the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC (not that there’s anything wrong with that), decided she needed more than “67 songs” on her iPod. So she began Liz’s 1001 Albums, where the 25-year-old California resident will listen to every album on 1001 Albums list, right up to 2007′s Myths of the Near Future by the Klaxons, the “newest” entry.
Encore spoke to Liz via e-mail about why she started this project and her favorite music so far.
What made you want to start this project?
I saw the movie Julie and Julia and I really was interested by the Julie subplot. I loved that she took on a project of such a huge magnitude and really stuck with it. I hate to cook so I went on the lookout for something else. I realized that I had such sketchy knowledge of music and that could be my Julie/Julia project. I bought the 1001 Albums book and started the next day.
Has listening to full albums changed the way you hear music?
Definitely. Before this project, I had never listened to an entire album in my life. Listening to entire albums has made me a lot more patient about listening to music. I’ve really been able to give a song a chance to draw me in instead of turning it off five seconds in just because I’m bored with it. I’ve found a lot of great new music this way! I also have really been intrigued with finding songs and bands I like and really exploring the rest of the album. There are always little treats when you look at the entire album.
Have you ever been tempted to not listen to your set album? Is it tough to complete the task?
Absolutely! There are many days that I’m so tempted to not finish the album or skip it all together. I’m still not a fan of jazz or psychedelic music, but the list is filled with those albums. But even if I don’t like the music, I make myself finish it. Sure I have to take a lot of breaks if I don’t enjoy it, but I feel it’s only fair to the artist that I give their entire work a listen.
Favorite album you’ve listened to so far?
I’ve loved a good number of the albums. Peter Gabriel and Bruce Springsteen are some of my recent (as in late 70′s) favorites. I also really enjoyed Jacques Brel, Scott Walker, the Monks, Keith Jarrett and Sparks.
Least favorite?
Oh, there have been a few. I really didn’t like Neil Young or Joni Mitchell. I also didn’t enjoy Bob Dylan’s early music.
Please check out Liz’s website here.
Today’s album: Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols.