over the day, from the start to the end:

morrissey, bona drag (1990), while doing dishes
joni mitchell, for the roses (1972), while reading the globe and mail
mojave 3, out of tune (1998), while reading the globe and mail
mahogany, the dream of a modern day (2001), while reading the globe and mail
saloon, if we meet in the future (2003), while reading dominic lieven's empire
a camp, a camp (2001), while reading dominic lieven's empire
neil halstead, sleeping on roads (2002), while reading dominic lieven's empire
the carpenters, the singles 1969-1973 (1973), while eating dinner

and now, joe jackson's body and soul from 1984, i think. his first 'weird' album, supposedly, and the first one i listened to. definitely among his best. an uncle bought this album for the cover and didn't like it, so he passed it to my dad, who did like it, albeit mostly because of the sound, i believe. it was recorded in a new york theatre, and has the 'feel of the room', or so goes the argument. it is perhaps overdramatic, but one of the last gasps of straight production before joe fell into the 80's trap of way too much treble(see laughter and lust or the atrocious blaze of glory). if pressed, i'd put big world down as my favourite straight album, but this one is very close. tried night and day again last week, but it's still not solid for me.

the morrissey is obviously fantastic. i'll sometimes skip such a little thing... and ...playboys, but just to get to haidresser on fire sooner. hairdresser... is my very favourite morrissey song. i tend to listen to this album very loudly while doing dishes. for the roses is a step towards more consistently sophisticated songwriting after the incredible the last time i saw richard off of blue. more arrangements, too. out of tune is solid, usually unremarkable but really quite accomplished... just quiet and unassuming.

the dream of a modern day is due a fuller treatment than i have the energy for tonight. there are those albums that simply can't go on very often, for fear of diminishment. the saloon is solid, decent, and an album i should spend more time with. a camp is another album that i once feared diminishing, but i think it can enter regular rotation. it's not *that* good, but it is very good indeed. better than any complete cardigans album, definitely. for sleeping on roads i have to pick my songs. it's a flawed album, but driving with bert is among halstead's very best songs. i blame the trumpet... who knew it was all about the trumpet for me. the carpenters were by request for something happy during dinner... 'they're not happy!', i said, 'they're very sad!' oh well.

i will get paid tomorrow, and i've already planned to head downtown tuesday afternoon to find the new saint etienne, tales from turnpike house. i've been listening to an interweb copy, and it's up to expectations. i'll look for josh rouse's nashville as well, but that's about all i can spend. oh, i'll also look for sebastian tellier's politics, which is so fun(zombi! wonderafrica!) and wonderful(la ritournelle! mauer! broadway!) that i simply must have a copy to wear out.

'cause there's places that i've never been to
sunsets to be ridden into
not a lot i can do but give into the drifter
there's a drifter in me.

that's my new favourite chorus, from my new soft-pop fascination. the sandpipers... who knew?