After all, playing a whole album in order live is somewhat of a faux pas. That kind of performance is usually associated with Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” or The Who’s “Tommy,” and, in my experience, indie kids usually keep a pretty safe distance from both.
But, as the night wore on, Newsom’s decision made more and more sense. Anyone who’s listened to “Ys” straight through knows that the album is carefully crafted in nearly every way, and that the order of songs can be as essential as the music that comprises them. When a musician has as clear and dogmatic a vision as Newsom does, it’s hard to imagine things any other way.
The reason some fans of live music oppose this is obvious enough: Bands aren’t supposed to perform exactly the same as they do on the album, they ought to draw songs from various parts of their catalogue, and part of the joy of the live experience is in the surprise of the song order. All valid objections, granted.
But more and more often we are starting to see that exceptions exist, that coherence and artistic vision can sometimes surpass the taboo of playing whole albums live. Take Brian Wilson, for example ““ when the unfinished “SMiLE” was finished and released 37 years later (in 2004), it only made sense that the album be performed in its entirety.
These exceptions were few and far between, until recently. The latest additions to the Pitchfork Festival lineup seem to be an indication of change.
On Friday, July 13, indie music powerhouse Pitchfork Media will kick off its second annual festival with three very special performances: Sonic Youth will play its seminal 1988 album, “Daydream Nation,” in its entirety, Wu-Tang’s own GZA will perform his hip-hop masterpiece “Liquid Swords,” and a recently reunited Slint will deliver its 1991 post-punk landmark, “Spiderland.”
This is in association with All Tomorrow’s Parties’ “Don’t Look Back” series, which features artists playing their seminal albums.
That the playing of entire albums is not only accepted but sponsored by such hard-hitters as Pitchfork Media may indicate an altering perception of musical artists. No longer are they forced to adhere to expectations placed on them by an audience or venue. No longer are they viewed as entertainers but as artists.
While the average Sonic Youth listener would probably choose to hear songs from “Goo” and “Sister” in addition to favorites from “Daydream Nation,” those who consider “Daydream Nation” a unified masterpiece will have the chance of a lifetime: an opportunity to see one of the most influential bands of the last 25 years playing a whole album as they intended it, an experience that is normally disregarded and considered unsatisfying.
This emphasis on the artist and the oeuvre rather than live performance as strictly entertainment may appeal to fewer people, but will reward dedicated and affected fans with something more than a simple rock show can.
While I may not be willing to pay to see Beirut’s “Gulag Orkestar” in its entirety (where I would otherwise consider seeing the band live), the gratification I would get from seeing Neutral Milk Hotel play “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea” in full would more than make up for it. And while I by no means think every live show should be a band playing its best album the whole way though, the slow lifting of this taboo will only yield rewards.
E-mail Duhamel at dduhamel@media.ucla.edu.