Thursday 31 December 2009
Defining a Decade: Yo La Tengo And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (2000)
And so I come to the final installment in the Defining A Decade series, to the very first album that made an impression on me in the new millennium. Yo La Tengo‘s And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out also has the distinction of being the very first record I ever ordered online (changing the way I shopped for new music with the click of a mouse).
I knew of the band prior to buying this record, but I had never been a fan. I don’t remember what prompted me to even consider it without having heard it first (it certainly wasn’t the firs or last time I bought a record without hearing it), but there are a couple of things that stick out in my mind. The first is the album’s title, which I now know comes from a Sun Ra quote “…At first there was nothing…then nothing turned itself inside out and became something.” I loved the way it tripped off my tongue, and the way the words turned over in my head, trying to formulate some kind of understanding. I also know that I was quite taken with the very surreal album art, drawn in to the mystical light beaming down from the sky, enchanting the man standing at the edge of the sleeve.
Once drawn in by the design and title, I found that the music within matched the eerie and existential quality perfectly. “Everyday” remains one of my favourite album openers of all time. It’s minimalist heartbeat rhythm, droning strings and languid pace is strangely calming while simultaneously making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. It’s magnificently contrasted by the effervescent “Let’s Save Tony Orlando’s House” and pitch perfect cover of the disco song “You Can Have It All”. The emotional impact of the album comes on the beautiful “Tears are In Your Eyes”, which went on to be the highlight of a number of break-up and sad song mixed tapes I made at the time. I had all but forgotten just how much I love that country-flavoured ballad; thankfully this little project has reminded me of just how marvelous it is. (The Antlers have a great cover of it out there, too, which I highly recommend searching out.)
Prompted by my admiration for And Then Nothing… I investigated the Yo La Tengo back catalogue, only to learn that this album was a major departure for them. Subsequently, none of the albums they released after it has managed to grasp my attention and affections. It stands alone among my record collection as the sole Yo La Tengo release of any real significance (“Cherry Chapstick”, the closest they come to sounding like their previous records is my least favourite song on the album). It was the soundtrack to many late nights, and lulled me to sleep over and over again.
And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out was the first record out of the gate in 2000 and I jumped on board, bags packed and ready to head into the next century. Even at the time I was acutely aware of its significance to me personally. It’s a record I’ve rarely shared with anyone else, preferring to hold it close as a private treasure. Now, as we’re just hours away from the start of a new century, it’s time to look ahead and find the record that will start me on the journey through the next 10 years. That album will have the unenviable task of having to turn nothing into something for me.
MP3: Yo La Tengo “Tears Are In Your Eyes”
Myspace: Yo La Tengo
This entry was posted on Thursday, December 31st, 2009 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Defining A Decade, MP3. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
