Okay Chris, you can spank me now

All right, all right, I'll admit it. Neil gave me X&Y about a month ago to listen to since I hadn't bought it yet. I'd been waiting and waiting and waiting for it to come out and I was actually counting down the days to the release. I even paid to get "Speed of Sound" from iTunes when they released it. Yes, I was the one who cried when I first listened to Parachutes all the way through. And yes, I was the one who HAD to have Rush of Blood to the Head and listened it to it so much that I had to buy another copy. And I also beleive I was the one who spent $70.00 on a set of burned CDs on ebay of all their unreleased stuff. I also shelled out over $350.00 to see them when they came to Connecticut last time. I'd say I'm a pretty faithful, hopelessly devoted, hardcore stalker fan.

But I didn't listen to X&Y.

I let it sit on the kitchen counter for a month. I knew it was there. I saw it every day, a couple of times a day.

But I didn't listen to it.

Partly because of articles like this. Are they the next U2? What if they suck? What if Stick Insect Actress Wife curses the band like Yoko? What if Chris starts wearing wrap around sunglasses and refers to himself as "The Fly"? Pretty friggin' frightening, folks. Also, Speed of Sound video...not so fantastic. Little overplayed, VH1. You should at least play two other videos BEFORE replaying it. Or change your name to CP1 and get it over with.

So I was getting ready to head back to Keene for the fourth on Saturday and had all my crap up on the kitchen counter. Sunglasses, check. Car keys, check. Dog bones, check. Cell phone, check. There X&Y sat, gathering dust. At the last minute, I grabbed it. Halfway into Bedford, I popped Faithless out and put it in.

All I have to say is holy balls, I need to be spanked, Mister Martin. It has to be one of the best albums I've heard (and I've heard a lot, folks. I don't have any hobbies) and, yes Neil, the best album they've released. It's important to understand, if you're not as wholly saturated in the boys as I am, that Parachutes, ROBTH and X&Y are completely different albums. None of them sound like the other (which is why I think they are NOT the next U2. It took Bono and co. almost four albums (Boy, War, October, Unforgettable Fire) before they came up with something that sounded different.) Anyway, I'm babbling and I'm sure you don't care. It's bloody brilliant and beautiful and fantastic. If you don't have it, go get it.

Happy fourth, BTW. Hope you all had fun and didn't drink too much. I did not drink too much. I drank very little. Went to Tony's with Neil Saturday night and had a few beers. Laid out in the sun with my mom all day Sunday and floated in the pool. Last night went to the Dark Star with Neil for a beer and got hit in the back of the head with the chalk of somebody's pool cue, which is always a good time. It was totally dead; I think we were two of the six people in there. And they were blasting the a/c and I have no idea why. It was below 60 last night. I slept late this morning and hung out with Moms before she headed back to UNH to start her masters course. Very proud of my Mum.

So now I'm just chillin'. Lilly loves to stare at the computer screen while I type, it's weird. She acts like she's reading and flexes her claw back and forth. Now she's leaning forward and her eyes are all big like she knows I'm writing about her. Weirdo baby cat.

Have a good afternoon.