Mother Nature has really painted Ridgeway with her pallet. It’s gorgeous out; a perfect day to start the new long program. To accompany my run this afternoon I loaded up an old favorite, the ‘Thirteen’ album by Teenage Fanclub.
This fourth album by the Fans, named after the song ‘Thirteen’ by the band Big Star, a big influence on the band, was released in 1993 to poor reviews by critics and fans alike. In fact, I might be the only person on the planet who actually liked this album.
I have fond memories of listening to this alone in my dorm room at the Village Two residence at Waterloo University. While everyone else was out listening to the new Ace of Base hit at the clubs, I often preferred to stay home, get high, and zone out to this album. Such highlights for me include the melodic violin crescendo at the end of ‘Hang On’, the albums opening track, the haunting expressive power of ‘Gene Clark’, the bands tribute to one of the Byrds late front men, the moodiness of ‘Weird Houses’, the distinct grooviness of ‘Radio’, and the rocking ‘Escher’ which is as multi-dimensional as the artist it’s named after. Yes, this album will forever have a special place in my heart. And now, I can further associate it as an ideal musical companion to the absolute beauty of my hometown in autumn, while out enjoying an 8k long run at pace.
I could have easily gone longer, but being able to maintain a comfortable 5:11/km pace despite this lingering chest infection is a pretty big accomplishment in and of itself. Hopefully, this is a sign that those drills are paying off and my over all run form is improving.
Music in Motion 