…And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Source Tags and Codes
Release Date: 26 February 2002 (Interscope)
Date I Got: 26 June 2003
Best Track: Source Tags and Codes
Other Notable Tracks: Another Morning Stoner, How Near How Far
Summer 2003. Living in an antiseptic nearly-new campus apartment. We didn’t pay utilities so kept the temperature absurdly cold: I wore socks all summer. No one would visit. I’d enter a room and close the blinds. My roommate would enter and open them. Three months of this.
I spent a lot of time that summer listening to Source Tags & Codes. I picked it up in a trade. I liked it right off, thought it was pretty good. I read Pitchfork’s review (linked below) and agreed with most of it, but was surprised at the 10.0 rating. This, being relatively early in my music geekdom, led me to many re-listenings in attempt to hear what the reviewer heard.
I don’t quibble with the rating, but it’s not something I hear. I like the album–a lot, actually–but there is a disconnect between me and it. In an alternate time-travel induced world where I’m still more or less me, this could be my favorite album. If I heard it at a slightly different time in my life, it would still be in the constant rotation. It is a soundtrack to events I never participated in.
And that’s sad, and one of the reasons I wanted to undertake this project. It had been probably a year since I last listened. There are just too many good albums and albums that play a bigger part in my personal narrative that good albums like this can’t compete against.
Get a second opinion!
[official] [allmusic] [Pitchfork]
[Video - Another Morning Stoner]
this album was my first exposure to the band. not sure if it’s a 10.0, but i think it’s fantastic. it’s one of those albums where nearly all of the tracks are strong, which is really rare lately. their first two albums are quite good too, but the last two have been largely disappointing. i think the best track is “relative ways,” although the tracks you highlighted are good as well.
right after i bought the album i saw them live at the el rey, which is probably why this album has stuck w/ me. it was a really high-energy show and a great time. saw them again this year and it paled in comparison. i hope they still have some good stuff left in them, but right now it looks like tags and codes was their peak.
Comment by mike d. — 1 December 2007 @ 2:12 pm
You’re right, all the tracks are good and the album flows together really well. It sounds like a coherent whole, which is uncommon.
I’ve heard that about the albums after this one, which is why I never bothered getting any more. Maybe I should get the earlier ones.
Comment by Quarter Flipper — 1 December 2007 @ 2:23 pm
I’ve had this album forever but never really listened to it. I’m giving it a go right now.
Comment by Susan M — 2 December 2007 @ 6:05 pm
Hmm. Actually I don’t have it. Ripped, anyway.
Comment by Susan M — 2 December 2007 @ 6:06 pm
I hate having to find albums I know I have. The ones I listen to are easy, but for this project I’ve already had to dig through a bunch.
Someday it’ll be all digital. (That makes me a little sad.)
Comment by Quarter Flipper — 3 December 2007 @ 7:11 pm
Are you doing this alphabetically? You make me want to attempt something similar but it’d take me forever.
Comment by Susan M — 4 December 2007 @ 2:44 pm
Kinda. I’m doing the first “A” then the first “B”…and so on, then the second “A” and the second “B”…
You should totally do it. Obviously I think it’s worthwhile. I realized I had far too many albums I never listen to, some of them really quite good–like this one. I imagine with the size of your collection you have the same problem.
It will take a long time. I estimated, given some key assumptions, that it’ll take me five years to get through my albums writing 1 every day. For you, I’d add another 12-18 months since you have more than me, plus maybe longer since I think you’ll add faster than me while I’m in school.
That said, I think the benefit of this project is in the process, not necessarily in the completion.
Comment by Quarter Flipper — 5 December 2007 @ 5:43 am
Yeah, I just have trouble forcing myself to listen to stuff at times. I tend to listen to what I want to listen to. I could probably do one album a week…well who knows.
Comment by Susan M — 5 December 2007 @ 8:49 am