Friday, July 08, 2005
The Spirit of the Phoenix is Growing Strong
I was born in Atlanta. I spent a few years in the wilderness of Sarasota, Florida, but for the most part I was raised around Atlanta. I haven’t lived there in a couple years now, and although Boston’s pretty great, I miss the old gal pretty regularly. Despite its many flaws, I truly do believe that Atlanta is one of the finest cities in the world. The city’s amazing, unrelenting arrogance is one of the many reasons I love Atlanta. In 1986, to honor its first 150 years of awesomeness, the city commissioned a tribute album to itself, and called it I Believe in Atlanta. It is, quite simply, the greatest album of all time. I bought this for a buck at a thrift store in Kennesaw in 1996. God truly gave me a high-five that day. From the amazing peach-colored gatefold sleeve (slightly reminiscent of the Allmans’ Eat a Peach), to the photograph of a handsome, hopeful Andrew Young within (placed alongside brief but eloquent liner notes from the very man himself), I Believe in Atlanta is a testament to the unparalleled excellence and unbridled ego of the City Too Busy to Care. Overwrought television theme music, charmingly naïve local musical theater, and the sort of songs you’d hear in Andy Sidaris films all come to mind when listening to this unheralded treasure. Today I offer to you the first side, featuring “Look at Atlanta”, which might be familiar to old Head to Head listeners.
"Look at Atlanta"
"The Town That We Call Home"
"On Our Way"
"Such a Lovely Lady"
"Doin' the Town (Up Right)"
I was born in Atlanta. I spent a few years in the wilderness of Sarasota, Florida, but for the most part I was raised around Atlanta. I haven’t lived there in a couple years now, and although Boston’s pretty great, I miss the old gal pretty regularly. Despite its many flaws, I truly do believe that Atlanta is one of the finest cities in the world. The city’s amazing, unrelenting arrogance is one of the many reasons I love Atlanta. In 1986, to honor its first 150 years of awesomeness, the city commissioned a tribute album to itself, and called it I Believe in Atlanta. It is, quite simply, the greatest album of all time. I bought this for a buck at a thrift store in Kennesaw in 1996. God truly gave me a high-five that day. From the amazing peach-colored gatefold sleeve (slightly reminiscent of the Allmans’ Eat a Peach), to the photograph of a handsome, hopeful Andrew Young within (placed alongside brief but eloquent liner notes from the very man himself), I Believe in Atlanta is a testament to the unparalleled excellence and unbridled ego of the City Too Busy to Care. Overwrought television theme music, charmingly naïve local musical theater, and the sort of songs you’d hear in Andy Sidaris films all come to mind when listening to this unheralded treasure. Today I offer to you the first side, featuring “Look at Atlanta”, which might be familiar to old Head to Head listeners.
"Look at Atlanta"
"The Town That We Call Home"
"On Our Way"
"Such a Lovely Lady"
"Doin' the Town (Up Right)"
