Mark's Notebook

A Band Called Sleep Drove Me Away

I was shopping at one of my favorite record stores today, Streetlight Records on Bascom Avenue. I was shopping for folk and Christian albums - bought one each by Steve Fry, Phil Keaggy, John Gorka, and Chuck Brodsky.

The whole time I was there, they were playing some obnoxious album cut that lasted a long time. I told them that perhaps they should consider that some customers might leave the store in a hurry just to get away from the obnoxious music. The clerk told me that each employee gets to choose something to play, and their only reason for not playing any particular cut might be if it contained profanity.

I asked what was playing, and he told me it was "A Band Called Sleep." I looked them up when I got home, and I found this on the All Music Guide:

Sleep

Perhaps the ultimate stoner rock band, Northern California trio Sleep's career wafted in and out of focus from within their self-mandated cloud of marijuana smoke. In their short time together, the group issued some of the heaviest, most uncompromising doom metal albums ever recorded, leaving a legend far exceeding the actual volume of their output.Formed in the late 80's in San Jose, California by ...

I think it was this album, 52 minutes of one song: Jerusalem

Perhaps Streetlight might want to keep their customers in mind when they program this music. Streetlight has always provided music that the employees want to listen to, but it's the customers who pay the bills.

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Last updated Tuesday 13 May 2008