So Far, So Great!

On to 2001, the second year of the 2000s and first year of the 21st century. Moving from a Radiohead album ranked highly by most discerning rock fans to an album favored mainly by reactionary power pop obsessives like yours truly.



Shortly after it came out in February 2001, I proclaimed So Far by the Orange Peels as the "greatest album of the century (so far)" on a certain music-related email list. My post was a play on the album's title and the fact that "the century" was less than a month old at that point, but I really did like the album a lot.

My recommendation was greeted by a chorus of mocking condescension by self-satisfied individuals who accused me of giving up on "modern music" for liking an album that was so derivative and boring, but I didn't care then, and still don't care now, what people think about what I like. So Far is like musical comfort food to me, hooky pop songs with singalong choruses and words that you don't have to think about. And nine years after its release, its still one of my favorite albums of the decade, as well as the century.

Here's the title track "So Far", performed live on S.F. local TV.



If you don't like this song, then I don't like your taste in songs!