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The National SAD SONGS FOR DIRTY LOVERS

The first time I heard The National was in the passenger seat of my White Volvo 740 station-wagon. My brother Dan was asking me if I knew who was playing but wouldn’t ever tell me. He said I had to figure it out for myself. Years later, I did. We had been listening to CARDINAL SONG that night in the car. It wasn’t until 2007 that I started listening to The National, but once I heard the album once I couldn’t stop. For me it made good sleeping music. Also, it has the rare quality of albums that absolutely have to be heard from start to finish. I was taking high doses of this album when I was working an internship at NASA the summer after I graduated.

As I remember, it was on Monday June 18th 2007 that, while working diligently at my government desk, I took time to check and see the next time The National would be on tour. That night they just so happened to be performing at the Beachland Ballroom on the East Side of Cleveland. I called Dan on the phone and left him a message, basically to ask if it were him would he go? He called back and told me I absolutely had to. My parents okayed it and I drove over to the East Side after dinner. It was one of the absolute best concerts I have ever seen. The improbability of the whole event didn’t strike me until weeks later.

Part of what made The National special for me was that I had attached myself strongly to one tiny piece of their catalogue. I knew almost none of the music and had no idea what to expect. Additionally, the Beachland Ballroom is a gorgeous venue in its own right. But nothing compared to the sight and sound of The National. Basically, Matt Berninger is tall and skinny and sad looking. To his left and right are the Bryce and Aaron Desner. They are twins and are both playing guitar. The National opened that night with FAKE EMPIRE, the first track on their recently (at the time) released album BOXER. Also a very beautiful album. The next day I had Dan send me all the recordings he could find.

However, this post is about SAD SONGS because it is my first and favorite of all their music. If I could have posted all the songs I would have. FASHION COAT is no more or less beautiful than the rest of the album, and that’s why I chose it. I think having a favorite album might mean that I don’t like any particular song on it. What makes it great is having all of them together. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!