Sometime in 2005 I was going to work on a night shift and for some inexplicable reason I tuned my car stereo to BBC Radio 1. This was strange as I never listened to this station normally and frankly, I haven’t listened to it since. But as I drove along that night, I heard a track titled “Daft Punk is Playing at My House” that was both weird and glorious; I loved it instantly. I bought LCD Soundsystem’s eponymously titled debut album as soon as I got access to Google and Amazon.
Over the next few years I bought “45:33” and “Sound of
Silver” and found LCD Soundsystem were increasingly brilliant. By the time the glorious
“This is Happening” was released I was truly engrossed by Mr Murphy’s music as
it was a cunning mix of the sombre and the facile.
However, it became apparent that this was to be the last LCD Soundsystem album and by the time I went to see them live in the spring
of 2010 we knew it was soon going to be over. I followed the break up of the
group via their website with a mixture of disbelief and ambivalence.
Yet it is only when I watch “Shut up and play the hits” that
I realise what a loss LCD Soundsystem are to the music world. Yes, we have the
music and the memories, but to think a talent like James Murphy no longer has
an output is quite sad. He says touring was ageing him and he wanted to get on
with his life. Fine, stop touring if you have to, but please Mr Murphy, make
some music. You’re too good not to.
