For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.
Day 4: Fairfield County, CT
My early experience with Moby’s music consisted of devouring “techno” CD compilations and attending the occasional rave. These middle-of-the-night dance parties were fueled by Moby’s electronic vision. They were fun times. But it wasn’t until Moby released Play that I appreciated not just how his music made me move, but how it made me feel. From the first moment I heard Play, I just thought it was one the finest, fullest albums ever recorded, from top to bottom – rewriting elements of soul, funk, gospel and classical, just to name a few of the genres. “Porcelain” is one of the standouts from this breakthrough album.
This is the one track I always want to hear first. Delicate. Gorgeous. Soulful. Not rave Moby. This was a totally different side we hadn’t heard before. And it almost didn’t make it onto the album. Moby’s manager had to convince him this song was more than just “average”. Moby reluctantly agreed to include it. Thank God. Unlike many of the other tracks on Play, “Porcelain” relies mainly on its original synth compositions, not samples. There are still samples, but it’s Moby’s angelic keyboard wanderings and symphony-like chords that steal the show every single time.
“IN MY DREAMS I'M DYING ALL THE TIME. THEN I WAKE IT'S KALEIDOSCOPIC MIND. I NEVER MEANT TO HURT YOU. I NEVER MEANT TO LIE.”