I really believe that. If someone feels that a particular year isn’t very ‘good’ for music — I’d say they have issues clouding their exposure and or appreciation of what’s out there.

In the back of my mind I’ve had this niggle: Why do albums from 2001 keep popping into my head and flooding my noggin with happy feelings? What happened to the other years? Why did 2001 stand out? Doesn’t this break my theory?

This week whilst thinking about my year-in-a-month challenge, I stumbled onto an answer, which in retrospect seems blindingly obvious: 2001 was my first full year in London after having lived my entire life in the musically starved and physically isolated tip of Africa.

In London I could actually see the bands I adored play live! In London I could hear and buy pretty much any album I was interested in. In London they had this thing called broadband — unlimited and uncapped access to the Internet. And let’s not kid ourselves — In London I had Napster (shut down in July 2001) and Audiogalaxy (a vastly superior service IMO)…

In 2001 I gobbled up and digested or spat out vast amounts of music. I had the thirst. 2001 wasn’t any greater or worse than others. I was just super focussed, fresh faced and eager to consume the entire world.

THAT’s why it still stands out for me today. Perhaps at the end of this exercise I’ll have further (albeit subjective) data to support my theory… But until then I’ll stop with the rambling and take more photos!