Suggestaholic!

 During a previous lifetime I worked at a record store, within the state of North Carolina. One day we received a promotional copy of a new album by a band called The Woodentops, titled, for some reason, Wooden Foot Cops on the Highway. It looked interesting, so somebody slapped it on the turntable.
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And we were blown away. I mean, every song sounded like a mini-masterpiece. The thing was inventive, catchy, and fun as all hell. How could it be? How could it be so good?! Was it the greatest album of all time? Well, that might be taking things a bit far, but it was almost certainly in the top ten.
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We played it constantly, loving every minute of it. The thing was amazing. Wide-eyed customers would come up to the counter and ask what album we had on, and would then eagerly purchase it without ever having heard of the band. Everyone who came in contact with them, it seemed, was jazzed about the Woodentops.
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Then one day the album lost its magic. Just like that. It was like somebody threw a suck-switch, and what was once fun and catchy was now really fucking annoying. It got to the point where fellow employees would nearly revolt if someone dared play the record. One night it “accidentally” got tossed into the dumpster out back.
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And during this period I began to realize albums that sound great on the first listen, often are not. The ones with staying power take a little effort. Even today, almost twenty years later, I warn myself about the Woodentops Factor; always heed the Woodentops Factor. And it’s something that’s served me well.
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The new CD by R.E.M. sounded great on the first listen, and that concerns me. I’ve been playing it for a week now, and loving it. But will WF eventually kick in? I’m braced for the possibility.
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It happened most recently with the latest Bruce Springsteen CD. I was singing its praises for about two weeks, then WHAM! I didn’t like it anymore. It started sounding hollow, and false.
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We’ll just have to see how it goes. The Woodentops Factor isn’t absolute, so there’s hope. But it makes me nervous that the new R.E.M. sounded freakin’ FANTASTIC on the very first play.
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Stay tuned.
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Buy the sumbitch at Amazon
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Update: The Official Verdict

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