This week, we’re all about perfection.
What makes an album perfect? For Christine, it’s one where every song demands to be heard — a no-skip treasure that captivates from start to finish.
And nothing embodies this concept better than Luis Alberto Spinetta’s magnum opus under the banner of Pescado Rabioso, the 1973 album Artaud.
Named after the French surrealist Antonin Artaud, Artaud is not just an album; it’s a journey through the surreal. The perfect track, “Cantata de Puentes Amarillos,” is a masterpiece where each second is imbued with meaning, reflecting both the beauty and pain of existence as inspired by Artaud’s own tributes to Van Gogh.
Switching gears, Christina brought us back to earth with Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam’s timeless classic, Tea for the Tillerman. A stark contrast to the surrealist world of Artaud, yet perfect in its own gentle, introspective way, Christina’s choice exemplifies the comforting magic of a “no-skip” album with her perfect pick being the titular song.
This album serves as the emotional core of the cult-classic film Harold and Maude. Christina first watched this bittersweet movie at 23, and had a bit of a nervous breakdown thanks to the ending. But it’s exactly this mix of sweetness and existential dread—embodied by Harold and Maude themselves—that makes the film and the album resonate deeply. After all, isn’t there something perfectly imperfect about finding life’s meaning in unexpected friendships, unforgettable music, and a little existential chaos?
For those new to Artaud, Christine recommends starting with “Por” – a beautiful track composed of forty-seven seemingly unrelated nouns, yet rhythmically it captures the essence of Spinetta’s genius.
And as promised, here is Artaud‘s octagonal cover that famously doesn’t fit in a standard record rack — a perfect imperfection that challenges norms, much like the album itself.
Stereothematica 