Magnetic Fields – 69 Love Songs (1999)

I discovered the Magnetic Fields through The Adventures Of Pete & Pete and they were some of the first things I ever downloaded (after Preston School Of Industry and The Thrills, of course). I didn't buy the album itself until university, whence I received my Student Loan. I loved my Student Loan. I have to say, I probably could have spent it wiser – I bought a new Hall and Oates album whilst at university based on waking up in the middle of the night to see that a repeat of Des and Mel was on TV and Hall and Oates were performing a track from their new album that, to me, half asleep, seemed like something I must own, in spite of their new album costing roughly £16.

However, I did use it to buy 69 Love Songs, which is absolutely fantastic. There are a few duds on here, but very few and there are 69 tracks. It is also the campest album I own. Which is no bad thing. I do enjoy singing aloud the lyrics 'There's a floating town of eiderdown/ in a mist of mystery/There's an old enchanted castle/ and the princess there is me/ decked out like a Christmas tree.'

The concept of 69 songs about love sounds awful really but that is only if you take love songs to be the same old turd that Michael Bolton and his ilk sing. When you make it about different aspects of love; the fancying (Underwear, Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits), the longing, (I Don't Want To Get Over You,) the jealousy (The One You Really Love), etc and then add songs about love songs themselves, add in women singing from the perspective of men, songs about gay and straight people and heap on a shit load of humour it makes for a great listen. The songs also sound different despite of themes that tie them together (lots of electronic stuff, lots of ukulele, lots of baritone singing, and a female vocalist, being some of said themes).

The first few listens I listened to it the whole way through. Getting the album brings with it an event. You sit (or lay) and you listen to it in one go. You do that with most albums but most aren't both brilliant and three hours long. Just thinking about it makes me want to start listening to it right now, but I wont because A) it's 00:42 and I've work in the morrow and B) I'm already listening to 'The Age Of Plastic' by The Buggles.

If I had to pick a few highlights I'd probably pick (and these are likely really obvious ones that cool people would tut at me for saying) 'Papa Was A Rodeo', 'Luckiest Guy On The Lower East Side', 'Long Forgotten Fairytale', 'Busby Berkley Dreams' – to be fair, picking a select few from this album is almost as tricky as writing this 100 Albums list – I give up.