TREASURED: "Arab's Spareribs" by Clist My friend posted an interesting question today: What's my oldest .mp3? I don't have a solid answer. I remember Audiogalaxy introducing me to Bill Hicks. I remember it took Napster the better part of a day to download "Punk Rock Girl" by The Dead Milkmen on the university's antiquated dial-up connection back when you got free internet even if you lived off-campus. I remember a girl sending me an iTunes gift of "Mandy" because she thought it was funny. I'm still unsure if it was or not. But I can certainly tell you that I remember illegally ripping every Clist song I could find off of Myspace. I listened to "Arab's Spareribs" and "Blood Moon" over and over again when I wasn't successful at much. I'm pretty sure the former made it on the annual holiday mix cd. The fidelity wasn't great, but the song made me dance. That was what mattered. That's what some people don't understand about antiquated media. There's a real connection between "The Best You Can Get Now" and "The Best That You Had When It Was All You Had." I own Motley Crue records and Police Academy DVDs and, as of two months ago, Clist's entire discography. To quote Bobcat Goldthwait, "The clarity....AHHHHHHHH!" The latest versions are nice, but there's a comfort to the hiss of a cassette, the fuzz of a VHS tape, the flatness that can only come from a ripped .mp3 of a band you found because you were bored. These are reminders of how far you've come, encouragement to recognize how flipping amazing things are. I can download an entire band's discography for free. Amazon will deliver a new movie to my house in two days. If I want to go to a show, I can FLY THERE. Amazing. Still. Always, hopefully. So, the prodigal version of "Arab's Spareribs" has been discovered but, out of habit and honor, I'll keep moving the original Clist folder from computer to computer. They've earned the space. Happy 11th anniversary. "I will not take this life of mine for granted. I will not make the same mistakes again." - Clist
