Inspiration

A tribute to Conor Oberst of the band Bright Eyes, of which I have been an enormous fan for the past four or five years.

As a side-note, I am presently listening to his recent solo album (appropriately titled Conor Oberst), and I can't help but think that the situation is entirely backwards. Bright Eyes, while having a rotating lineup, is a band consisting entirely of Conor Oberst*. Sure, other musicians wrote and performed parts both on the albums and on stage - but those musicians constantly came and went.

And yet, the album Conor Oberst, which I see referenced everywhere as Oberst's first solo album**, was recorded by - get this - Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band.

o_O

* With the slight exceptions of certain recurring contributors, producers or the like - such as Andy LeMaster, Mike Mogis, Nate Walcott, etc. However, the band is, at its core, indisputably all Oberst's work.

** Which is doubly ironic, considering that just by looking through my music library, I come across three previous solo albums - and some quick research reminds me of a fourth.