Monday, June 15, 2009 marks the 365th straight day Cleveland, Ohio JUDAS PRIEST
fan Jim Bartek has listened to Priest's Nostradamus from start to finish in its
entirety. Bartek's one year listening obsession was completed early on Monday
morning at 1:46 a.m. (EST). The double-disc concept album is based on the
mysterious, world-known 16th century French prophet Nostradamus. Bartek's
initial listen came on June 16, 2008 when he first obtained a copy of the album.
He has now spent approximately 624 hours (26 days) of his life listening to the
album. There have even been some days when Bartek has listened to the entire
album multiple times so the numbers are even higher than reported. He owns all
of the various configurations of Nostradamus (vinyl, deluxe CD, regular CD) and
has been a dedicated Priest fan dating back to 1978. The first Priest album he
purchased was Sin After Sin. He has an extensive collection that includes Priest
albums, posters, patches,
buttons, magazines, etc. "I've spent a lot of money on Judas Priest over the
years", says Bartek, "but it has all been money well spent. It is not hard for
anyone to figure out who my favourite band is".
Asked why this album has made such an impact in his life, Bartek responds, "I
wish I could answer that! I don't know, it just grabs me and I enjoy listening
to it. I honestly wish I could pinpoint and give a rock solid answer but I
can't." Bartek adds "The flow of the record and the way you can just feel what
the guy (Nostradamus) was going through from the way Priest play and sing it.
Rob's [Halford] vocals tell you exactly how the guy is feeling at a particular
moment. It all just fits perfectly. I'm not tired of it yet. It's an epic record
about a very interesting subject."
Bartek goes on to add, "This is the first album that has ever intrigued me so
much both musically and vocally. The subject matter is fascinating as well. I
did not know much about the man Nostradamus before the album was released and
ended up going to the library to do research to find out more about his life."
Hard pressed when asked the question, Bartek does finally reveal 'Pestilence And
Plague' as his personal favourite track from the album, with 'Prophecy' and
'Future Of Mankind' following close behind. He makes it clear though that he
loves ALL the songs on the album and enjoys listening to them as a complete set.
Bartek did come close to ending his listening streak once last fall. "I went
fishing in a remote area back in September and we did not come in off the lake
until after 9 p.m.", recants Bartek. "By the time I got back to the cabin, it
was already after 10 p.m. I started listening to the album and finished just
before midnight, with only 15 minutes to spare. That was a close call. At
midnight, I started it up again and listened all the way through for the next
day! This experience made me run out and buy a MP3 player that I carry with me
at all times in case an emergency like this arises again". |
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