Frank Kogan

your subsequent reactions will be affected by your reactions under the blindfold.

Yeah, this is sort of my point with Paris, too, that I had enough blindfoldiness (like "truthiness"?) to get into the music and then defend against all hataz. But "blindfold" is a sort of absolute distinction that usually only works in experiment-mode -- or sometimes in a "I've heard this song before but I have no idea who it is" sense, but usually when the song GRABS you you go outta your way to figure out who made it! So sometimes you're closer to "blindfold" than others, but usually you're not totally blindfolded (and as you say, you never are if you count other musical reference points etc.).

Woulda loved to have been at that very Ross party w/ "Not Leaving Without You" (which after about a year went from being under my radar to being about the second-best -- sometimes I think best -- song on the album)...but only heard about the event secondhand.