There are times when I am behind on things. There are times when I am very, very behind on things, and I am not afraid to admit when those times are. This is one of those times.

I’ve heard the Buena Vista Social Club before this weekend. I’ve heard them on mix CDs from friends, in movies, in friends’ houses and cars, and one of my friend’s bands even used a snippet of a Buena Vista Social Club song at the end of one of their songs. I guess you could say I just didn’t “get it” until this weekend.

Before I knew that this is Boycott the RIAA month, I went to the Virgin Megastore near my work and bought some CDs on my lunch break. It had been quite awhile since I had bought any CDs (thank you, work and blog), and I just had that urge to unwrap some crisp new plastic casings. Also, I read the NY Times review of the new Wynton Marsalis album, and decided I should have it.

While I was there, I ended up browsing through the oh-so-tempting $10 section. While ususally comprised of second rate greatest hits albums, lately they’ve been throwing some really good stuff in those bins, including a lot of indie rock. I couldn’t really bring myself to buy any of the indie rock, though, because $10 marked down from $13 isn’t nearly as much of a deal as the CDs that are normally $18 or $19. I saw Buena Vista Social Club and decided that this was it, this was the chance for me to like them. It was now or never.

Unsurprisingly, I fell in love with it on first listen. Lately I don’t have the desire to listen to anything else, even though I still really want to hear the Wynton Marsalis and Kidz in the Hall albums I just bought, too.

“Chan Chan” is the leadoff track, and seems to be one of the best known from the album, but I can’t help choosing it to share here, anyway. It is a wise choice for a starting track, because it sinks its hooks into you from the first 15 seconds. The way it slowly builds and unfolds slowly seduces you. By the time the vocals kick in, it’s your new favorite song, and by the time the horn comes it, you’re all theirs. This may sound like a wild statement for just one song, but I have a feeling that anyone who has listened to this will know exactly what I mean.

Buena Vista Social Club: “Chan Chan” (download)