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May 29, 2005
Sunday (not so) random ten..
I have realised recently that I don’t blog about music much. Truth is I don’t often get a chance to listen these days let alone ‘discover’ new stuff so when I do crank up the CD player, I usually listen to something from my teens or early twenties back when I used to listen to music all the time. I’m also a little archaic in my method of listening to music . Just as I used to sigh, roll my eyes and explain to my grandmother for the 100th time the difference between a video and a CD player, I find myself confused over all these MP3s, ipods and downloads. For me there is nothing quite like running my finger along the spines of my CD collection, pulling one out and letting the player whirr into action as I flick through the booklet.
Lots of bloggers do the Friday random ten to let the world know what they are listening to, obviously I can't do this with my CD player, so what I did last night was to choose an album and only allow myself to listen to one track before moving onto whatever else took my fancy. I just went with the flow and documented my travels. Don’t expect to be impressed, I’m unashamedly standard in my music taste..
1) New Model Army; Green and Grey, from Thunder and Consolation.
Why not start with New Model Army? Everything starts and finishes with New Model Army…
2) Seize the Day; I am Dust, from Alive.
This, I think is the newest track on the list, discovered this band at Glastonbury last year, fell in love with them instantly. This is the most empowering track on the album. It touches me deeply.
3) Manic St Preachers; Motorcycle Emptiness from Generation Terrorists.
Here begins the trip down memory lane. Used to listen to Manics in my intense teenage years. Used to pretend I ‘got’ the lyrics, now I’m not so sure. ‘This happiness corrupt political shit’ sure as hell sounds deep but God knows what it means. Something about the government being bad and life being shit. That sounded good enough to my 15 year old ears.
4) Ocean Colour Scene; The Circle from Moseley Shoals.
There is something melancholic about OCS that I can never quite put my finger on. This is one of my favourites of theirs because I’m moved by the idea of metaphorically going 'somewhere I can warm my bones’
5) Skunk Anansie Glorious Pop Song from Stoosh.
Still love SA. Skin was my heroine for a while. I wished I could recapture the way that she looked as if no one should mess with her but if you listen to her speak she has a vulnerability about her. I’ve seen them live quite a few times and she almost bows down and kisses your feet in gratiude just for clapping at the end of a song. Love the irony of the title of this song, seeing as the chorus is ‘You’re still a fucker to me..’
6) Stereophonics; Have a Nice Day from Jeep.
This song reminds me of my daughter being born. Mr PE bought me this album to take my mind off contractions that very long weekend nearly four years ago. Then coincidently as I held her in my arms for the first time early Monday morning I could hear this song playing faintly on the radio in the staff room next door.
7) Pulp; Common People from Different Class.
Just for the build up bit derderderboom etc ‘Laugh along with the common people and it might just get you through..’
8) Kula Shaker; Tattva from K.
Kula Shaker were always treated as a bit of a joke band, I guess they did ham up all that mysticism but I still thought they were great. Don’t know what ‘Acintya bheda bheda tattva’ means and I’m too scared to go find out in case it translates as something horribly mundane like ‘Must remember to pick up some bog roll on my way past the corner shop’ Although judging by the English bits I shouldn’t raise my expectations too much. ‘Like the flower and the scent of summer. Like the sun and the shine.’ What?
9) 4 Non Blondes; What’s Up from Bigger Better Faster More!
Because this song had a resonance when I was 17. I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d still be ‘trying to get up that great big hill of hope’ when I was 29. (See Quote of the Week)
10) Portishead; Glory Box from Dummy.
Portishead irritated me until I went through a serious bout of insomnia when I was at university (the first time!) A friend of mine suggested I put his on as I was trying to fall asleep. It worked. They grew on me after that. Saw them at Glastonbury 1998, knee deep in mud and was blown away. Beth Gibbons did this song, cigarette in hand which made me realise that there is just enough time for a leisurely inhale and exhale between the lines ‘Give me a reason to be a woman’ *drag exhale* ‘I just wanna be a woman.’ If you are a smoker, try this and you will see what I mean. I have of course given up now but this song always makes me crave a cigarette.
Posted by purple elephant at May 29, 2005 08:51 AM