Post by petea on Feb 15, 2021 14:11:13 GMT
Well having rather foolishly raised the concept in theaudiostandard.net/thread/6161/why-music-youth-best, I thought I'd better make a start. I have given this quite some thought and have come up with the following to kick the whole process off! I could easily come up with a totally different list I'm sure, but I suspect that some of the associations would still be there)
Petea’s Desert Island Discs (with great difficulty, narrowed down to just 10!)
"Life on Mars" by David Bowie
I’m not certain exactly when I first heard this; it was either on the radio or maybe Top of the Pops. Either way, it grabbed my attention for some reason and this was probably helped by the ‘shock’ of my parents on seeing him on TV; “What is that?!” being the comment that springs to mind. I must have bought Hunky Dory not long after that (I still have it) and it is still my favourite Bowie album and LoM is certainly one of my favourite songs of all time. Strangely though, I’m not sure it evokes that period of my life particularly and maybe that is because I have played it regularly over the years.
“Dancing with the Moonlit Knight” by Genesis
This is another all time (and very persistent) favourite from the same era. However, in this instance the album is highly evocative and I can clearly recall when I first heard it (in art class) and bought the album straight after (followed over the following months by the other albums by Genesis). “Selling England by the Pound” remains a staple album and I often play it. I think like many people, Gabriel’s clever lyrics appealed (and the more cryptic nature of the lyric of LoM may be part of the appeal of that one too). I had the opportunity to see the Lamb Lies Down tour, but impending exams made me decide to wait to see them at a later time. That Peter Gabriel then left the group was an especial blow as a result although, along with Martin I have since learned, I did see the 'Six of the Best' concert later, but sadly with no Gabriel.
“7171551” by Man
Hearing this was something of a revelation to me. I had been consuming the works of Yes and early Pink Floyd for some time as well as, a bit later, Genesis, but the impact of the Welsh rockers was huge (and maybe what led me some time later indirectly to the more avant-garde forms of jazz). I became, if not obsessed, then very absorbed by the music of Man as well as the many prior and post groups associated with them (I still have the enormous collection of Welsh rock and West Coast Psychedelia that this led to). Although I never saw Man before they disbanded, I dd see many of the offshoots.
“Tubular Bells” by Mike Oldfield
Another album first heard in art class (you could bring an album in and the class would vote on which to play during the lesson), but strangely it was many years later that it became a favourite of mine and I think that was after seeing a recording of the BBC ‘concert’ of it. Unlike “Selling England by the Pound" it does not evoke that first time at all and I probably play it more now that ever I did. I’m not keen (or even that familiar) with his other work although I do like the "Tubular Brass” version too. The original recording is by far the best I think though.
“The Angels Wanna Wear my Red Shoes” by Elvis Costello and the Attractions
The first song I heard from Mr Costello and the start of a lifetime ‘relationship' as it were. Although “Allison” was my favourite song on “This Year’s Model” (and I recall exactly where and when I bought it), “Angels” was the first song I heard by him and the favourite from the album has a particular resonance that, as with Paul, I will not go into here! “Watching the Detectives” is another favourite from that era although probably my all-time favourite, and most played, album is “King of America”. I think I have pretty much everything that Mr Costello has ever produced on most formats and it all still gets a regular airing.
“Yes sIr I can Boogie” by Baccara
Well I mentioned it and so it had better be in the list! I do not own (nor wish to own) a copy of this and I never play it. However, it occasionally pops up on radio and it instantly transports me back to the Union bar at university when it seemed to alternate with “Black Betty” on the juke box. I hated university, but I have good, though. vague, memories of the bar and it was the time I met someone who was to become probably my closest friend (he also shares the same sense of evocation that this song instills).
“Down by the Jetty” by Dr Feelgood
Another early ‘inspiration’ although I rarely play anything by them now. What this did do was to introduce me to the ‘high speed R&B’ / pub rock scene that was running in parallel to the punk scene at the time and I saw many bands associated with the scene at the time and have a fair collection of the various albums released during that period. Like Martin, punk was not especially attractive at the time although I saw a few of the ‘names’ from the period including the Sex Pistols (truly dreadful I recall) and the Stranglers (not much better). The Clash impressed though and I still have a soft spot for them.
“The Hissing of Summer Lawns” by Joni Mitchell
This is not my favourite by Joni Mitchell, but is probably the song with lyrics that made me first sit up an properly listen to the stories she (and maybe other artists) were telling in her songs. I first heard Joni Mitchell when “Court and Spark” was released and although this is not a particular favourite of mine it did cause me to explore her other work and some of the associations here are linked to the comment I made about “Allison” earlier. Joni Mitchell became a sort of theme of the 80s for for me and many of her songs and albums recall those times to a certain extent, but not enough to explain why I still regard her so highly and why “Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter” remains such an all time favourite. Again when I think about this, it might be another element that brought me to jazz many years later.
“I May Know the Word” by Natalie Merchant
I came to Natalie Merchant through 10,000 Maniacs and although they are still going, it was Ms Merchant who was probably what I liked about their work and I have no interest in, nor even much of a liking, for their later work. Picking out a single song was difficult, but this is a pretty good one to be stuck on a desert Island with I reckon! I became interested in 10,000 Maniacs at about the same time that I bought my first house and got a decent turntable and the foundation of what was to become if not the core of my audio system, at least what was to define the ‘sound’ I preferred. Paul Simon starts to feature heavily from this point on even though “Sounds of Silence” was an album I listened to and liked a lot at the same time as the early Floyd etc.
“Rosie’s Arms” by Tom Waits
Again, by no means the first I heard from Mr Waits, but, with associations with a love ending, and a powerfully evocative song both personally and generally (even though clearly jammed full of pathos) it is one that leaps to mind for the purposes of this list. And, I could not possibly have such a list without including Tom Waits as he was, is, and probably always will be a regularly played favourite of mine.
And so there is a list with at least some attempt to identify and analyse why what is on it is on it. And of course tons of stuff is missing such as “Walk on the Wild Side”, “Rumours", “The Kick Inside” etc. All evocative and many from that late teen, early twenties period where things were changing and life was beginning to coalesce around what was to become me. Later there would be the music of 17 Hippies, Suzanne Vega and shed-loads of Bebop jazz plus certain popular songs such as "Das Spiel” by Annette Louisan with its associations with ballroom dancing classes and the fun we had under the guidance of Gert at Walzerlinksgestrickt! What a tricky task that was. Good luck with yours: just 10 though mind!
Petea’s Desert Island Discs (with great difficulty, narrowed down to just 10!)
"Life on Mars" by David Bowie
I’m not certain exactly when I first heard this; it was either on the radio or maybe Top of the Pops. Either way, it grabbed my attention for some reason and this was probably helped by the ‘shock’ of my parents on seeing him on TV; “What is that?!” being the comment that springs to mind. I must have bought Hunky Dory not long after that (I still have it) and it is still my favourite Bowie album and LoM is certainly one of my favourite songs of all time. Strangely though, I’m not sure it evokes that period of my life particularly and maybe that is because I have played it regularly over the years.
“Dancing with the Moonlit Knight” by Genesis
This is another all time (and very persistent) favourite from the same era. However, in this instance the album is highly evocative and I can clearly recall when I first heard it (in art class) and bought the album straight after (followed over the following months by the other albums by Genesis). “Selling England by the Pound” remains a staple album and I often play it. I think like many people, Gabriel’s clever lyrics appealed (and the more cryptic nature of the lyric of LoM may be part of the appeal of that one too). I had the opportunity to see the Lamb Lies Down tour, but impending exams made me decide to wait to see them at a later time. That Peter Gabriel then left the group was an especial blow as a result although, along with Martin I have since learned, I did see the 'Six of the Best' concert later, but sadly with no Gabriel.
“7171551” by Man
Hearing this was something of a revelation to me. I had been consuming the works of Yes and early Pink Floyd for some time as well as, a bit later, Genesis, but the impact of the Welsh rockers was huge (and maybe what led me some time later indirectly to the more avant-garde forms of jazz). I became, if not obsessed, then very absorbed by the music of Man as well as the many prior and post groups associated with them (I still have the enormous collection of Welsh rock and West Coast Psychedelia that this led to). Although I never saw Man before they disbanded, I dd see many of the offshoots.
“Tubular Bells” by Mike Oldfield
Another album first heard in art class (you could bring an album in and the class would vote on which to play during the lesson), but strangely it was many years later that it became a favourite of mine and I think that was after seeing a recording of the BBC ‘concert’ of it. Unlike “Selling England by the Pound" it does not evoke that first time at all and I probably play it more now that ever I did. I’m not keen (or even that familiar) with his other work although I do like the "Tubular Brass” version too. The original recording is by far the best I think though.
“The Angels Wanna Wear my Red Shoes” by Elvis Costello and the Attractions
The first song I heard from Mr Costello and the start of a lifetime ‘relationship' as it were. Although “Allison” was my favourite song on “This Year’s Model” (and I recall exactly where and when I bought it), “Angels” was the first song I heard by him and the favourite from the album has a particular resonance that, as with Paul, I will not go into here! “Watching the Detectives” is another favourite from that era although probably my all-time favourite, and most played, album is “King of America”. I think I have pretty much everything that Mr Costello has ever produced on most formats and it all still gets a regular airing.
“Yes sIr I can Boogie” by Baccara
Well I mentioned it and so it had better be in the list! I do not own (nor wish to own) a copy of this and I never play it. However, it occasionally pops up on radio and it instantly transports me back to the Union bar at university when it seemed to alternate with “Black Betty” on the juke box. I hated university, but I have good, though. vague, memories of the bar and it was the time I met someone who was to become probably my closest friend (he also shares the same sense of evocation that this song instills).
“Down by the Jetty” by Dr Feelgood
Another early ‘inspiration’ although I rarely play anything by them now. What this did do was to introduce me to the ‘high speed R&B’ / pub rock scene that was running in parallel to the punk scene at the time and I saw many bands associated with the scene at the time and have a fair collection of the various albums released during that period. Like Martin, punk was not especially attractive at the time although I saw a few of the ‘names’ from the period including the Sex Pistols (truly dreadful I recall) and the Stranglers (not much better). The Clash impressed though and I still have a soft spot for them.
“The Hissing of Summer Lawns” by Joni Mitchell
This is not my favourite by Joni Mitchell, but is probably the song with lyrics that made me first sit up an properly listen to the stories she (and maybe other artists) were telling in her songs. I first heard Joni Mitchell when “Court and Spark” was released and although this is not a particular favourite of mine it did cause me to explore her other work and some of the associations here are linked to the comment I made about “Allison” earlier. Joni Mitchell became a sort of theme of the 80s for for me and many of her songs and albums recall those times to a certain extent, but not enough to explain why I still regard her so highly and why “Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter” remains such an all time favourite. Again when I think about this, it might be another element that brought me to jazz many years later.
“I May Know the Word” by Natalie Merchant
I came to Natalie Merchant through 10,000 Maniacs and although they are still going, it was Ms Merchant who was probably what I liked about their work and I have no interest in, nor even much of a liking, for their later work. Picking out a single song was difficult, but this is a pretty good one to be stuck on a desert Island with I reckon! I became interested in 10,000 Maniacs at about the same time that I bought my first house and got a decent turntable and the foundation of what was to become if not the core of my audio system, at least what was to define the ‘sound’ I preferred. Paul Simon starts to feature heavily from this point on even though “Sounds of Silence” was an album I listened to and liked a lot at the same time as the early Floyd etc.
“Rosie’s Arms” by Tom Waits
Again, by no means the first I heard from Mr Waits, but, with associations with a love ending, and a powerfully evocative song both personally and generally (even though clearly jammed full of pathos) it is one that leaps to mind for the purposes of this list. And, I could not possibly have such a list without including Tom Waits as he was, is, and probably always will be a regularly played favourite of mine.
And so there is a list with at least some attempt to identify and analyse why what is on it is on it. And of course tons of stuff is missing such as “Walk on the Wild Side”, “Rumours", “The Kick Inside” etc. All evocative and many from that late teen, early twenties period where things were changing and life was beginning to coalesce around what was to become me. Later there would be the music of 17 Hippies, Suzanne Vega and shed-loads of Bebop jazz plus certain popular songs such as "Das Spiel” by Annette Louisan with its associations with ballroom dancing classes and the fun we had under the guidance of Gert at Walzerlinksgestrickt! What a tricky task that was. Good luck with yours: just 10 though mind!
