Monday 18 February 2008

Steal Me Blind

This is one of those blog memes that I spotted here a while ago. I'm not particularly interested in most of these things, but I fancied having a go at this one because I love my music and most of it has associations with times of life, bringing back all sorts of places, faces, feelings and situations.

Rules:

1. Put your MP3 player on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write the name of the song no matter what. No cheating!

I've added a fourth rule - I'm writing down my thoughts about the song while it plays.

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY?” YOU SAY?
"When the Tigers Break Free"

Great thing to say when someone asks "Is this okay?", I shall try and remember to use it. A bit of a filler track on the album "The Final Cut," which was released while I was at university the first time round. Late Pink Floyd, nowhere near as good as their mid-life post-Sid Barratt genius, but full of associations with that late teen/early 20's time of my life.

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
"We'll Be There"

I like the idea of my personality being right there, so that's good. This is from Oysterband album "The Shouting End of Life." I have loved Oysterband since I saw them at the Cambridge Folk Festival long ago and danced my socks off. Sas took me to see them at Milton Keynes, looking forward immensely to a great energetic dance about; they announced that they were going to do all their ballads and slow songs that evening... Then there was another memorable Oysterband gig at CFF when I was there with Helen. I wonder if she remembers it?

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
"Just Like So Many Times Before"
This must be referring to my tendency to promiscuity? A good opportunity anyway to highlight a local band - Medusa Touch, from their album "...someone to take you there." My ex-badminton friend Roger plays guitar, and we go and see them occasionally when they play in pubs round here. I should devote a full blog post to the characters who used to turn up regularly when they played at Kelly's in Leamington. The band don't play there any more. Next time we go to one of their gigs I'll try and write about it.

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
"Stop Messin' Around"

I definitely felt like saying this earlier, when we were working as a group on establishing food portion sizes: everyone else had long finished, and we were still trying to reach consensus on how much cheese makes a medium serving on a jacket potato. Another album that coincides with those long ago university days: "Still Got The Blues" by Gary Moore. I think I was introduced to this album by DC, and loved it, but never got round to listening to anything else from Mr Moore.

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
"I've Forgotten What It Was In You (That Put The Need In Me)"

Not a great answer to the question, but a reasonably listenable track by Maria McKee from a compilation album bizarrely called "Son of Redneck." I'm pretty sure I was introduced to this album by one of the very few people I genuinely hate, while I was living in Manchester in the 90's. Of course, I didn't hate him at the time. The album's pretty good.

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
"Friend of the Devil"

Well, this might have been appropriate at other times of my life, but not now, I hope. It's a live cover version of the Grateful Dead song by Chris Smither from his album "Another Way to Find You." No doubt about it, I was definitely introduced to Chris Smither by the same hateful individual in Manchester. Not sure why I'm being forced to remember him by two tracks in a row.

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
"Cantaloupe Island"
My friends think I'm completely Cantaloupe - nice! This is Herbie Hancock on another compilation called "The Best Jazz... Ever!" complete with ellipsis and exclamation mark. Reminds me of my first saxophone lesson, when I was invited to improvise along with "Watermelon Man" and ended up completely at a loss. I'm not a natural improviser.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
"Hivtacht Shetavo'ee"

I haven't cheated, honest, a track from my Israeli music collection really did come up as the answer to this one. It's a fairly silly track from an album called "First Years" by Arik Einstein and Yehoram Gaon and the title means "You Promised You'd Come." I've paid tribute to my parents before, but it doesn't hurt to thank them again.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
"Dropping Bombs on the White House"

I can't say I've ever specifically thought about dropping bombs on the White House, but it does reflect my general approval rating for the current incumbent. Another one from that "The Best Jazz... Ever!" album, by The Style Council this time. A disproportionate number of tracks from an album I don't listen to much, but that's probability and random selection for you.

WHAT IS 2+2?
"Cross Road Blues"
More like 4x4, hahahaha. This is olde tyme blues from Robert Johnson, and yet another compilation album called "Juke Joint Blues." I really have a lot of music that I like much better than this and that isn't in compilations, but it is being ignored in favour of stuff I've acquired because it was offered in a big bin for £2 and had one or two tracks on it that looked good.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
"You're Not From Brighton"
It's true, my best friend is not from Brighton. A very lucky guess. I didn't think I was the sort of person who'd like music by Fatboy Slim (from the album "You've Come A Long Way Baby") but the clever editors of The Guardian newspaper gave away a CD free one Saturday, and I discovered that I was. Lucky old Fatboy unloaded another two of his albums on me before I decided that enough was enough and moved on.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
"Lookin' For the Right One"

I suppose 'the person you like' means my 'significant other', but does it mean he's looking for the right one, or that I am, or that we are the right ones for each other? Art Garfunkel, anyway, from the album "Breakaway" which my older sister bought when we were still living at home, probably in the '70s. I liked it back then, but bought my own version on CD only recently, just before Fopp folded. I loved the "suck it and see" £5 deals at Fopp, I bought loads of CDs to replace vinyl, but I still haven't got rid of the vinyl.

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
"I'm Outta Love"

Interesting, my life story being that I'm outta love? Maybe so in the past, but not at the moment. Anastasia (album "Not That Kind") reminds me intensely of working in north Coventry with Sally and Steve, and how Sally pointed out her poor diction when singing and I've never been able to enjoy the CD quite as much ever since. She's right, though.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
"Mbolo"

This is cruel and unfair, giving me an African (Senegalese?) word. It could mean anything - clown, civil servant, probably not dietitian. I've never really had any specific ambition, though. This is Baaba Maal, from album "Nomad Soul". Reminds me of Sas, who I think gave me this album as an unexpected birthday present. If he didn't, he should have.

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
"Run Like Hell"

Obviously I don't think this when I see Mr A, but it did make me smile. With 155 different artists and 295 albums listed in my ipod, you wouldn't think the same artists or albums would come up twice in a list like this. I don't mind about Pink Floyd really, because they're one of my favourite bands, and "The Wall" is pretty damn good (although not their best - that's "Wish You Were Here," with "Dark Side of the Moon" a close second.)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
"In Your Eyes"

Aaah, bless. Peter Gabriel, from "So," also released while I was at university. Always linked in my mind with Kate Bush, and this album also has a contribution from Laurie Anderson, another fine artist. Lots of late '80s memories associated with this one, when I was in my early 20's.

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
"The Streets of San Francisco"

A telling question, implying a) that one's wedding is still to come, and b) that one will dance at one's wedding. Both premises are false in my case, but this is not the time or the place to elaborate on my views about weddings. This is a track from an album called "This is Cult Fiction," one of the very few albums I have stolen - I borrowed it from the library and ripped it.

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
"Take the Time"

"Take the Time?" What's that about, then? A select few people in my life have been popping up in more than one of these questions, and ex-badminton guitar-playing friend Roger is back. This is from his favourite album, "Images and Words" by Dream Theater, which I bought when I saw it in the above mentioned £5 rack at Fopp. It's very reminiscent of Rush, with bits in unusual time signatures, guitar and piano, then electronic organ riffs. Good solid prog rock. RIP Planet Rock on Digital radio, I shall miss you.

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
"Another Train"

This seems to imply that I'm a trainspotter, a serious slight to my non-obsessive well-balanced personality. Sung almost a capella by Sally Barker on her album "This Rhythm is Mine," it comes from my folkie days - I almost certainly bought it at a festival somewhere. She's not the most well-known artist, not even in the world of folk music.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
"Love Catalogue"
Ha - my Love Catalogue is revealed to the world! You can't keep a secret nowadays, what with computers and the InterWebNet and these memes doing the rounds. Bass-O-Matic, on their album "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Bass" which I bought because I couldn't find any way of getting my hands on the track that I actually wanted: "Science and Melody." I still can't find it. Definitely from that Manchester time, when I was going out with Alex and we used to go clubbing, in Burnley of all places.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
"In the Still of the Night"

I think that Bruce first played me this album: "Red Hot and Blue," a fundraiser for AIDS research and relief in 1990. It contains covers of Cole Porter songs, this one sung by The Neville Brothers. I'm not sure if that's what I think of my friends, though.

WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS?
"Steal Me Blind"
This sits squarely in 1986 for me - Alison Moyet from "Alf." What a voice she has. I was dallying at the time with a chap I met in a Cambridge pub. Those were the days, ah, yes.

4 comments:

aims said...

Now that was interesting!

Anonymous said...

High And Dry

Though these will only mean something to Lola I, here are mine anyway.

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY?” YOU SAY?
”Rene and Georgette Magritte with their dog after the war” – Paul Simon

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
”Solitaire” - Carpenters
!!

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Thank You For The Music” - ABBA

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
”Days Like This” – Van Morrison

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
”Angel Of the Morning” – Juice Newton

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
”Rex Tremendae” – Verdi’s Requiem
(Tremendous King)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
”Sinnerman” – Nina Simone

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
”Late in the Evening” – Paul Simon

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
”Cool” – West Side Story

WHAT IS 2+2?
”Pressure” – Billy Joel
I’m saying nothing.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
”Wahrlich, Du Biss Auch Einer Von Demen” - Bach’s St Matthew’s Passion
(Truly you bite also one of Demen. Or so the internet tells me.)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
”Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi” – Orff’s Carmen
Future Emperor of the World. Or something.

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
The shuffle gave me an Economist Podcast which is so wrong on so many levels.
“Move Over” – Spice Girls

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Got Bach here with no name. Next.
“Truffles” - Wheatus

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Sorry, I’m bored with the classical ones. Got another from Carmen. I choose to continue to the next
“Me And My Shadow” – Robbie Williams

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
”Stronger” – S Club 7

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
”Run” – Indigo Girls
HaHa

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
”Save Up all Your Tears” - Cher
Really.

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
”Reunion” – Indigo Girls

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
”Neptune, The Mystic” – The Planets, Holst
Non-classical: “Deconstruction” – Indigo Girls. Again.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Boring Classical. I elect to press again.
“Summer” – Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Still pressing on.
“Chiquitita” - ABBA

WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS?
”High And Dry” – Jamie Cullum

Lola II

Amy said...

Wow, that was cool. Makes me want to try it. I've never heard of lots of those.

Anonymous said...

Lola II loving the economist podcast one!!!