Cubist Town

Six Songs of Me (Part 2)

Cor blimey, Janet Davis has come up with some more questions to be answered by songs. I’m not as happy with these as my Part 1 ones but I’m not one to shirk a blogging challenge so here’s Six Songs of Me (Part 2):

1. What song do you remember best from college/university?

I honestly can’t think of anything for this. I don’t remember there being a “tune” that everyone listened to and for the last two years I was living in my own house so I just listened to what I’d always listened to.

Instead I’ll go back a bit further to sixth form and me and my friend Caroline used to put Belle and Sebastian on the common room stereo before all the straight kids came in.

It would have been the “If You’re Feeling Sinister” (1996) album back then and I’ve picked “Stars of Track and Field”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgohBw0hL-k

1a) What song brings back memories of homework?

Again, I just can’t think of anything for this. I’m sure I always did my homework?! One memory I do have is after going to see Blur play at Mile End Stadium in 1995, The Evening Session played songs that went on to be The Great Escape album (1995). I taped those off of the radio and listened to them a lot. I’ve picked “Country House” as it’s just the most recognisable song from that album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpuh1WE-RVw

2. What song best evokes your experience of a study or work trip?

Oh dear, I’m not very good at this, I can’t think of anything for a work or study trip but I did spend a month in Germany between school and university and you just couldn’t escape Lou Bega’s “Mambo Number 5” (1999). He is German so I think it was playing there all summer before it reached the UK.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK_LN3XEcnw

3. Which song is most likely to bring a tear to your eye (or to make you weep copiously)?

I think I answered this in my last Six Songs of Me, “Does not Suffice” (2010) by Joanna Newsom. The story of someone (Joanna?) packing up her belongings and leaving her boyfriend and reflecting on how she just wasn’t enough for him. I have in my mind who I think the boyfriend was (another singer) so I always picture it happening. Joanna is so slight I just want to scoop her up.

4. What is the best song to kickstart your most creative thinking?

Ahhh, Janet, another toughie. Nothing springs to mind so what would I put on now to kickstart creative thinking… something inventive but not too obtrusive, ooh, I know some Super Furry Animals, anything from the Mwng album, “Ymaelodi Ar Ymylon” (2000) by Super Furry Animals. It also reminds me of how much I’d love to be able to speak Welsh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdUx2SYOiEk

5. Which song helps you work when you really need to concentrate?

I don’t tend to listen to music when I’m working. Instead I go to iPlayer > Drama > All Drama > Crime and find me a Miss Marple or Lord Peter Wimsey. Sad, I know.

6. When you’re angry, on which song do you want to turn up the volume?

As a rule I’m not generally angry and I honestly can’t think of what I’d play, I don’t think I’d be considering the music. Instead what I’d play if I was really really happy would probably be The Essex Green. I’d probably put on the “Everything is Green” album but I’m going to choose one song from another album “The Last Great Cassiopia” (2003) by The Essex Green.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlRsXlH9aDQ

7. Which song sums up the person you would like to be?

I’m pretty happy being me but whenever I see Joanna Newsom live I do wish I was just a little bit more like her. It’s impossible to pick a favourite, maybe “‘81” (2010) as it was the year I was born.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb5Jp_duKNM

The songs:

• “Stars of Track and Field” by Belle and Sebastian
• “Country House” by Blur
• “Mambo Number 5” by Lou Bega
• “Does not Suffice” by Joanna Newsom
• “Ymaelodi Ar Ymylon” by Super Furry Animals
• “The Last Great Cassiopia” by The Essex Green
• “‘81” by Joanna Newsom

Six Songs of Me

Inspired by Janet Davis (who in turn was inspired by The Guardian’s Six Songs of Me) I am going to attempt to describe me and my life in just six songs. All for #weeklyblogclub.

Here goes.

1. What was the first song you bought?

I think the first song I bought was “Spin That Wheel” (1990) by Hi Tek 3 from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles soundtrack. It was on 7” vinyl and I remember it had a poster sleeve, it might still be up in my parents’ loft somewhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVqkGOYWDEQ

The first album I got was “Ten Good Reasons” (1989) by Jason Donovan on tape. I remember we’d gone into town and I made my dad by it for me in WH Smith with a voucher he’d been given. It didn’t occur to me at the time that he’d got the voucher as a present and I still feel bad about making him buy it for me to this day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuJyiwZ0580

2. What song always gets you dancing?

Ooh this is a difficult one, lots gets me dancing. Actually that isn’t quite true. It takes me a while to get to the dancefloor but once I’m there I don’t want to leave.

I sometimes go to a night called How Does it Feel to Be Loved and whenever Ian the DJ plays “Holland 1945” (1998) by Neutral Milk Hotel I’m always up there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLaFLztnL84

Pretty much any motown, northern soul or sixties tune gets me dancing.

3. What song takes you back to your childhood?

Definitely “Dancing in the Street” (1985) by David Bowie & Mick Jagger. It’s one of the earliest songs I can remember and I was (am) totally in love with David Bowie.

Apparently when I was very very little I used to go crazy to “Green Door” (1981) by Shakin’ Stevens but that’s more my mum’s memory than mine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqQasoWm7Kg

4. What is your perfect love song?

Having recently got married I had to do a lot of thinking about songs like this, in the end none of these actually got played but I always imagined they would.

“As Long as I Have You” (1964) by Garnett Mimms, all about how there’s nothing you can’t do if you’re with the person you love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc2y9X08tN8

“You be You and I’ll be Me” (1969) by The Free Design, is about keeping your own identity whilst being part of a pair. (I think).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMyZRmmTChU

“Let’s Do Everything for the First Time Forever” (2001) by Of Montreal, such a lovely song about doing all of the ‘firsts’ again as they’re just too overwhelming the first time to remember.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwLOHPLCI-k

I’m actually a bit more drawn to the ‘everything’s gone wrong’ love songs and “All my Little Words” (1999) by The Magnetic Fields is one of my favourites.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo8vW_0H_Kg

“Does Not Suffice” (2010) by Joanna Newsom always has me in tears. I imagine her packing up her things after breaking up her boyfriend and I just want to hold her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LgQhfusf_E

5. What song would you want at your funeral?

Such a tough, tough question. Absolutely nothing schmaltzy or tear inducing. Maybe something that would make people laugh and say, “that’s exactly like Louise”.

The first thing that sprang to mind was something from “Life in a Scotch Sitting Room” (1978) by Ivor Cutler, I particularly enjoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8Gt_GpGd4A and the Jungle Tips.

6. One last song that makes you, you.

This is probably even harder than the last. What on earth makes me, me? Who am I? (I am not a number, I am a free man!). And it’s a not a song that describes you, it’s one that *makes* you. Sheesh. Just pick a song Louise.

My favourite band are The Olivia Tremor Control and it feels particularly poignant to pick one of their songs at the moment as founding member Bill Doss died last week. It’s only just happened and still feels pretty raw. I’ve met so many wonderful friends because of OTC and had lots of experiences and I still can’t believe he’s dead.

The OTC are part of a big collective called Elephant 6 which I guess is a bit like me, surrounded by lots of people, their sound is poppy but with a weird edge, hmm, what else?

Here’s the song I’ve chosen, “Jumping Fences” (1996) by The Olivia Tremor Control, sung by Bill Doss.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58wXs1-JZvI&feature=player_embedded

The final six:

1. “Spin That Wheel” (1990) by Hi Tek 3
2. “Holland 1945” (1998) by Neutral Milk Hotel
3. “Dancing in the Street” (1985) by David Bowie & Mick Jagger
4. “Let’s Do Everything for the First Time Forever” (2001) by Of Montreal
5. “Life in a Scotch Sitting Room” (1978) by Ivor Cutler
6. “Jumping Fences” (1996) by The Olivia Tremor Control

Going for Gold

I’ve been pretty grumpy about the Olympics up until now. I’d been living in London while they were being planned, paying my extra council tax and in the end not getting anything in the ticket ballot.

Well today I’m all about Team GB. I was lucky enough to get a ticket for the Men’s Double Trap from a friend and the whole day has been fantastic. The volunteers and army personnel I met from the DLR station to the Barracks were friendly and helpful. The venue was lovely, the food tasty (and even a veggie sausage) and the whole atmosphere was wonderful. To top it all we won the Gold! It was such a great day.

Well done Peter Wilson!

Sport-a-go-go at The Belle Vue vinyl night

We’ve started going to a vinyl night at a local pub. It’s a great excuse to root through the shelves and find some forgotten gems. Last month, some idiot (I think it was me) suggested we theme the night to make it a bit more interesting and suggested sport to fit in with the Olympics.

This is our long list of tracks for this evening:

Un Homme et Une Femme soundtrack - 124 Miles an Hour

Foals - The French Open

Erase Errata - Marathon

The Beach Boys - Surfing USA

Lee “Scratch” Perry - Kung Fu

Songs from My Fair Lady - Ascot Gavotte

Fugazi - Long Distance Runner

Rumah Sakit - Go Horsey Go

Of Montreal - My Favourite Boxer

Liverpool FC Fans - tribute

The Headcoatees - Jackie Chan does Kung Fu

Camera Obscura - Marathon not a Sprint

Sebadoh - Rider

Simon & Garfunkel - The Boxer

Champion Jack Dupree - Sporting Life Blues