GooseOnTheLoose
TS Member
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The Premise:
You're trapped on a desert island. Before being cast away you managed to grab a music player of your choice and eight pieces of music. What are they?The Background:
When I was a gosling, my Dad would make us indulge in this exercise, based on the BBC Radio programme on a semi-regular basis. Over the years I've kept up with it and it's fascinating to see which songs always remain, which ones have dropped out, what's never made an appearance.These are eight pieces of music that essentially define you at periods in your life. They're something that are sentimental and mean something to you. No one else quite gets how much these eight songs make you feel. They're the eight pieces of music that you couldn't live without, or face never hearing again.
Dad would dutifully take our lists and compile them onto tapes to listen to in the car on family trips, often to Towers. As we grew older these compilations moved to CDs and then, of course, playlists.
It's a really fun way to make a playlist for the car, or to put on during a family dinner. It's fascinating to see what your family and friends pick too.
Thread Rules & Guides:
- 8 pieces of music.
- The order doesn't matter, there's no need to rank them.
- No albums.
- Theme park music is, of course, allowed.
- This isn't a mix tape and it will look like a random selection of songs, but it's personal to you so think deep.
- This list isn't definitive. It's a snapshot for you in your life presently, it will probably change in a day, a week, or years down the road and that's ok!
- You can explain your selections if you want, you can be as personal, or not, as you wish. It's not mandatory though!
- YouTube links to the songs are encouraged to we can all have a listen! If the song, or version of it, that you want isn't available then please do share Spotify embeds too.
- OPTIONAL (courtesy of @pluk): You can also bring along one item and one book, what are they? The Complete Works of Shakespeare and a religious text of your choice are handily already on the island.
My Desert Island Discs:
"It's Too Late" - Carole King
I first remembering hearing this quintessential breakup song, from the era defining album "Tapestry", on the morning I realised I had my first crush. It was my ear worm for the day. The mournfulness, the sorrow, the yearning, the musical hooks. Gives me chills each time."The Night" - Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
That opening bass line. Wow. Hearing that for the first time is made me realise that I wanted to play bass. It's one of two songs that The Four Seasons recorded on the Motown label, the other is "Beggin'". For me though, this is the better piece of work. It's a North Soul classic that never fails to get me shaking my goosey caboosey. The desperation in Frankie's vocals is the perfect topping."Bobby Jean" - Bruce Springsteen
A bit of an overlooked album track from The Boss here. In fairness it's on the "Born in the USA" album, and there are so many other strong songs to compete with. This one wins out for me.I was taking the tube back home from my first ever Pride with my best friend. We were sharing headphones and listening to songs shuffle through on my iPod. "Bobby Jean" came on. I started air drumming, she started air saxxing, with massive grins on our faces. I fell in love with the song instantly. We were the wildest, the wildest things we'd ever seen.
Seeing and hearing Bruce play this live at Villa Park this year was a moment I shall never forget. My friend and I drifted apart, as friends do, but I was thinking of her that evening.
"California" - Manfred Mann's Earth Band
I guess whistfullness melancholy is a default mode for me, though I promise I'm usually a cheerful goose! This was the song of the summer for me when I was 19. I had my first "proper" job as a well paid intern over, until uni started up again. I met and had my first boyfriend. It was the first summer I felt like a grown up goose. Also those solos are so unapologetically indulgent and I love it."Tiny Dancer" - Elton John
Everyone forgets just how long this song takes to get to its chorus. It's a tease and release that pays off in an almost perfect way. If anyone's seen the Cameron Crowe film Almost Famous they'll know that this song brings together the best moment. I identify with that film in so many ways and this song is elevated all the more for it.Amusingly this song is very much the inspiration for Ben Folds' "Landed". He even got Paul Buckmaster, who arranged the strings on "Tiny Dancer" to arrange the strings for "Landed".
"The Pretender" - Jackson Browne
This is the latest addition to my DID. I love the storytelling, the simple arrangement, I'm a sucker for minor chord progressions and harmonies."Borderline" - Madonna
Easily the best thing she's ever done and archetypal of a perfect pop song. Manic Street Preachers did a great cover of this when I saw them a few years ago, but Madonna's version from The Immaculate Collection album steals the punch. It's so catchy, so fun, yet so sad. How could anyone not love this?"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" - Dave Mason
There have been many versions of this song, written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, but this one pushes the rest to the pale. No one sings these haunting lyrics with as much meaning and yearnfulness as Dave. The production is over the top for how simple the song is. The indulgent guitars, the horns, the string arrangement, the harmonies and backing vocals, he really threw the kitchen sink at it. Is it cheesy as hell? Yes, and I love it all the more for how ridiculous it is.Observations
All of the songs in my present Desert Island Discs selection were released before I was born. None of the artists are archetypal of my normal listening habits, nor is my favourite artist featured (M83).I've gone for songs that have emotional heft and meaning for me, but you don't have to. These are songs I could never live without hearing again. What will you choose? I can't wait to hear your lists!
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