Your Desert Island Discs..?

[Kiwi]

1. Abba - Arrival (because Abba are an indelible part of my pre-teen memories)
2. Planet Funk - Illogical Consequences (kept me going during some rough times in London)
3. Toto- 25th Anniversary live (because Toto have been a near constant musical inspiration)
4. Prince - Aftershow Party bootleg 15-9-2007 O2 Dome with Beverley Knight (because I was there)
5. Rolling On The River - Tina Turner (we used to play it in my last band and it killed every time)
6. Sky - Sky II (because it inspired me to take up playing music.  More specifically I wanted to drum like Tristian Fry 2:00 in on Tristan's Magic Garden.)
7. Freemasons - Compilation of their more bombastic remixes (because I like listening to the arrangements)
8. John Williams - Star Wars soundtrack (a movie that I heard the music to before I saw the film)

Book:
The SAS Survival Guide
I'd swap the Bible for a translated copy of the I-Ching.

 

Luxury:
Rainsong carbon composite 12 string acoustic guitar (upgraded with stainless steel frets), 30 sets of strings, tuner, a supply of 0.5mm Dunlop tortie picks, a small pair of needle nose pliers and chord sheets for a selection of songs by Supertramp and Abba.
 

[Nail Soup]

On 23/11/2022 at 17:13, mikel said:

I always thought it's a difficult job to chose. There are songs I love because they stand alone to me as great pieces of music. Then there are songs that I dont feel are great, but they were in my head at important or emotional times in my life, so they trigger good vibes. 

The producers of DID encourage the islanders to choose their songs based on the latter (important life moments etc) more than the music quality.

I had always suspected as much, and in one episode a guest actually alluded to it.

 

My (tongue only slightly in cheek) response to this is to say that discovering my 8 favourite songs are the 8 most important moments in my life!

[Grimalkin]

It never fails to amaze me how bland a lot of the choices are on Desert Island Discs. Some lists are so cloying that I'd rather be eaten by a shark before even reaching the island. The rest of your days stuck with The Lighthouse Family...

 

'tis true, there are fates worse than death.

[Nicko]

2 hours ago, Grimalkin said:

It never fails to amaze me how bland a lot of the choices are on Desert Island Discs. Some lists are so cloying that I'd rather be eaten by a shark before even reaching the island. The rest of your days stuck with The Lighthouse Family...

 

'tis true, there are fates worse than death.

 

2 hours ago, Nail Soup said:

The producers of DID encourage the islanders to choose their songs based on the latter (important life moments etc) more than the music quality.

I had always suspected as much, and in one episode a guest actually alluded to it.

 

My (tongue only slightly in cheek) response to this is to say that discovering my 8 favourite songs are the 8 most important moments in my life!

I think Niails observation may have something to do with it. 

 

My important life moments have been punctuated by some rather bland music - some that stick in my mind are Holidays in the Sun by the Sex Pistols (the first time I saw a band play live - admittedly my brothers punk band in his bedroom), Without You by Harry Nillson (which was playing first time I hooked up with my wife), Last Night a DJ Saved my Life by Indeep (which was playing when I lost my virginity - I'd like to claim it lasted longer than the record but sadly not) and Cocaine by Clapton (the first song I ever played live to an audience).

[Grimalkin]

1 hour ago, Nicko said:

I Last Night a DJ Saved my Life by Indeep (which was playing when I lost my virginity - I'd like to claim it lasted longer than the record but sadly not)...

 

What if 'There's No One Quite Like Grandma' by St Winifred's School Choir just happened to be playing on the radio in the background instead...

 

Would it have the same endearing quality?

[Grimalkin]

“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.”

Aldous Huxley - Music at Night and Other Essays.

 

Indeed, but with such a limited selection, I feel familiarity would breed contempt eventually. I'll take the silence, and what I have inside my skull.

[Boodang]

1. Jazz Jungle - John McLaughlin; top musicians in full free fall jazz fun! Plus Chambers on drums having tons of fun.

2. Lotus Feet - Shakti; beautiful blending of western and eastern improvisation. 

3. Giant Steps - John Coltrane; the perfect jazz track?

4. Aga of the Ladies - Hellborg / Lane; Lane at his most melodic and least manic.... beautiful.

5. Bethany - Janek Gwizdala; perfect soloing? If not, it's close.

6. Bright Size Life - Pat Metheny; Metheny always said he had so much still to learn when he did his first album, but I don't think he bettered this. Plus, Jaco's playing is spot on.

7. Stratus - Billy Cobham; one of the greatest bass grooves... and try playing the drum part! Obviously ignore the first 2 minutes of 'I discovered a moog lying around the studio'.

8. It Remains to be Seen - Bennie Maupin; 70s groove at its groovyist.

Book - Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake; pure poetry from start to finish, never get tired of reading it. 

Luxury- John Bonham acrylic reissue drum kit. 

If I play the kit loud enough it might disturb someone on a neighbouring island and I'll get rescued.

Edited November 27, 2022 by Boodang

[Boodang]

On 23/11/2022 at 23:45, Nicko said:

Can I also have a lighter so I can burn the Shakespeare which I detest. 

 

Actually, Shakespeare could be a clever choice for a desert island. His plays were written to be performed not read, so you could spend your time doing one-man shows to the wildlife. It would take a lifetime to learn, which given the circumstances, you'd have the time spare.

[NancyJohnson]

I'd just take Obscure Alternatives by Japan, the book John Dies At the End by David Wong and some decent nail clippers.

[Kitsto]

When The Levee Breaks – LZ4 was the first album I bought as a kid. This gave me a headache when I first heard it. I now think it’s the best thing they did (apart from The Rover). Saw them in 1975 (23rd May to be exact) – the first and best gig I ever went to.

 

Room At The Top (Of The World) – one of Tom Petty's most depressing yet brilliant songs. What a songwriter. What a band.

 

Why Dontcha – I listened to a lot of loud rawk in the 70s but Jack Bruce’s sublime bass line on this was what got me into the instrument (still can’t play it though). Leslie West wasn’t bad either.

 

A Different Drum – this Peter Gabriel track is the closest an atheist like me can get to God.

 

Mission – the version taken from Rush’s 2008 Snakes & Arrows live tour album has an incredible Alex Lifeson solo at the end which captures the feverish frailty and ultimate triumph of human artistic ambition.

 

Spring [Jump] – Rammstein have boiled the whole of rock down to stupidly simple riffs, childish lyrics and cartoon humour yet at the same time are unbelievably great.

 

Now Westlin Winds – Gaughan, the great Scottish folk guitarist, put Burns's lyric to music in an unforgettable setting. Listen to this live version on YouTube: 

 

In Loving Memory – they’ve gone off the boil since but Alter Bridge’s first album was for me as good as LZ’s debut some 30+ years before though I rate Tremonti more highly than Page.

 

Luxury: my wife. If that’s not allowed then toothbrush & toothpaste.

 

Book: All Of Us – the collected poems of Raymond Carver.

Edited December 25, 2022 by Kitsto

[Nail Soup]

On 23/11/2022 at 20:29, Dr.Dave said:

Luxury item - Rachel Riley

It's only allowed if she chooses you as hers.

 

4 hours ago, Kitsto said:

Luxury: my wife.

Same for you!