[Music] NSC Desert Island Discs

[Lush]

What would be your 8 tracks and why? Not necessarily your favourite songs but the 8 tracks that mean something to you or bring back great memories?

What about a luxury?

And a book (apart from Shakespeare and the Bible)?

 

[scooter1]

Book - Kevin Sampson, Powder
Luxury, chocolate(I’ve got such a sweet tooth)
Songs, in no particular order
EMF, unbelievable
Pulp, do you remember the first time
Stereophonics, Dakota
Massive Attack,unfinished sympathy
Frank Wilson, do I love you
The Who, behind blue eyes
Small Faces, tin soldier
Kasabian, club foot

 

[Lush]

1. Theme from The White Horses – Jacky (children’s TV in the summer holidays)
2. Rock On – David Essex (first album; first pop concert)
3. The Lark Ascending – Vaughan Williams (reminds me of my dad)
4. One Step Beyond – Madness (opening night of the first ever 2-Tone Tour at the Top Rank 1979; limbs)
5. Back To Life – Soul II Soul (Hampstead Heath with a huge double cassette player)
6. Street Spirit (Fade Out) – Radiohead (driving over Tower Bridge on a summer night in a MX5, the world at my feet…)
7. Theme from Home and Away – Doug Williams and Erana Clark (bursting into tears soon after my eldest daughter was born, “you know we belong together….” )
8. Mirrorball – Elbow (‘our song’)

Luxury: Lip salve (never without it)

Book: Ulysses by James Joyce (should keep me busy)

 

[jakarta]

Will have to have a serious think about this!

 

[Weststander]

Book - a survival text from the likes of Ray Mears.
Luxury - a lifetime supply of chocolate (that doesn't melt in the heat).

In no particular order:
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division Soulful magic from 4 young geniuses. RIP Ian.
Passion - The Flirts Early 80's dance heaven, still stunning.
Fantasia on a Theme - Ralph Vaughan Williams Epic sounds to remind me of England.
Age of Love - The Age of Love The trance journey began here, still the pinnacle.
Saltwater - Chicane Stunning 90's trance, with the voice of an angel Moya Brennan.
The Number One Song In Heaven - Sparks 70's genius from Moroder and the Mael brothers. The beat, the synths, the unique vocals.
Je t'aime moi non plus - Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin I simply adore this song.
As Tears Go By - Marianne Faithful Just beautiful.

 

[Weststander]

1. Theme from The White Horses – Jacky (children’s TV in the summer holidays)
2. Rock On – David Essex (first album; first pop concert)
3. The Lark Ascending – Vaughan Williams (reminds me of my dad)
4. One Step Beyond – Madness (opening night of the first ever 2-Tone Tour at the Top Rank 1979; limbs)
5. Back To Life – Soul II Soul (Hampstead Heath with a huge double cassette player)
6. Street Spirit (Fade Out) – Radiohead (driving over Tower Bridge on a summer night in a MX5, the world at my feet…)
7. Theme from Home and Away – Doug Williams and Erana Clark (bursting into tears soon after my eldest daughter was born, “you know we belong together….” )
8. Mirrorball – Elbow (‘our song’)

Luxury: Lip salve (never without it)

Book: Ulysses by James Joyce (should keep me busy)

1 & 3 are beautiful. The Lark Ascending just didn't make my list.

 

[Grombleton]

8. Mirrorball – Elbow (‘our song’)

God I love that song. So beautiful.

 

[Mellotron]

This is SO difficult. Would change half the answers every week.

If going roughly autobiographical;

Childhood

1. Michael Jackson - Billie Jean. I know, I know...but Thriller was the first album I listened to obsessively as a little kid, and his influence over modern pop can't be understated.

2. The Beatles - Something. Just such a beautiful song, from (imo) the most important band of all time. That guitar solo, where it just opens up and soars, almost Pink Floyd-esque. Ugh. Wonderful. Could've picked about 8 different Beatles songs for this slot and all would be worthy.

Teenage years

3. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Around The World. As much as anything, playing the easy-to-learn riff rock of this band (and Rage Against The Machine) taught me and my childhood friends about really expressing ourselves and enjoying being onstage when we were teenagers. I remember playing the outro riff of Sir Psycho Sexy (I know, right...) with aforementioned friends and realising I was bleeding onto my snare drum, having broken a drumstick. Kept on playing, blood spilling all over the kit. When you're young it all seems so vital.

4. Muse - Citizen Erased. As with the Chilis, not a band I really listen to anymore but huge in my teenage years. Superb live, regardless of the diminishing returns of all albums beyond the first 3. This is still an absolute tune also. A guitar solo that starts off genuinely sounding like a maniac wielding a chainsaw has just broken into the studio.

20s

5. Radiohead - Let Down. The next most important band (for ME) after The Beatles. So hard to pick one song. This is a classic though.

6. Scott Matthews - Myself Again. Criminally underrated, I honestly believe he is the Nick Drake/Jeff Buckley of our time. Voice like silk, beautiful lyrics, and a bloody lovely man to boot, from my limited interactions with him. I think I'd want this played at my funeral. This is the one song I'd save.

30s-present.

7. TR/ST - Shoom. Have gotten into electronic music far more in recent years and this artist best encapsulates that, along with a nod to 80s new romantic (no space for Depeche Mode, agonisingly...). Great "darkwave", TR/ST (pronounced "trust") has a real knack for imprinting killer hooks into a palette that can otherwise feel impenetrable or unwelcome.

8. Vaughan-Williams - The Lark Ascending - Had to have some classical in here, this is beautiful. English summer's day encapsulated in a song.

Book - Embarrassing myself here a little. I'm not a big reader and don't have a great love of any particular book. Would probably research and try to find a big interesting tome to take with me.

Luxury - A battered, old piano with that warm, mellow sound. Just about in tune.

 

[zefarelly]

Pali gap – Jimi Hendrix
Bed and breakfast man – Madness
Famous Honey – Shiner
With an Ear to the Ground You Can Make It / Martinian / Only Cox / Reprise – Caravan
Who knows what tomorrow will bring – Traffic
Chained and bound – Otis Redding
Wooden Ships – Crosby Stills & Nash
Has my fire really gone out – Paul Weller

A book I've re read and laughed a lot reading is My Bass and Other Animals by Guy Pratt

luxury. . . fresh food/drink . . . . although the wine doesn't need to be too fresh ;-) Something most of us take for granted.

 

[GREASED WEASEL]

Anything by The Stranglers (United Artists Years)

Some Ice Cream Mars Bars

Old copy of Knave

 

[Beach Hut]

Love will tear us apart - Joy Division
Undercover of the night - Rolling Stones
Strawberry fields forever - The Beatles
Young Americans - David Bowie
Shout to the top - Style Council
Harvest Moon - Neil Young
What a fool believes - Doobie Brothers
Thieves like us - New Order

Any Bill Bryson book

Luxury - spectacularly expensive French Red Wine

 

[BadFish]

Born Slippy, underworld - Soundtracks one of the best years of my life (can't remember which one).

Run, Snow Patrol - Birth of my oldest, lyrics just seemed to fit sung it to him every sleep for weeks.

Disntegration, The Cure - Best song off my favourite album by on of my favourtie bands. Been with me for years.

Bye Bye Bad Man, The Stone Roses - I didn't know which one to pick, a band that connected so many people of my age.

Just When Your Thinking Things Over, The Charlatans - Driving out of Ancona in Italy in my VW camper on my way back to Brighton, plans in my head and joy in my heart "I've got the van I'm coming home" (just looked up the lyric and found I have had it wrong all these years

Naomi Pukes, One Trick Monkey - I wrote the lryics while watching a documentary about Naomi Cambell, came back from work the next day and my band mate had written the guitar and melody. Straight away I added the bass track and I think it is rather good. Here if you are interested

Creep, Radiohead - Saw them supporting Kingmaker at Brighton or Sussex University, They blew me away. After that my band supported them at the Richmond, the high water mark of my music career. Was also playing on the radio driving into Heathrow as I left for Australia for good.

Dark materials trilogy (and other books from the same universe if I am permitted) - Phillip Pullman

Luxury item - Acoustic Guitar

 

[happypig]

1. L.A. Woman - The Doors
2. Let it Be - Beatles
3. Thunderstruck - AC/DC
4. Viva Las Vegas - Elvis
5. I vow to thee my country from the Festival of Remembrance
6. Sara - Fleetwood Mac
7. 5:15 - The Who
8. Sweet Child o mine - G'n'R

All just...because

Luxury item - Swiss Army Knife
Book - Korolev: How One Man Masterminded the Soviet Drive to Beat America to the Moon

 

[Gwylan]

Good thread this - not thought of songs that bring back memories

Myfanwy - any male voice choir: Was brought up on this music and am still moved by it
Life on Mars - David Bowie: soundtrack to my first kiss
Mistra Know-it-all - Stevie Wonder: the soundtrack to ... you know (different woman from the first kiss though)
A Murder Mystery - The Velvet Underground: heard it on John Peel one evening and I'd never heard anything like it before
Goldberg Variations - Bach, played by Glenn Gould (1981): this was the soundtrack to my degree, listened to this every night when I was writing my dissertation. Still the piece of music I play the most
Just when I needed you most - Barbara Jones; the regular closing track of a Bradford nightclub. Had finished my course and I was completely care-free
Victoria's Requiem - The Sixteen; It's a lovely piece but it was also one of dad's favourites, I play it every year on the anniversary of his death
Asante Kotoko - Pat Thomas: Not only the best football song ever but I was introduced to it by a good friend of mine who, sadly, died a few years back. Reminds me of him and nights of clubbing

Book: Ulysses - I re-read it every so often, there's so much in it, I can't tire of it

Luxury item: a whisky still (and unlimited barley of course) Sláinte

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

I actually did this on local radio in Qatar when I was personel director in the Gulf Hotel in Doha in 1978

Can't remeber all 8 but the ones I can remember -

Sussex by the Sea (of course)
Cheese shop - Monty Python
Pilots dream from Jesus Christ Superstar
Alone again naturally - Gilbert O'sullivan
It's getting better - Momma Cass
Land of Hope and Glory (I think)
She loves you - the Beatles (I think

book was guiness book of records and luxury item a snooker table

 

[zefarelly]

Luxury item - Acoustic Guitar

bass for me, but either way a guitar is one of lifes necessitys, not a luxury.

I have one for every room of the house, although generally they live in 2 rooms only.

 

[BadFish]

bass for me, but either way a guitar is one of lifes necessitys, not a luxury.

I have one for every room of the house, although generally they live in 2 rooms only.

Funnily enough I typed bass first of all, it is really my true love.

I just thought my acoustic would be more practical...... I mean do I get to take an amp? How long would the lead last?

Yup, I over thought it

 

[kevo]

A Day in the Life - The Beatles. My folks bought me the double Beatles compilations as presents. This was always my favourite track, because of its melodrama and obtuse lyrics.

Oh England My Lionheart - Kate Bush. Had a teenage Kate crush (didn't we all?), along with my schoolfriends. Loved this, lyrically her masterpiece.

Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division. Got heavily into JD when a student. Was going to choose Decades, but too mournful if alone and stranded I think!

Temptation - New Order. Subsequently fell in love with New Order. The 12" version of this is about 9 mins long and is utterly brilliant (had to be this or Ceremony).

Bigmouth Stikes Again - The Smiths. Reminds me of an ex-girlfiend, bombing around Surrey in her Mini. We both loved The Smiths.

Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead. Loved Radiohead around this time. Reminds me of going to Europe to see them with my then housemates.

Fear of Drowning - British Sea Power. The band I've seen live more than any other. This was their debut single and reminds me of when I first used to go and see them, around 2002-2003 - an amazing live experience. Also seems apt for a desert island ('Tonight I'll swim from my favourite island shores...')

Do you Realize? - Flaming Lips. To remember a very close friend who died of cancer. She absolutely loved Flaming Lips and we saw them do an incredible version of this at Glastonbury, not long before she passed. We talked about how the lyrics 'Do you realize that everyone you know someday will die' are actually optimisitc, about seizing the day, and telling people you love them, before it's too late

Book - Hmmm, how often can you re-read a novel or even a work of non-fiction? It would have to be something encyclopedic. So I'd probably go for Seagulls! by Tim Carder (I do wish he'd update it though). Love reading about the old seasons and I'm a bit of a nerd so the stats appendix would also keep me occupied! If forced for a novel, I'd go for Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. A great work of dark, gothic imagination.

Luxury - A knife would be useful, as would a kettle. Or a football for a kickaround. Or a dartboard and a set of darts.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Will have to have a serious think about this!

Given your love of krautrock I look forward to this.

And like you, as music has been such a huge part of my life I will need some time to think. 4 or 5 come to mind but need to ponder the rest.

 

[BadFish]

Given your love of krautrock I look forward to this.

And like you, as music has been such a huge part of my life I will need some time to think. 4 or 5 come to mind but need to ponder the rest.

I went for it straight off the hip. Changed a few of them as I wrote it and have now changed my mind again.

I think I need a bigger island.