I’m not a great thread poster, but Sheep’s earlier thread pushed the right button for me. Listening to music (all genres) is very important to me. In fact, I can’t go anywhere without my earphones, I’m afraid.
I have a piece of music or track for every occasion or memory. Here’s some of my favourite ones:
Vaughan Williams- ‘The Lark Ascending’. This is the most beautiful piece of music ever, in my humble opinion. It will definitely make an appearance at my final curtain call!
Karl Jenkins- ‘Benedictus’. Not far behind VW. This one makes an appearance on my training IPod. The only classical one to do so, because there’s something about it that gets me motivated, even though it’s still a beautiful piece of music.
Queen- ‘The Hitman’. In June last year, I got diagnosed. I thought I took the news very calmly, but when I sat down in the Living Room, I turned on my ipod and this track started playing. Once the news started to sink in, I cried my eyes out and then mentally moved on quickly. A definite memory marker for me now.
The Rolling Stones- Gimme Shelter. Not a huge Rolling Stones fan, but this one is brilliant. Another one that features on my training ipod.
‘The Battle’ from the Gladiator soundtrack. I’m not a film buff at all, but Gladiator is one of my favourite films. When I listen to that track on my training ipod, I get a lovely image of Russell Crowe in all his finery… a lovely image indeed!
Following my diagnosis, I wanted to read and learn as much as I could about Multiple Sclerosis. I went onto Youtube and watched a very good video my Kari Alanis which I found very motivational. She’s a Teacher with MS. Check it out yourself- Kari Alanis MS- My struggle- My strength- My story. The video features a brilliant track by the artist Plumb called ‘Hang On’. Every word of that song speaks volumes about our own struggles with this illness.
Gladys Knight & The Pips- Midnight Train to Georgia and Marvin Gaye ’ What’s Goin On’ . These don’t appear on my training ipod, but when I listen to them now, I am a child again. My mother has since passed away, but she was forever playing these on her Record Player. My brother and I would disappear upstairs to our bedrooms. Oh the memories!
REM- Everybody Hurts. Another memory marker. In 2002, I was working and a colleague died after a 6 month battle with cancer. He was in his late twenties. This track was played at his funeral. When I listen to it now, I’m back in that church where the tears were flowing.
Pacabels Cannon is what I think is one of the most beautiful pieces of music.
I listen to everything from Rainbow (since you’ve been gone) and Bon Jovi (Born to be my Baby) through to classical (love The William Tell Overture) via Michael Bolton (Steel Bars), Blake (Hallelujah), Shania Twain (I Feel like a Woman) and onwards. Horslips (Book of Invasions) is a good one and I love Jeff Waynes War of the Worlds just to listen to Richard Burtons voice. (he could read a recipe book and still give me shivers)
I love Radiohead too. Radiohead’s ‘No surprises’ and ‘High and Dry’ are a couple of my favourites. I really enjoy REM too. My favourite REM track is ‘E-Bow the Letter’. Brilliant!!
JBK- When we were children, my brother was forever playing War of the Worlds. A definite memory marker for me, but I’m sorry, not an enjoyable one-lol!
I told my ex when I was leaving him last year - girl on fire Alicia keys and Bruno Mars when I was your man was popular tunes for me they summed up how I was feeling. Then just after gorilla by Bruno Mars. Then 2 weeks later had my first bad relapse. And I’ve kind of shunned music. I’d lots of dreams and ms have snatched them from me I suppose. Now I’ve been listening to the ‘frozen’ soundtrack and ‘ghost’ some miss Saigon. Was listening to girl on fire on Thursday when I came home from MRI trying to give me a kick up the bum. My taste varies wildly. When I was dancing (competing) I was very focused would have been plugged into we are the champions queen and Abba the winner takes it all getting my focused. X
Favourite band are Nine Inch Nails and I have a ridiculous collection of CDs/DVDs etc. of theirs.
My ipod is a real old muddle from when I taught pole classes, I’d want a range of different songs to avoid boredom, commercial enough to keep the students interested but not so commercial that I’d switch off, most of all it had to be something good to dance to - so it tended to range from Beyonce ‘baby boy’ to Britney Spears ‘Toxic’ to MIA ‘Bad girls’ to Kate Bush ‘Babooshka’ to Placebo ‘Pure morning’ to Roxy Music ‘angel eyes’ to Elton John ‘Benny and the jets’ to Marilyn Manson ‘Tourniquet’ etc. etc.
I’m definitely more rock but after teaching classes for a few years have come to love some right old random stuff
Hi Big fan of the k’s… Kings of Leon… The killers… Kaiser chiefs… Kasabian… The script and snow patrol aren"t too bad either. Slowing down from my "metal’ days. I must be getting old Neil
My favourite recent album purchase is ‘Sing to the Moon’ by Laura Mvula. A lot of the lyrics resonate with me - a lot are to do with facing tough times but keeping going. ‘She’, especially, is pretty guaranteed to make me well up : )
I was lucky enough to see her live last year at Lichfield Cathedral, which was a perfect setting for her, it really fitted all the harmonies the singers were doing. One of the best gigs I’ve ever been to.
I can listen to a particular music track and it can evoke a distinct memory in my mind- sometimes not pleasant! In fact, there are certain tracks that I still cannot listen to.
Crikey. I’ve just entered Music Heaven and I’ve never been so engaged in a thread!
So many great choices.
Love, love, love Nick Drake. Listened to him religiously in my student days. I was a true 80’s Hippie- quite unlike everybody else who were all into Duran Duran-yuk!
Neil- Snow Patrol is one of my favourites. When we left the hospital, when my Mother was in ICU, I listened to ‘Run’. Never fails to get me all emotional. I also like Prog Rock. The Canadian rock group- Rush are my all time favourite. I have all their studio albums.
he_funk. Dan-music resonates with me in exactly the same way. As I mentioned to Em, some tracks, I still cannot return to because I don’t like the memory associated with them. Shame really ! But, that said, some evoke some great memories. Whenever i listen to The House Martins- Happy Hour, I can distinctly remember the memory of my friends and I listening to it on the way to college. Oh Happy Days!
A good choice. For the same reason, I like Terry Scott’s ‘My Brother’. But, then i’m reminded of The Young Ones, ‘Hole in My Shoe’. I brought the vinyl single of that one, back in the day!
Anything by Nick Cave (hence my name!) but especially “there she goes my beautiful world” I’m sure he wrote that for me! Also “when I first came to town” a great revenge track.
The thing about Nick Cave is he does a song for every mood
Being an old ‘Mod’ I am a soul man. Luther Vandross; Anita Baker; Babyface and Toni Braxton send me into second heaven.
I was lucky and old enough in the late 60s to go to the ‘Marquee’ Wardour St. and saw a programme being recorded every Friday called ‘Ready; Steady Radio. Regularly playing were The Beatles; The Who; Spenser Davis Group; Moody Blues; Small Faces.
It was amazing; many years later I went to a clinic in Miami to start my ‘Snake Venom’ treatment and Ronnie Lane of the Small Faces was having treatment with me. We became good muckers with a bloke who pushed him about in his wheelchair called Reggie Lock who was ‘Joe Cockers’ Manager; good days.
Normally old rock type stuff. Totally agree with Johnny Cash cover of ‘hurt’, man that makes me cry at times. Love Led Zeppelin as they remind of my dad New favourite are a band called Future Islands, their song ‘Seasons’ is just great x
Neil
but i also like Alicia Keys & 80’s