This week I got caught up in one of the most painful exercises I've ever had the pleasure of being obsessed with. For our international friends, there is a weekly radio show broadcast in the UK called 'Desert Island Discs'. People from all corners of politics, the arts, sport - anywhere with corners basically - are invited to BBC Radio 4 and for 45min their disbelief is suspended from the ceiling as they are placed on a desert island. With the current lack of summer in this country it's a welcome exhile. On that island they are allowed to take any 8 pieces of music, a luxury item (inanimate and with no survival benefit), and one book (not the Bible or Shakespeare's Complete Works, they are already provided - a Gideons Bible I'm guessing). You can see how this is an interesting angle to take for an insightful interview and since the show's been running continuously since 1942 I guess it's been a winning formula for listeners and participants alike.
So I happened to be talking with a friend about this and it's not something I had really thought about in the past. Knowing how difficult it had been for me to come up with my favourite 5 movies back in the day when one beds down these things, I knew frustration, torment and many late nights were an imminent prospect as soon as I was asked for my 8 songs. How little I knew...
16 hours, 4900 songs, 4 ever-narrowing playlists, and 12 revisions later I think I've just done it. And since these things are down to personal tastes it's not as if you can pass judgement on them, but I thought I would share anyway. So here they are. Feel free to contribute your own in the comments section after...
- Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles
- Half A World Away - REM
- Just Like Heaven - The Cure
- Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley
- Beast Of Burden - The Rolling Stones
- One Of These Things First - Nick Drake
- Our Mutual Friend - The Divine Comedy
- Good Man - Josh Ritter
5 comments:
Very good music choice there, a few of which could possibly have made my list. Well done for finishing the list!
Wow, that is a tuffy, and a good selection. Just don't let me near your iPod on said desert island or you'll be listening to the sounds of silence!
Can't even think of one song right now. Which is a pity because I have a dull journey home and no headphones...
I'm assuming I'm "friend".
I'm still working on my list.
I've got 3 definately, 1 maybe, and 3 TBCs.
I'll get back to you.
I just saw the date, I assumed wrong.
I thought this post was new but it isn't.
Get on with it won't you!
Surely there is some airport story due again, now you're travelling back to the USA of America?
1 - Simon and Garfunkel, Bridge over troubled water
2 - Elvis Presley, Always on my mind
3 - The Beatles, In My Life
4 - Queen, The show must go on
5 - Maximo Park, Our Velocity
6 - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, Somewhere Over The Rainbow
7 - Nick Drake, On of these things first
8 - Teenage Kicks, The Undertones
All of the above subject to change at no notice.
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