Last New Year I had much fun putting together my list of best album tracks. So, to continue the ‘tradition’, I’m going for something similar this year. Inspired by my earlier (failed!) meme Desert Island Amazon Challenge I’m going to do a Desert Island C90.
Young readers may wonder what a C90 is. As ever, Wikipedia can explain all. People of my vintage have a long association with the C90. Many hours sweating over a music centre putting together compilation tapes. It was an art, a joy and a trial all rolled into one. We sat on buses and trains, walked about rainy streets, listening to the fruits of these labours. Always regretting at least one song on the tape that should never have been put on and was too expensive on battery to skip past.
I found a big bag of these C90’s in the loft the other day. They are a little bit of social archaeology. Each one freezing a moment in time both in terms of music and what I was doing at the time.
So, here’s the challenge. You can take 1 C90 on to a Desert Island. What are you going to put on it? Rules are simple, you have 2 sides of 45 minutes each, pick tunes to fit. Don’t worry about leaving gaps in between (we’ll assume you are a master of the art and, anyway, the tapes were always slightly more than 45 mins) so just add up the track durations.
Just as the Amazon challenge was defined by value for money, this one is all about value for time. You may love something big and long in a prog-rock way, but can you really afford to use 10 precious minutes?
I’m working on my tracks now, its quite tricky, I’ll post them soon.
Well, I missed out last years because i ran out of time, so thought I’d better post before the bells this time! No time for excuses/explanations to be tacked on, so I guess I’ll have to take the flak on the chin.
It was extremely tough, and sure I’ve missed some, but here goes:
Side 1 (44.96 mins)
The Mamas and the Papas -California Dreaming: 2m 39s
Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter: 4m 30s
The Cocteau Twins – Musette and Drums – 4m 12s
Sex Pistols – Pretty Vacant: 3m 15s
Cult – Rain: 3m 56s
Billy Talent – Fallen Leaves: 3m 19s
Bon Jovi – Keep the Faith: 5m 43s
Bluetones – Marblehead Johnson: 3m 21s
Go Gos – Our Lips are Sealed: 2m 45s
Queens Of The Stone Age – No One Knows: 4m 38s
Associates – Club Country: 3m 54s
Stevie Wonder – I don’t Know Why I Love You: 2m 46s
Side 2 (4.85 mins)
Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit: 5m 1s
Muse – Hysteria: 3m 47s
Radiohead – Lucky: 4m 19s
U2 – One: 4m 37s
Ugly Kid Joe – Cats In The Cradle: 4m 2s
The Smiths – How Soon Is Now? 3m 58s
Bangles – Hazy Shade of Winter: 2m 47s
The Jam – The Butterfly Collector: 3m 5s
REM – Orange Crush: 3m 49s
Simon and Garfunkel – The Sound of Silence: 3m 4s
John Jules – Mad World: 3m 20s
The Four Tops – Bernadette: 3m 2s
Manic MorFF
So, here's a selection. Added some other rules from my own production days:
One track per band (except instrumentals); Track 1 must be a growing tempo; Last track on side 1 must be "epic"; First track on side 2 must be "hard 'n' heavy"; Last track must be a slower tempo
Side 1 45:00
The Verve – Bittersuite Symphony – 5:58
Manic Street Preachers – Motorcycle Emptiness – 6:09
David Lee Roth – Just A Gigolo – 4:39
The Darkness – Friday Night – 2:55
Rainy Day – I'll Keep It With Mine – 3:24
Pet Shop Boys – Liberation – 4:06
The Waterboys – The Whole Of The Moon – 5:01
Michael Schenker Group – Into The Arena (Instrumental) – 4:14
Led Zeppelin – Kashmir – 8:34
Side 2 44:59
Michael Schenker Group – Looking for Love – 4:06
Rush – The Spirit of Radio – 4:59
Fish – Internal Exile – 4:41
Bruce Springsteen – Born To Run – 4:30
The Coral – Dreaming of You – 2:21
The Music – Guide – 4:14
Runrig – Tuireadh Iain Ruaidh (Instrumental) – 2:42
Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul – Out Of The Darkness – 3:54
The Killers – All These Things That I've Done – 5:02
Headway – Finish What We Started – 4:41
Radiohead – No Surprises – 3:49
Never one to shirk a challenge …
Side A (44:59)
The Doors: People Are Strange – 2:13
Creedence Clearwater Revival: Fortunate Son – 2:19
Siouxsie and the Banshees: Spellbound – 3:18
Space: Neighbourhood – 3.29
Echo and the Bunnymen: Never Stop – 3.32
The Damned: Alone Again Or – 3:38
The Men They Couldn’t Hang: Colours – 3:51
Muse: Muscle Museum – 4:23
Tom Petty: Mary Jane’s Last Dance – 4:25
Foo Fighters: I’m In Love With A German Film Star – 4:20
Joe Bonamassa: Bridge to Better Days – 5:07
Radiohead: Exit Music (For a Film) – 4:24
Side B (45:00)
Neil Young: Heart of Gold – 3:07
Paradise Lost: Mouth – 3:42
Weezer: In the Garage – 3.55
Hard-Fi: Stars of CCTV – 3:58
Mansun: Fool – 4:17
The Smiths: The Headmaster Ritual – 4:52
Red Guitars: Good Technology – 5.03
The The: Sweet Bird Of Truth – 5.22
Grandaddy: The Crystal Lake – 5:00
My Chemical Romance: I’m Not Okay – 3:08
The Specials: You’re Wondering Now – 2:36