A very quick one, image free and hastily written today because I need to get back to writing real stuff…
I saw a post earlier today from Georgia Springate, author of Beyond (a book I’ve previously recommended – and which you should check out), who put down some of the music she listens to while writing. It’s an interesting list set out by genre – romance, drama and action and, given that she’s the same age as my son is quite a different list to the sort of music I tend to listen to these days (but hey, I’m still down with the kids, honest – the Catfish and the Bottlemen gig me and #1 son went to shortly after the release of The Balcony reminded me of the energy I used to get when I was his age going to see bands like The Ramones, The Cult, Jesus and Mary Chain, and The Daintees back at Newcastle Mayfair in the mid ’80’s…likewise going to see The Bonnevilles in the now-defunct Assembly and having to stand next to one of their speakers left me deaf for two days – that’s not the sort of thing you tend to get going to the bigger venues to see stadium level bands as tends to be the norm for me these days).
I tend to listen to music a lot when I write – that’s a nice thing about writing these days – I don’t have to go to the packing cases where my 3,000+ CDs reside: I’ve loaded them all up onto my PC – and besides I hear they have things called Spotify and iTunes Music these days… so, there’s a lot to listen to, and it’s a damn sight easier to make a playlist than it used to be when tape-to-taping the whole thing (yes, sadly I AM that old…)
I like to have music on that helps my writing mood rather than distract me from it – so I’ll tend to listen to stuff I know well by artists I am very familiar with. It’s not exactly background music, but if I’m listening to new stuff, it can occasionally distract me. So if I look at my most commonly listened performers it will feature the likes of Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Cowboy Junkies, Sonny Rollins, Robbie Robertson, Chet Baker, Bruce Springsteen, Martin Stephenson, Tom Waits, Glenn Gould – a mixed bunch, but all familiar to me over the years.
I will, occasionally, create a playlist though – pull something together and leave it for a few days so I can’t remember what I’ve put on there. I did that last weekend and while I don’t set myself rigid times to start and finish writing, having the luxury of a full day to write I put together a five-hour long playlist (again – something easier to do these days than on cassette…) It’s…eclectic – no real pattern of mood or genre but just for gits and shiggles, here was what I had on it…it might not work for you, but I got a few thousand words out of this lot…
The Weight The Band
Get It Together Beastie Boys
Wake Up Arcade Fire
Still Fighting It Ben Folds
Dog Got A Bone Beta Band
There Is A Valley Bill Fay
The Downtown Lights The Blue Nile
Don’t Fall Apart On Me Tonight Bob Dylan
Crazy Love Brian Kennedy
My City Of Ruins Bruce Springsteen
Quelqu’un M’a Dit Carla Bruni
Wicked Game Chris Isaak
Holiday In Spain Counting Crows
Susan’s House Eels
Almost Blue Elvis Costello & the Attractions
Hard Drive Evan Dando
Far from Any Road The Handsome Family
Lawless Avenues Jackson Browne
Take Me with You (When You Go) The Jayhawks
Trash City Joe Strummer
Stood Up John Hiatt
Watching the Wheels John Lennon
Hurt Johnny Cash
Where the Night Goes Josh Ritter
Great Puzzle Jules Shear
Big Gay Heart The Lemonheads
Closing Time Leonard Cohen
Native American Little Steven
Walk On the Wild Side Lou Reed
Me & Matthew Martin Stephenson and the Daintees
What’s Going On Marvin Gaye
You Send Me Mary Coughlan
Anchorage Michelle Shocked
Hell Yeah Neil Diamond
People Ain’t No Good Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Ain’t Got No – I Got Life Nina Simone
In Your Eyes Peter Gabriel
Rain Street The Pogues
Goodbye Lucille #1 Prefab Sprout
Around the World In a Day Prince
Can’t Hardly Wait The Replacements
Golden Feather Robbie Robertson & the Red Road Ensemble
Answering Bell Ryan Adams
This Is a Rebel Song Sinéad O’Connor
Woke Up This Morning Alabama 3
Up The Junction Squeeze
Goodbye Steve Earle
Walls (Circus) Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Hold On Tom Waits
Widow’s Grove Tom Waits
Pancho and Lefty Townes Van Zandt
Coney Island Van Morrison
Lift Me Up Vince Staples
Reconsider Me Warren Zevon
The Stolen Child The Waterboys
I Can See Clearly Now Willie Nelson
Stay You Wood
Put The Message in The Box World Party
Gone Till November Wyclef Jean
Southern Accents [live] Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Hero Family of the Year
Could We Cat Power
Friend of the Devil Lyle Lovett
Like A Rolling Stone Bob Dylan
Powderfinger The Beat Farmers
Right, back to scribbling, and it’s feeling like a Ryuichi Sakamoto morning…
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