It’s now 2015..and time to do my 5 year update on my Top 5 albums/songs.

Previous lists are here?…

As you can see the albums are all older..I never like including recent albums as I think it’s the test of time which puts it into my list. ?The top 5 would be the ones I could listen to on a desert island for ever, so they have to be ones that have stood the test of time.

The songs tend to be a little more varied…and #5 is very new as you can see..

Plus added bonus of background to why I love them so much.

Also this year, I’m adding best live gigs/concerts/events….?

Top Albums

• Joy Division “Permanent”
  • From the first time I heard Love Will Tear Us Apart on John Peel’s show back in 1980, JD were a fixture in my life. ?They really came to be my ultimate favourites in college due to my now ex Paul who played me “She’s Lost Control” to woo me (haha), wrote me love letter with Atmosphere ?lyrics on exam papers, he lived and loved all the songs. Every time I hear any JD songs I remember those 6 years we were together.
• New Order “Substance
  • Following on from JD, New Order was the one sound I would get Paul to get up and let lose on the Student’s Union dance floor.. the sound was different, but the quality of words was still present.
• Simon and Garfunkel “Old Friends”
  • Growing up my house was filled with music – mostly Opera, some C&W and lots of Simon and Garfunkel…all thanks to my mother. So while I don’t mind Opera, am ok with some newer country, I fell in love with S&G from day one from 7 or 8 years old. ?Their lyrics were artful, but it was the harmonies, the glorious sound that caught me and to this day has not let go.
• Queens of the Stone Age “Lullabies to Paralyze?”
  • and now for something different… I worship at the throne of Josh Homme – the rawness of the sound, the lyrics grab you by the throat and demand that you listen. ?The times I’ve seen them live were exhilarating…and each album gets better and better.. long may Josh reign.
• Interpol “Antics”
  • and finally a newer album… I loved it when it came out, and time has not diminished that feeling. ?The opening bars of Evil are probably my favourite of all songs. ?Who knows if they will be on 2020’s version, but they are definitely fully here for 2015’s.

Top Songs

• ?Joy Division “Love Will Tear Us Apart”
  • As mentioned, this has so many memories… and ultimately funnily enough we didn’t tear apart, we drifted into something else, still love but on different paths – my greatest achievement was loving someone so deeply, my proudest is that we came out stronger and still friends.
• ?New Order “Vanishing Point“
  • I could say it’s the lyrics, the imagery, but in reality it’s the tune…every single time I hear it I want to dance – and I do in my head, every time. Just hearing the opening chords makes my feet twitch.
• ?Samuel Barber “Adagio for Strings“
  • A piece of music most people have heard even if they don’t realise. ?It’s haunting, it’s evocative and it brings me to near tears each time I hear it. ?This is what music should be.
• ?Simon and Garfunkel “For Emily Wherever I May Find Her“
  • Talking of what music should be – this is the vocal equivalent. ?The beauty of Art Garfunkel’s voice is sublime. ?I still love “The Only Living Boy..” because of the history, the background and the sound, but for now, “For Emily..” has won out.
• ?Stornaway “The Road You Didn’t Take”
  • Now this is ultra new – as in only released on album last week but I’d heard it live previously, and as is my thing – it’s their vocals that grabbed me. ?The whole album is fabulous and I quite?expect it to be on 2020’s list, but this song has grabbed me for now..

Top Gigs

Living in London from 1990 to 2006 I had the perfect opportunity, and took every one, to see hundreds of bands/artists live in venues, from Wembley Arena to the local pub. ?I saw famous bands before they made it big, I saw bigs bands on the way down, secret gigs, protest gigs, you name it, pretty much every week was a different venue/band.

To this day, I still try and see live music, although not as often as before. ?In 2014 I saw; Fall Out Boy; Manic Street Preachers; Steve Carlson; Teenage Fan Club; Art Garfunkel; Stornaway; and Cast – a fairly slow year, but not too bad.

Anyway, out of the hundreds of gigs, festivals and other music events over the years, many of which I’ve forgotten, the following are ones that stand out for various reasons.

• Underworld – Reading Festival – August 1996
  • A friend of mine knew the band, so I’d sort of met them at a few of their previous gigs, but this one was one of those ‘ you had to be there’ ones. ?They were at the height of their popularity, and the whole crowd in an crammed full tent was absolutely bouncing. I was mostly sober but I came out on the biggest high ever. ?It knocked my whole being into a different dimension. ?I’ve never experienced such a feeling since.
• Rancid – Brixton Academy – Nov (?) 1996
  • I don’t remember much about this one really – except that it was the most violent but safe mosh pit I’ve ever been in – I had a black eye from a crowd sufers rogue boot, but it was such a primeval thrill – as most punk concerts are. ?(Link is for 2006 concert as can’t find 1996 version)
• Faith No More – Brixton Academy – November 1997
  • Mike Patton is completely nuts – that is a fact, and this concert was no exception. ?I went with my great friend Tim (who I went with to hundreds of gigs) and we moshed, bounced and generally got lost in the madness that was FNM.
• Queens of the Stone Age -?Garage – November 1998
  • Tim and I saw QotSA every time they played London 1998 – 2003, but this one was my favourite. ?That night they were totally on, the crowd were into it, and all in all a perfect set. (link is for a Stuttgart set from that year…)
• Jesse Macht – my house – April 2015
  • What can I say – a musician that I found last year, loved his work, contributed to his crowdfunding for his album ‘Suitcase Heart’ and have seen multiple times on Stageit – was doing House Concerts…how could I not. ?To have an artist you love playing in your living room is a once in a lifetime chance – and it was as awesome as you can only hope. ?(Anyway – I detailed it here)

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the background – feel free to disagree (which I’m 100% you will do!) or ask follow ups..