FURTHER AND BETTER PARTICULARS ::: 5 SONGS THAT CHANGED MY LIFE

Current mood: REACTIVE
Category: REACTIVE Music

OK..

Part 2 brings us to the songs and before i get going, here's a couple of notes...

Firstly - I'm not 100% confortable with the notion of 'Changed my life' I'm keeping it on account of not being able to think of a better title. Maybe 5 Important Songs On Planet Paul Giovanni would do the job, but it's too long....

Secondly - This could easily be 50 or more. I've already thought of a whole bunch of songs and a couple of LPS that by rights should be in these lists and I've been sorely tempted to change my original choices, but given that all the original choices deserve to be there I've left them as is...

I think I'm gonna add a list of 'near misses' sometime soon

So...


1. America: What Time Is Love - The KLF

The only thing I remember of The KLF when they were in their prime was seeing the video to this song on Top of the Pops. I had absolutely no time for rave or dance music then, despite it being THE youf culture of the moment.

But I saw this and thought 'FUCK ME! THAT HAS POWER!!' I felt it was about the only pop track that wasn't rock or metal that had that same power and intensity of energy and the video looked fucking great...

Little did i know then how important The KLF would become for me..


2. Borderline - Madonna

This was the first pop track I remember hearing.

My parental home was a pop music free zone, so i was never exposed to The Beatles or any older stuff. As i became a teenager I was obviously becoming curious as to what was what with this thing 'pop'

So, one day I was off school with illness (probably a made up illness) and I found Radio 1 and the first track I heard was Borderline..


3. Off The Wall - Michael Jackson

This is all about the first London year of the 5 I've completed in this stint..

Basically, I moved here from the caravan in Suffolk - a caravan that was as in the back of beyond as you can get.

Initially i was expecting and wanting to be living in Soho. I had friends living there and planned to move in with them. But they moved east to Brick Lane and instead, i found myself there.

It's not a bad location, is handy for walking back from nightclubs, and the area has it's merits, but i wasn't too pleased with being in the middle of an artists area. I mean the whole point of art is the singularity of vision and that's hard to achieve when you're surrounded by people vaguely similar, all trying to be different whilst covering the same ground.

I mean artists just shouldn't flock into groups - it's ugly and the bullshit talk and self destruction never ends.

Yes boss, it's bad news whichever way you look at it. I mean, if i see another person photographing the graffiti on Brick Lane I might well kill either them or myself....

Anyway. That first year was one of very heavy drinking and curry, endless bullshit talk in the kitchen quite a bit of work, then torching of a vast ammount of the banks money, too many incesteous thoughts and the inevitable meltdown...

More than any other track, Off The Wall reminds me of that rather wonderful time..


4. Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N Roses

Each time i used to come into London on the train this track used to come into my head. It's about moving to the city. It's about being lost in the city. It's about the nasty scuzziness of the city. I can't think of a pop track that sums it up better...


5. The Unstopable Kite - They Came From the Stars I Saw Them

If all the others remind me of the past, then this track is all about the future.

It's the track I most associate with my time thus far as a music writer. It's by a band who's best days are yet to come - A band who have the kind of ambition and talent i like to see in a pop band. It's a track about endless hope and not quitting and keeping positive when all around are doubting....

It's also a reminder of how quality work can go ignored and reminds me that I'm not the only fucker who's drained themselves in the pursuit of self appointed creative mission only to find the rest of the world is singing off a completely different hymn sheet...


AND OF COURSE ALL PERSONAL MEMORIES ASIDE - THESE ARE ALL GREAT POP MUSIC TRACKS

Currently listening : Light Years: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra By Electric Light Orchestra Release date: By 17 November, 1997

08:04 - 7 Comments - 5 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove

	Madeleine	i love welcome to the jungle for exactly the reasons you mention, oh and cause axl rose has one the best names in rock and because i saw him on a pop show once, in a rather inebriated state say, if we've heard it, its and influence…straight out of the keith richards school of rock and roll laissez faire. glad you changed it from changed my life, i cant think of five though i start shuffling them around and adding and taking away and then just go mmm cant do it Posted by Madeleine on Thursday, June 21, 2007 at 10:01 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	The Paul Giovanni Music Blog...	Yes... W AXL is definately a fine Rock 'N' Roll name. I like people who have an initial as their first name and take their second. One of the many reasons I like the former West Indian Cricketer Viv Richards was because he was always on the scorecard as I.V.A Richards...To this day I don't know what the I stands for... Another thing i love about W AXL is that he's too insecure to make his comeback. If only Iggy and The Stooges suffered the same anxiety. Isn't it about time this Stooges thing was knocked on the head. I mean it's all about Payola isn't it??? Why are all the good old bands coming back and karaoke embarassing themselves like this??? Posted by The Paul Giovanni Music Blog... on Thursday, June 21, 2007 at 10:17 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Madeleine	the stooges should definitely have knocked it on the head, their latest album is woeful with a capital W Posted by Madeleine on Thursday, June 21, 2007 at 15:50 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	The Paul Giovanni Music Blog...	I've heard that....I'm not listening to it so as not to spoil things... Posted by The Paul Giovanni Music Blog... on Thursday, June 21, 2007 at 16:12 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	Paloma Pirate	Songs from two of my favorite records! MJ Off the Wall and Madonna Madonna. it was a challenge to narrow my list to 5 songs...those were the five that popped into my head when i did the list Posted by Paloma Pirate on Thursday, June 21, 2007 at 13:43 [Remove] [Reply to this]

	flappy poontours	FEED THEM POP. Posted by flappy poontours on Thursday, June 21, 2007 at 17:57 [Remove] [Reply to this]

The Paul Giovanni Music Blog...

Damn right... Posted by The Paul Giovanni Music Blog... on Friday, June 22, 2007 at 00:20 [Remove] [Reply to this]