Desert Island Disks

In the style of the UK's BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Disks I have collected my favorite pieces. Unlike the BBC version I of course am not limited to 10 pieces and I can choose to have a number of categories!
These songs seem to have only one thing in common: a very strong sense of images. All invoke worlds of their own through a combination of poetic lyrics and interlocking music.
In going through these songs in more detail for this collection I realize that I have misunderstood a number of them. But I think in most cases I prefer my own interpretation. After all, we are free to own these works, and have them mingle with our experience the way we want!

Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane: The Beatles.
The Whiter Shade of Pale: Procol Harum.
Badge: Cream.
While My Guitar Gently Weeps: George Harrison.
Maggie Mae: Small Faces.
Wuthering Heights: Kate Bush.
I am the Walrus. The Beatles.
Yours is No Disgrace: Yes.
Awaken: Yes.
Storm Bringer: John Martyn.
Solid Air: John Martyn.
Find My Way Home: John and Vangelis.
Lawnmower Song: Genesis.

Strawberry Fields Forever:
The Beatles.

clip

The archetypal English classic. The sixties was a time when pop music broke through into something more significant. For many of us this is our first taste of real art in a truly democratic form.

Although John Lennon and Paul McCartney apparently lent heavily on surrealistic poetry (and LSD), these songs introduced a whole generation to the power of their own imagination. Unlike earlier surrealist forms the images are from daily life: a kind of sharing of a national dream.

For me (at the age of 9) this was great. It made you feel good to be British.

The same applies for Penny Lane.



The Whiter Shade of Pale:
Procol Harum.
clip
Another classic! Reminds me of dark winter evenings watching "Top of the Pops" on the BBC with my sister. Also of the old mill stream in Malmesbury Wiltshire where you could still see the old wooden cog wheels back in the sixties. You see, I thought the lyrics were:
"We skipped the light fandango,
Turned cog wheels 'cross the floor
We were feeling kind of seasick
But the crowd called out for more
The room was running water
And the the ceiling flew away
When we called out for another drink
The waiter brought a tray

And it was the later
As the miller told his tail
As a matter of faith just closely
Was a whiter shade of pale"

This is a fabulous song. A one off, not only inspired by Bach & intoxication but clearly adding a number of classical English references, including I think a touch of Vaughn Williams. An anthem of the sixties in the UK where the young were frequency seen in hippy cloths walking incongruously through the ancient streets in the freezing cold.

The images here are an amalgam of a drunken stage performance or dance and the Canterbury Tales. This unlikely combination induces some very pleasant sensations, even 35 years later.
Lyrics          Procol Harum Web Site



Badge: Cream.
clip

Just a great song that was part of defining the time. The lyrics of George Harrison and the guitar of Eric Clapton. A pop classic.
Reminds me of happy days as a kid playing on the wooded cliffs of Highcliffe.



While My Guitar Gently Weeps: George Harrison.

clip
At the age of fifteen (while often listening to this song - which was already old) I met my first girl friend. George Harrison is quoted as saying that this song is inspired by "I ching".
This song has great images for some moments of deep contemplation. It's a song that changes the people that here it.

Once again the lyrics of George Harrison and the guitar of Eric Clapton.



Maggie Mae:
Small Faces.


This is a song that really holds up with time. A pop classic.
I was fifteen when this came out. Going back to school for the Autumn term. A rather dull town, rather dull school, rather dull me. Hence, a song about having an affair with an older woman and going off with a rock and roll band seemed like a nice dream.



Wuthering Heights:
Kate Bush.

clip


Don't bother to read the novel. If you understand imagery you will get the whole experience from this record. The essential feeling of the whole novel: Kathy dreams of Heathcliffe outside the window. Obsession. The old deep base and the high female voice. Walse is a very romantic form and chant: "Heathcliffe it's me Kathy I'm so cold, let me in at your window."




I am the Walrus:
The Beatles

clip

The Beatles at their most creative. Here is John at the top of his art: you would have to be rather confident to put together lyrics this abstract. Once again, maybe mind altering drugs played a part.
What is it about? It's the artist expressing!

A beautiful collage of abstract sixties images.

Yours is no Disgrace:
Yes.

clip (middle 3rd)
Stronger stuff. After leaving school I went to work for a little electronics company (Gardner's Transformers) as a trainee. I suppose I was horrified by the possibility of working like this for the rest of my life. So I started to seek for something a bit more interesting. It was while I was studying part time at Bournemouth technical college that my brother in law Barry brought over some records for me to listen to. While doing my homework I reluctantly listened to them so as not to be ungrateful. But it wasn't long before I recognized this was something special to me, and would be special in my life.
Like a lot of Yes, Yours is No Disgrace is a mini rock symphony influenced by Jazz. Much more sophisticated than the music I was listening to at that time.

Looking for self confidence as I was, the "yours is no disgrace" message in this elite form was just what I needed.



In Your Wardrobe:
Genesis.
Nothing if not English. Some very compelling, surreal images of working class country life.
It always struck a cord with me. Reminds me of visiting the pubs in the New Forest with my friends as a teenager.
In such a class conscious place alcohol can have a freeing effect.

"When sun beats down
And I lay on the bench
I can always here them talk
Me? I'm just a lawnmower
You can tell me by the way I walk"




Solid Air:
John Martyn.

My first flight consisted in being throne off a hill in a solo hang glider and landing in a cow pasture, narrowly missing a cow! How appropriate that my small group of friends considered this a great song at the time.





Find My Way Home:
John and Vangelis. In Zurich I a learnt German for six hours a week in the old town, getting there by tram after work. In a strange country and not speaking the language this was an interesting place to meet people. Opposite the school was the British pub where we went as a group afterwards. "Find My Way Home" was a regular on the juke box.
Later in the year we borrowed a bus and went as a group to northern Italy. A dreamy and impossibly romantic interlude.




Storm Bringer:
John Martyn. One of John Martins most dreamy, melodic, and hypnotic songs.

"Time goes buy
Calendar leaves and sloes fly
I might write a poem
If I could think of the words try"
For me this is always associated with moving to Cambridge in 1983 to work for Acorn on the ARM. An image of my nice little flat and the drive to Acorn. A great feeling of opportunity.



Awaken:
Yes..

I borrowed the album for the first time from the CERN record library. Putting it on while making dinner I suddenly realized this record must have been made here!. I opened the album and there was the famous lake Geneva tree! A nice feeling.
This is a very strong piece. Not for easy listening. It's a fifteen minute symphony of hard rock, mysticism, and innocence that marks Yes's best works.
While not being conventionally religious, yes lyrics are frequency in the form of a prayer...


clip

clip2
(This will blow your head off!)

"Master of Images
Songs cast a light on you
Hark thru dark ties
That tunnel us out of sane existence
In Challenge as direct
As eyes see young stars assemble
Master of Soul
Set to touch
All impenetrable youth
Ask away
That thought be contact
With all that's clear
Be honest with yourself
There's no doubt no doubt
Master of light
All pure chance
As cross divided
In all encircling mode
Oh closely guide plan
Awaken in our heart
Master of Time
Setting sail
Over all our lands
Forever closer
Shall we now bid
Farewell farewell"

If I had to take just one piece of music to my desert Island, this would be the one.




Miracle of Life:
Yes.

clip

bolero
Beautiful song, beautiful sentiment. All Yes's best stuff: A carnival of interwoven themes that conveys a calibration of the value, meaning and joy of life. All starting with a typical Yes bolero. (and only occasional out of tune singing!)
This song came along about the time Taffy the dog was born. A true miracle of life.

The song also mourns the loss of the environment and poses the question: "don't you feel the danger - to the miracle of life?"
I do.

"Sing when open hearts are calling
Shout with open eyes
To the miracle of life
Far beyond your deepest pleasure
To the miracle of life"

Strawberry Fields Forever: The Beatles. clip	The archetypal English classic. The sixties was a time when pop music broke through into something more significant. For many of us this is our first taste of real art in a truly democratic form. Although John Lennon and Paul McCartney apparently lent heavily on surrealistic poetry (and LSD), these songs introduced a whole generation to the power of their own imagination. Unlike earlier surrealist forms the images are from daily life: a kind of sharing of a national dream. For me (at the age of 9) this was great. It made you feel good to be British. The same applies for Penny Lane.
The Whiter Shade of Pale: Procol Harum. clip	Another classic! Reminds me of dark winter evenings watching "Top of the Pops" on the BBC with my sister. Also of the old mill stream in Malmesbury Wiltshire where you could still see the old wooden cog wheels back in the sixties. You see, I thought the lyrics were: "We skipped the light fandango, Turned cog wheels 'cross the floor We were feeling kind of seasick But the crowd called out for more The room was running water And the the ceiling flew away When we called out for another drink The waiter brought a tray And it was the later As the miller told his tail As a matter of faith just closely Was a whiter shade of pale" This is a fabulous song. A one off, not only inspired by Bach & intoxication but clearly adding a number of classical English references, including I think a touch of Vaughn Williams. An anthem of the sixties in the UK where the young were frequency seen in hippy cloths walking incongruously through the ancient streets in the freezing cold. The images here are an amalgam of a drunken stage performance or dance and the Canterbury Tales. This unlikely combination induces some very pleasant sensations, even 35 years later. Lyrics Procol Harum Web Site
Badge: Cream. clip	Just a great song that was part of defining the time. The lyrics of George Harrison and the guitar of Eric Clapton. A pop classic. Reminds me of happy days as a kid playing on the wooded cliffs of Highcliffe.
While My Guitar Gently Weeps: George Harrison. clip	At the age of fifteen (while often listening to this song - which was already old) I met my first girl friend. George Harrison is quoted as saying that this song is inspired by "I ching". This song has great images for some moments of deep contemplation. It's a song that changes the people that here it. Once again the lyrics of George Harrison and the guitar of Eric Clapton.
Maggie Mae: Small Faces.	This is a song that really holds up with time. A pop classic. I was fifteen when this came out. Going back to school for the Autumn term. A rather dull town, rather dull school, rather dull me. Hence, a song about having an affair with an older woman and going off with a rock and roll band seemed like a nice dream.
Wuthering Heights: Kate Bush. clip	Don't bother to read the novel. If you understand imagery you will get the whole experience from this record. The essential feeling of the whole novel: Kathy dreams of Heathcliffe outside the window. Obsession. The old deep base and the high female voice. Walse is a very romantic form and chant: "Heathcliffe it's me Kathy I'm so cold, let me in at your window."
I am the Walrus: The Beatles clip	The Beatles at their most creative. Here is John at the top of his art: you would have to be rather confident to put together lyrics this abstract. Once again, maybe mind altering drugs played a part. What is it about? It's the artist expressing! A beautiful collage of abstract sixties images.
Yours is no Disgrace: Yes. clip (middle 3rd)	Stronger stuff. After leaving school I went to work for a little electronics company (Gardner's Transformers) as a trainee. I suppose I was horrified by the possibility of working like this for the rest of my life. So I started to seek for something a bit more interesting. It was while I was studying part time at Bournemouth technical college that my brother in law Barry brought over some records for me to listen to. While doing my homework I reluctantly listened to them so as not to be ungrateful. But it wasn't long before I recognized this was something special to me, and would be special in my life. Like a lot of Yes, Yours is No Disgrace is a mini rock symphony influenced by Jazz. Much more sophisticated than the music I was listening to at that time. Looking for self confidence as I was, the "yours is no disgrace" message in this elite form was just what I needed.
In Your Wardrobe: Genesis.	Nothing if not English. Some very compelling, surreal images of working class country life. It always struck a cord with me. Reminds me of visiting the pubs in the New Forest with my friends as a teenager. In such a class conscious place alcohol can have a freeing effect.
In Your Wardrobe: Genesis.		"When sun beats down And I lay on the bench I can always here them talk Me? I'm just a lawnmower You can tell me by the way I walk"
Solid Air: John Martyn.	My first flight consisted in being throne off a hill in a solo hang glider and landing in a cow pasture, narrowly missing a cow! How appropriate that my small group of friends considered this a great song at the time.
Find My Way Home: John and Vangelis.	In Zurich I a learnt German for six hours a week in the old town, getting there by tram after work. In a strange country and not speaking the language this was an interesting place to meet people. Opposite the school was the British pub where we went as a group afterwards. "Find My Way Home" was a regular on the juke box. Later in the year we borrowed a bus and went as a group to northern Italy. A dreamy and impossibly romantic interlude.
Storm Bringer: John Martyn.	One of John Martins most dreamy, melodic, and hypnotic songs. "Time goes buy Calendar leaves and sloes fly I might write a poem If I could think of the words try" For me this is always associated with moving to Cambridge in 1983 to work for Acorn on the ARM. An image of my nice little flat and the drive to Acorn. A great feeling of opportunity.
Awaken: Yes..	I borrowed the album for the first time from the CERN record library. Putting it on while making dinner I suddenly realized this record must have been made here!. I opened the album and there was the famous lake Geneva tree! A nice feeling. This is a very strong piece. Not for easy listening. It's a fifteen minute symphony of hard rock, mysticism, and innocence that marks Yes's best works. While not being conventionally religious, yes lyrics are frequency in the form of a prayer...
clip clip2 (This will blow your head off!)	"Master of Images Songs cast a light on you Hark thru dark ties That tunnel us out of sane existence In Challenge as direct As eyes see young stars assemble Master of Soul Set to touch All impenetrable youth Ask away That thought be contact With all that's clear Be honest with yourself There's no doubt no doubt	Master of light All pure chance As cross divided In all encircling mode Oh closely guide plan Awaken in our heart Master of Time Setting sail Over all our lands Forever closer Shall we now bid Farewell farewell"
	If I had to take just one piece of music to my desert Island, this would be the one.
Miracle of Life: Yes. clip bolero	Beautiful song, beautiful sentiment. All Yes's best stuff: A carnival of interwoven themes that conveys a calibration of the value, meaning and joy of life. All starting with a typical Yes bolero. (and only occasional out of tune singing!) This song came along about the time Taffy the dog was born. A true miracle of life. The song also mourns the loss of the environment and poses the question: "don't you feel the danger - to the miracle of life?" I do.	"Sing when open hearts are calling Shout with open eyes To the miracle of life Far beyond your deepest pleasure To the miracle of life"