Nostalgia

There comes a time, when you realise there is music out there that has totally changed the way that you view your life. Today I had this epiphany. Memories linked to particular tracks suddenly come rushing back to you and their true sentimental value is revealed.
I'd like to start with a bit of an odd one...I don't think this is at all expected to be in my music taste but here we go.

1. Marilyn Manson-The Golden Age of Grotesque

I was 14 when I first heard this album, and it was one that I bought out of curiosity. I was one of those bohemian teens that sat around in their room with dim lighting, pondering and drawing late into the night, thinking about different places and alternative ways of living. I found this CD in the library, and had been a secret fan of his for a year or so. This album holds so much character, and racous energy. It's symbolism and witty lyrics, all inspired by 1930's vaudeville really opened my eyes and soundtracked a memorable part of my life.

I think the next post is back on track with my usual tastes, but this one is where they themselves really began.

2. Kraftwerk-The Man Machine

Christmas 2005. I had just come into rather a lot of money. I was vaguely and hopefully looking for a particlar song, not from Kraftwerk at all, and it still remains that I have no idea who the song is by. I bought random CD's that I thought it might be, and in doing so I discovered Royksopp and Tiefschwarz. My Aunt was visiting that Christmas, and saw what I was listening to. Then she recommended an album that changed my taste in music forever. Picked up for £6 in the HMV sale, the Man Machine is and always will be my favorite album. Washes of cold synth, minimal metallic drum beats, and robotic vocals, paved the way for everything that I wanted to listen to in the future, and strenghtened my love affair of anything German.
And so began my love affair with Synthesisers.

3. Joy Division-Unknown Pleasures

JD had been a blip on my music periphery for a while. Love Will Tear us Apart being a regular fixture of my listening. I collected various Joy Divisions songs over roughly a year, but it wasnt until last October that I purchased this full album on 180 gsm vinyl in London, and let the sounds unfurl out of my stereo. I had already heard every track from this album, but never listened to them all at once. The power of Ian Curtis's voice, the energy of the guitars, and the cavernous drums, lusciously fed through an AMS Delay created one of the darkest listening experiences of my life. However, this album is multipurpose. Listen to it when you're sad, and it will make you sad, but listen to it when you are ecstatically happy, and it will give you amazingly positive energy.

4. The Smiths-The Very Best of

For years, I loathed The Smiths. They were force fed down my throat by my Father when I was a child, and because of this I did not like them. However, a short while ago, "This Charming Man" was played on a radio show I had accidentally found one evening. Memories suddenly came flooding back, of times gone by. This spurred me on, so I re-listened to their music. Song by song. The moment I heard "Hand in Glove" for the first time in a good 10 years, I instantly recalled speeding down the A Roads over Salisbury Plains as the sun set one summer. Having heard pretty much all of their material, I have to say a Best of CD is the best way to get across their music, and perfect for a party. Wine, friends and "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" make for one hell of an evening.

Then I have collected bands that will always be with me.
13th Floor Elevators: the finest 60's psych band, swirls of sound that lull one into a guitar driven trance.

Bauhaus: The original Goth band. Every song a landmark of music history.

Gary Numan: The searing Polymoog and dystopian lyrics set light to the stereo, and The Pleasure Principle will never lose it's magic.

The Horrors: Changed the way I dressed.

The Jesus & Mary Chain: Give me attitude when I walk down the street and make me fearless in the face of adversity.

Klaus Nomi: Speaks for himself.

Placebo: hangover music.

This is my soundtrack, and always will be.