Inspired by this Observer article, itself inspired by a Nick Hornby essay collection, I’m throwing open a Team Spinneyhead challenge to name and explain favourite and important tracks from our pasts. They don’t have to be ranked, mine are going to tumble out in the order they occur to me.
Stupid Girl by Garbage. An all time favourite for all the right reasons- excellent song, great lyrics, nastiness as pop perfection- and all the wrong ones. Suffice to say there’s a tale, but it’ll make me look all spiteful, childish and bitter. Check out this for art imitating life, so I don’t have to elaborate.
Stress by Jim’s Big Ego (Flash video) The summer of 2000, sitting in a little office downloading songs on company time, doing the bare amount of work and no-one noticing. Little did I know this song was about the year to come.
After The Watershed, Say It With Flowers and The Only Living Boy In New Cross by Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine. Let’s see. I pulled to Watershed (another event recorded for posterity, but less vividly, in fiction), Flowers gave me the title to Sounds of Soldiers and New Cross was a mad bastard driving song for 2001.
I Can’t Imagine The World Without me by Echobelly. Just brilliant. This lot arrived in 93/94 and were only overshadowed by Oasis. As great as the Burnage boys were, Echobelly deserved far more attention than they got.
Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve) by The Buzzcocks. Pretty much sums up my relationship with the subject of Stupid Girl.
Small Blue Thing by Suzanne Vega. Ah, first love. So sweet, so innocent, so utterly, utterly embarassing. Dedicated to Amy Hunter, who I had the biggest unrequited crush on when I was seventeen.
I’m Not In Love by 10cc. Because I’m just a disgusting, soppy romantic.
Don’t Let Me Down Gently by The Wonderstuff. Loud, loud, loud, fun, fun ,fun.
Let It Be by The Beatles. September 13th 2001. I was living with a guy who knew people who worked in the WTC, but I was far too fucked up by work to be any use or comfort. The radio alarm went off and I hit the snooze button, but got up anyway. When the radio came back on it was this song and I just stopped what I was doing and cried.
There are more, but I think I’ll save them for another post.