I feel vaguely dirty about this. Rilla "tagged" me in a blog-meme-virus thing about music, and what the heck, I'll go along with it although I've never been a bandwagon type, and I'm actually not a huge music buff. It'll keep me from peeling sheets of dead skin off my sunburn, anyway.
Number of CDs I own: Lemme go see... between R:tAG and I, we own about 300, it looks like. I think most are his.
Last CD I bought: Hmmm... This is a tough one. I could sort of cheat and say Sacrifice but I haven't actually bought it yet because I never remember to ask R:tAG to do his Paypal mojo in the short window where he's conscious and home (he's been putting in very long days at work this week). Sorry, Gayleen. The last CD I remember buying, because I was so happy to find it, was Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie's Together In Concert. This was a staple of my childhood. I also, within the last year I think, bought Lute Music For Witches and Alchemists after hearing it at McNally Robinson. But I don't buy a lot of music, actually (and no, I don't pirate it either. I just don't listen to music very often. Distracts me from my reading :))
Recent Favourite/New Listen: Aw, man. Does it have to be CDs? Because pretty much all I've been listening to recently is Shanty Raid-io (see sidebar for link) which is mostly drinking and pirate songs, or my I-Pod, which still has the music that Suz and Chris so kindly loaded for me when I realized I'd have to drive down to California on very short notice after my CDs had been packed and moved. As far as "Band what I had never even heard of but really quite like, from the aforesaid I-Pod," I'd have to go with Cake. As far as "Band what I hadn't heard of but as it turns out does some of the songs I really like on the aforesaid Shanty Raid-io," I'll go with The Jolly Rogers. And the mix Pirate CD that Tomas made for us gets played a lot too, especially when I'm cleaning. What can I say? Pirates are cool. :)
Five CDs that are meaningful to me:
Interesting category. Not necessarily CDs that I like, or own, or would recommend, but that are meaningful? Hm. As it happens, I do own all of these:
- Kirsty MacColl's Titanic Days because I think it's wonderful, tragically under-rated, and one of the few albums I've ever heard where every single song resonates with me to some extent.**
- A mix CD that my sister made me for Christmas one year, containing music from our childhood... Linda Ronstaadt, Schoolhouse Rock, Willie Nelson, because it's basically a bunch of in-jokes from growing up together that always makes me smile.
- The Beatles' Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band because it's just one of the best albums ever and "When I'm 64" was our wedding recessional.
- Beethoven's 9th, the lovely, lovely Ludwig Van, especially the Cleveland Orchestra disc. It's not George Szell conducting, but you'd never know it. This is almost the only music that I just sit and listen to... I don't read, knit, anything (and you may or may not realize how significant that is for me)
- Shoggoth On the Roof because when I grow up, I want to do something like this.
There's plenty more... I didn't even mention the Plaid Tongued Devils, the Arrogant Worms, Spirit of the West, Sting, Sisters of Mercy, Dead Can Dance, The Mission, The Cure, The Real Mackenzies, Inkubus Sukkubus, the Pogues, CCR, The Flying Pickets, The Nylons, Mozart (especially the Requiem and the 40th), Mendelssohn, Bach (both Johann Sebastian and P.D.Q), O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Roxy Music, XTC, The Wonderstuff, Fishbone, Captain Tractor... I guess the trouble is that because I don't listen to that much music (really!), what I do listen to gets invested with an unfair share of memories and associations. Each of these has a "because" clause after it, but this blog entry is threatening to get too big as it is. :)
Tag 5 more
Hm, no. I think everyone I know who would do this has already been tagged, and passing this on would just increase those uncomfortable chain-letter vibes. If you're reading this, and want to do it, feel free to tag yourself. Go ahead, it doesn't grow hair on your palms, it's beautiful and natural.
** Geeky admission that I hesitate to even put in a footnote: every LARP character I write a background for has a theme song. Two are from Titanic Days - Don't Go Home and Soho Square. I'll be amazed if anyone identifies the characters... it's more to do with a theme or mood than specifics, plus there just aren't many people who "met" both of them. Anyway, yeah, geeky. Sorry.
Labels: meme
Awwww... I didn't think you'd actually do this Amy. Cool!
"One of us. One of us."
I will also admit every LARP character I create has a song associated. For me, it's a quick shorthand to get into character. I think Amy was the one who suggested it back in '97 when she mentioned 'Moon over Bourbon Street' for Gaunt, my Nosferatu.
The brim of my hat hides the eye of a beast
I’ve the face of a sinner but the hands of a priest - Sting, Moon over Bourbon Street
But I don't think I've ever matched a song and a character better than Laughs-from-Shadows (everyone's favorite Shadowlord)and his song...
Hey you, what do ya see?
something beautiful, something free?
hey you, are you trying to be mean?
you live with apes man, it's hard to be clean - Marilyn Manson, Beautiful People
Anyone able to read those lyrics and NOT understand Laughs? :)
For those of us who aren't actors, I found this a really useful tool. It's bled over to my tabletop gaming too.
Heh. Yeah, I used "Moon Over Bourbon Street" for Camilla, actually. It's such melodramatic angst; what else would you use for a Toreador ghoul turned Nos? :)
I have never been able to listen to "Beautiful People" and not think of LfS. "Soho Square" was Runs-With-Scissors, but I think it's the combination of the music and the lyrics that makes it match for me. It's a very happy, catchy, upbeat tune but the lyrics are quite dark.