Something I’ve been wondering about for a while - what makes people get into music, and how easy is it to appreciate new bands and genres?
My music tastes are centred on a certain city up north, so I’m seeing how quickly I can get into Elbow, who’s only song I’ve really known before is the absolutely outstanding ‘One Day Like This’ from the album ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’. On Thursday, I was playing around with the iphone in the Glasgow Apple store (I’ve already got an Ipod, which I just wanted to charge for the train journey home, and I’m happy with my mobile, so an iphone isn’t really on my shopping list). The 30 second listen function gave me a quick overview of what Elbow were about, and as they are already in the genre I’m used to, I was liking what I heard.
But how quickly do people get into bands generally? And what’s the biggest driving factor? I’ve always enjoyed live shows, so as Elbow are playing the MEN in Manchester in a couple of weeks’ time, I’m going to start doing some ‘revision’. HMV wanted £12 for two of their other albums, but Amazon.co.uk has ‘em for under a fiver, so I’ve decided to sign back up to their affiliate programme.
If you fancy giving these guys try, click on the Elbow link below:
We all know Manchester and Barcelona are meeting in Rome tonight, and there are numerous interesting connections between these great cities, but here’s an obscure one which to me makes the best link between them.
It is a song by my namesake Mancunian band James, from an appropriately titled 2001 album ‘Pleased to Meet You’. It is called Gaudi, named after the architect who created the one of the most famous unfinished buildings, the Sagrada Familia, in Barcelona:
God’s dead, this state is torture.
Find me shade and bring me water.
Holding on.
I’m thirsty for your sage.
Back at the ranch I just got slaughtered.
Too many shoulds, too many orders.
Better come out, holding onto faith.
Let the sun begin to shine through your night
Let the light reveal disguise in your life.
Work kills! It’s killing me slowly
And what is the point in being so lonely?
Who do you love?
Who do you love above all?
If you want to live some life gets slaughtered
But they’d sell their sons and daughters
Who do you love?
Who do you love above all?
How can we fail less we really want to
Under the drum of some local voodoo curse
We can change our fate
Let the sun begin to shine through you night
Let the light reveal disguise in your life”
(C) James - as in the band, not me!
James Gaudi lyrics
