DESERT ISLAND DISCS

didn't think too long and hard about this
just wrote down a quick list at the breakfast table
so in approximate chronological order here goes...

1) eight miles high (the byrds, 1966)
a record ahead of its time
the byrds fly high and take rock music into uncharted territory
mcguinn scatters frantic jazzy guitar licks wherever you look
the high altitude bass gulps desperately for air
the ethereal harmonies match the surreality of the lyrics
everything comes to an explosive climax in the final bars
the creative genius of the 60s unleashed and preserved on vinyl...
2) mr tambourine man live (bob dylan, live, may 1966)
a drugged-up-to-the-eyeballs bob delivers an amazing rendition
check it out on scorsese's recent 'no direction home' rockumentary
3) and your bird can sing (the beatles, 1966)
not to be outdone
the beatles also achieved greatness in 1966
that high water mark of musical invention
'revolver' just might be my all-time favourite album
and this is probably my favourite revolver track
lennon moves into metaphysical lyrical realms
his vocal is never as simultaneously powerful and vulnerable
the three-part falsetto harmonies are exhilerating
the double-tracked guitars of mccartney and harrison
ascend a chromatic staircase of saturated guitar tone
the whole thing swings infectiously
there's even a completely different but equally interesting arrangement
on the beatles anthology
with a lovely gleaming 12-string guitar backing
lennon & mccartney cracking up in the studio as they overdub the vocals
4) too fast for you (the church, 1981)
oops! whatever happened to the 70's?
distilling everything that was exciting about this band
during their initial new-wave phase
ringing guitars locked in effortless synchronicity
the bassline swoops and slurs
steve kilbey's wonderfully opaque lyrics describing strange scenes
where 'blackbirds peck' and 'the sandman gets shallow sleep'
delivered in his gorgeous sandpaper-rough but oddly well-spoken english-aussie voice
5) kamikaze pilot (the hoodoo gurus, 1983?)
more quality fare from australian shores
the hoodoo gurus were on fire during their 'stoneage romeos' period
this record takes 'the basic rock and roll' format to its highest level
straight-ahead 4/4 rhythm guitar, bass and drums
a brilliant loud rudimentary brad shepherd guitar solo
bleak subject matter transformed into comic-book hilarity
by dave patterson's crazy imagination
'on an island there ain't too much to do
look out for number one because i think
i see lee marvin chasing after you!'
and taken to another level by his demented delivery
the song i always enjoyed most singing and playing live!
6) back to the old house (the smiths, 1983)
an achingly sad and lonely song
just morrisey wailing over marr's lovely acoustic picking
7) providence (jack frost, 1991)
mr kilbey again
this time in pairing with grant mclennan
that other great australian songwriter
this track very narrowly won over 'civil war lament' from the same album
the two writers / voices match perfectly
another sad and beautiful song
8) hallelujah (jeff buckley, 1994)
written by leornard cohen (i've never heard his version)
but recorded by jeff buckley a few years before his tragic death
incredible poetic lyrics
a fantastic nuanced vocal from jeff
a lovely chiming capo-ed guitar accompaniment
the whole thing worthy of the song title!
9) samuel barber's adagio
ha! a bit of classical stuff for good measure
despite its over-use in movie soundtracks
i still find this piece gut-wrenchingly moving
10) vaughn williams' fantasia on greensleeves(?)
...or at least i think that's what it's called?
i only recently found out the composer / title of this piece
when i heard a snippet of it performed live by some buskers
hauntingly beautiful