The Musical Baton

I have the Musical Baton...

Amount of music on your computer?
8.9 GB. Or so my iPod tells me. iPods are immensely cool and hence, I am also immensely cool.

Currently listening to?
er... BBC Radio 4 (Immensely Cool!!)

Five songs that mean a lot to you?
In no particular order...

"Selfless, Cold and Composed" by Ben Folds Five
"Lover, You should've come over" by Jeff Buckley
"Undercovers On" by Rival Schools
"Place to be" by Nick Drake
"I know it's over" by The Smiths

...and I'm not going to tell you why ;-)

Top five albums?
Like Chin', who passed the baton to me, I hate this question. So instead, here are five albums that I can recall playing non-stop for weeks...

1. "The Holy Bible" by Manic Street Preachers. I don't listen to this album too much anymore, due to the extent of my listening to it back in 1999-2000. However, I still think it's an excellent, and when I'm feeling brave, I give it another listen.
2. "Either/Or" by Elliott Smith. I got into Elliott when "Figure 8" was released and really dug that album, but in an uncharacteristic display of restraint, did not go and buy his other releases. Until one day, I heard of Elliott's death and did as my self-control had previously prevented. Either/Or is an simply awesome album. "Pictures of me" and "No name no.5" stand out for me.
3. "Grace" by Jeff Buckley. Maybe a little obvious, this one. Seems to me that the songs he wrote were the best on the album. "Lover, you should've come over" is my personal highlight, with "Dream Brother" running a close second. I'm starting to realise as I type this that the past three albums mentioned are fairly tense and a little miserable. I wonder it all means....
4. "Poses" by Rufus Wainwright. Kind of a recent one, this. I only bought the album a couple of months ago, but it has been a regular feature in my listening since. I used to think he whined a little, but he's actually got a great voice and is an awesome songwriter! Particular favourites are "In a graveyard" and "The Consort". I seriously recommend going out right now to buy this...
5. "Pink Moon" by Nick Drake. An ex-girlfriend (T, for all those interested) introduced me to Nick Drake in 2000. As a guitarist, I loved "Five Leaves Left", but the beauty of the songs on this album is awesome. However, this album also reminds me of when I had food poisoning on new year's day one year, so despite how awesome the record is, it does leave me thinking of bile.

Last album bought?
"Psyence Fiction" by Unkle

Recent discoveries?
Sufjan Stevens. Courtesy of Chin' (and kinda subsequently, Ben)

Passing on the musical baton:
“Whosoever may come, let them come”
But hang on!! How about changing the baton to the literary baton? So the questions would be...
Currently reading?
Five books that mean a lot to you?
Top five books?
Last book bought?
Recent discoveries?

That said, if you want to just pick up the musical baton, that's fine too....

An answer for Alison

Acquaintance Alison, friend of my good friend (and fellow composer) Ben Kamen, (I do not know her surname, apologies) asked me recently to describe what music I compose, in one sentence. I spent a long time thinking on this and gave a rather trite answer, which did not satisfy the said acquaintance's interest. Ben ascribed my response to a lack of understanding what music I compose. I must confess that at the time, he was indeed correct. However, I have had time to think on this and have finally produced an answer which should please Alison, in that it is, if not genre-focused, at least conclusive.
Having recently re-thought the plethora of musical possibilities open to me, I realise that while it may by a good thing to commit to the development of only one or two ideas in any composition (in order to preserve a musical coherence), it would be no less than foolish of me to narrow the potential of musical creativity available to me by deciding upon a particular music to compose. I think this is especially important as a student composer, who has more opportunity to be truly creative in musical thought than one who receives regular commissions (although that would be nice!!). Instead, I decide to gaze upon all my musical materials and wonder how I might compose them. This experience is both wonderfully exciting and daunting. I have silence as a canvas and it would be unfortunate to always fill it with the same sound, so I fully intend to experiment. Not with numbers or computers, which are preparatory to sound, but with sound itself. I do not believe this makes me an "experimental" composer, but simply a composer who enjoys a compositional liberty, that comes from the knowledge that he has the opportunity to be truly creative.

Iain Sucks!!!

Listen, I'm sorry how much I suck at these blogs. There used to be a time when I might post two entries in a day, yet now it has been over two weeks since my last entry. And I'm sorry, for all those who have been wondering where I've gone. I guess actually, I've been all over the place, in my head. Perhaps that is why I have not documented anything for such a long time, because I wouldn't really know where to start. I think it's time to get my thoughts properly in order. I shall. Expect a post soon!

Steven Gerrard, Liverpool and London

I'm sorry it's been such a long time since I last posted. I guess I haven't really felt like talking much, hence I didn't post. For all of you who might be wondering.. I'm doing OK.
I can't deny that I'm feeling rather smug today. This is down to two things:

1. Steven Gerrard decides to stay at Liverpool. I am naturally pleased at this news, he's a great player and I think we really need him. I was fairly irritated yesterday because it seemed quite likely that Chelsea would get him. Well, it was irritating full-stop that he might be leaving, but I especially despise Chelsea FC. I don't deny that the football industry now is heavily money orientated, but I really feel that Chelsea effectively bought the Premiership with a Russian oligarch's bottomless pit of cash. The privilege of being able to attract world-class players had nothing to do with a great team spirit or form or whatever, but a flash of cash. And the idea of them effectively hijacking one of our best and most inspirational players really wound me up. But it transpires he cannot leave the club he loves. That's great, just the kind of team spirit that I always thought held Liverpool together and united fans. Awesome.
2. London are to host the 2012 Olympics. More great news. Apart from all the usual "great for the city and the country, blah blah blah..", I guess there's some satisfaction seeing London win over Paris, not because Paris wouldn't have been a great place to host the Olympics, because I'm sure they would have been, but in light of M. Chirac's frankly moronic and xenophobic comments regarding Britain’s cooking and reputation for trustworthiness. That does sound a little bitter, doesn't it? But rest assured, I'm not having a pop at the French, just Chirac.

I'm sorry if I sound a little nasty. That isn't my intention. In fact, what irritated me a little today was the comparison drawn by some idiot hack in the Evening Standard, of the Battle of Trafalgar and the "Battle of Singapore" (where the vote happened today). What a moron! I really don't like that kind of one-up-manship where the main focus isn't achieving, but simply outdoing a rival, regardless of one's own success. I am genuinely pleased without having to resort to that attitude.

However, I assume if Jacques comes to the 2012 Olympics, he'll bring a packed lunch...