Transcendent musical moments
Disconut
Transcendent musical moments. There have been a thousand others but these are the high watermarks.
1. sex pistols on the radio in the car. My dad says “that’s not music” I think “well what is then?” aged about 9, 1981.
2. shut up by madness at school disco. Mix of terror and excitement at this unearthly sound, part thug, part perfection age 9 or 10, 1982.
3. love plus one by haircut one hundred. See above but not as hip or more hip.
4. the hurting by tears for fears. On my walkman in various places, espesh a trip to the woods in kent. The synth break in “change”, sublime. Age 13, 1986.
5. a lad in my class lets me hear a bit of “for whom the bell tolls” by metallica on his walkman. Just the bells and then the riff, not enough to get bored. Vistas of noise open up in my mind. Aged 15, 1987.
6. the pixies live in 1989 at kilburn ballroom. Pure sweet dementia. Age 17, 1989.
7. Karen Brennan (a band) perform at the St Albans Cathedral crypt. My fingers bleed from attacking a guitar and a girl I am very attracted to smiles at me. Age 17, 1990.
8. a rave in st albans or somewhere in some club. No idea of the choon but there was a DJ called Evian Tracks and this other guy I knew was chanting “Evian Tracks, Evian Tracks” again and again and again over some trance house type thing. No real idea of the sub-genre of music even. Ripped to the flipping tits. Unable to do anything but stand and breathe in empty bliss. Perhaps the end of this list. Age 24, 1997.
P.s. on holiday in sunshine, sitting in a car waiting for something. Jimi Hendrix's greatest hits - midnight lamp, wind cries mary, voodoo chile (slight return) etc etc. sweet echoing (reverbing) craziness.
PPS driving home one night very slowly, fairly baked, John Peel plays "Honey Power" by MBV. The guitars are like my childhood asthma attacks and I have to pull over. Such a powerful moment that is is difficult to put into words. There are quite a few other hashish related ones but
Labels: pop music
