FEATURE:
God’s Jukebox
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Is It Possible for a TRUE Music Lover to Have a Favourite Album or Song?
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IT may be a simple case of…
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a person’s view differing from someone else’s, but I have heard a couple of musicians say lately that, if you are a true music lover, you cannot have a favourite or song – there is too much choice for a start! To be fair, I say my favourite year for music is 1994 and, when I listen to some other classic years, I wonder whether I am right. I was especially annoyed, as I have a favourite track (Steely Dan’s Deacon Blues) and album (Kate Bush’s The Kick Inside) and am not going to change my view. Those choices have not been there forever: when I was younger, other albums and songs were favoured. One might say that this proves the point that, truly, one cannot limit music to a single album or song. Maybe other people struggle to rationally choose one album and single that is better than all the rest. I think each music fan differs and, to be honest, I can say with great certainty that my favourite band are The Beatles; I can also say that my favourite solo artist (and the artist I covert most) is Kate Bush and, to my dying day, this will be the case, in spite of the fact there are thousands of options! On the subject of The Beatles, I have been listening to them a lot lately – their final-released album, Let It Be, turns fifty in May. I love all of their albums, and I would place Rubber Soul, Revolver, and The Beatles (or ‘The White Album’) – and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – high in the mix.
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Even if The Beatles’ empirical brilliance and genius makes me rethink my choices regarding my favourite song and album, I am determined to stick by my convictions. Those who argue one cannot call themselves a proper music fan if they place a song and album above all the rest do so because of the staggering amount of options around. How can I say I hold The Beatles in such high esteem yet not put any of their albums or songs at the top of my list?! I have personal reasons for loving particular artists, albums, and songs, and my connection to Steely Dan’s Deacon Blues is stronger than any other when it comes to song. Maybe it is the memories summoned when I think of the track or a formula within the song that resonates hard. The same is true of Kate Bush’s The Kick Inside, in as much as I feel different listening to it compared with any other album. I acknowledge the fact that, yes, my mind can change in years to come, but I listen to more music than most people and I feel fine saying that I have a favourite album and song – and that there are so many other great tracks and albums that I adore and are so important to me. It feeds into a feature I am writing soon that asks why there isn’t a radio show/format that invites guests to chart their favourite music through the years – covering vinyl, C.D., and digital (I know there is Desert Island Discs and BBC Radio 2’s Tracks of My Years, but this is a bit different).
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I think music, at its core, is all about the emotional attachment and very little to do with science and numbers. Whilst many fickle and unadventurous young music fans will say their favourite album ever is a recent Pop smash, one feels they are just reacting to what is popular and, if they did some digging, they would find other albums that stand out more! I do not object to young fans latching onto new albums and saying it is their favourite, but I have been listening to music since I was a child, and I consider myself to be a music nut of the highest order! I don’t know why it bothers me when people say one cannot have a favourite song or album, and I can appreciate why people change their mind when they think of their choices. I have interviewed so many artists and ask them the question as to the albums they hold dearest. Some can answer with certainty, whilst others find it impossible to be so defined and concrete. Music is always changing and there is new stuff out all of the time. Maybe some leave their mind open and embrace everything equally, though I find it troubling people do not have a connection with an album or song that is so strong that it will not waver. I love the fact that I hold The Kick Inside and Deacon Blues in such esteem, and I also love a wide range of music and do not write anything off that fails to meet the heights of these fantastic recordings. I appreciate the fact some music fans cannot funnel down their music tastes to a defining album or song but, in my case (and so many other people), there is that one track and album that…
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MEANS more than the rest.