Music To Listen To 1

I've just been reading through some of the music reviews provided on tnt-audio.com, a site for audiophiles (or hi-fi buffs, as I called them over the years). And it's inspired me to write a series of posts about the music I listen to. And I mean JUST listen to. Not "put on in the background whilst working". Not "play in the car". And not "singalong to".

Just stuff I put on to play, sit back, close my eyes, and listen. And to which I maybe tap my a foot or finger, if I'm feeling particularly worked up about the song.

The sort of stuff that I'd listen to first, if someone gave me a cracking music set up to listen with which to listen. OK, occasionally, "stuff to sing-a-long with" will sneak into the list (Holding Out For A Hero by Bonnie Tyler - go on, I dare you to say you've never strutted your stuff to Jim Steinman's best!) as will "stuff to dance to" (You Got The Love by The Source and Candi Staton)

So here's the first: Things Gonna Change, by John Lee Hooker

Now, I'm not a blues person. I think this is probably the only blues song in my collection, and that's after buying (yes, BUYING... that thing were you like something so much that you hand-over cold, hard, cash and get something non-digital in return) the CD and listening to it.

John's got the deep gravelly voice, and is one hot guitar player to boot (take a listen to this sample). It's a cool little song, which summarises the first time I heard it:

Sat on the back of a boat, rocking gently in the bay of some Greek island which I forget the name of now, small enough for one village, two tavernas, and not much else. Myself and three mates where on one yacht, in a flotilla of about 10 or so others. It was in the middle of the two week break, so we'd had enough time to get to know everyone else on the boats, and scare off anyone who thought we were too young/too drunk/too balshy/all of the above.

So there were about 8 of us playing some card game, for a drachma a time or something. The music was playing. The rum was flowing. The stars were shining like you've never seen them before. A lightning storm was playing out on the horizon. The evening was balmy but with a bit of a breeze to cool us off. And we were all well fed.

The perfect setting for the dulcet tones of La Hooker (so to speak) to come out of the boombox. I was hooked (no pun intended).

That song will forever transport me back to that delightful summer evening.

Labels: greece, john lee hooker, music

posted by Blakey UK @ 4:02 pm