Dooyoo Island Discs (Top 10 Singles)

Member Name: BizzyB

Product:	Top 10 Singles
Date:	19/07/01 (96 review reads)
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So Dooyoo are exiling me to a desert island with only ten songs for company. Oh and ten books, ten films...

Just incase my fame never elevates me to the dizzy heights of Radio 4's Desert Island Discs I shall take the chance now to air those songs that would help me through the long days on the sun drenched beach.

On compiling the list I was amazed at how easy I found it. There are without doubt certain songs I cling to like a musical security blanket. There were many a song that came close to being included and it was not something they lacked that failed them, it was more the magical, and often unidentifiable, ingredient of the those that did. On completion of the list it may look a little dour to some but many of the songs have a relaxing effect on me and if I'm going to be on that island for a long time, I need to keep calm.

What is also apparent from the final list is what I have long suspected, my rather eclectic tastes in music. Anyone who's read one of the few music opinions I've written (it's not an area I venture into often) will know I'm keen to point out I don't like to be boxed in a certain genre. Bar modern Jazz I usually give all musical styles a go and being the plain spoken Yorkshire lass I am, I either like it or I don't. I have always believed that all music is more related and more entwined than many would have us believe.

So, in my best Fluff Freeman voice, in no particular order we'll kick off with...

Lauryn Hill - Ex-factor.

For anyone who has read my opinion on Lauryn Hill's album, 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' you will already know I can do nothing but enthuse about this song. It is remarkably sexy, as sexy as I reckon a song can get which is somewhat ironic given it is about a dysfunctional relationship! I could play this song on loop without getting bored. Remarkably sensual and with the most beautiful and powerful finale feat
uring a very effective guitar riff that makes the soul sing.

Moving on from Ex-factor but I feel in a very similar vein...

Ravel's - Pavane for a Dead Princess.

A superb classical piece - that counts as a song doesn't it? This is a relatively short piece and although written for a Dead Princess, believe me it isn't the usual funeral dirge you may imagine. It is a delicately crafted piece of music that is like an injection of pure relaxation and like Ex-factor, is remarkably sensual given the subject manner. Unlike Ravel's more famous piece 'Bolero' it doesn't conjure up images of Torvill and Dean either.
My third song is also a classical piece, though from the start of the 20th century.

Vaughn Williams - The Lark Ascending.

I can only describe this piece of music as a mattress of air. To listen to it is how I imagine the feeling of floating in the Red Sea would be like. It is sublime in its imagery, having been inspired by the poem of the same name by George Meredith. The gentle use of violin and oboe truly invokes the grace of the Lark. It was used as the background to a delightful film starring Jean Simmons and Joss Ackland as two independent elders who meet in an Old People's home, unfortunately I can't remember the name but the soft and introspective nature of the music lended beautifully to the film.

So now I have lulled you into a false sense of security...

Metallica - One

What the? Without the likes of Ravel and Mozart you do not get the hard hitting guitar work of Metallica. This song holds a very special place in my heart. It was my first 12 inch?hang on a minute whilst I resist the urge of the obvious jokes. This is something of an epic Metallica classic. Practically a lullaby by their standards at the start the song is based on a cult film, who's name escapes me, which follows the life of a young soldier who is severely injured
in the war - to the point he has only his torso and severely damaged face which is left permanently covered. With nearly all his senses impaired he has no ways of communicating yet remains mentally alert feeling trapped in the body he has left. Quite obviously perfect starting material for the most famous rockers of all. The song evolves from the slow and inward looking start to a rousing guitar set and traditioanl head banging end.

In my youth, and feeble guitar playing years, I wanted two things regarding Metallica, 1) To be able to play the guitar solo from One and 2) marry Kirk. I'm currently 0 for 2.

The guitar solos of One are the rhythmic, poundings of metal at its best. Nu-metal - pah! Bring on the home perming kit and hairspray I feel a touch of headbanging coming on.

Hang on, while the guitar's out let's get more up to date with song number 5...

The Smashing Pumpkins - Today

It was difficult to decide just which Pumpkin's song to bring to my island retreat. Tonight, Tonight and 1979 were all vying for a place but the coveted spot went to Today. I have long rated Billy Coogan as being one of the great finds of the 1990s. Today is one of those songs that just gets your body writhing - don't look at me like that, it's true. And any band that can use the sound of an ice-cream van to such good effect deserves praise.

Talking of bodies writhing, the next song must be that from my childhood that started the whole strange dancing off...

Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights.

Punks, new romantics, metal?Kate Bush was on a planet all her own in the late 1970s. This song is like the little sister of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody in that you listen to it and think where the heck did that come from? I spent my childhood waving my arms around like the chiffon clad Kate from the video?I suggest everyone includes such movement in their daily exercise even now, the world would
be a happier place. And as if I care, I'm on a desert island beach - who's going to see me?

My Kate Bush dance-a-thon has left me in a mellower mood so lets bring on a true classic...

Bob Dylan - Mr Tambourine Man

Once drug related songs produced rather hallucinatory and imaginative lyrics which were often as introspective and warnful as they could be encouraging. Then they became people shouting 'e's are good'. Let this be an anti-drugs lesson to us all.

Back in the days of flowers in your hair, Bob Dylan was writing the template protest, social commentary song. As with the Pumpkins I was pondering for a long while on which of his many tunes to bring with me, Like a Rolling Stone, Tangled Up in Blue and Don't Think Twice, It's All Right were all in the running. However, I decided upon Mr Tambourine Man for its almost hypnotic quality which is proof of what a clever songwriter Dylan is. The sing-song trance inducing state of the song compliments the subject matter of addiction.

This leads to a more modern day trance inducing songstress...

Bjork - Hyperballad

You can rely on Bjork to produce some thought provoking tunes. With Hyperballad she comes across as an Icelandic Morrisey in a frock admittedly, but, as with Dylan before her, she has an uncanny hypnotic quality about her in Hyperballad. A song about wondering what it must be like to throw yourself off a cliff, not the happiest of lyrics admittedly thankfully there is an upside as she's extols the saving virtues of love - ah bless. Taken from her 'Post' album Hyperballad sees Bjork experimenting with an electronic sound which I think is effective and, unlike many others, doesn't sound as if someone's not tuned the radio in properly.

Time for a legend methinks...

David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes

Do I really have to justify this song or indeed any Bowie song? Arguably t
he most influential man in modern day music, Ashes to Ashes is one of his finest songs that carries on his tradition of abstract story telling with original and boundary pushing sound.

In true encore fashion, you leave the best till last...

Frank Sinatra - They Can't Take That Away From Me.

Ol'Blue Eyes, dooby dooby dooooo. Robbie Williams - pah! Ronan Keating - double pah! No-one shines a light near the master Sinatra. This very easily could have been a list of ten of Frankie's songs. The most perfect of voices and unusual of styles with a timing all of his own which much have been hell to play to, Frank set the standard. No-one crooned like Frank crooned, no one else could match that smooth style and cheeky look.

They Can't Take That Away From Me, well it's pure sentimentality. If life were a musical I'd want Frank to serenade me with this. It dates back to films were 'making love' was a spine tingling kiss under the rose arch and no further. Oh I'm a hopeless romantic with unfulfilled guitar dreams.

With this cache of music I'd be hiding behind the palm tree when the rescue boat sailed by.


**NB** Whoops - had to update this opinion a few hours after I originally put up after noticing song #9 was missing :o)

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