Still Blogging

I am soooo proud of myself..................at least 1 album a day for the whole of January. I am really listening to the music rather than having it as background music. It is interesting that I now hear music, songs in my head when I am doing other things. I have loved listening to the albums and there is such a range of music. People are starting to recommend music to me. This week I have enjoyed Ani Difranco........thank you Ruth. I would never have just 'stumbled' upon her without your recommendation.

Album 33  Ani Diafranco - Out of Range
Lovely album. Had to listen twice as it was different to the stuff I normally listen to. It is definitely going on my iPod.

Album 34 Alex De Grassi The Water Garden
Now into my classical phase. The next three albums are those that often listen to on my iPod before going to sleep or when I want to relax, chill after a stressful day. The Water Garden is very beautiful and one of my favourite albums.

Album 35 Mozart - Clarinet and Oboe Concerto
Mozart - always good.

Album 36 Thomas Tallis - Spem In Allium
I wonder how many times I have listened to this album??????

Album 37 Amy McDonald - A Curious Thing
I really loved Amy McDonald's first album and I think she is a delightful young woman. This album starts with a brief explanation about every song on the album. I listened to this travelling back from the Lakes and it was the first time that I had heard it. I think I prefer the first album, but there are some wonderful tracks on this album.

Album 38  Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More
I love the energy of this folk / rock band. The mixture of instruments, particularly the banjo - creates a very vibrant and compelling sound. I would love to see this band live. They are such fun.

Album 39 John Martyn - Solid Air
Oh so many memories. I cannot believe that I first heard this album when I was at college. It must be one of the albums that many people of my age have on their list of best 50 albums ever. I never tire of this album.

What a lot of music! 'Such fun!'

Albums 31 and 32

Album 31 - Tracy Chapman Collection
Listened to this in the car. I enjoyed some tracks but to be quite honest I would have switched off or changed CD if I had not  i committed myself to listening to all of my CDs this year.

Album 32 Santana Guitar Heaven
Certainly a bit of a change in mood from the stuff I have been listening to. Great to hear some of these fantastic tunes - bril playing and a great way to travel to work and home again in grey January. I played the music loud and loved it ................ aging rock chick???? Hmmm.

29 /30

How well am i doing? I am really enjoying re- listening to music which is familiar and loving new stuff. I have realised that i like a certain style but my taste is quite varied. Too much solo vocalist - and melancoly music???? Give mebideas and new albums! I desperately need new music. As i listen to cds they are put to one side then i take a new bundle. The process of listening is fairly random. This is not based on favourite albums, rather what i pick up from a shelf of stackbof of cds!

Today i have listened to the Mercurymen - Postcards From Valonia
A great band - i suspect hardworking musicians who have had a break. What happened next? They seem to have disappeared. This is a great album but slighty melancholy. After hearing the album heard them play at SAGE .....great evening.


Album 30 is a classic.......james Taylor October Road. Nothing to say other than woooooooow. Love it!

Album 26 Mozart Piano Sonatas - Vol 1 (No 1-5) Klara Wurtz, Piano
Stunnning music. Mozart's music gives me so much pleasure. This is a wonderful album. When I am a bit stressy from work it calms me dowwn.

Album 27 Chris Rea - Auberge
This is so atmospheric. I bought it when it came out about 20 years ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cant believe that. I listened to it driving to work in the autumn. As a  new headteacher in a very challenging school, work was tough, but this album was a great companion and a rest from the 'today programme'. There are great range of tracks and the lyrics are bril.

Album 28 Cat Stephens - Rememeber
24 wonderful Cat Sephens songs including Moonshadow, Lady D'Arbanville, Hard Headed Womam, Rubylove. I don;t know what happened to my Cat Stephens records. They went from 6th form to college and I think through my early 20's and then forgotten and lost. I saw a documentary about Cat Stephens - perhaps the South Bank Show - and deceided to buy a CD. This album does't quite repalce all of those that I have lost but I have enjoed listening to it. Tonight I listened to all 24 tracks whilst at the gym. Helped time to pass, stopped boredom and good to sing along to. Sometimes wonder if I sing out loud!

New Delights Albums 23-25

23 Raising Sand - Robert Plant / Alison Krauss*
Oh I just love this album. So mellow but with a hint of mischief. Their voices blend together in such a wonderful harmony and it is unexpected as Robert Plant is fab, but definitely not his usual stuff. I have started to star albums that I want on a regular relisten pile. Found myself humming tunes that I had listened to during the day!!! Says something about the music!

24 Norah Jones Come Away With Me
Hmmmmm. Discovered Norah Jones when I was not in a good place. It is special for personal reasons. A beautiful album but not always easy to listen to. I wonder if this will be easier in a few years time? Beautiful voice, mellow and perhaps melancholy?

24 Christian Forshaw & Sanctuary Ensemble - Midwinter
Thank you Mrs. Asher........... My first recommendation and one which I will put away and treasure next December. I love the saxophone. It is so haunting and adds to the perfection of the solo voice. Very very special Christmas music. There are some of my favourite carols on this album and a couple of pieces that are new.

Jazz Masterpiece

Albums 21 and 22 - bit Jazzie

Weather Report - Heavy Weather.
This is such a classic and that fantastic base playing from Jaco Pastorius - Wayne Shorter  and Pastorius ....the dream team. This is a classic album and one which I treasure. Another one which is good at the gym, but even better sitting at home with a glass of wine, or just to lift the mood.

Album 22
Jacqui Dankworth - back to you
Bought this album a year ago after hearing it being reviewed on the radio. She has a great voice and it is another album for mellow moments.

I have now listened to all of the albums in the car so off to select some more. This is fun!

Albums 16-20

It has been harder to fit in time to listen to albums this week, but have managed it. Having an ipod does make it a little easier, especially whilst I was away.

Album 16 Ludovico Einaudi - I Giorni
This is  a beautiful album and so relaxing. I will not put this on the growing pile of 'listened to' albums. It is gentle and slightly melancholy, uncomplicated and beautiful. Lovely, lovely piano music.

Album 17 Dire Straits  - Brothers In Arms
An old favourite and one which has been listened to many many times, but didn't really enjoy it when I listened to it on Monday night. In fact probably would have put a different album on if I hadn't been listening to an album a day.

Album 18  The best of Satie
I bought this to replace the albums which I no longer had after my divorce. Some tracks are now very well known, although when I first heard this  music it was in 1976 after having been to see Bob Marley in Leeds. GYmnopedies and Gnossiennes are so beautifil.Some tracks are less pleasing and enter my category of  'too plinky plonky'.

Album 19 Chick Corea - Expressions
A night a Ronnie Scotts and it had to be a Jazz album. I really enjoyed the evening but it was great to listen to some terrific jazz again. Love Monk's Mood and Someone to Watch Over Me.

Album 20 Cold Play  X&Y
Anther album that i haven't listened to for ages.

My favourite album from this collection is Ludovico Einaudi - I Giorni, with some for the tracks from Satie.
I have realised that so much of what I listen to reflects my life, my friendships, good concerts and adventures. The muisc emotionally connects with one's history but some music is a total joy in its own right. There are certain moments when some lovely music jars and creates disharmoney. Some music slips into the distance - a forgotten friend. Finding it again brings total joy.

Catch Up

Although no time to blog, plenty of listening and quite a range of music. Some days I am managing to listen to more than one album. It is great to explore my collection and I am selecting albums fairly randomly.

So what have I listened to?

Album 9
Debussy - Complete Chamber Music  For Woodwinds................ Rapsodie for Cor Anglais, Syrinx, Sonata for flute, viola and harp etc. This is a wonderful, calming album which is another that I often play. I have yet to listen to the second album which is Saint-Saens. That is for another day.

Album 10
Pierre Bensusan - Intuite
I just love Pierre's music. It is so special. I remeber hearing him play many years ago at the Dovecot. The atmosphere was so intense and the music awesome. I would love to go to another live concert.

Album 11
Sting and The Police - The Best of.....
I bought this album back in 2002 when I was replacing albums. So many fantastic tracks, great music to lift the mood.

Album 12 / 13
Collins Field Guide to bird song - Geoff Semple
I know........how wacky is this album? I just love listening to these two albums. I have them on my ipod. They do help me when I am bird watching, but if ever I cannot sleep or I am feeling tense, these two albums just take away the stress. The call of lapwings, curlew, winchat, grouse, meadow pipit - always recreates the sense of being out somewhere wonderful.

Album 14
Enya - And Winter Came
I wish that I had remembered this album before Christmas. I used to listen to Enya when I was working late at night - kept me company, but could get irritating. It was fun to listen to her again after so much time.

Album 15
Mamma Mia - movie soundtrack
This is one of my favourite albums for running to. The beat is perfect. Yesterday I ran 10k - don't think I would have managed it without the music. Oh and I can hardly walk today!

I am quite pleased that I have managed to listen to 15 albums by 9th January. This is fun.

Most perfect piece of music

Although back a work I have managed to listen to my album a day - the blogging had to wait!

Returning to the planet work required careful selection of music as I planned to replace radio 4 - Today Programme and PM with a CD. Rodrigo's Guitar Music - Played by Jeremy Jouve and Judicael Perroy did the trick. This album has four wonderful pieces but I particularly loved Sonata Giocosa.

Yesterday it was the Be Good Tanya’s - Hello Love. I heard them at the SAGE with a friend - a fab concert. These women have amazing voices and the music is quite traditional American, the harmonies magical and their performance was memorable - an unexpected delight. The women are wacky............love that, and the CD is one which I treasure.

Today I am listening to Miles Davis - In a Silent Way. This is soooooo special. It is haunting, atmospheric and if I had to decide on the last album that I would ever listen to, this would be a contender. What an album! May need to listen to it again tomorrow.

Another day of listening. Started with Joni Mitchell.... So fanttic. Chelsea Morning and Yellow Taxi... So many old favourites. Whilst taking xmas tree down i listened to stravinsky, Petrouchka and The Rite of Spring. Not gentle listening, but again music that i am very familiar with. My final listen was Emmerson Lake and Palmer - a collection. It was fun to start with and i enjoyed listening to Greg Lake's fab voice and my favourites LUcky Man and Take a Pebble. The music was 'vigorous' and thank the lord that we dont hear too many long, long, long drum solos anymore. I haven't listened to this band for ages and they were one of my favourite bands in the early 70's, but I had sufficient by the time the second album finished.

Oh what joy to listen to Michala Petri. So relaxing. Thank you jill for introducing me to this music. Perfect for the first dqy of the year. Driving back home i listened to the Beatles - Revolver. There are a few wonderful tracks on this album, but it is not my favourite Beatles album. In my view many of the tracks do not stand the test of time, well apart from Eleanor Rigby.

I am astonished at how much music i have listened to in the last 36 hours.....andi have really enjoyed it. Tonight i began to look to see what would come next in this musical journey. I find my favourite albums probably most compelling,. some of the jazz and classical music needs to be listened to when the mood is right. I now have a stash of about 20 cds ready to listen to... I will take them randomly. It is really exciting.... What will be next?

Too plinky plonky

Thought i would start New Year with some Chopin. Polonaise in F sharp.....unfortunately after a very good evening with lots of bubbly, chopin was far too plinky plonky so had to be abandoned for another occasion. Next i tried Thelonius Monk live at Carnegie Hall . Should have had more sense as that is certainly evening music. So my first album of today ... Old favourite Steely Dan, Katie Lied. An old friend! Such a fab album, a great start to the New Year.