1M3A

And breath.....

Just like Christmas

Well, OK it is actually Christmas or at least getting close. And so we are in the final day of the challenge and I won't make any bones, i'm not so sure about it. Maybe after a bit of reflection I'll find some positives, plus i'll do a more complete round up of the whole thing after tomorrow. So Christmas! Yes! Tomorrow I get to listen to all my lovely music again! and that in itself is something special to look forward to. I have a minor list in my head of what I want to listen to, kicking off with a bit of Bach, Miles Davis, The Sufjan Stevens Christmas tunes... I also have a list of purchases to make that I've noticed during the month. So pretty excited. No reference to the three albums, I will wedge in a last listen to my fave tracks but again, more on how I got on with my choices in a later post.

Cold Fucking Play

While there a very few positives in this challenge, I can heartily say that I would gladly listen to these three albums for eternity rather than endure the strains of Chris Fucking Martin and his utterly overrated excuse for a band, doing a fucking Christmas song. Just fuck Christmas right up for me eh Chris? just as I was coming to terms with my enjoyment of the yultide.

Oh for some Extreme Noise Terror

Last night, a friend was talking about listening to Extreme Noise Terror while watching the X Factor. I was like "oh! what i'd do to hear some Extreme Noise Terror right now!" and through my mind flashed the three albums, I was hunting for something positive, something that didn't make me HATE music.

Earworm driving me mad

The Clash seem to be providing the most constant, annoying earworms. Probably because Coil and Radian don't have quite so many hooks to get into the brain. This morning I woke up with the chorus from Spanish Bombs, over and over and over - Not even the trusted theme to Black Beauty could shift it.

The run in

So, only one week to go and this week feels like it's the hardest. I'm really chomping at the bit to listen to other stuff but i'm going to go the distance. I think if anything, all I feel i've done is moan most the way through the challenge! While I have got pretty familiar with all three albums, I haven't so far, felt any real bond. That could have happened regardless, I wasn't out to find a new classic - OK, maybe get in deep with the tunes and whether I fell in love with any of them, then so be it. There are a few tracks which stand out, but i'll talk about them when the challenge is over.

Out of the comfort zone

The challenge is starting to feel like a sabbatical. While I haven't stopped listening to music entirely, i'm certainly not playing the three albums non stop. And because the choices were unfamiliar to me in the first place, I don't have anything to fall back on when the mood takes me (and the mood takes me quite often - I have music pretty much on all of the time). Think about some fashion diva with an extensive and lavish wardrobe, changing their clothes through the day to suit their mood & ego. Replace that wardrobe with a pair of jeans, a wooly jumper and a funny hat. This is what it is for me and the music right now. I've thought about a dozen or more albums since the challenge started, thinking about the songs and how they make me feel. Wanting to listen to them there and then. I know i'll get back to that and I know each time im browsing through my collection i'll think of the challenge. I wonder whether i'll ever play these three albums again too. 

Double albums, egos and influence

Just trying to get my head around a couple of things listening to London Calling. While the album has been acclaimed for it's diversity, it sometimes sounds to me like a band at war with the music suffering. Kinda like Lennon / McCartney with the White Album or Bob Mould & Grant Hart on Warehouse: Songs & Stories. I'm also thinking about The Beach Boys Smiley Smile too (More so Brian Wilson's inner conflict perhaps) But in those albums always lies a gem or two. London Calling the song is a million miles away from the likes of Jimmy Jazz and Lost in the Supermarket and I can't help thinking what was going on between the band at that time. It's no doubt documented somewhere and I'll seek it out at some point. Apparently all the songs were recorded in a few takes which you can hear but it is the sound of a band on top of their game. Also thinking about who had more input on some of the songs. I don't know whether because Mick Jones is singing, he had more to do with the writing of that particular song - I say this because again, Lost in the supermarket sounds like a stretched out pop hook reminiscent of what Jones did with E=MC2 and Big Audio Dynamite - quite catchy but meanders along.
Anyway - just some thoughts - really don't want any of this to become a review, more just opinions on bits that get me thinking.

Missing a groove

Really missing my soul, funk and jazz - I wasn't planning on getting too het up on my choices but on reflection, one funky number might have helped lift the mood at times. Saying that, once I get into the sounds of Radian's Juxtaposition, I usually just get into that groove instead. 

I think i'm going to create a big playlist of stuff I want to listen to come the 11th of December. Just under 2 weeks now...

Is this thing working?

Earlier this afternoon, Sunday, usually time for a few albums through the old sound system. There I was, staring at the three albums in I-Tunes. My heart sank a little. Maybe i'm just not cut out for this challenge. Opted for Coil and was really surprised at how I engaged with the music. It was great to recognise the intro, the familiar warped vocal samples firing off - I was really getting into it. Not sure the children were enjoying it much but I felt a sense of what I was hoping to achieve with this.