RobMCFC
Well-Known Member
RobMCFC – Spaced Out
The idea for this playlist came about listening to @GoatersLeftShin ‘s recent Domenique Dumont nomination in the album thread coupled with one of my own selections in last week’s playlist.
I named this playlist Spaced Out. The idea is to get together a collection of songs that have a dreamlike or spaced-out quality – songs that you can get lost in, tune out from the world and enter the zone, wherever that might be.
When I think of songs like this, they usually have layers of keyboards, maybe jazzy chords or long evocative guitar solos that make your arm hairs stand on end.
Naturally, I leave it to each nominator to bring their own interpretation, but to give you a few examples of the type of song I’m talking about, think of “Riders on the Storm” by The Doors or Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb”. I’ve not included these two in my list, but feel free to do so. Another common attribute of these songs is that they are often long, but again, I’m sure there are short songs that could fulfil the criteria.
@Coatigan and/or @threespires have kindly volunteered to start and maintain the playlist as I will be off to Spain by weekend.
Here's my initial list:-
My dislike of most UK indie bands is well-documented across the various music threads, but like any rule, there are always honourable exceptions. Like most other people I absolutely love “The Only One I Know” and there were a couple of stupendous albums from the band in the late 90s. “Forever” is the lead-off track from Us & Us Only, and I love the brooding keyboard that drives this song. Equally good is the glorious piano break around the half-way mark.
“Diamonds to Coal” – Jim White
Jim White is a country artist with a difference. If you listen to his albums, you can tell they sit firmly in the country genre, but the songs are mostly atypical and, in some cases, downright goofy. What I love about this song is the dreamlike atmosphere that arises from the combination of guitar and words.
“First Flash of Freedom” – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Speaking of atypical, this is certainly not what you’d expect to hear from Tom Petty. From one of the band’s later albums, Mojo, this sprawling epic is less about Petty’s songcraft but more about the fabulous groove created by Benmont Tench on the piano and organ and Mike Campbell’s blues guitar. Released in 2010, this is one of my favourite Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers tracks.
“Bethlehem Steel” – Grant Lee Buffalo
From an artist who is known for blending alternative and Americana, this track relies more on its hypnotic piano groove and lush strings. The album that this is from, the wonderfully titled Copperopolis, was one of those birthday-present-for-myself CDs in 1996, and in terms of memories, is all tied up in EURO 96 and the IRA bomb in Manchester. I’m pretty sure I heard a distant whump whilst listening to this album on the Saturday morning. Didn’t think too much at the time but of course as soon as it came on the news, I realised what it was.
“Space to Bakersfield” – Black Mountain
All I’ll say about this song is that is that it sums up the idea of this playlist nicely – hell, it’s even got “space” in the title, but don’t worry because the “Bakersfield” does not imply any pedal steel or yee-haw!
The idea for this playlist came about listening to @GoatersLeftShin ‘s recent Domenique Dumont nomination in the album thread coupled with one of my own selections in last week’s playlist.
I named this playlist Spaced Out. The idea is to get together a collection of songs that have a dreamlike or spaced-out quality – songs that you can get lost in, tune out from the world and enter the zone, wherever that might be.
When I think of songs like this, they usually have layers of keyboards, maybe jazzy chords or long evocative guitar solos that make your arm hairs stand on end.
Naturally, I leave it to each nominator to bring their own interpretation, but to give you a few examples of the type of song I’m talking about, think of “Riders on the Storm” by The Doors or Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb”. I’ve not included these two in my list, but feel free to do so. Another common attribute of these songs is that they are often long, but again, I’m sure there are short songs that could fulfil the criteria.
@Coatigan and/or @threespires have kindly volunteered to start and maintain the playlist as I will be off to Spain by weekend.
Here's my initial list:-
- “Forever” – The Charlatans
- “Diamonds to Coal” – Jim White
- “First Flash of Freedom” – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
- “Bethlehem Steel” – Grant Lee Buffalo
- “Space to Bakersfield” – Black Mountain
My dislike of most UK indie bands is well-documented across the various music threads, but like any rule, there are always honourable exceptions. Like most other people I absolutely love “The Only One I Know” and there were a couple of stupendous albums from the band in the late 90s. “Forever” is the lead-off track from Us & Us Only, and I love the brooding keyboard that drives this song. Equally good is the glorious piano break around the half-way mark.
“Diamonds to Coal” – Jim White
Jim White is a country artist with a difference. If you listen to his albums, you can tell they sit firmly in the country genre, but the songs are mostly atypical and, in some cases, downright goofy. What I love about this song is the dreamlike atmosphere that arises from the combination of guitar and words.
“First Flash of Freedom” – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Speaking of atypical, this is certainly not what you’d expect to hear from Tom Petty. From one of the band’s later albums, Mojo, this sprawling epic is less about Petty’s songcraft but more about the fabulous groove created by Benmont Tench on the piano and organ and Mike Campbell’s blues guitar. Released in 2010, this is one of my favourite Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers tracks.
“Bethlehem Steel” – Grant Lee Buffalo
From an artist who is known for blending alternative and Americana, this track relies more on its hypnotic piano groove and lush strings. The album that this is from, the wonderfully titled Copperopolis, was one of those birthday-present-for-myself CDs in 1996, and in terms of memories, is all tied up in EURO 96 and the IRA bomb in Manchester. I’m pretty sure I heard a distant whump whilst listening to this album on the Saturday morning. Didn’t think too much at the time but of course as soon as it came on the news, I realised what it was.
“Space to Bakersfield” – Black Mountain
All I’ll say about this song is that is that it sums up the idea of this playlist nicely – hell, it’s even got “space” in the title, but don’t worry because the “Bakersfield” does not imply any pedal steel or yee-haw!