Ten past ten on a Thursday night. I’ve just driven through a rainstorm to find it clear and still by the sea. Stevie Wonder is singing “As”. Car headlights reflect on the tarmac. I’m writing to you in Bergie, parked by the entrance to Royal Crescent. It took ages to find this spot but it’ll do for tonight.
I’m done with current affairs for now. It’s just so unrelentingly depressing. So I’ve been listening to music instead. I found that my musical choices were coming from habit and I wanted a non-algorithmic way of finding things to listen to. I’ve had it up to here with machines pushing us into boxes. “Because you listened to x”. No. So I went for an arbitrary means of finding what to listen to that is at least curated by humans. This is gonna keep me busy for a long time. Rolling Stone Magazine’s 2023 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
It is slow going as I’m listening to them all more than once right now, educating myself and enjoying myself. Songs in the Key of Life is an absolute masterwork, good God I knew Stevie Wonder was well respected by musicians but I never actively listened to him until now. Joni Mitchell’s Blue at number three is closer to my jam. But… at this rate I’ll be working through this list until I’m dead. Not a bad way to go I guess. I’m still at #4 after over a week.
Rolling Stone is evidently an American magazine based on this list, but that’s no bad thing. Breaks me further from my bubble and they aren’t ignoring British music. It just means Pet Sounds is at #2 and Abbey Road is at #5. (I have no idea what’s to come, I only look one ahead and I tend to listen to them multiple times). So far it has been wonderful, and likely extremely and hilariously triggering for the roundabout kids. Marvin Gaye. Joni Mitchell. Stevie Wonder. Get the brushes out lads.
I’d be here earlier if I hadn’t been running a late workshop. Last minute cover. Harder than it needed to be because of tech. We made it though. I think the client will be happy. I was happy, just sad it takes from Lou time. On which subject…
I’m writing this in my car so I don’t have anything distracting from Lou when I get up to hers. She’ll be sleeping I imagine. But nevertheless, she’s off to Saudi too soon, too soon. A precious few moments before I take her to the airport and adventure time! I’m gonna miss that brilliant heart…
AlBarclay 