Songs To Remember (15/2/13)

So I was listening to the wonderful Shaun W Keaveny show on 6 Music this morning and, again, it threw up two songs with memories attached; as did the CD I chose to play in the car yesterday after posting my and J's wedding song on Facebook.

So let's go again, shall we?

Johnny Cash 'Folsom Prison Blues' - "When I was just a young boy my momma told me son, always be a good boy and don't ever play with guns but I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die" - with the obvious exception of Wichita Lineman's "And I need you more than want you and I want you for all time" is there a better line in the history of popular music?

The studio version is fine but the live version (from Folsom Prison itself and prefaced with the legendary intro "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash) rocks like The Clash, the lead guitar stings. When we moved into my Mum and Dad's current house in Walton in 1970, one of the first furniture arrivals (along with our first colour TV) was a state of the art Radiogram, huge wooden cabinet with a record player and radio inside. The first three albums I remember in the house were The Best of The Beach Boys, The Best of Simon & Garfunkel and Johnny Cash Live at San Quentin. I woke up a few years ago and realised that I was buying everything I'd heard in childhood. Johnny Cash is always, will always be my dad.

Talk Talk "Life's What You Make It" - Drafty, cold insurance agencies in the middle of summer 1985, miserable job, kept the radio on all the time. This was always on, I didn't get it at the time. Odd rhythms, strange structure, fractured. A world away from their early pop days. I didn't know the genius that would come with the last two albums, the way they would move way beyond anything that any of their peers cold aspire to. Doesn't date. Isn't the eighties. Not that eighties anyway. Not the 'greatest eighties album in the world ever' eighties.

God help me...Phil Collins karaoke version of 'You Can't Hurry Love'  - totally failing to cop off with the cashier from the Kwik Save that I worked in. I'd been absolutely besotted with her for ages. It was a Xmas do in Rotters in town (I think) We danced for about 40 minutes, my mate Gary (last saw him the night J and I met) thought I'd finally managed to pull. I hadn't. I was, she'd decided, her best friend. She was, I thought, somewhat missing the point

The Thompson Twins "You Lift Me Up" - the favourite song like EVER of a girl I went out with for a short while, couple of weeks. Found out it was over when she didn't turn up to meet me at midnight on New Year's Eve as arranged. That's Midnight. On. New. Year's. Eve. Hell of a way to get dumped.

The Teardrop Explodes 'Reward' - favourite 7" sleeve ever (Zebra stripes) one of my favourite songs ever. The song I fully intend  have played at my funeral; the curtains draw together, the trumpets blare out. THAT is a send off. It's also a holiday in France in early 1981, sixth form trip we were all allowed to bring a tape each for the coach. Mine had this on amongst other tracks. There was one girl who played hers; the first track was 'Sailing' by Christopher Cross, the second was 'Sailing' by Christopher Cross, the third was...yes. The whole 45 bloody minutes was bloody 'Sailing' by Christopher Bloody Cross.

Golden Years by Bowie - a girl in lower sixth who used to eat Marvel powdered milk. I was with her in a club one night when Craig Charles decided to try to pull her. I wasn't 'with her' but he didn't know that.

Martin Stephenson & The Daintees. Playing 'Slow Loving' yesterday sent me back to the Greatest Hits which, as I arrived at work for another day of fun, frolics and the single most abusive phone call from a scally that I've ever had (I slapped him down repeatedly until he apologised) gave me the song
 'Me & Matthew'. Fans know that it's really called 'In The Greenhouse, My Grandfather and Me', it's
set in the summer of 1973 and it's a love song from Martin to his late Grandfather. Martin's about the
same age as me. In the summer of 1973 I'd have been in MY Grandfather's greenhouse. We lost our Grandad in 1980. The first time I heard this was live at The Bluecoat Chambers in late '86, early '87. Brought a lump to my throat. Later at home I broke down.

See, even the stuff you don't really like, or don't like at all (Collins, The Thompsons) has resonance. But generally of times that don't matter anymore. The great songs give you the great times.

And the last line goes to Mr Stephenson. The last line from 'Me and Matthew';

"What's it smell of?"
"Smells of summer."
 "God bless you."
 Means nothing if you haven't heard the song.

If you have it means everything.