I’m not sure if this will be a one off, something I do infrequently or if it will be something I actually do on a regular basis.
In addition to my attempts at creating music, my varied and unusual tastes in music provide a constant soundtrack to my life. That soundtrack can quickly jump from the punk of the Ramones to a traditional Gaelic folk song by Julie Fowlis before jumping to a progmetal epic from Toska. Weird, eclectic or indecisive? Probably all of the above.
Anyway, here are some of things that have been on the soundtrack this Monday.
First up was a video from the Andertons – a music shop in Guilford. The video is probably intended to encourage people to purchase some of the wonderful T-style guitars they have in stock, but to me this video was all about listening to the soulful way Pete Honoré and Ariel Posen play. I am not particularly fond of the blindfold gimmick for creating YouTube content, but in this video Pete and Ariel’s playing was fantastic. In equal parts these guys inspire me to pick up my guitar and also to never touch a guitar again because I can’t begin to approach what they do.
In the afternoon I decided to revisit an album I haven’t listened to for a long time, The Cutter and the Clan, a watershed album that brought Runrig into the mainstream. Runrig are one of my favourite bands, I have my fan club membership card to prove it, but I have always felt that the best versions of their songs were always in live performances. Their Once In A Lifetime live album is probably the best example of this, providing what many would identify as the definitive versions of songs like Skye and Going Home.
Almost every song on this album was improved in live performances, but despite some dated production Calum and Rory MacDonald’s song writing genius shines through. Many of the songs on this album became core parts of Runrig set lists right up until their final concerts in Stirling last summer, lasting the test of time and being interpreted in very different ways over the years.