Readers recommendMusicReaders recommend: songs about discovery – results
Smog to Bhundu Boys, Alabama Shakes to Paul Kelly, RR regulars DarceysDad and treefrogdemon went on a joint voyage of song discovery, setting sail from last week’s topic
Discoveries can happen in solitude, but more often where more than one person is involved. So for a sociable experiment typical of the friendliness of Readers Recommend, DarceysDad undertook to stay at treefrogdemon’s house to see what might occur if they went song searching together to compile a list from last week’s topic. But what did these two top regulars find out?
DarceysDad: Things I discovered this week - rugby union is strangely popular. And Smog’s Bill Callahan has some very dark places in his head. “I can hold a woman down on a hardwood floor,/ And this was my cold discovery.” I don’t want to dwell on that, so let’s immediately make a more consensual discovery. John Mayer goes on a wonderfully warm and sexy expedition; the sound of a lazy uninterrupted afternoon in bed that those of us with kids can barely remember.
Discovering that you’re going to have a child is described by Creed’s Scott Stapp. This song has a major place in my own affections, as I first heard it at precisely the moment “I just heard the news today, It seems my life is gonna change, I take her hand, we stand in awe, we’ve created life”. I discovered my writing partner disapproves of rock bands using orchestras just for added pomp, so she’s not pleased I picked the “With Strings” version!
treefrogdemon: Things I discovered this week – I really do not like Creed’s With Arms Wide Open. Yet it’s one of DsD’s absolute favourites! Oh well. Alabama Shakes’s debut album came out in 2012, but their sound is very reminiscent of 60s R’n’B and soul: no bad thing! It’s an assured and happy song. The Bhundu Boys’ Babamunini Francis, though, tells of a tragedy in the making as we work out that “Uncle Francis” is not all he seems.
DarceysDad: Can tending the wrong grave for 23 years be regarded as a tragedy? That more people haven’t discovered Half Man Half Biscuit’s Nigel Blackwell‘s lyrical wit most definitely is. And did any of you know of Kev Hopper before this week? RR regular vastariner discovered him in a long-forgotten Chart Show, and shared him with us. Kev’s scientific discovery sounds useful too, which is more than can be said for Alice Donut’s. It seems it’s only a short step from Cow Placenta to Armageddon.
treefrogdemon: Hanno The Navigator was a real person, a Carthaginian explorer from the sixth century BC or so, whose scary encounters with the natives whilst sailing down the west coast of Africa are described by Al Stewart.
Meanwhile the wrecked Athens Queen falls prey to a set of scavengers who loot all the goodies they discover aboard her and, it’s hinted by Stan Rogers, aren’t above doing the actual wrecking themselves. Whatever. I’ll have some of what they’re having. And talking of a life on the ocean wave, you can call me Cook – Captain Cook – for I believe I’ve discovered Australia! Paul Kelly’s song Everything’s Turning To White is based on a Raymond Carver story also used in the films Short Cuts and Jindabyne. The song tells of a discovery made by a group of friends on a fishing trip, and a different one made by the wife of one of them on their return. They are big discoveries.
Listening to the Audreys’ Small Things we work out that the things discovered are not small at all – though they may be disdained and disregarded. I hesitate to say that this is a common feature of women’s lives...Hell, no I don’t: this is a common feature of women’s lives.
DarceysDad: Finally, there is one discovery we all have yet to make: what’s on the other side? Whatever it is, Death Cab For Cutie’s lovers are determined to find out together. Though I discovered treefrogdemon is a brilliant host, I’m not sure the experience made us THAT close!
treefrogdemon: Finally again, it was brilliant having DsD to stay and making a playlist with him. I discovered he likes margaritas.
The playlist
1. Smog – Cold Discovery
2. John Mayer – Your Body Is A Wonderland
3. Creed – With Arms Wide Open
4. Alabama Shakes – I Found You
5. Bhundu Boys – Baba Munini Francis
6. Half Man Half Biscuit – Tending The Wrong Grave For 23 Years
7. Kev Hopper – The Sound Of Gyroscopes
8. Alice Donut – Cow’s Placenta To Armageddon
9. Al Stewart – Hanno The Navigator
10. Stan Rogers – The Wreck Of The Athens Queen
11. Paul Kelly – Everything’s Turning To White
12. The Audreys – Small Things
13. Death Cab For Cutie – I Will Follow You Into The Dark
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