In a recent issue of Word magazine in the UK there was an interview with Bill Drummond – him of The K.L.F. who signed off their career by firing a machine gun into the audience at the 1992 Brit awards and then burning that million quid. Interesting chap. Anyway he has a new band called The 17. Their trick (of course there is one) is that their line-up changes every time they perform. Not only that but each performance is recorded, listened to once, and then deleted. The point he is making is against recording music – the ultimate pop moment is single and unrepeatable.
Another related opinion he raises in the article is against nostalgia, "The idea that music made when you were 13 or 19 is intrinsically better than what’s being made today is an illusion". Couldn’t agree more Bill. Every year brings one or two new bands (or at least new discoveries) that will remain favourites for years. Equally there are bands I loved when I was 19, (no need to talk about my tastes when I was 13) which was at the start of the oasis/blur britpop era, that I love now and I’ll probably stand by for many more years – that means you Echobelly. And then there are more than a few of my personal favourite acts who had peaked or even left the planet before I was born. Most of us music fans have the balance to see that the best music can come from any era don’t we? And that our tastes can change over time.
On to the personal point of all this. Firstly, I’m a boy so I write lists of best songs, best albums, of all time or of a certain year. Secondly I’m vaguely (?) obsessive so I keep them. Three times I’ve written out my favourite songs ever and I still have those lists, I’d estimate they are from 1988, 1996 and 1999. And the accolades have gone to Eternal Flame by The Bangles, Whatever by Oasis and most recently Rasberry Beret by Prince. I think only the final one would come close to the top (very close) these days. Speaking of which, I’m coming over all nostalgic and it must be time for a 2008 version, if only I could get a month off work…
p.s. I just found out who the producer was on Eternal Flame by The Bangles.
– Simon Cowell.