A Song For Each Year Of My Life - Part Five

This is for the "Melodic Milestone Playlist" Vocal Challenge which you can read about below.

The Prompt

Create a personalized soundtrack to your life.

In 2015 I created a project to pick a song for every one of the 58 or 59 years of my life. I am now in my 66th year so will create six eleven-year playlists and link them together.

You can read and listen to Part Four (The 1990s and some 2000s) here:

2002 - Feeder - "Just The Way I'm Feeling"

The Odyssey reaches year 46 so this was me nearly hitting fifty, but most of my Vocal friends will now know this music because it came out when they were growing up.

The singles charts in 2002 were particularly awful, so bad I almost chose an Oasis song but checked out the album chart, and saw "Comfort In Sound" by Feeder was released in 2002, so "Just The Way I'm Feeling" was an obvious choice.

2003 - Lemon Jelly - "Nice Weather For Ducks"

This really is a song to put a smile on your face.

Anyway, the musical trip hits year 47, 2003 and the singles charts were again full of rubbish. My own mantra is that 95% is always rubbish and found that "Nice Weather For Ducks" by Lemon Jelly was in the charts then and it's pretty appropriate given today's weather

2004 - Streets - "Dry Your Eyes"

This morning I went out for the papers, shocked at the news coming in from Paris, knowing that the right-wing media will turn this to stir up hate against refugees when it's their paymasters who are the initial instigators of this supplying weapons to anyone who will play and top up their hedge funds. Simplistic view I know.

When I went out this morning it was bloody freezing thank god it wasn't raining. A great way to combat this is to cuddle someone and share body heat. Cuddles and hugs should really be the norm every day. Some people may not be able to do this for one reason or another. Never think you don't deserve it. You deserve to feel wanted, loved and cared for, and hugged. Someone will be there for you. Reach out to people, pick up a phone, communicate, text, meet for coffee or tea or a meal. We all need me time, but we need us time even more, and it could be someone next door, in the same town, city, country, and thanks to the internet the world. It can be a lover, friend, family, neighbour, casual acquaintance, do it and put a smile on your face.

The Odyssey hits number forty-eight and only two more posts til I hit my thousandth post on this blog. According to the stats, there have been 97,000 page views so I think it's on course for 100K by the end of the year. The song hit me like a freight train one of the greatest breakup songs ever, and its white charver rap, still makes me cry. Mike Skinner is a genius, it's similar to the Wyclef Jean post I shared in post #42 , which shows what a sentiment wimp I really am. I've listened to "Dry Your Eyes" by The Streets about six times while writing this. I am welling up, and really need a hug.

So go out there, and find someone to cuddle, you will feel much much better for it, and you both will.

2005 - Jem - "They"

In the musical Odyssey, we have reached year 49. The choices have been fairly arbitrary, apart from the fact that every song on the journey is one that I love and They by Jem is no different almost ghostly in its sound, sounding at first quite normal but with an unknown edge of menace. I don't know if that's what she meant but nearly ten years on it has lost none of its pull for me.

2006 - Raconteurs - "Steady As She Goes"

This is proof that there is always brilliant music around whatever the year is. It may scare you that this is almost ten years old. So year 50 in 2006 brings us to "Steady As She Goes" By The Raconteurs. Brilliant stuff.

2007 - Regina Spektor - "Fidelity"

The weather is grey and windy but I am sure the week will be another good one. However, 2007 is the first time I've been almost unable to find a song for that year. It's taken me a quarter of an hour to find something that fit's my criteria because frankly most of the music in 2007 was pretty inane and rubbish. Please feel free to put me right on this.

For the Odyssey, year #51 we reach 2007 and I finally found the gorgeous "Fidelity" by Regina Spektor. As I say there is always good music around, sometimes you just have to look a little harder.

2008 - Utah Saints - "Something Good"

Most of the musical Odyssey songs have been chosen from the top 100 singles in the UK for that year, but in 2007 and 2008 I have run into a musical brick wall. Don't get me wrong I know that loads of great music was about in these years but these blog posts are written to give a feeling of spontaneity. If you have to research what you like you have a bit of a problem. I do have something special for 2011 if my mind remembers. Music is not getting worse but the charts are definitely not looking too good.

So trawling through 2008 and I saw this remix from the 90s which includes a Kate Bush sample "Cloudbusting" (my favourite Kate Bush song), which I always thought was called "Cloudbursting", but what do I know? Anyway The Utah Saints Something Good is always worth a listen

2009 - Beyonce - "Single Ladies"

The Musical Odyssey has its end in sight and reaches year 53, 2009 and I've chosen "Singles Ladies" by Beyonce which, in my opinion, is her finest song just because it doesn't conform to the standard song construct yes is still both listenable, a great pop song, and threatening.

2010 - Alex Warren and Terema Wainwright - "Newport (Ymerodraeth State of Mind)"

Number 54 in the musical sequence and you get three here.

I can't believe it's five years since Alex Warren and Terema Wainwright showed up how po-faced American Rhythm and Beat artists Alicia Keys and Jay Zed were when this excellent parody of New York State of Mind caused them such anguish that it kept getting taken down from Youtube. Obviously, it has now stayed and wouldn't it be better to acknowledge that this is funny and not offensive? It even spawned an excellent BBC take on it featuring lots of stars WITH a sense of humour for Children in need and Goldie Lookin' Chain even produced a reply to it.

The Children In Need / Red Nose Day take

2011 - Polly Jean Harvey - "Written On The Forehead"

The Odyssey reaches 2011 year 55. I didn't even look at the charts for this year because that was the year that my favourite female artist released "Let England Shake" one of the greatest albums of all time the difficulty came in choosing the song and I eventually chose "Written On The Forehead" a brilliant anti-war song, and it gives me a chance to add in Niney The Observers wonderful "Blood And Fire" that it samples.

Written on the Forehead refers to either the practice used in military hospitals of identifying what the condition of an injured soldier was or it could be from The Book of Revelation 2:24 "His Name Will Be Written On Their Forehead". I leave that for you you to look up.

2012 - Black Keys - Gold On The Ceiling

The Odyssey was coming to an end with three more to go, but that was 2015 and now it's 2023 so there are the final eleven to come in Part 6.

So it is 2012 and "Gold on The Ceiling" from "El Camino" by The Black Keys, who I have loved since I heard "ThickFreakness" whenever that came out.

Conclusion

This is the penultimate playlist and looking forward to sharing the final eleven songs with you. I hope that you are enjoying these.

The journey continues here and brings us up to date.