A Song For Each Year Of My Life - Part Six

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 Five(The 2000s and some 2010s) here:

2013 - David Bowie - "The Next Day"

The Odyssey reaches 2013 year 57 and in that year David Bowie released an unannounced album "The Next Day", his first in ten years. It had not been particularly done in secret, it's just that no one apparently noticed, and it was an absolutely excellent album, well worth buying, and everyone with any sense went out and got their hands on a copy.

I've chosen the title track and apologize if you have to log in to see the video as it contains religion, BDSM, blood, and lots of other great fun stuff.

It's the first time I have seen the video despite buying the album when it came out and like almost everything Bowie does I am very impressed with it.

2014 - Royal Blood - "Ten Tonne Skeleton"

The Odyssey hits the penultimate year, and I cannot pinpoint a new album that I bought last year just from memory, though lots will jump out when I look at a list, my memory has always been like that.

Odd that I cannot remember actual facts, but I can remember how to find the facts I need to know. Someone once expressed shock to Einstein when they found out he didn't know the speed of light, his retort was, "What do I need to know that for, I can look it up in a book", and that has been me all my life.

I should have thought it was a year since me and my mate Chris were trying to get tickets for a nonexistent Royal Blood date at Newcastle Riverside, I could have chosen any track but Ten Tonne Skeleton is brilliant.

2015 - The Men That Will Not Be Named For Nothing - "Not Your Typical Victorian"

Well, the Odyssey hits the final shore, number 59 in the year 2015.

This year I can think of loads of records that have been released but I must say it has been more and more difficult to find stuff in the standard top 100 chart.

These records are not my favorites although I do like them all. This morning I thought of at least ten that I could choose today. In the run-up to Christmas I may continue with records I missed because I am surprised there are no Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, Hawkwind, Kinks, and many many more. Anyway, the number one that I've chosen is "Not Your Typical Victorian" by The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, maybe simply because I saw them last Friday (review here) and I love this song.

A slight pause because that is the end of the original Odyssey, but now it is time to continue with some more to bring us up to date.

2016 - Radiohead - "Burn The Witch"

This is the sixtieth song on this playlist and I think one that Radiohead released as a pay what you want for a download.

The year before I had started a new job, being so glad to get out of my previous one, and had worked at Oxfam and Geek Talent which were interesting, and this just reminds me of a period of transition. I now lived five minutes away from my workplace.

2017 - Jordan Reyne - "The Shadow Line"

Number 61: This is a bit of a cheat as this song was released in 2014 but appears on the 2017 album, the"Best of Jordan Reyne".

I walked into Think Tank in Newcastle and on stage was a girl with horns and a tape loop singing this song. After her set, I talked with her and bought three of her CDs and her music has stuck with me ever since. I keep banging on about there always being good music about, but this was just stratospheric and I always keep out for new music from Jordan.

2018 -Janelle Monáe - "Crazy, Classic, Life"

Song 62, we lost Prince in 2016 but when I heard Janelle Monae she was a more than equivalent talent, and "Dirty Computer" was one of those albums which was for me real perfection. We did lose a lot of talent and will continue to do so, that is the nature of getting old, but there is always new talent coming through.

2019 - Lizzo - "Cuz I Love You"

This is number 63 and have just included this monstrous sound from Lizzo which hits you like a steamroller. This was the year before the first COVID pandemic hit so that last time that we could feel safe in close proximity to people we didn't know, although there were lots of other things we could catch.

I used to wonder why all the Asian people in Newcastle wore facemasks, we were about to find out.

2020 - Taylor Swift - "The 1"

Two major things in 2020, Covid hit us, but the most important thing in my life was that I became a grandad and my dad became a great grandad which my daughter Kirsty and her husband Mark brought Alexis Leia into the world. I remember our first meetings were on Nunsmoor Park and now she is walking and talking. I am so proud of them all.

I think Taylor Swift's "The 1" is sort of appropriate for the 64th post.

2021 - ABBA - "I Still Have Faith In You"

This is post 65, I was thinking I had made a mistake but post number 1 was the year I was born and I was aged 0 so all is good.

The most significant thing in 2021 is that I joined Vocal and was tempted by their challenge prizes. I really didn't have a clue what I was doing but feel that since I joined my writing has improved a little and a few people have read my work and enjoyed it.

In June of that year, my great friend Les sent me two tips and that made me believe that my creations were worth reading.

ABBA released "Voyage" their first album in a long time and it has become one of my most played albums, so have taken "I Still Have Faith In You" the opening song for the sequence.

2022 - Wet Leg - "Chaise Longue"

For the 66th post and 2022, the major event was having being diagnosed with Liver Cancer I got it cut out and most of that year was recovering from that. I know how lucky I was and got amazing support from Fiona, Juliet, Kirsty, and my Vocal friends.

I discovered the excellent Wet Leg and have shared the first song that I heard from them with you.

2023 - Louise Distras - "Girl In The Mirror"

We are up to date with the final song.

This year Louise Distras and I reconnected, I have done two interviews with her and chatted a lot and reviewed some of her work.

I was shocked by how good her new album was but will close this with my review of it and will share the gorgeous second single from the album with you. So you have one song for every year of my life.