Music memories
Music memories is the theme of the Bear Blog Carnival this month, being held by James at with words, wonder.
Because I'm listening to music at every possible moment most of my memories are soundtracked. I've got 'Best of' playlists of my most evocative songs for certain times and places, as well as activities like my favourite walking songs.
When I hear The Strokes it takes me back to reading Anne Rice on the bus to college. I still have a really visceral memory of the music and the stories and the bus and the optimism of the time. I was reading Anne Rice on the instruction of my new girlfriend - we had our twenty-fifth anniversary last week. Twenty-five years and The Strokes still reminds me of vampires.
Probably my favourite memory of last year was the dance party I had with my nephews and my wife in my sister's kitchen. We kicked off with Hotel California.
So many memories are inextricably linked. Playing Tony Hawk's and its legendary soundtrack. Listening to Hey Ya! while playing XIII with my brother, so much that it felt like the official soundtrack. Songs that remind me of traffic jams on the M6, songs for driving round Wales to. The song I was listening to when I read a beautiful bit of prose. Songs downloaded off Napster at two in the morning, songs to hype me up for my exams.
Speed writing my dissertation to Kate Bush and the Amélie soundtrack. My flatmate and I, freshly at university in 2002, put up a poster in halls inviting people to a Kate Bush listening party. Not only did no one come but someone wrote 'nerds' on it. Well! Vindicated by history, ahead of the curve on the Kate Bush renaissance we were.
More posts about listening.