Steve’s Internet Stuffs

 

OK, let's dig back into my teenage years. This ones massively evocative, and it reminds me of The Trading Estate in Berwick Upon Tweed. We lived in a little new-build middle-class estate on one side of it, and the town was on the other... it was about a 40 minute walk, I guess, from one to the other. I used to do it regularly, and in my mid teens, it was invariably late at night, with my then ever-present portable stereo, with one blown speaker, playing The Cure. or occasionally Napalm Death, or The Pixies. But mostly, The Cure. 

 

Just the sound of the intro to this song brings back the smell of pastry, hops and diesel fumes that permeated the trading estate. The feeling of utter bewilderment that accompanied the two occasions on which I attempted to traverse it stoned (one of which involved me walking around it for hours and hours... it didn't feel like hours, but I left home at about 2am and arrived at my destination after dawn...) That trading estate is significant for me in other more salubrious ways - it was where I failed - then later passed - my driving test. Good times. 

 

So here it is - One Hundred Years by The Cure - the open track from Pornography. I had a TDK D90 with this on one side and The Head On The Door on the other. 

 

I could only find a live version (endless live versions!) on Youtube, here's my favourite of them 

 

 

But it's the studio version that actually has smells attached - here it is on Spotify. 

I've been finally reunited with my not unsubstantial vinyl collection. Well, most of it - some of it is with a friend who was supposed to be selling it for me about 2 years ago, and hasn't as yet, so I'll have to get that back too. But the rest of it is in our hallway. It's only here til I can get rid of it - sell it, donate it to charity shops, swap it for cakes or cruelty-free nail varnish. Whatever. 

But it does mean that I'm being reminded of both the good and the bad music I bought back in my vinyl-addiction days. 

And one of the best records I ever bought was the 12" single of this - Tell Me Where You're Going. I bought it cos it was about 50p and had Pat Metheny's name on the cover. But once I got it I played it, and played it, and played it. It's a beautiful song, and makes me yearn for Pat to do more work with pop singers. 

It's also worth noting that it's five and a half minutes long - people don't generally write or play five and a half minute pop songs these days. Perhaps because they don't write songs that deserve that amount of exploration. Or celebration. 

Apart from the slight weirdness of me sitting watching myself on Youtube (I was watching to see what sounds I used in order to answer the question in the comment), I was struck by the really slow build on the loops. Then realised that the reason it sounded unfamiliar is that it's only at house concerts where I can get away with playing that slow, that measured, where I can give each layer and musical idea the room to grow that it deserves. 

The reason is this - for music to work, the silence in the room needs to sound good. If what happens when you're not playing is nasty background noise - whether it's traffic or coffee-machines or people talking, or air-con units... whatever it is, the music can't have holes because it's primary purpose becomes covering up that other noise. After that, you get to be good, interesting or whatever... 

Have a listen, tell me what you think - I love the pacing of this, and it's inspiring me to want to get some new music written, with lots of holes in it. Swiss Cheese music. :) 

Before all of them (us) was Colin Hodgkinson. THE pioneer. Him and Jet Harris, that's where it all comes from :)