Desert Island Discs - Horsley edition

In anticipation of my (inevitable) future fame and glory plus a load of other reasons which I won't bang on about, I've been thinking about my desert island discs. Now, I know that technically you're only allowed 8, but given that this is my fictional island and the chances of me ever meeting Kirsty Young are pretty slight, I've decided to up it to 10.

If I keep blogging and - given that I've been doing this malarky for 4 or so years now, the chances are I may keep it up for a while longer, then I think I'll do another list at some point. Not in a week or so, but a few years down the line. I love the evolution of music taste and choices. Ask me what my desert island disc choices were 4 years ago and it would have featured no Fleetwood Mac. Ask me 10 years ago and it would have featured a lot of shit and the Pixies (if could have 11 I reckon Hey would have been a very strong contender. Cracking track.)

So who knows what my music taste will be like in a few years, but right now it's like this:

1. I have to open with The Beatles. I absolutely love The Beatles, and whittling it down to just one track, was incredibly difficult. And yet, my decision is final. To me this is the sound of the summer. This song just encapsulates everything about lazy summers and sunshine. It just sounds like sunshine. Absolutely wonderful stuff. So here, my first choice.

Dear Prudence, The Beatles.

2. Ok next, obvious. Has to be Fleetwood Mac. My love for the Mac is eternal and Rumours is a top 3 favourite album without a doubt. I have blogged in the past about why Rumours is such a good album so I won't repeat myself but the album has huge sentimental value for me. I wasn't into Fleetwood Mac before I moved to London, I was vaguely familiar with them of course, but really, I knew nothing about the band or their music. I bought Rumours on a whim because I had heard good things. This album therefore, is the album for my first year in London, my best year in London, the year of going out and having an absolute fucking blast. Great times. I have chosen this track especially because it is a track which has slowly established itself as my favourite after many many listens of the album. Obviously the clear stand outs are Dreams, Go your own way and The Chain and don't get me wrong, I absolutely love them, they are what make Rumours one of the best albums of all time. But something about this one...something about the intro bass and Christine McVie's voice, not to mention the back story behind it (that sleeping with her lighting director was better than her husband and band bassist...), well it all just combines to make a pretty glorious song.

You Make Loving Fun, Fleetwood Mac 

3. No 3 was always going to be in my top 10. I don't even need to offer an indepth explanation of why, you just need to listen to it. One of my favourite albums and a song which you connect with, no matter what your mood.

Wish you were here - Pink Floyd

4. Part of the reason I love wish you were here is because of the lyrics, the vocals, there is so much depth to it. But I love a good instrumental too, and track one is often the stand out track on an album. It certainly is on this album, what an intro. It's a satisfying and rhythmic sound which I find myself wishing would never stop. So here's the extended version:

Intro, the xx 

5. No 5 is one of my steadfast go-to songs. You know when you're flicking through your collection and despairing that you have nothing that you want to listen to, this usually comes to my rescue. Tap footingly good, it's great to stride around to and sing along loudly to in the car and and... and anything really. It is an absolute tune. Horsley fact.

Stuck in the middle with you - Stealers Wheel

6. Like a cup of tea. One of my favourite things.

Alexi Murdoch - All of my days

7. I''m not great at feelings. The internet told me that I had the emotional range of a teaspoon recently. Which is pretty harsh coming from something which is 90% cats and morons, but there you go. But I make up for not being great at feelings with my choice of feelings music. Whenever I'm having particularly strong ones I reflexively put on this track, again from one of my all time favourite albums (KID A), a true gem:

How to disappear completely, Radiohead.

8.  My second Mac choice of the list. Just a beautiful ballad, and again the emotional intensity behind it shines through behind such delicate music and lyrics. I never tire of listening to this, although of course it isn't, it feels personal to me, it's a song which I keep close to my heart.

Landslide, Fleetwood Mac

9. A band which I have only discovered in the past year or so. From a wonderful album this track has just slowly grown and grown on me with every listen. The sound is so warm.

Lonesome Dreams - Lord Huron 

10. And finally, last but not least. Big Al. Because, what an absolute champion. What an absolute tune.

All I really want - Alanis Morissette