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| Music was my first love... |
I love music – I think I love Music more than running and if it was ears or legs – ear would win easily. You see, music plays an important part in my life and has partnered me through the good and the not so good times if I’m being honest. Songs trigger certain memories and have accompanied me on my journeys the world over, as well as during the hours and hours of training.
I'm lucky that I’ve grown up in such an era of change in popular music. I’m old enough to remember the heights of Prog Rock and have lived through Punk, the New Romantics, Brit Pop and Drum and Bass. And I love a complete spectrum of musical styles.
Throughout my book ‘A Rebel and a Runner’, you’ll find my ‘Top 12 Desert Island can’t-do without Discs’ and the reasons why they are so important to me.
Narrowing it down to just twelve proved to be a marathon in itself, and I can only apologise, to myself, if I’d forgotten ones I should have chosen. But anyway - here they are and why…
New World Man - Rush 1982
This is a real anthem for me - I was lucky enough to see Rush in 1981 on their ‘Exit…Stage Left World Tour’ at New Bingley Hall in Stafford. I couldn’t hear for days after that gig as they were unbelievably loud. I’ve literally run thousands of miles listening to Rush and could have chosen a Rush song for every chapter of the book. Although this is a relatively short song for the Canadian Rock Trio at 3:39 minutes, it’s a great example of the sheer volume of their music. It feels like the lyrics, written by drummer Neil Peart, were written with me in mind and I feel like a New World Man every single time I hear it.
Sheep - Pink Floyd 1977
I must have played this song a thousand times and it’s my all-time ‘Floyd Favourite’. Roger Waters’ vitriolic lyrics describe the worst trait ever - being a ‘Sheep’, being someone that follows someone else’s path and goes with the flock instead of being prepared to ‘Stick Out’ from the crowd. I’ve looked out over Jordan, just like the lyrics say, and the Psalm 23 parody is just priceless. The creativity of each phase of the 10-minute track amazes me each and every time I listen to it. There’s a great live version on the ‘Wish You Were Here’ remastered album from 1974 (‘Raving & Drooling’) which is well worth a listen. The drive and ambition I’ve gained from this track over the years has been immense and I don’t think songs gets much better than this one. Remember, ‘Get out of the road, if you want to grow old.’ It’s a great adage.
Secret World (Live) - Peter Gabriel 1992
As an all-time hero of mine, this track encompasses everything that is simply brilliant about Gabriel’s music. I somehow missed the original on his ‘US’ album and the subsequent tour, much to my dismay. On first hearing, this was an instant hit for me and the ‘Live’ version has a slight edge over the studio recording in my opinion. Having lived in many different ‘Secret Worlds’ during my lifetime the ‘Breaking it Up, Shaking it Up’ reflects the many regenerations I’ve been through. I love the gentle build and crescendo of the track and Gabriel’s vocals in both low and high range are really powerful.
Fly on a Windshield - Genesis 1974
This is ‘Real Genesis’ (Banks, Collins, Gabriel, Hackett & Rutherford) at their peak in my opinion. I love the anticipation as the mood of this multi-layered music builds in true prog rock fashion right up until the drums and lead guitar kick in halfway through. The track segways into Broadway Melody of 1974 which I could have also chosen but I like the way I’m always left wanting more of everything after listening to this song and often play it over and over again on runs. The lyrics mirror my feelings about writing my book and how I feel now that I’m at the start of a whole new journey.
Uninvited - Freemasons (featuring Bailey Tzuke) 2007
The Freemasons’ Production Team of Russell Small and James Wiltshire injected the X-Factor into this brilliant rework of Alanis Morissette’s rather dark original, making it a stand out track for me. This track was played on a loop at Fitness First in Derby, where I worked out of for three years, so it must have been drilled deep down into my sub-consciousness. For me, there’s a fantastic feel-good factor that accompanies this song because I loved that time in my life where I was learning and starting over professionally.
Highway to Hell - AC/DC 1979
If ever a race had a song that described it, the Aussie Rockers did just the job for the Marathon des Sables. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve sung along to this classic in the start pen of the MdS while Race Director, Patrick Bauer, sang along in Franglais, ‘Ighway to ‘El .’ I laugh every time it’s played as it’s so heartily sung along to before people are literally taken to hell and back. It was the last album featuring lead singer Bon Scott who died in 1980 from consuming too much alcohol. This seems quite poignant. It’s possibly the best of all of the AC/DC anthems helped along by a huge dose of magic by Music Producer Robert ‘Mutt’ Lange.
Welcome to the Machine - Pink Floyd 1975
This is total ‘Headphone Heaven’ for me. The stereo effects are as alive today as they were some fifty years ago. Hearing it now as it was recorded is simply amazing. The days of my Pioneer Cassette Deck, no matter how great I thought it was at the time, couldn’t cope with the hiss even though it was Dolby C.
I’ve always thought that life feels like being part of a machine and apart from being asked where you’ve been, you’re asked what did you dream? That’s a really important line for me as without a dream, well there’s no vision and without a vision there’s no direction, something that I can’t live without.
Inside Out (Live) - Phil Collins 1985
Phil Collins is at his best with this mid-eighties classic. Only ten years prior to this he was drumming on the classic ‘The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway’ double Genesis Album. Here he’s Producer, Song-writer, Pianist and Drummer surrounded by a great live act including Chester Thompson on Drums and Daryl Stuermer on lead guitar. The lead solo is one of my favourites of all time because it’s so well-crafted. Funnily enough, Peter Gabriel is on backing vocals. Talk about full circle!
Laid so Low - Tear for Fears 1992
If you ever decide to run from London to Lisbon, you’ll need this track. It’s Roland Orzabal at his best. Having chewed that bone far too low, I shed many tears listening to this over and over again on my 1,275-mile journey. Lyrically perfect in so many ways, it also showcases Orzabal’s all-round musicianship including a great guitar solo. It’s one of those tracks that unfortunately fades out and when the fade starts, I hit replay.
Pendulum - 9000 Miles 2008
I’ll admit I’m a late convert to the Aussie Drum and Bass Duo but I bought all three studio albums in quick succession. It’s loud, fast, melodic and really, really clever stuff. Robert Swire-Thompson is such a great Lead-Singer/Producer and there are some amazing live Glastonbury performances on YouTube that are well worth a look. The bass rattles my walls at home and really makes the sub come to life. It’s music that makes you feel as though you’ve known it all your life yet it’s still completely fresh. It’s great running music and you will soon get the feel of the ‘Pendulum’ kicking in when each track gets going.
Shaking the Tree (Live) - Peter Gabriel 1989
A second track for Sir Peter of Gabriel and why not? This live version is very different to the original with Youssou N’Dour and benefits greatly from the additional vocals of Paula Cole. The band includes Tony Levin on bass and David Rhodes on lead guitar as well as Manu Katche on drums. They play so tightly together that the whole ‘Secret World’ album is a total triumph and is in fact my favourite live album. There’s a great video of the album too that’s well worth a view.
And I will Kiss - Underworld 2012
During the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics there was a moment that I’ll never forget. To be honest, I had pretty low expectations and was looking at Danny Boyle’s £9m creation in mild disbelief at the beginning of the show.
Then, over the course of a few minutes, it transformed into a jaw-dropping spectacle that made every hair on my body stand on end. The 17:15 minute track was written by Underworld’s Rick Smith and features 1,200 musicians including Dame Evelyn Glennie on percussion and The Pandemonium Drummers.
The ceremony’s grand finale featured Sir Kenneth Branagh as Sir Isambard Kingdom Brunel and there was a breath-taking moment where all five blazing rings were hoisted into place to finally pour molten sparks to the ground. The title makes reference to a speech given by Caliban in Act 2, Scene 2 of The Tempest by William Shakespeare which seems so apt given my Stratford-upon-Avon connection. I have run some of my fastest times listening to this track as it’s so inspiring.
I’d be interested to hear your Desert Island Discs, especially as we head towards the desert in April. What’s on your playlist reflects of who you are and the life you’ve lived.
Let's Rock!
1,205 Marathons - 285 Ultras - 17 MDS - 9 GWR - Going for the One
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