TimeOut

Dear Art,

As Damjan says, this is nowhere as easy as it looks! You are blessed in knowing precisely what it is that you would want to have with you in that situation, i.e. where – [insert name of chosen deity here] forbid! – you may have only one recording to keep you company for the rest of your days.

The original Desert Island Disc concept was a little more forgiving: it was possible to choose eight musical recordings, one book and one luxury item. That helps to order the thinking. So, in reverse order:

a) Luxury item.

A no-brainer for anybody on this site, surely! No, not a luxury yacht: a watch, of course. From memory, we recently covered ‘desert island watches’ here recently. The answers given there were as much humorous as they were serious, but (seriously?) – an exquisite piece such as the Marie Antoinette pocket watch, or the Esmeralda, or Lord Arran’s ultra-complication would do very nicely, thank you. Only one? Sorry. Make it the Dufour G&P Sonnerie please.

(Photo: Marks)

b) Book.

This needs to be taken seriously also – a lifetime on a desert island carries with it all sorts of challenges, not the least of which is remembering and then mastering your own language. Accordingly, the selection is the Oxford English Dictionary. That’s a bit of a cheat given that it runs to 20 volumes or so, but they used to print all 20 volumes in micro-print, on fine paper, in one huge volume and publish it as the Compact OED, so that would suffice at a pinch.

c) Recordings.

Now to the music, in no particular order.

1. Keith Jarrett’s “Köln Concert”.

Some records are reminiscent of an event or a particular occasion; some are reminiscent of an age; some bring to mind a 'significant other'. This recording does all of that and more - it has suffused a lifetime. It is as fresh and as compelling today as it was 35 years ago: a decent recording played on decent sound gear can literally cause you to stop breathing.

2. Glenn Gould’s “Goldberg Variations” (1955 recording).

Gould knows Bach; feels Bach; positively oozes Bach. Add to that his own inimitable and modern interpretation and you have a milestone in modern classical performance.

3. Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon”.

If only we knew then what we know now!

4. “A Black and White Night” – tribute to Roy Orbison. 

Rarely if ever have so many artists - all great musicians - gathered in such an intimate setting in a flawless tribute to a legend. The setlist was pure genius, the egos surrendered at the door, the chemistry profound and the production seamless.

Ahhhhhh, “Crying”!

www.youtube.com

5. Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture as performed by the Philharmonia  Orchestra under Herbert von Karajan in 1958. 

Only a mono recording, but the live cannon crescendo is sublime.

6. Jacqueline du Pré’s performance of Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor with the LSO under Barbirolli . 

As the kids would say, she 'owned' it. Not before or since has such expression been teased from a piece of wood.

www.youtube.com

7. The Live Aid concert.  

Some of the greatest music of an age, played live, and often played by a medley of master musos. Check out the track list and the guest appearances sometime. 

Thank goodness David Bowie sneaks onto the album. Mick and Tina, U2, Sade, Patti Labelle… a veritable cornucopia. Top track – Eric doing ‘Layla’ with Phil Collins on drums and Donald “Duck” Dunn on bass.

www.youtube.com

8.  Miles Davis – “Kind of Blue’. 

‘Nuff said.

What really hurts is the amount of great music that doesn’t get onto this list. No Beatles (unless you count the remnants on Live Aid); no k.d.lang in her own right; no Jimmy Hendrix; no opera; no Bambi Molesters; no Beethoven; no Tom Waits. Still, that’s probably the whole idea, isn’t it?

The desert island disc? Don’t ask why…

Thanks for a fun thread Art – it really challenged some pre-conceived ideas.

Cheers,

pplater.

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