Impact Music #5: Autobahn

Autobahn by Kraftwerk.

Kraftwerk were, for many kids in the early 80s, one hit wonders with a wonderful, but seemingly novelty song about a Model. Then a friend of my brother lent me Autobahn and it opened my eyes to how good the band had always been.

Yes the title track is a huge monolith of Beach Boys inspired electronic perfection, but it was side 2 that really won me over. No longer did songs have to have words, they could be ambient instrumentals featuring home made electronic instruments and a flute. It still sounds wonderful today.

Impact Music #4: Standing On A Beach

Standing On A Beach • The Singles (And Unavailable B-Sides) by The Cure

Q: Are compilations allowed

A: Of course they are.

I've never been a big fan of cassettes other than as a way of recording music, but there's some albums where the cassette was THE format to get. This was one, with the sngles on one side and the B-Sides on the other.

It was the moment where a lot of people realised that, despite being a miserable bunch of Goths, The Cure were a damn fine singles band who knew how to have more fun than most.

I spent summer 1986 listening to this and Balaam and the Angel's 'The Greatest Story Ever Told' on repeat, whilst holed up in my cellar (how Goth) learning how to dismantle a bicycle and put it back together again.

I'm not going to pretend that the B-Sides are anywhere as near as good as the A-sides, but there's no denying that it makes for a very entertaining compilation of darkness and daftness.

Impact Music #3: White Light / White Heat

White Light / White Heat by the Velvet Underground.

Probably now my least favourite of the 4 proper VU albums, but still a great album and the first one I heard by them, which I played to death.

I bought this when I was in the sixth form based on me knowing cover versions of some of the songs by Lou Reed,  Cabaret Voltaire  and New Order/Joy Division. But it was The Gift that really blew me away - John Cale's macabre obsessive love story read in one speaker whilst the band jammed in the other.

The production on the album was terrible, everything sounded distorted and badly mixed but it was amazing - how can music that sounds so bad sound so good?

My first play if the album was in front of some friends who were round at my house. It was NOT party music and it didn't go down too well. Except for one friend, who was at least amused by how unpopular it was with everyone.

Impact Music #2: Bryter Layter

Bryter Layter by Nick Drake.

This was the first album I got after I bought my first CD player (although it wasn't the first CD I had owned).

Someone once said "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture", which sounds clever, but sounds like a quote from a bitter musician who perhaps couldn't take the criticism of their latest album. It also made no sense given that most music is accompanied by lyrics and the two often become inseparable. Anyway, I'd never heard anything by Nick Drake before, but I bought this after reading a glowing review somewhere. The reviewer's writing was spot on - Bryter Layter sounded and felt exactly as they described it and it quickly became and remains one of my favourite albums. Beautiful and yet utterly devastating, I don't think I'd ever heard heartbreak being so poetic before and rarely since.

Most people choose Northern Sky as the highlight, but for me I'd have to go for Fly, with its beautiful harpsichord playing by John Cale. I thought it was the saddest song ever until I hear the whole of his following album, Pink Moon.

Impact Music #1: Dare

Dare by The Human League

I was challenged a while ago by a friend to post 20 albums that had an impact on me. Just the cover, no comments. One of those Facebook things. I decided to comment anyway as a photo of an album sleeve doesn't mean much.

This is widely regarded as one of THE perfect pop albums and rightly so. There's plenty of songs about love and dancing, but you also get songs about Judge Dredd and the assassination of JFK, ones that reference synaesthesia and the Ramones, an instrumental cover version, plus the inspirational lyrics and "rap" on their finest moment, Love Action. 

I could've chosen any of their first 4 albums, but this was the first album I bought. Still sounds great.

I was supposed to nominate someone, but the way I see it we should all be sharing these sort of things at the moment.

Mother Earth's Plantasia

Inspired by the book The Secret Life Of Plants, and in particular the science that proved "beyond any doubt that harmonic sound waves affect the growth, flowering and seed yield of plants", Plantasia was composed to help your plants grow.

The album was released in 1976 and given away for free when you bought a plant from Mother Earth plant shop in LA (or, for some reason, when you bought a mattress from Sears) and has since achieved cult status. It's easy to see why - full of delightful melodies all played by Mort Garson on a Moog synthesiser, it has aged surprisingly well.

Now available officially for the the first time since 1976, it has been pressed on vinyl in a variety of different greens and comes with a replica of the original plant care guide booklet that explains how your plants will benefit from each track. It also has an innovative download card, which is embedded in wildflower seeds so you can plant it once you've downloaded a digital copy of the album.

I'm using the music right now to keep our aspidistra happy. Gronda Gronda.