Let’s see what flops onto my turntable this Friday morning with the not very big random iPod shuffle:
1. Gagarin by Public Service Broadcasting. True originals, this one is from the excellent The Race for Space long player.
2. Johnny Was by Stiff Little Fingers. This astonishing cover of a Bob Marley song comes from the enduringly powerful Inflammable Material record.
3. Pull Together by Shack. The incredibly underrated Scouse band, led by the desperately talented Michael Head.
4. Love Remember Me by Dennis Wilson. Who would have thought that the best Beach Boy solo album would be by Dennis, but it is and Pacific Ocean Blue is a stunning piece of work.
5. White Whisper by Deep Forest. Michel Sanchez and Eric Mouquet produced what was known as “ethno-introspective ambient world music.” I have no idea what that means, but the pygmy spoken word set to music is gorgeous. See also Sweet Lullaby. You may know that one.
6. We Started Nothing by the Ting Tings. From the album of the same name. True, actually.
7. Tuesday’s Gone by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Sheer magnificence from the Pronounced Lynyrd Skynyrd album. Every home should have one.
8. Stop Loving You by Toto. An acquired taste that I acquired many years ago. Whether you like them or not, they remain some of the finest musicians who ever lived.
9. Tea in the Sahara by the Police. Easy to forget what great musicians they were, never mind the catchy little tunes. Nice.
10. I don’t want the night to end by Nick Lowe. The Jesus of Cool is one of the greatest talents this country has ever produced. So good.
