The Friday Music Shuffle (25.7.25)

Last Friday of July 2025 special

by Rick Johansen

Sunshine greetings to you all.

Yes, it’s time for another of my Friday Music Shuffles. Here, I set my music device free and it chooses ten random songs from my collection. Then, as if by magic, I tell you what it’s chosen and your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to listen to the songs and sing along. Well, at least listen!

As ever, I hope you find something you like!

  1. Same Name by Field Music. Fine track from the Mackems’ 2016 LP Commontime.
  2. Phradie’s Song by MGMT. I think this is gorgeous and it’s from the band’s 2024 album Loss of Life.
  3. All Of The People by Grian Chatten. Did I mention gorgeous for the last song? So’s this. The Fontaines DC man from his solo album, 2023’s Chaos For The Fly.
  4. When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease by Roy Harper. The best song ever about cricket. 50 years old, mind, from Harper’s album HQ.
  5. How Many Times By Cat Stevens. Well, this is lovely, too, from Cat’s wonderful 1973 album Foreigner.
  6. Seas Of Tranquility by Gordon Lightfoot. From 1980’s brilliant Dream Street Rose, here we have top of his game Gordon. And those lyrics: “I live in the light of the bright silver moon. I’ll take you off sailing from midnight ’till noon.”
  7. Anthem by N-Joi. Some banging House, taking us back to the year of your Lord 1990.
  8. Star Crossed Lovers by Barry Gibb. Nice tune from Bazza’s 2016 LP In The Now. Bears more than a passing resemblance to The Beach Boys Sumahama.
  9. Vestavia Hills by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. 2023’s Weathervanes was a wonderful record, not least because of blindingly good tracks like this one.
  10. Talybont by Gentle Giant. And finally, back to 1975 and a joint from Free Hand by Britain’s finest prog rock band.

This week’s Desert Island Disc is Seas of Tranquility by Gordon Lightfoot. In reading a biography of the man, I am rediscovering just how brilliant his words and lyrics were and remain.

Thanks for indulging me. I can’t think of a better shuffle than this.

Have a good week till next week.

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