UNINVITED MEME

Forgive the desperation, but I have bitten my tongue for long enough. Presumably because nobody likes either me or my jolly music, my opinion on the following question has not been sought:

'List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now, shaping your spring. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what they’re listening to.'

Well, I'm gatecrashing the party. Here are my 7:

1. Brian Eno, "King's lead hat". A low-down, high-concept scribble of fun, powered by a Roxy-Crimson dual of fuzzy guitars.



2. Alkan, "Allegro Barbaro". See also Alkan's "Funeral march on the death of a parrott".



3. Public Enemy, "By the time I get to Arizona". John McCain ain't the man portrayed as the at the beginning of this video (who bears an uncanny resemblance to Nick Griffin), but he voted against the celebration of Martin Luther King at the beginning of the 90s as well. PE started to play this at the Brixton Academy a couple of weeks back, then thought better of it. I think it's the best song off their best album.

4. Elton John, "Pinky". The most over-played song on this list. I'm sorry, but I love him, ok?



5. Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band, "Ice cream for crow". Just the most beautiful bit of Americana imaginable from 1982, with a firm valediction to finish it off: "now now that's it, now you can go". It was the last piece of music he ever released.



6. R.E.M., "Wolves, Lower". "Gang of Four knew how to swing. I stole a lot from them." This is the evidence - a sweet, nonsensical song from R.E.M.'s first EP, spiked with splinters of gnarled vocals and guitar feedback.



7. The Walker Brothers, "Shutout" (sorry, no link for this one). Completely anomalous with everything - contemporary music, the Walker Brothers oeuvre and output - but a prevision of the Eno-esque beat-poetry line which Scott would explore with Climate of Hunter. Which brings us neatly back to the beginning.

And so to pass the baton on to ... DV, Snowball, Birthday-boy-cum-avant=garde-apostate Dr Batty, our Asia-Pacific correspondent G.P.G. Armour and Bel-Biv-Devoe (or is it En Vogue) freak Sandy Davidson (none of whom, alas, have blogs). I know I'm supposed to send it to 7 people, but my Dad would only fill it up with Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and frankly, I don't have that many friends...