Is there any artist more suited to soundtracking this time of year than Kate Bush? With it being such a fanstastic October, colours blazing all around, Kate's top of the pops with me (closely followed by Cat Stevens, whose voice is like leaves falling from trees).
Her songs conjure up autumnal, dark, magical, November scenes, involving hedgerows, thickets, misty fields, mellow orchards, wrapped up in red, rolled gold, olive, umber, black, dark green, scorched earth, village green, pear yellow, burnt orange, purple and scarlet. Her voice is spooky and ethereal. How perfect. This time of year life should be like the cover to Never Forever.
Songs like Moving, Hammer Horror, Cloudbusting, The Wedding List, Breathing and of course Wuthering Heights are made for dark afternoons and foggy mornings. There's none better.
Who's providing the sounds for you this autumn?
8 comments:
'Cat Stevens has a voice like leaves falling from the trees' is a sublime, off-the-cuff description. Wonderful.
I have to say Micah P Hinson's The Red Empire Orchestra album is lovely, warm Autumnal listening; hints at fires and sipping whiskey; also the Fleet Foxes have that whole 'turning your collar to the cold' thing going on too. Also, some of the tracks from After the Goldrush (particularly that title one).
The full version of this is LOVELY:
http://www.last.fm/music/Anthony+Reynolds/_/The+Moon+Will+Never+Lie
Never really thought about it till now, but I always seem to dig out the Cure's 'Head on the Door' around this time of year.
The sense of certainty as I put it on that I'm guaranteed a miserable time, is pretty much what I start feeling every late autumn. Bah.
Another vote for Neil Young from me, especially After The Goldrush and Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. Reminds me of student days, scarf-wearing and slightly pretentious boys with bad haircuts.
Funnily enough I posted an Autumn mix last Sunday as part of my Lazy Sunday series. Smoky, folky and mellow is the tone. Tracklist is below, and you can grab here
Led Zeppelin - Bron-Yr-Aur
The Small Faces - The Autumn Stone
Humble Pie - Take Me Back
John Martyn - Bless The Weather (Take 4)
John Smith - Bones
Nick Drake - River Man
Magnet - Corn Riggs
T.Rex - Dove
David Bowie - Tired Of My Life (unreleased track)
Pink Floyd - Fat Old Sun
Gerry Rafferty - Long Way Round
Pete Townshend & Ronnie Lane - Annie
Bryan Ferry - Carrickfergus
Heads Hands & Feet - Song for Suzie
The Beatles - All Things Must Pass (demo)
The Faces - Debris
XTC - Harvest Festival
The other Lazy Sundays are here if you fancy..
Folky, smoky and mellow, spot on, PM.
Folk is a must-have for the new season. But not this nu-folk, the trad stuff.
The Watersons Frost & Fire is a lovely one for roaring log fires and mulled wine.
I'll check that tip off FC. I've almost finished next years from the left-overs. My winter-mixture (coming soon)features a gorgeous folk take on We Don't Talk Anymore
No, the new stuff has the sound but not the substance. Having said the John Smith's a new boy, who I caught supporting John Martyn. Very good.
Have you got these autumnal comps on your iPo, crazy cheap..
Gather In The Mushrooms
Early Morning Hush
But of course PM, I'm a major champion of GITM, it's amazing. The other one is not quite in the same league, but good nonetheless.
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