Tuesday 14 July 2009

Road Songs (Special Edition)


A couple of years ago I started a section on this blog called 'Road Songs' (I hope my Linkwithin gadget throws up a few samples). It was primarily based on my penchant for listening to music whilst driving and it was also a way of celebrating the positive outcome of my practical driving test in summer 2007 (after four attempts, fifth time lucky!). Although that forum came to an end a year later I always intended to have special editions of it running at some point. And this is the right time for 'Road Songs' to make a comeback.

Recently I undertook a journey to High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, and on the way there I was asked by one of my companions whether I liked driving and why. I answered yes, but since I was focusing on the road and on the route at the time, I did not delve into the matter in depth.

So, why do I like driving and why, in my case, has being behind the wheel got such a strong relation with harmonies and arpeggios?

The first reason is that to me driving conjures up bewitching images of gears, wheels and engines. The combination of each element slotting into one another, rubbing against each other, pushing and pulling here and there is fascinating. One of my favourite moments is when I switch the engine on and slowly reverse my car onto the road, change to first gear and then smoothly into second. When I do this without making the car jerk, a little light inside me turns itself on and I smile appreciatively.

And it is the same with music. I love melodies that have the same hypnotic effects, where one instrument (usually the bass/bass guitar/double bass) serves as the platform upon which layers and layers of harmonies are added on. Just like my first clip tonight. It is the famous song by 'The Doors', 'Roadhouse Blues' and with due respect to Jim, Eddie has a good stab at it and pulls it off nicely. Sit back for a second and enjoy the effortless transition from instrument to instrument. Magical indeed.


When I started driving they always told me to learn to listen to the engine. And learn I did. As important as knowing your road signs. And believe me, it is a sweet moment when your motor is roaring to the sound you've come to recognise. It is the same with certain songs like this particular track by K-OS. Since I came across it on Radio Paradise, I can't stop playing it. It reminds me of that polished, regular and reassuring sound coming out of my car's engine. It's the sign that says everything's OK, baby, we're rocking.


Am I a happy man when I drive? You bet. Sometimes, as it happened when I went to Cuba last February, you're behind the wheel on a motorway that stretches for miles on end and suddenly you have a view too beautiful to believe: overcast sky on one side of the road, whilst a strong sun burns the hardest stones into submission on the other side. And your eyes are the only camera available. It's one of those moments when you feel lucky and happy to be alive and to bear witness to the wonders of nature, whilst behind the wheel. That's why my third clip is a mix of song and dance. 'A Day at the Races' might have featured the legendary Marx brothers, but it is this dance sequence which, in my humble opinion, upstages everyone else in the film. I watched the movie recently on TCM and I remember thinking: 'Why, that's how I feel when I drive'. Especially in the countryside. Enjoy.


When I drive I am careful with my speed. That is why there is a special joy that overcomes me when I see the needle indicating 20 miles per hour, or 30, or 40, and the revs still reading number 2 or just above it. The car moves steadily and confidently along devouring miles of asphalt. Same with music, I like songs that start with the equivalent of a first gear, then change swiftly into second and third and by the time they hit the analogous motorway it's pandemonium. This particular track by Metallica reminds me of a similar driving scenario. I understand that the name Metallica might not go down very well with some fellow bloggers, readers and followers, but I was a devotee of this American band in my teens and although I do not listen to them anymore as I used to, I still consider their music to be one of the most creative pieces of work ever. That's why I chose what to me is a very middle-of-the-road version of one of their classics. The way the tempo in their melodies fluctuates and swings is incomparable. And as it happened on that trip to High Wycombe, where I had to drive on the M25, once those two needles remain constant, the speed one marking 50-60 miles per hour and the revs one pointing at a number 2 or 3, you know you're in business. In the clip below, from 4 minutes 25 seconds onwards, what you get is that same pandemonium to which I referred earlier. And obviously the inclusion of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra adds drama and gravitas to a song about death.

Ever driven in the rain? Ever driven in the rain up a hill? Ever driven in the rain up a hill and come to a roundabout with four exits and three other cars coming down the three other lanes signalling right, like you? If you have, or if you ever find yourself in that situation, look at the windshield wipers, yours and the others', dancing from side to side; watch the indicators, winking intermittently; and enjoy that little moment, when rather than applying the handbrake, you bring both clutch and gas pedal up together to keep the car still. Inertia. Biting point. Same as with these dexterous dancers. Watch them as the arms go up together at the same time and how the en pointe is the equivalent of that clutch and gas pedal keeping the vehicle inert. In the same way indicators rarely blink harmoniously, the fact is that on a roundabout where four cars come down four different lanes you will sometimes get indicators flickering in unison, pretty much like this corps du ballet. And the result is as enchanting as listening to Tchaikovsky's score. Wipers swish-swashing on the windshield, indicators winking complicitly at each other, clutch and gas pedals united in a mechanical embrace, feet on point, hands outstretched, music approaching an unrestrained crescendo. This is what I call driving.

And last but not least a subject that no one should ignore: the perils of driving. About a year ago I had a near-miss and that taught me a lesson: never take anything for granted on the road. It is the same mesage that you find in some songs, for instance this little gem by the Spanish band Mecano, a throwback to the good old 80s (and if anyone utters the words '80s' and 'fashion' together, I will send the boys around to his/her house, De Niro-style in 'The Untouchables'. You know, 80s, guys and girls: soulder-pads, mullets, New Romantics, black eyeliner, blazers). The song's name 'Una Rosa es Una Rosa' refers to the dangers to which we are exposed when we plunge into certain relationships headfirst. As you all well know, a rose has thorns. Magnificent.


This is my last column until September when I will return from my well-deserved holiday break. I will still be around in the next couple of weeks but want to concentrate on material for the autumn and winter, so do expect me to visit your blogs until such time when I will disappear because I will be vacationing with my family, possibly in northern Spain, and hopefully behind the wheel. The 'Song for a Summer Sunday Morning' will continue unless blogger decides to play up in the same way it has done these last two weeks gone when my pre-scheduled posts did not come out when I expected them to. There won't be any comments moderator this time because since I don't post about politics or sex (usually), I don't attract spammers or trolls and we're all grown-ups really and I trust you all, above all, I trust you. Besides, I love the interaction there is between my fellow bloggers, readers and followers. When I go to other blogs and I read a comment along the lines of: 'I found you through the Cuban In London blog and I love yours', it fills my heart up with joy. So, let's keep that community spirit up because there's enough hate in the world as it happens. Many thanks for reading my blog and commenting on my posts and when you next go out driving remember to 'Keep your eyes on the road/Your hands upon the wheel/Keep your eyes on the road/Your hands upon the wheel/Yeah, we're going to the roadhouse/Gonna have a real good-time.' Have a happy summer.

Copyright 2009

Next Post: 'Song for a Summer Sunday Morning' to be published on Sunday 19th July at 10am (GMT)

35 comments:

  1. Have a wonderful holiday. What an eclectic mix of music today-and I am now one US dollar poorer, because I purchased Crabbuckit from iTunes a moment ago! How much fun it THAT!
    Safe way

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  2. Tremendo post!!! A mi me encanta conducir con musica, a todo volumen si es mejor. Claro, me he dado cuenta que si esta muy alta la musica no escucho ambulancias y policias ets, asi que la tengo que bajar. En cuanto a la seleccion musical genial, por lo de Metalica ..todos fuimos friquis :)
    Mi preferido, el lago de los cisnes.
    Un saludo Cubano

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  3. Wishing you a wonderful holiday, and thank you for all this music! You combine anything with music so intuitively, it's like your world has an additional dimension: music :). Slightly surreal to see you posted Mecano, I've been listening to them the whole weekend... but things happen like that sometimes in the blog community. Take care.

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  4. Hi Mr C

    I wish you a peaceful and refreshing holiday...

    thanks for the roadhouse blues...

    Those lyrics remind me of a 50s song we used to sing as kids

    Keep your eyes on the road
    keep your hands on the wheel
    Keep your snooping eyes on the road ahead
    we're having fun
    sitting in the backseat
    sitting in the backseat
    with Fred....

    de doody doo doo
    de doody doo doo
    de doody doo doo
    dum...

    Happy days

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  5. Of course - its...

    Seven little girls sittin' in the back seat
    Huggin and a'kissin with Fred
    I said "why don't one of you come up and sit beside me?"
    And this is what the seven girls said

    CHORUS
    (All together now, one, two, three)
    (Keep you mind on your drivin')
    (Keep you hands on the wheel)
    (Keep your snoopy eyes on the road ahead)
    (We're havin' fun sittin' in the back seat kissin' and a'huggin with Fred)
    (Dee doody doom doom, dee doody doom doom)
    (Dee doody doom doom, DOOM)

    Drove through the town, drove through the country
    Showed 'em how a motor could go
    I said "how do you like my triple carburetor?"
    And one of them whispered low

    CHORUS

    Seven little girls smoochin' in the back seat
    Every one in love with Fred
    I said "you don't need me, I'll get off at my house"
    And this is what the seven girls said

    (All together now, one, two, three)
    (Keep you mind on your drivin')
    (Keep you hands on the wheel)
    (Keep your snoopy eyes on the road ahead)
    (We're havin' fun sittin' in the back seat kissin' and a'huggin with Fred)

    All of them in love with Fred
    (Dee doody doom doom)
    Kissin' and a'huggin with Fred
    (Dee doody doom doom)
    Wish that I could be like Fred
    (DOOM)

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  6. Very interesting - it never crossed my mind to compare driving to music let alone Tchaikovsky!! I loved it, I will listen to the car's music more carefully next time I drive. But I know exactly what you mean about driving and music - I love driving - long distance, cross country - because it gives me opportunity to listen to music and, sometimes, sing along.

    Have a wonderful holiday! Looking forward to hearing from you again.

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  7. Blogger play up? Never in a month of road songs! I, too, had several attempts at the driving test (there was only one then). It would make a good post if I could make it sound believable... I've had nearly as many failed attempts posting this. Hope it works, finally.

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  8. Wow, I'm impressed!!! I really love this post. I'm just about thinking of my future driving licence, and about dreaming of driving through whole Europe and America with my love, IN MY (future) RED JEEP!!! Cool post, really. And the piece with "The Swan Lake" the best of all. Thanks a lot Cuban in London and have a great holidays beneath the sweet Spanish sun. Take care and go back soon! Bye, bye :-)

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  9. Last column until September? Say it isn't so. Hey, you have a great vacation. Watch your driving! I am glad you said you are careful to watch your speed. Music makes my foot press the gas harder and oh dear, did I ever get a ticket one time while listening to "Thank God it's Friday". Yup, my son and I will never forget it so now he says-no music! Like he could really stop me:) Have a great break.

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  10. Damn London!!!!
    This is why I love to come read you.
    You have a very special way to relate everything to music, and words to help you do it. I definitely can't write, so I admire that.
    This is something that has happened to all ,I guess, but still, just a few hace stopped to think about it. It just comes with the action of driving, the music flows...
    As for the selection: superb. You chose my favorite song by The Doors, sang by one of my "loves" in the 90s. This song is just perfect.
    Mixing Metallica with the Swam Lake in one post is surreal and divine, haha. My Metallica years are also gone, but this was one of my favorite.
    The Swam Lake, on the other hand, is one of the most sublime works of art I have ever witnessed (so many corny adjectives here that I am beginning to feel ashamed). I wish I had words to describe my emotions when I first saw it, but I don't.
    We'll miss you, don't go for too long, but ENJOY. Spain!!!!! I envy uou.
    Have a great time, you and your family.

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  11. Enjoy your vacation, Cuban! Love the comparison of the hum of the engine with the bass line of music. You may enjoy this interview with Ray Manzarek, keyboard player of The Doors. He deconstructed how "Light My Fire" was written:

    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6353311

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  12. Great selection of road songs...and why does that shot of the M25 make me homesick I wonder, when I hate that particular road!! Have a great holiday and look forward to the Autumn blogs....

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  13. Well I guess if you have to go on holidays, then you have to go on holidays. I for one will miss you.

    This was such an interesting post, who would have thought I would be so interested in a driving post. Must be the way it was written.

    By the way Metallica was always one of my favourite bands and it still is.

    I think my favourite song was sandman.

    Love Renee xoxo

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  14. You have supplied me with music for a few days, CiL. I believe I will do this the easy way and return for a song or two a day rather than trying to absorb them all in a single visit. Thank you, for this variety of sounds.

    You and I sometimes speak of intersecting or coinciding ideas and thoughts. Your driving post comes just a day after I told someone I prefer the role of passenger to that of driver because I want to be looking here and there and everywhere. Everywhere but at the road. My secondary role, following the tradition of the Great American Wild West, will be to "ride shotgun."

    Take care on your travels. I will miss your presence from this drifting sea of blogs.

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  15. Fab! Enjoy your holiday to your heart's content! I love the Morrison version of the song, but no argument! You could create an entire blog on driving songs. I found amazing set lists by searching. One of my favorites is the intro on Chicago's first album, CTA. And let us not forget Layla!

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  16. Many thanks for your kind comments.

    Indeed, the inclusion of Metallica and the Swan Lake is a moment of superb surrealism but so is driving. I started this post a few weeks ago as soon as we came back from High Wycombe. Agree that the M25 can be a nightmare at times, however when traffic runs smoothly through it it's pure heaven.

    One issue that has come up time and time again whenever I write about road songs is that there are no classical 'Route 66' type of tunes in the British musical catalogue. An article in The Guardian's Film and Music supplement confirmed my suspicions. Americans have plenty of songs celebrating the 'highway' but the natives of Albion have almost zero compositions extolling the virtues of the M23 for instance.

    I enjoyed for many years my supporting role as a passenger and I confess that I passed my test I was slightly afraid to drive. So much responsibility. But I grew to love it and now I am the weekend driver.

    One of my golden dreams is to drive on the Pacific coast, USA. Don't ask me why. All I know is htat I would like to feel the sun going down on my left and its orange glow decorating my windshield whilst listening to Joni Mitchell's 'Big Yellow Taxi'. I know that that dream will come true one day.

    Thanks for tha fab tune, too. It makes a change from our little song when I was a kiddie and I went on school trips: 'Una cervecita para este chofer/que se la ha ganado por tanto correr (a beer for this driver/he deserves it after driving so fast). Yes, you're right, we love speeding in Cuba.

    Many thanks to you all for your comments. Without a doubt there'll be a follow-up when I come back from what I think will be a holiday in Spain after all.

    Greetings from London.

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  17. Congratulations on passing the road test – I hear it is not easy. I love to listen to music on the road too. Great line: “your eyes are the only camera available.”

    Enjoy your holiday – I shall miss your posts and comments. I second your remark on the fine blog community.

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  18. What an inspiration you are, Cubano. I let me dirver's license expire many years ago and you have puushed me to renew it, if just to experience driving the Pacific Coast! Love the blues and jazz undertones of the first 3 songs and love the drama of Metallica. I will miss you but I expect more intriguing posts from your Spanish sojourn when you come back.

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  19. What?!? Gone until September?!?! Well, have a wonderful holiday! I can't believe you posted your road music right after we got back from our road trip... We didn't listen to music, but to two audio books, which were just great! I LOVE being on the road and it seem you do, too! Happy Vacation!! :) Silke

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  20. Great selection! As ecclectic as you my friend!

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  21. Yes, one really enjoys the radio in the car
    super selections

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  22. Thanks for your kind comments.

    The autumn will bring a few new sections like movie reviews. I am a cinema freak and although I can no longer indulge in one of my 'vices', as I used to call it, because of finances, I do watch a lot of films. So, in September I will be reviewing two films that have already been covered by Polly from Sotto Voce and Willow from Willow Manor: 'Nowhere in Africa' and 'An Angel at my Table'.

    I also just got confirmation from Garrincha, one of the better cartoonists in the world today that he will be contributing the illustrations to a 15-part series on the art of writing that I will be posting.

    There will be other 'Exercises on Free Writing' and hopefully wuth Garrincha's help, once again, gracias mi hermano, the introduction of another alter ego.

    Even though we still have not got the tickets we're already in Spanish mood and I know that this will be one of those fantastic holidays about which the kids will be talking in years to come.

    Many thanks.

    Greetings from London.

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  23. An exquisite post, dear CubaninLondon. Wish you a great Holiday!

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  24. "Roadhouse Blues", I can feel the bumps in the road when I hear this one..you are a true original..thanks...Have the best holiday..safe driving!!

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  25. Che fantastico post musicale cuban!!!! I doors, l'incredibile coreografia day in the races, Mecano, metallica. Questa é senza dubbio un'ottima medicina contro il malgusto.
    Nel senso: con tutti questi video e performance musicali e choreografici di altissima qualitá, non si puó fare altro che rilassare e godersi tutto questo. Post grandioso!!!!

    Saluti da Colonia,
    Salva

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  26. That Doors song makes for an excellent driving song! Smoothness of gears the whole way.
    Enjoy your holiday - and dare I say it - drive safely! :-)

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  27. Hola Cuban! Gracias por la visita de hace un par de dias a mi blog. Suerte con tu viaje y que encuentres mucha inspiracion en las canciones que escucharas y en los nuevos horizontes que descubriran tus ojos. Saludos desde Montréal! :-)

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  28. it's good to hear such inspiring words...
    I love such "growths".

    oh, and hey, I'm fine with Metallica...haha

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  29. this so cool!
    and the dancing in a day a the races... priceless!

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  30. Many thanks to you all for your kind comments.

    Greetings from London.

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  31. Have a great vacation, next time you should visit Tanzania,East Africa. ur most welcome!I enjoyed the post, everyday i drive more 38 kilometres to and from work! i enjoy the music while driving, but i never thought of mixing the two together. The Metallica music in the post bring sense to all that I read on this post.

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  32. hello. just checking out new blogs and really like yours. feel free to come check out mine.

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  33. i always like seeing dance scenes such as that you've posted. the people did not slack when it came to gettin' down!

    i'm notorious for dancing while driving. people look over at me with curiosity, but i'm just in my own lil world...

    happy vacationing!

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  34. Many thanks for your kind comments.

    Greetings from London.

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