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Michael Giltz: Desert Island Discs: Marooned Again
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This Story to DiggDesert Island Discs: Marooned
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Posted August 3, 2007 | 03:42 PM (EST)
Read More: Linda Thompson , Simon Reynolds , Greil Marcus, Miles Davis, Elton John ,
Dionne Warwick , Burt Bacharach , Alice Coltrane Quartet , Hal David , John Coltrane,
John Martyn , Breaking Entertainment News
If you could only take one album to a desert island, which one would it be? That simple question
has powered a long-running BBC radio show (in which the guests are allowed to bring a handful ofCDs), endless water-cooler discussions, a classic anthology edited by Greil Marcus and now the
followup antohology Marooned: The Next Generation Of Desert Island Discs "($16.95; Da Capo)
edited by Phil Freeman.
Various writers hold forth on Elton John's"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," Miles Davis's"Bitches Brew," and Motorhead's "NoRemorse," among others. Of course, there areheadscratchers - Dionne Warwick's "Legends"collection but not her work with BurtBacharach and Hal David? Alice Coltrane
instead of John Coltrane? All is explained in the personal, passionate essays.
Writer Simon Reynolds speaks up for UK folk rocker John Martyn's "Solid Air." But what I liked
most about his piece was Reynolds' practical response to the question. He really focused in on notsimply naming his favorite album or the most important, but one that would serve you best if itwere the ONLY music you could listen to on a Desert Island. So you don't want anything toodepressing or one-note in tone and style. It should be accessible but odd. And so on.
Naturally, almost before you even start reading a book like Marooned , you start debating what
album you would bring. Taking Reynolds to heart, I also added my own caveats: no massive boxed
sets or anthologies allowed, or naturally I'd grab a boxed set covering Frank Sinatra's Capitol yearsor Ella Fitzgerald's Songbook series or the complete Beatles (someone in Japan must have boxedthem up at one point, right?).
So no Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska." (I might just commit suicide.) No R.E.M.'s "Murmur" (I love
it but they put the last two songs in the wrong order and I'd hate to spend years and years always
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Michael Giltz: Desert Island Discs: Marooned Again
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/desert-island-discs-maro_b_59108.html [4/5/2009 8:41:12 PM]
SNL: Madonna And
Reality Star Jade
Robert De Niro
Alex Da Silva,having to jump forward to "West of The Fields" and then jumping back to end with "We Walk.")
No Steely Dan's "Aja" because it's too consistent in tone. And no Beatles because if I chose "Rubber
Soul" I'd want "Revolver" the next day, or if I chose "Abbey Road" I'd kick myself for not picking
the much longer "White Album" and why should I ignore "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"
just because it's obvious?
And so I arrive at my obvious choice: Richard and Linda Thompson's 1982 masterpiece "Shoot Out
The Lights." Richard is arguably the greatest living guitarist whether on acoustic or electric. Linda
has one of the great rock voices in history. And they both share a deep appreciation for classic folk
music entwined with rock and roll. Richard was in Fairport Convention, the UK equivalent to The
Band. When he went solo, Linda joined him and they delivered a string of brilliantly acidic, tuneful
albums climaxed by "Shoot Out The Lights," after which they promptly divorced. Many see it as the
classic "break-up" album but as Richard points out, he almost always writes despairingly about
love, so you shouldn't read too much into the coincidence of their separation being mirrored by the
anguish of the songs.
At just eight songs and slightly over 40 minutes long, "Shoot Out The Lights" has proven endlessly
fascinating to me. The opening track "Don't Renege On Our Love" gallops along with precision,
followed by the beautiful tension of Linda's soaring voice (imagine if Karen Carpetner had soul) on
"Walking On A Wire." Richard responds with the ache of a fellow walking out the door on "A Man
In Need" and the back and forth between their songs has the same intertwined excitement of John
Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy." Side One (remember them?) ends with the pacific calm
and acceptance of Linda's voice on "Just The Motion."
That's immediately blown aside by the titanic title track "Shoot Out The Lights," which is haunted
by a murderous unhappy fellow and dominated by one of the greatest electric guitar solos of all
time.
Now I'm not a guitar freak. I like it as much as any other instrument, but I don't go gaga for speed
or pyrotechnics. But Richard Thompson is simply phenomenal. I can remember every bended note,
every twist and turn of his guitar solos on every album he's done. And certainly I know the piercing,
jagged, frightening and downright astonishing work he delivers here.
My older sister Elizabeth once warned me when we were in high school that playing "air" guitar
was not cool, but "air" drums were okay and I've liked by that injunction ever since. But not whenit comes to Richard. I can't help myself, even if my college roommate Jesse did walk inunexpectedly to find me wearing headphones and contorting myself into a pretzel as I mimickedthe sound of his guitar on this very track. I think he's stopped laughing by now.
That's followed by the nasty little jab at women who cheat "Back Street Slide." Linda's sole co-
songwriting credit is next, the chilling "Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed?" And it all ends with"Wall Of Death," a song ostensibly about an amusement park ride that some critics find scary in itsembrace of the end. I've always found it a lark.
There are nooks and crannies in the music I've been exploring for years, whether it's Linda's
peerless voice or Richard's endlessly fascinating guitar work. The lyrics are wryly intelligent andcapture every mood a desert island inhabitant might want to experience: anger, humor, love(briefly, mind you), acceptance and joy.
They've both got marvelous new albums out. Richard has "Sweet Warrior," Linda has the lovely
"Versatile Heart" and their son Teddy has " Up Front & Down Low," a wonderful collection of
country covers that shows off his voice to perfection. But it always comes back to "Shoot Out The
Lights."
Okay, I know you've been dying to tell me: what's your desert island disc?
Comments for this post are now closed
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Michael Giltz: Desert Island Discs: Marooned Again
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/desert-island-discs-maro_b_59108.html [4/5/2009 8:41:12 PM]
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Michael Giltz: Desert Island Discs: Marooned Again
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APRIL 5, 2009
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Michael Giltz | BIO | I'M A FAN OF THIS BLOGGER
Be the First to
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This Story to DiggDesert Island Discs: Marooned
Again
Posted August 3, 2007 | 03:42 PM (EST)
Read More: Linda Thompson , Simon Reynolds , Greil Marcus, Miles Davis, Elton John ,
Dionne Warwick , Burt Bacharach , Alice Coltrane Quartet , Hal David , John Coltrane,
John Martyn , Breaking Entertainment News
If you could only take one album to a desert island, which one would it be? That simple question
has powered a long-running BBC radio show (in which the guests are allowed to bring a handful ofCDs), endless water-cooler discussions, a classic anthology edited by Greil Marcus and now the
followup antohology Marooned: The Next Generation Of Desert Island Discs "($16.95; Da Capo)
edited by Phil Freeman.
Various writers hold forth on Elton John's"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," Miles Davis's"Bitches Brew," and Motorhead's "NoRemorse," among others. Of course, there areheadscratchers - Dionne Warwick's "Legends"collection but not her work with BurtBacharach and Hal David? Alice Coltrane
instead of John Coltrane? All is explained in the personal, passionate essays.
Writer Simon Reynolds speaks up for UK folk rocker John Martyn's "Solid Air." But what I liked
most about his piece was Reynolds' practical response to the question. He really focused in on notsimply naming his favorite album or the most important, but one that would serve you best if itwere the ONLY music you could listen to on a Desert Island. So you don't want anything toodepressing or one-note in tone and style. It should be accessible but odd. And so on.
Naturally, almost before you even start reading a book like Marooned , you start debating what
album you would bring. Taking Reynolds to heart, I also added my own caveats: no massive boxed
sets or anthologies allowed, or naturally I'd grab a boxed set covering Frank Sinatra's Capitol yearsor Ella Fitzgerald's Songbook series or the complete Beatles (someone in Japan must have boxedthem up at one point, right?).
So no Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska." (I might just commit suicide.) No R.E.M.'s "Murmur" (I love
it but they put the last two songs in the wrong order and I'd hate to spend years and years always
Popular Stories on HuffPost
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Michelle Obama And
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy
Finally Meet In
France (VIDEO,
PHOTOS, POLL)
*Video, poll and slideshow
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Banks (VIDEO)
***UPDATE*** 8:30pm:
People.com is reporting
that Sarah Palin has
issued...
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Slams Michelle
Obama's Buckingham
Outfit As Major
Designers FeelIgnored
While Michelle Obamahas made lesser...
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So here's the thing.There's no shortage of
articles dedicated to thatcertain je ne...
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Discusses MichelleObama's "Fantastic"
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Michael Giltz: Desert Island Discs: Marooned Again
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/desert-island-discs-maro_b_59108.html [4/5/2009 8:41:12 PM]
SNL: Madonna And
Reality Star Jade
Robert De Niro
Alex Da Silva,having to jump forward to "West of The Fields" and then jumping back to end with "We Walk.")
No Steely Dan's "Aja" because it's too consistent in tone. And no Beatles because if I chose "Rubber
Soul" I'd want "Revolver" the next day, or if I chose "Abbey Road" I'd kick myself for not picking
the much longer "White Album" and why should I ignore "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"
just because it's obvious?
And so I arrive at my obvious choice: Richard and Linda Thompson's 1982 masterpiece "Shoot Out
The Lights." Richard is arguably the greatest living guitarist whether on acoustic or electric. Linda
has one of the great rock voices in history. And they both share a deep appreciation for classic folk
music entwined with rock and roll. Richard was in Fairport Convention, the UK equivalent to The
Band. When he went solo, Linda joined him and they delivered a string of brilliantly acidic, tuneful
albums climaxed by "Shoot Out The Lights," after which they promptly divorced. Many see it as the
classic "break-up" album but as Richard points out, he almost always writes despairingly about
love, so you shouldn't read too much into the coincidence of their separation being mirrored by the
anguish of the songs.
At just eight songs and slightly over 40 minutes long, "Shoot Out The Lights" has proven endlessly
fascinating to me. The opening track "Don't Renege On Our Love" gallops along with precision,
followed by the beautiful tension of Linda's soaring voice (imagine if Karen Carpetner had soul) on
"Walking On A Wire." Richard responds with the ache of a fellow walking out the door on "A Man
In Need" and the back and forth between their songs has the same intertwined excitement of John
Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy." Side One (remember them?) ends with the pacific calm
and acceptance of Linda's voice on "Just The Motion."
That's immediately blown aside by the titanic title track "Shoot Out The Lights," which is haunted
by a murderous unhappy fellow and dominated by one of the greatest electric guitar solos of all
time.
Now I'm not a guitar freak. I like it as much as any other instrument, but I don't go gaga for speed
or pyrotechnics. But Richard Thompson is simply phenomenal. I can remember every bended note,
every twist and turn of his guitar solos on every album he's done. And certainly I know the piercing,
jagged, frightening and downright astonishing work he delivers here.
My older sister Elizabeth once warned me when we were in high school that playing "air" guitar
was not cool, but "air" drums were okay and I've liked by that injunction ever since. But not whenit comes to Richard. I can't help myself, even if my college roommate Jesse did walk inunexpectedly to find me wearing headphones and contorting myself into a pretzel as I mimickedthe sound of his guitar on this very track. I think he's stopped laughing by now.
That's followed by the nasty little jab at women who cheat "Back Street Slide." Linda's sole co-
songwriting credit is next, the chilling "Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed?" And it all ends with"Wall Of Death," a song ostensibly about an amusement park ride that some critics find scary in itsembrace of the end. I've always found it a lark.
There are nooks and crannies in the music I've been exploring for years, whether it's Linda's
peerless voice or Richard's endlessly fascinating guitar work. The lyrics are wryly intelligent andcapture every mood a desert island inhabitant might want to experience: anger, humor, love(briefly, mind you), acceptance and joy.
They've both got marvelous new albums out. Richard has "Sweet Warrior," Linda has the lovely
"Versatile Heart" and their son Teddy has " Up Front & Down Low," a wonderful collection of
country covers that shows off his voice to perfection. But it always comes back to "Shoot Out The
Lights."
Okay, I know you've been dying to tell me: what's your desert island disc?
Comments for this post are now closed
More in Entertainment...
"Washington
Unplugged"
Arianna was on CBS'
"Washington...
Huff TV Arianna
Appears on ABC's
"This Week"
Roundtable With
George
Stephanopoulos
(VIDEO)
Arianna was a guest this
morning on...
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Calamity, African
Babies, Chase
Scenes And More
(NSFW VIDEO)
IT'S HERE! The trailer for
this July's Sacha BaronCohen...
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On Afghanistan, But
Most Reject Obama'sPlea For Troops
(SLIDESHOW)
STRASBOURG, France— On the eve of the
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Concert (PHOTOS)
Another night, another
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Antarctica has
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Michael Giltz: Desert Island Discs: Marooned Again
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/desert-island-discs-maro_b_59108.html [4/5/2009 8:41:12 PM]
Michelle Obama's Clothing
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Accused Of...
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Ads by Google
The Fest for Beatles Fans
Unique Beatles Gifts Every Book, CD, DVD, Shirt,
& more
www.thefest.com
Comments for this entry are currently under maintenance but will be restored soon.
AIG
Computers
India
Barack
Obama
Michelle
Obama
Sports
Olympics
Housing
Crisis
Fox News
MORE BIG NEWS PAGES
»
Books by this author
A cabin of one's own: New
England's MacDowellColony celebrates 100years of artistic utopia.And the gay and lesbianartists who prosperedthere celebrate ... (Thenational gay & lesbiannewsmagazine)
by Michael Giltz
Affairs to remember:Farley Granger beddedAva Gardner, ShelleyWinters, and LeonardBernstein. In hisautobiography, IncludeMe Out, Hitchcock's muse... (The national gay &lesbian newsmagazine)
by Michael Giltzchemical used in rocket
fuel were found insamples of...
HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES
Bloggers Index
Read All Posts by
Michael Giltz
This Blogger's Books from
Michael Giltz: Desert Island Discs: Marooned Again
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/desert-island-discs-maro_b_59108.html [4/5/2009 8:41:12 PM]
HOME POLITICS MEDIA BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT LIVING GREEN STYLE WORLD CHICAGO COMEDY FUNDRACE
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