Desert Island Discs
In the UK the BBC’s Desert Island Discs is a national institution. Is it well known known outside the UK too?
The premise is simple: Which 8 songs would you take with you if you were marooned on a dessert island? And why?
(Also what luxury item and what book would you take? (You are given the complete works of Shakespeare and the Bible anyway))
Recently I’ve listened to a few Desert Island Disc podcasts and found them really stimulating. It is fascinating to hear people tell their stories and why particular songs are meaningful to them.
It is also a great idea I think for a NEXUS event to answer the question for yourself and then discuss with others.
It’s interesting because I make assumptions based on who is being interviewed about how superficial or deep I think an episode will be, but I am pretty much always surprised by the vulnerable sharing from the depths of a person’s inner life.
The three episodes I listened to most recently are:
- John Cooper Clarke – Mancunian ‘punk’ poet (no, not a pretend modern day punk, but an actual punk who opened gigs for the likes of the Buzzcocks & Sex Pistols with his spoken word!)
- Andrew Flintoff – former England cricket captain turned TV presenter
- Bob Mortimer – British comedian
The online archive contains over 2000 episodes dating back to 1942!
Who would you like to have a desert island disc conversation with?
What are your desert island discs and why?
Ju, Nov 2019
Photo by Hoodh Ahmed on Unsplash
(the photographer is in the small boat in the picture which was taken using a drone)
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Can´t wait to check it out. In my case, half of them might be from U2. They have been one of the more constant soundtracks to my life. Yes, I really am that mainstream but I find their lyrics challenging …nourishing? … in good ways. Then, maybe Rachmaninov’s 3rd, transports me. As for books, a fat illustrated volume on art that includes the 20th century. Luxury item…photos.
I’ve listened to two of the episodes and they are really interesting.
Thanks for the article 😀
It’s really amazing what it reveals about you depending on what songs you choose. I think I would go for songs that mark events in my life rather than just ‘good music’, because you could use them as an aural photograph to stimulate memories and feelings. I recently watched a documentary on people with dementia and they did MRI scans on their brains before and during listening to a piece of music. Before hand there were low signals in isolated areas, but during the music the brain lit up- it stimulated all kinds of areas- memory, senses, well being -it was incredible where it could reach, especially in a brain so damaged already.
for me…
1. A Love Supreme, John Coltrane
2. Live at the Plugged Nickel, Miles Davis
3. Kind of Blue, Miles Davis
4. Angel Song, Kenny Wheeler
5. B minor Mass, Johann Sebastian Bach
6. The Art of the Fugue, Johann Sebastian Bach
7. Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection”, Gustav Mahler
8. Be Still and Know, Sing Without Words
The first seven are timeless recordings of incredible works in which you can always find new undiscovered treasures, even after 10,000 listens. The last one is a recording I just made with my closest musical friends–I wouldn’t presume to put it in the same category, of course, but it captures the sound of our friendship, which is another inexhaustible treasure to me.