Top 5 Songs about Trains

My Sunday mornings have tended of late to take a pleasant yet predictable routine. Mrs Top5 gets up horribly early and heads out for a lengthy training session in preperation for the 26.2 mile MoonWalk in May. I eventually rouse myself and endeavour to get myself and the boys fed, showered and dressed before her return. Mrs Top5 has a brief stop to top up on fluids before taking the boys rowing leaving me to cook the roast and listen to Cerys Matthews on BBC 6music.

Cerys' show is a fabulous mix of music, poetry, recipes and chat. The perfect soundtrack to an easy Sunday morning. Last week the theme was trains and vibrophones. I didn't do too well on the vibrophone front but there are a lot of songs about trains. Inevitably I spent the week putting together a top five.

Here's a Spotify playlist with my full list of contenders

1. Locomotive Breath Jethro Tull - Tull at their early seventies peak. Locomotive Breath is ostensibly about someone mentally falling apart and the song features a driving rythm and Ian Anderson's trademark "breathy" flute to create the impression of a train wreck in progress.

2. Train from Kansas City The Shangri-Las - Sixties "bad-girl" pop group from Queen's in New Yawk most famous for The Leader Of The Pack. This is a less well known b-side that I first heard performed by Neko Case live at the Wedgewood Rooms last year.

3. Downtown Train Tom Waits - Trying hard to think of a better way of describing Tom Waits other than "gravel voiced". Failing. You may recognise the lyrics more than the tune due to it being a fairly massive hit for Rod Stewart. A number of other artists have also done versions but this is the gravel voiced original.

4. Late for the Train Buzzcocks - Closing track from the band's second album demonstrates the power of a good instrumental. It brilliantly conjures a vision of the dash to catch the last train. Not sure if this is an age thing but I'm finding I enjoy lyric-free music more and more. The next step may well be a subscription to Gramophone magazine and an emerging interest in the classics.

5. Slow Train Status Quo - It's rare I give in to my undying love of The Quo and let them feature in a top five. This may well be my favourite Quo song of all time. Certainly it would be a strong contender for my Desert Island Disks managing, as it does, to cram everything I love about Quo into one song. The trademark three chord riff, some grungy telecaster bursts from Parfitt, a twiddly bit from Rossi about half way through and a pogo-perfect time signature (with a couple of slow bits to get your breath back).

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Top 5 Movie Soundtracks that are also great Albums

... and from movie posters my mind inevitably wandered onto movie soundtracks. This top five came together quite quickly but I was slightly surprised to find it didn't include any John Barry, Ennio Morricone or Lalo Schaflin. That got me thinking about what I liked about these collections and I figured, for the most part, these are great song collections that work as albums on their own merit. However much I enjoy Barry, Morricone & Schaflin, I can't say I'd play a complete film score very often. Hence the title.

1. The Blues Brothers - Storming collection of blues and soul that ignited my interest in the era it originated from. The band, formed by some of the best session musicians from the glory days of Stax and MoTown, rip through these classic standards. Ackroyd & Belushi may not have the voices as good as the artists that recorded the originals but they're clearly having a lot of fun.

2. Pulp Fiction - A typically eclectic selection of tracks, compiled by my favourite director. Veering from the surf rock of Dick Dale's "Miserlou" to the perfect pop of Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man" and interspersed with some brilliant Tarantino dialogue. Quentin can certainly pick a tune.

3. Paris, Texas - Slightly disproving my comment about "film scores" Ry Cooder's subtle and downbeat soundtrack to Wim Wender's movie of the same name is never the less a stunning piece of music. It's ingrained into the very fabric of the film to the extent that I cannot picture a scene from the film without hearing a haunting melody from the soundtrack.

4. Footloose - Hmm. How to explain this to people that know my taste in music. I think both the film and soundtrack capture a moment in time that I remember very fondly. This would have been around the time I was taking my O-Levels. My tastes in music were expanding in all sorts of directions and the best known tracks were played on radio a lot while I was failing to revise. Still enjoy the way these songs can take me back in time. Let's hear it for the boy-oy-oy!

5. American Werewolf in London - Another fiddle if I'm honest. I haven't got this album and have struggled to even confirm what was on the original release. Elmer Bernstein composed an original score but it was the use of various moon referencing pop hits that makes it work. At least three versions of "Blue Moon", Van Morrison's "Moondance", Cat Steven's "Moonshadow" and best of all Creedance Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising". Would have been even better had they decided to include Warren Zevon's excellent "Werewolves of London".

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Top 5 Movie Posters

Felt I'd been banging on about music quite a bit this year and it was time for a change of topic. I started off trying to piece together my top five movie trilogies but gave up having found that there are very few examples with three consistently good films. In fact are there any? Ideas on a postcard please. However, that set me off on an alternative tack into the wonderful art of movie posters.

1. Star Wars - This might not be technically the best in my top five but for what it meant to me as a nine year old it has to be number one. Like the cover to a cheap fifties sci-fi novel it suggests so much in one picture, summing up all that was brilliant about the film in one image. The hero looks nothing like Mark Hammil, the heroine, with due respect to Carrie Fisher, looks sexier than the reality. The Death Star hangs in the sky ominously with X-Wing fighters streaming towards it. Above all though is the face of Darth Vader. A visual that clearly shows a villian like none that had gone before. Star Wars had a huge impact on me marking the point between be taken to the cinema to see Walt Disney cartoons, and becoming aware of what was on and what I wanted to see. Christmas that year I got a duvet and pillow case set with the same picture on it. Classic.

2. Vertigo - Stylish design that defines the crime film image. The font, the spirograph graphics, the man & woman fighting or dancing. They give very little away yet still manage to convey the nature of the film perfectly. A template for crime mystery movies ever since.

3. Pulp Fiction - Another 50s inspiration. Uma Thurman oozes mystery and sex appeal whilst the creases and pulp crime novel design elements tell you all you need to know about the movie.

4. Metropolis - Stunning image for this landmark 1927 film.

5. Rosemary's Baby - Sparse and slightly disturbing picture that again perfectly captures the feel of the film.

If you enjoy this sort of thing check out this impressive list of the 100 greatest movie posters.

Top 5 White Stripes songs

Hot on the heals of John Barry's passing was the news that The White Stripes had decided to officially split up. Not quite such earth shattering news but The White Stripes meant quite a lot to me for a few years. The announcement seemed a bit of an odd thing to do. They hadn't put an album out for four years (hadn't put a good album out for even longer), they haven't fallen out (there's only two in the band) and Jack's already involved in all sorts of other projects. Either way it seemed like an opportunity for me to revisit the bands back catalogue and remind myself why I loved them in the first place.

1. Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground (from White Blood Cells)



2. Fell In Love With A Girl (from White Blood Cells)



3. Seven Nation Army (from Elephant)



4. Hello Operator (from De Stijl)



5. You're Pretty Good Looking (For a Girl) (from De Stijl)



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Top 5 John Barry compositions

I was very sad to hear the news that John Barry had passed away. His music played a huge part in the films I enjoyed growing up, and so many of those themes bring back wonderful images of some of my favourite movies. Bond gave me my first taste of John Barry and I have already done a Bond Theme top five, but his collection of work is much greater than just soundtracking our favourite British Spy.

If you want to pick up a complete collection of his very best work I can highly recommend Themeology. That is an album I've played an awful lot and at £3.99 is a bit of a bargain. If you've got more cash to spare then try Thempendium which is a fairly exhaustive four CD box set.

It's really tough to put the five tracks I've selected into order and I really think any one of these could be in top position and I'd still be happy. Have to stick to my own rules though so this is what I think right now.

1. Theme from The Persuaders - Spine tingling intro to the seventies crime series starring Roger Moore and Tony Curtis.



2. The James Bond Theme - A monster of a tune that whatever Barry's role in its creation (Officially a Monty Norman composition arranged by JB) defined the sound of nearly all the Bond music that followed.



3. Midnight Cowboy - Haunting harmonica driven tune that provides the melancholy backing to the latter part of the film.



4. Main Title Theme from The Ipcress File - Intertwines perfectly with the sounds of Harry Palmer in the kitchen as he makes coffe and gets ready for the day.



5. We Have All The Time In The World - One of my all time favourite songs.



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Guest Top 5: Dan Whaley's Top 5 Dutch Artists

One of my New Year resolutions was to spend less time on the PC. That means getting a weekly top five out is going to be a little harder. So, as a way to fill in the gaps and also freshen up the blog a bit I thought I'd invite a few friends (and top five followers) to contribute the occasional guest top five. There's an open invite in fact. If you read the blog and fancy sharing your own top five (the more obscure the better) drop me a line and let me know. Also if you have you own opinion about any of the top fives I've published feel free to share this with me via the comments.

The inaugral guest top five is a suitably provided by the person who is largely responsible for me "coming out" as a listaholic. Dan Whaley was one of the founding members of the Charles Napiers (my favourite Mondo Wray instrumental band) and currently plays guitar, bass or ukelele in at least six different bands. As co-ordinator of the PRS focus group he gave me my first break in competitive top fiving. Here's Dan's list of favourite Dutch artists.

1) Piet Mondriaan

It was the Mondriaan-styled drumkit and shirt Alec Palao bashed and sported in The Sting Rays that first introduced me to this fantastic artist. His series of black line/primary colour square paintings from the 1920s are so incredibly visually powerful (and years ahead of their time). When I lived in Amsterdam, there was a Mondriaan-styled houseboat moored round the corner from my flat - Really, who wouldn't want to live in this?

2) M.C. Escher

As a child I used to spend most of December recreating this Escher self portrait with a bauble.

3) Theo van Doesburg

Not a million miles from Mondriaan...

4) Hieronymus Bosch

"You can take them flowers and shove 'em up your arse"

5) Herman Brood

Not that I knew it at the time, but apparently the night before Brood committed suicide he was sitting next to me and my mate Pete in a bar in Amsterdam. Could our inane conversation have been the last straw that led to him jumping off the roof of the Hilton? I do sincerely hope not.

Top 5 Events of 2010

One final post to wrap up my review of 2010. Another year bites the dust and I feel I didn't quite manage to do all that I ought to. One of those things was writing a meaningful message in our Christmas Cards to those friends and family we don't see very often. Mrs Chopper is always very efficient with the card writing and this year (partly due to being off with a poorly child) had them done before the close of November. I was left with the few cards she felt I needed to write but faced with a blank card and the pressure of a large pile of seasonal stamps resorted, as usual, to the standard platitudes. I considered doing a late family newsletter but as the weeks went by that seemed a bit irrelevant too. Best stick to what I do best then a write a Top five instead. If you know me and I haven't seen you for a while this is what we've been up to. I hope all is well with your family too!

1. Fulham in Hamburg (May) - The early part of the year was undoubtedly dominated by European football. Fulham don't have a great history of this sort of thing so I was determined to make the most of our moment. I'd been to Rome in November 2009 and was happy to see my team play in a major European stadium (even if we did lose). I wasn't expecting another opportunity but a remarkable run of results (beating defacto cup holders Shaktar Donetsk, Italian giants Juventus, German champs Wolfsberg and host side Hamburg) saw us reach the final. This was the biggest game the club have played since the '75 F.A. Cup Final and I am lucky enough to have a very understanding wife. My friend Mark and I arrived in Hamburg around 8:00, had a good morning doing the tourist thing, then an even better afternoon getting drunk with Fulham fans in Hans Albertz Plaz (a small square just off the Reeperbahn). The game was a blur, we played valiantly but lost 2-1 to Atletico Madrid. We flew home the same night, it was a long and slightly sad journey but with hindsight a brilliant day and the highpoint of my football supporting life.

2. Ben wins at the Sunbury Regatta (August) - My eldest son has been rowing since he was seven. He's quite tall for his age (something he clearly doesn't get from me) and really loves the sport. He's been entering the Sunbury Junior regatta every year since he started. The first year he won a trophy for being the youngest competitor. The second year he won the Sportsman's trophy for being enthusiastic and helping the organiser's out with getting the boats ready. Last year he didn't win anything and was a bit upset about it. They had an Olympic Rower present the prizes and she made a speech about how she had competed at the Regatta and been upset about not winning, so she worked really hard and trained a lot and came back the following year and won. Ben was very determined this year and although he lost out in the early rounds of the singles events he finally won his first Sunbury Pot claiming the trophy for the Junior Double Sculls with his partner Zak. Very proud Dad moment.

3. Holiday in Cornwall (June) - As a family we're definitely creatures of habit. We've been going down to Cornwall for our annual holiday for the best part of 10 years now. There are so many new places I'd love to see but timing and money tend to get in the way. Going to Cornwall is easy and we love it. This year was particularly good as the weather held out all week and we were able to spend most of it on the beach near Rock. Met up with our friends from Shepperton, so the boys had people to play with. Managed to cycle part of the Camel Trail from Wadebridge to Padstow (i.e the flat bit), so that we felt we'd done our active bit. I even fitted in a visit to the Sharp's Brewery to pick up some cheap Doombar. Perfect.

4. George at Beaver's camp (November) - George finally started Beaver's in September after what seemed like a very long wait. He isn't as active as Ben (definitely taking after me there) but was keen to go and has really enjoyed it ever since. In November they had their first overnight camp since he started and despite the fact he'd never stayed away from home before really wanted to go. Your kids never fail to surprise you in what they can do. He had a brilliant time and it was lovely to see him happy and mucking about with his friends when we collected him the next day.

5. Lahori Curry (Jan - April) - Work played a fairly big role in my year. I was involved in two fairly lengthy periods of system upgrading, learnt a lot as we did them and made some new friends. Works a bit boring to include in a top five though so the lasting legacy of all this effort was the discovery of the Lahori Karahi restaurant in Feltham. Absolutely the best curry I have eaten anywhere and a popular lunch time venue when we were working our hardest.

In other news we bought a car, survived the secondary school selection process, Jane started running and generally getting fit, I made a bit of a break through with my achilles injury, and we all had a couple of very pleasant days out at Leeds Castle and Whipsnade Zoo.

Top 5 Books I read in 2010

Another great year of reading. I didn't manage quite as many as 2009 but read a lot of wonderful books both contemporary and classic.

1. Cormac McCarthy "No Country for Old Men" - Reading the book helped me understand the film, and re-watching the film helped me understand the book.

2. Christopher Brookmyre "A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil" - Well structured crime novel that intertwines a murder investigation with the story of the characters growing up together from primary school to adult life. Brookmyre's black humour never far from the surface.

3. Andrew Collins "Still Suitable for Miners - Billy Bragg" - Biography of the "eighties protest singer" which proves he is actually so much more. Fascinating mix of music and political history. Bragg appears to be a genuinely nice bloke who has achieved the right balance between success and happiness.

4. David Peace "The Damned United" - Having failed to catch the film last year I thought I might as well read the novel before watching the DVD. Whatever the rights and wrongs of Peace's fictionalisation of real events it's Clough's personality that shines through and helps create a story as entertaining as his football teams.

5. Michael Morpurgo "War Horse" - Saved me from deciding which one of Chandler's "The High Window" or Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon" I was going to have to leave out. "War Horse" is a moving tale of a horse sold to the British Army, during the first world war, and sent to the support the effort on the western front. Very well written story that captures the futility of war whilst maintaining a feeling of optimism for the future. A children's book that deserves much broader recognition.

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Top 5 Gigs of 2010

A cracking year for gigs. Plenty of contenders for the top five and a couple of enjoyable nights watching bands of my friends (here & here).

1. youthmovies at The Borderline (26th March) - Second to last gig ever and final London appearance by the sadly overlooked Oxford based uncategorizable combo. A really special night in which they played just about everything I could have asked for. Support from Adam Gnade was excellent too.
Picture courtesy of Drowned In Sound.

2. Les Savy Fav at The Electric Ballroom (22nd November) - Second gig of the year at the Electric Ballroom. A Silver Mount Zion were a little under par, in March, but Les Savy Fav were absolutely mental. Lead singer, Tim Harrington, spent most of the night in the audience (par for the course for LSF) whilst the band played as tight a set as you could possibly ask for.

3. Japandroids at The ICA (23rd February) - First of two trips to see Japandroids who totally rip it up on stage. Crowd reaction was a little disappointing, possibly due to a "too cool for school" scenester crowd. Saw them do a similar show at the Garage in May in which the crowd got a little more involved but the band energy at the ICA made for a stunning night.
Picture courtesy of catgirl at SongKick.

4. Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan at The Barbican (10th September) - After a number of sweaty "jumping up and down" style gigs it was quite pleasant to see a more sedate sit down show. I'd been wanting to see Isobel & Mark for a while and they didn't disappoint. Very little interaction with the audience (none at all from Mr Lanegan) but a brilliant set of songs taken from all three albums. Willy Mason supported and came on mid-way through the main set to do a couple of numbers with Isobel.

5. The Godfathers at The 100 Club (17th June) - Close run thing between the Godfathers and Arcade Fire at the O2 for the final place. This was a celebration of the Godfathers 25th anniversary and a chance to see them in a great venue. Having seen them a few times recently I probably wouldn't have bothered otherwise but it turned out to be a cracking show and one of the best I've seen them do.
Picture courtesy of Daniel Luis Garcia at Flickr

Check out this summary of my gig year from the good folk at SongKick.

Top 5 Songs of 2010

My favourite songs of the year.

If you have Spotify there's a playlist of the contenders. HTTP version here or Spotify URI here. Not sure how well either will work but one of them should do the trick.

1. "You Won't Let Me Down Again" Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Isobel and Mark pull off the Album and Song double. There's a proper video which I can't embed here.



2. "Shoot First" Jim Jones Revue - The loudest band in the world returned with a second album as ear splittingly brilliant as their first.



3. "Art Czars" Japandroids - The 'Droids released a series of 7" singles spread over the year and this was the first. A spikey punk blast that has been a highlight of their live set this year.



4. "Let's Get Out Of Here" Les Savy Fav - Their album didn't do much for me on first few listens, but an electric live performance at the similarly named Ballroom in Camden brought the songs to life. This one's my favourite.



5. "Drunk Girls" LCD Soundsystem - Stupidly simple song and probably the first single that caught my attention this year.



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