One of these Days….
What a difference a decade makes….
Please click on play NOW (!) before reading on….Don’t worry, you’re not on a wind farm, it’s a sound effect-they did that in the 70’s. I thought I would offer a soundtrack to my scribblings for a change, a bit like War of the Worlds! Actually, it’s a cunning plan to stop you from nodding off halfway through 
This is a story of man, machine and mountain. It’s 1996 and I am working and living in the Lake District. My life revolved around working, fishing, walking and drinking beer and I have to say it was pretty good. As much as I enjoyed my time there I still missed home, my family, friends and that particular part of England so it was always good to get the chance to get away and visit when I could.
In the early days I relied on British public transport, this was less than ideal, bloody awful in fact. But then I bought a car and my life changed. Living in the Lake District is no fun without a car and my 1989 Rover 213i complete with electric sunroof was ideal. I went everywhere in that car, my fishing possibilities took on another meaning and I would search out new tarns, rivers and lakes in search of elusive trout. There was a better gym that I could get to and antiquarian bookshops offered a respite from rainy days when I would otherwise be stuck in my staff room fresh from the set of Gullivers Travels.
I was one of the few chefs in our kitchen to own a car at that time so I was very popular on pay day for the beer run to the local off Licence (liqour store) where I would be renumerated with cans of Stones bitter. The in car stereo was a tape casette player, non of this CD interchanger stuff I’m spoilt with now. These were the days of tapes breaking in your car casette player whilst you were on the motorway and all of the tape would spew out onto the dashboard. I hated tapes with an unreserved passion. Despite the obvious flaws associated with in-car technology at that time there was little to beat driving through the Lake District listening to your favourite music. My favourites at the time included Chris Rea (essential summer listening) and jazz funk from the 70’s and 80’s, especially Donald Byrd, Gil Scott Heron, Lonnie Liston Smith and Stanley Clarke.
One tape I did like to play was ‘Meddle’ by Pink Floyd. It was a long album and perfect for the four hour drive back to my parents house. The best bit was when a track called ‘One of these Days’ which I hope you are listening to now, came on. It starts off slow and builds up to a blues slide guitar crescendo and I loved it. I used to try and time it so that when the fast part kicks in I would hit a certain part of the long road home because at that point I had left the Lakes and ‘home’ was my goal.
The route I took meant coming off a busy ‘A’ road and onto a series of country roads, to get to these you had to drive through a long and fairly steep incline road before it straightened out. I knew when this incline was about to be upon me and I always built up speed to tackle it but every time my car would die a death and I would end up on the edge of my seat, leant forward, willing the car on. Why I thought leaning forward would make the car go faster I’m not sure but it never worked.
I hated that stretch of road and years later I would tackle it in a rear wheeled turbo charged sports car which took that incline with consumate ease. The only problem was I never had ‘Meddle’ to listen to. Ten years later I would revisit that road in a somewhat different type of car all together, bigger, more powerful and this time I made sure I had ‘One of these Days’ on the interchanger to listen to as I approached it. I wanted to banish my demons, so to speak and do it with style. All within the law of course.
I saw that hill approach in the near distance, the road was very quiet, the weather perfect. I switched the car to sports mode and put my foot down whilst my head hit the head rest to the sound of David Gilmour. I miscalculated, 0-60 in under five seconds doesn’t fit in with a Pink Floyd track, I missed the crescendo by about five miles!! But never mind, I’d laid that particular ghost to rest, I’m not a fast driver, it’s not clever but on an empty road in the middle of nowhere I had to do it. What a difference a decade makes, the car has improved beyond imagination yet the music is still the same and just as good. Whoever designed this engine at AMG is a genius, no doubt but will this particular Mercedes still sell in numbers nearly forty years from now? I doubt it.
Now as I travel in comfort up, down, across and back again I look back on those days of cooking my backside off night after night, running after trains and into bars and I recall how happy I felt when that hill turned into a straight road and my car would regain consciousness and how this song would help carry me home. Music and straight roads, you can’t beat it.
If you have a favourite track to drive to or just one which holds a certain memory then let me know, I’ll stick it on here-but no Cliff Richard thankyou.
Miles
what a great idea with thebackground music whilst reading - never seen that before - well played - very original.
I actually have not had music my cars for about 20 years now !
The music I like makes for a dangerous driving style - I’ve always felt this a recently I saw research that proved the point.
I once did a friend a compilation disc of driving music for a trip up to the Faroe Islands (long way for those abroad) he played continually all the way there and back.
He still talks about it today and says it shaped his musical tastes forever.
I remember driving at over 130 mph in a 3.5 litre V8 I owned when I was 21 in the dark listening to Bonfire !
I always remember the rumbling V8 whenever I listen to Bonfire.
Nowadays as I say I don’t even have a radio never mind a CD autochanger that you can plug an iPod into
Cracking post
Rod
October 15, 2008 @ 8:02 am
What a great post.
There’s a whole genre of music that was made for fast cars and country roads - southern rock. The Allmans, Marshal Tucker Band, and the Outlaws have all been responsible for some of my more outrageous tickets. I don’t drive much anymore, but when I do it is usually longer (5+hr) trips and the right mix is essential. I completely agree with Rod. Punk, guitar rock, and industrial all make me more aggressive behind the wheel.
What are your favorite driving songs? You know - the ones that make you go just a little faster, grip the wheel with both hands and just enjoy the ride.
3 of mine:
Peace Frog - the Doors
5:15 - the Who
Dirty Movies - Van Halen
Now I want to go for a drive.
October 15, 2008 @ 12:35 pm
Rod,
Thanks, I was hoping to time the track with the music but my viewers are an intelligent lot and like the car I drove will have long finished before Gilmour speeds up!!
Miles
ps Bonfire were pretty awesome
October 15, 2008 @ 5:17 pm
Dave,
Thanks for that, Southern Rock is known in the UK for one Allman Brothers track and Freebird which is a shame. Today’s motorway listening consisted of Chris Rea, The Scorpions, Robert Plant & Jimmy Page, Black Crowes & Jimmy Page, UFO and a fine pnk/metal band from the ealy eighties called TANK.
Favourite driving songs? I should do a post on that-than for the tip
Miles
October 15, 2008 @ 5:22 pm
Miles,
I’ll go for Chris Rea…. any track, your choice…. not ‘on the beach’ though in this weather
Interesting comments from the boys…. doesn’t anybody do relaxing/soothing or must it be music to speed by?
Cid
October 15, 2008 @ 5:39 pm
Cid,
Threre are far too many to choose from but ‘Auf immer und ewig’ is pretty good.
Miles
October 15, 2008 @ 8:46 pm
If you will put together a list of Chris Rea stuff ( I only know Road to Hell - one more than most Americans), I will put together a list of great Southern Rock tunes. There is a lot of crap in he genre, but the good stuff is truly exceptional. Youtube ” Whipping Post” , close your eyes, and imagine being behind the wheel - Your grip gets tighter and your foot heavier. Great stuff. I look forward to listening to stuff that never made it over here. Amazing how much our countries share and yet keep some of the best parts to ourselves.
October 16, 2008 @ 2:50 am
Rod,
130!! Holy Crap!. I used to go to a street legal track and never hit 130. Backroads I think my best was 115 - many, many years ago - it cost me a weekend in jail. You’re sick!
October 16, 2008 @ 4:13 am
Dave,
Chris Rea really is a fantastic singer-songwriter and in the early days he was very much influenced by American songwriters. Now he has turned his back on mainstream music and plays American and Celtic blues, he has recorded some outstanding stuff from the Chicago and Delta areas/periods which I’m sure you would love.
His lyric writing never received the credit it truly deserved.
I’ll post a list asap.
I need to check out the Doors and Who track you mention, two bands I love but I can’t recall those two.
Regards
Miles
October 16, 2008 @ 6:42 am
Dave
there’s no point having it if you’re not going to use it !
I’m older and wiser now !
Cheers
Rod
October 16, 2008 @ 7:23 am
Miles,
.
.
A great post and the music with it! You mention “Auf immer auf ewig” , I only know that as part of the “Halleluja” - not a bad track either
A friend of mine gave me a tape from the golden Fiftees! I could not believe the old songs I remembered from childhood and sang along on a motorway. Noone in your audience will remember those days
I sing songs in my head when power walking. It drives you on and stops any monotony.
Elsie
October 16, 2008 @ 1:05 pm
Elsie,
If Bill Hayley rocks your boat then who am I to argue
Welcome back!
Miles
October 16, 2008 @ 10:02 pm
Miles,
I was more thinking along the Haendel version
Elsie
October 17, 2008 @ 9:07 am