molly_issue29_winter_WEB

HOBBIES & ACTIVITIES
Christmas magic
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what christmas reay
means to me…
Amongst the reams of wrapping, endless mince
pies, Santa visits and restless nights, festive
music always plays a crucial part in everyone’s
Christmases. Here, Molly’s resident blogger
Desperate Dad, explains why it’s so important
to him and his family at this time of year…
Music has always been an integral
part of my life. I must have been
barely four-years-old when my dad
called me into the living room to
listen to a new record he’d been
raving about.
‘Just wait for the drums on this’,
he said excitedly as he sat me
down in front of his treasured hi-fi
system.
A tinny drum machine loop led into
a slow burning atmospheric vocal
with keyboards - pretty uninspiring
at first listen to be honest.
‘There aren’t any proper drums
on this rubbish’, I was thinking to
myself.
Then Phil Collins sang ‘it’s no
stranger to you and me’, and all
hell broke loose on my senses.
That iconic percussion solo on the
classic ‘In The Air Tonight’ hit me
for six and started a love affair with
music (and the drums) that is still
as passionate today as it ever was
in the early 80s.
It wasn’t long before my dad had
fashioned me a pair of primary
school drumsticks and I was
bashing the heck out of the sofa
arms to Madness and Muppet
LPs. I still maintain that the original
Muppet Movie soundtrack is one
of the best albums of all time.
As I grew up in the 80s I was
directly exposed to my parents’
eclectic tastes, from Frankie Goes
To Hollywood’s epic Welcome To
The Pleasure Dome - I was never
allowed to look at the pictures in
the gatefold vinyl - to my mum’s
classic Motown Jackson 5 LPs.
Later on I was introduced to
legendary rock giants including
Genesis, Marillion and Pink Floyd
- it was an extraordinary journey
of discovery. I also remember
exploring my new stepdad’s
stash of classic vinyl - excitedly
thumbing original albums from
Queen and Dire Straits, and
enjoying Jeff Wayne’s epic War Of
The Worlds time and time again.
But it was the compact disc
that was king in our house and
his impressive digital collection
was slowly assimilated into my
consciousness.
As I grew older I discovered Pearl
Jam, Nirvana, Guns N’Roses and
Metallica - these were my
bands and it was my time - the 90s
had never sounded so good.
I’m just about old enough to
remember cassette taping the
Sunday Top 40 - I deeply cared
about the changing chart positions
and who was going to be No.1 that
week.
In today’s downloadable, touchof-a-button,
on-the-go society,
no-one really seems to care who’s
topping the charts anymore - but
at this time of year it remains of
keen interest to me.
And at Christmastime, for just a
few short weeks, we all return to
the same batch of songs that are
rolled out time and time again
- without fail.
Some are classics in their
own right, others completely
forgettable, but they all take
someone back to a moment or
Christmas in time and evoke
memories that are impossible to
erase. Many of mine transport me
to special Christmas Eve nights at
home as a youngster, sitting with
my Gran choosing our favourite
festive tracks or dancing around
the living room with my zany uncle
Mike.
Indeed the battle for the Christmas
No.1 spot still seems fiercely
contested with each artist
desperately bidding to be the one
to enter the nation’s festive psyche
for a couple of weeks at the end of
the year.
This is reinforced by the fact that
Top Of The Pops still gets its
sole yearly outing as part of the
Christmas Day TV schedule. It’s
always a must watch in our house
along with the Queen (all rise)
before the big celebratory sit down
lunch.
The Christmas No.1s along with
the obligatory standards from
Bing, Slade, Wizzard and Wham!
(to name just a few), are the
soundtracks to all our holidays and
part of what I believe it’s really all
about.
So it’s here I proclaim to be
a deeply religious person, a
borderline fundamentalist and
someone who gives thanks and
praise on a daily basis - particularly
at this time of year.
It happens every time I turn on
the radio or fire up that Christmas
party playlist on my beloved,
memory squeezed iPod, with my
family gathered around me.
It was in the air that night Phil
Collins spoke so profoundly to
me with a flourish of his rhythm
sticks and will remain with me - in
my very fabric and being - as long
as any vociferous Birminghambased
glam rocker can holler ‘It’s
Christmas!’ at the top of his voice.
Merry Xmas Everybody!
48
Winter 2017