MUSIC THERAPY
Music can play a vital role in mental wellbeing. We all have a favourite musical genre or an ever-changing list of songs in the playlists on our phones. Music stimulates a basic emotional response, instantly lifting our moods, stimulating positive changes in outlook. Can you imagine a world without music? When I was suffering from depression, one symptom was a complete loss of interest in the vinyl collection I'd accumulated since buying my first single in 1975 (Seven Seas of Rhye by Queen.) But just as the dust gathering on my turntable was a surefire indicator of my illness, rediscovering my love of music was an integral part of my recovery.
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Top 5 songs influencing my childhood and adolescenceFrom hearing the The Beatles 'Yellow Submarine' blaring from the radio, aged 6, to the time the Sex Pistols jolted my 15-year-old sonic tastebuds, I've picked five songs that influenced how my musical tastes evolved.
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random alphabet:
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DAVE GREENFIELD, KEYBOARD WIZARD - END OF THE SPELLSRemembering Dave Greenfield, the keyboard maestro of The Stranglers, one of my favourite bands for over 40 years.
... He would often conclude an elaborate solo one-handed while polishing off a drink. That seemed to summarise Greenfield: a dazzlingly multi-talented musician with a self-deprecating glint in his eye ... |
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why rock aristocrats are dead as the romanovs.. Youngsters in the late 70s (myself included) latched onto punk because the ‘old wave’ of rock bands had become so self-indulgent. The guitar and drum solos meandered endlessly and the lyrics were sub-Tolkien gibberish ...
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KILLING JOKE: pssychosis!Killing Joke are a seminal post-punk band. My own band were named after one of their lyrics. I first saw them in Edinburgh in 1980, but when they played Glasgow 28 years later, this was no tired nostalgia.
... In 1980 they were phenomenal: unique, vital. Against all those jangly guitars that sprouted in punk’s wake they stood out like an apocalyptic sore thumb ... |
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I got a feeling inside of me,
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REVIEWS FROM LOUDER THAN WAR |
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(Gig) The Stranglers, Edinburgh Picture House, 1/3/13
With such an awesome back-catalogue, not to mention recently-penned songs that are up there with anything they’ve released, their biggest headache must be deciding the set list. Read on ->
(Album) Wire, Change Becomes Us, 3/4/13
Luscious pop melds with ambient soundscapes and post-punk outbursts. They have always been masters of catchy song writing. Map Reference contains more hooks in 3 minutes 41 seconds than most bands manage in a career. Read on ->
(Opinion) There is no golden age of rock n roll, 23/8/13
Going back to my own youth, the most exciting aspect of punk was its refusal to stagnate. It was all about encouraging people to make their own statements and experiment musically. Unfortunately self-parody quickly crept in. Read on ->
(Gig) Wire, King Tut's, Glasgow, 27/4/15
Wire came to prominence during the original wave of punk, but even then they were gloriously insular. Consistently interesting and arresting, their most recent releases have been amongst their most satisfying listens. Read on ->
With such an awesome back-catalogue, not to mention recently-penned songs that are up there with anything they’ve released, their biggest headache must be deciding the set list. Read on ->
(Album) Wire, Change Becomes Us, 3/4/13
Luscious pop melds with ambient soundscapes and post-punk outbursts. They have always been masters of catchy song writing. Map Reference contains more hooks in 3 minutes 41 seconds than most bands manage in a career. Read on ->
(Opinion) There is no golden age of rock n roll, 23/8/13
Going back to my own youth, the most exciting aspect of punk was its refusal to stagnate. It was all about encouraging people to make their own statements and experiment musically. Unfortunately self-parody quickly crept in. Read on ->
(Gig) Wire, King Tut's, Glasgow, 27/4/15
Wire came to prominence during the original wave of punk, but even then they were gloriously insular. Consistently interesting and arresting, their most recent releases have been amongst their most satisfying listens. Read on ->
