From fleetfootmike, a little music meme...



Of all the bands/artists in your cd/record collection, which one do you own the most albums by?
Frank Zappa. Over 70 albums, and probably about 4 times as many as the next competitor (Miles Davis, I think).

What was the last song you listened to (voluntarily)?
Scott Walker - 'Come Next Spring'. I'd never knowingly heard any Scott Walker until today, but a friend sent me a copy of 'Scott 2', which is great. Neil Hannon suddenly sounds a lot less original... ;-)

What's on your record player right now?
I don't have a record player. The upstairs MD player still contains the Scott Walker album. Both CD players are empty.

What song would you say sums you up?
Lyrically? No idea. Musically... Frank Zappa, 'The Adventures of Greggary Peccary'

What's your favourite local band?
In these days of easy global communication, I'm ashamed to say I don't know many local bands. The Cardiacs stand out as one of SW London's finest exports, though.

What was the last show you attended?
Hmm... it hasn't been a very giggy year, for some reason... it must be about 4 months since I went to a rock gig. The last musical event I attended was Prom 50 (Aug 23)... Glinka/Prokofiev/Tchaikovsky.

What was the greatest show you've ever been to?
Impossible to say, but some of the Flaming Lips' 1998-2000 gigs would be in the list, along with the first night of Brian Wilson's SMiLE tour.

What's the shittiest band you've ever seen in concert?
Thankfully I barely noticed any of Meatloaf's performance at the Knebworth festival back when I was 16. I did manage to sit through 45 minutes of Bis (supporting Arab Strap) a couple of years ago, though.

What band do you love musically but hate the members of?
Haven't met enough to form an opinion, but I think a meeting with the Beatles would have left me with the urge to punch John Lennon...

What is the most musically involved you have ever been?
I wrote a guitar tuition book back in 1998, which included a CD. On the CD were "in the style of" pieces, demonstrating the stylistic traits of 24 famous players. The weeks before I recorded that CD involved quite a bit of practising... ;-)

What show are you looking forward to?
None at the moment... I'm not aware of any upcoming tours I'm interested in.

What is your favourite band shirt?
They're all a waste of money. I buy them from time to time, but they're shit.

What musician would you like to hang out with for a day?
Hmm... they're only normal people like you and me. It's always going to be disappointing. However, I'd love to be a fly on the wall in the studio while any number of fantastic musicians were recording and creating. Mike Keneally, especially, would be a real treat to watch at work.

What musician would you like to hump for a day?
Mmm... Miss Valance... they're calling you a "musician" now, you know...

Sabbath or solo Ozzy?
Sabbath, no question. And only the first five albums.

Commodores or solo Lionel Richie?
Dunno. I suspect neither.

What was the greatest decade for music?
This one. Every decade has lots of good music, but the longer time goes on, the larger the back catalogue becomes!

How many music-related videos/dvds do you own?
Probably less than 20. The ones I'll keep are probably all Zappa; the rest will end up on Ebay. I don't really enjoy music via the TV.

What is your favourite movie soundtrack?
Blimey... I tend not to think of soundtracks in isolation; they're just a part of the overall film experience to me. Probably Louis Malle's "Lift to the Scaffold" (music by Miles Davis) because it's the only soundtrack album I regularly listen to.

What's the crappiest CD/record/etc you've ever bought?
Many, many misguided purchases... the worst ones are when a cherished band takes a turn for the worst. Metallica's "Load", SRV's live album, the second albums by countless mid-90s Britpop talents...

Do you prefer vinyl or CDs?
It's about 9 years since I had the facility to use vinyl. CD works well for me.

All totalled, how much do you spend on music in a month?
Including concerts? On average, about £100

Last album you paid money for?
Brian Wilson, "SMiLE", five days ago.

Band you'd most like to see / have seen?
Frank Zappa, any time between 1966 and 1974