Me! Me!

Thanks to Michelle, I've squandered the last two hours or so thinking about and typing this, but what the hey, I'm a whore when it comes to talking about music I like. So here goes:

1. What's the total size of music files on your computer?
It's in a state of flux because I keep re-organising my files. My present computer is a paleolithic 5 years in age, and has a measly 9 GB of hard disk space. Most of what I have goes on to CD-Rs. But if you must nitpick, as of writing, it's about 1.5 GB of commercially available music, and another 1 GB of my own works-in-progress (before you fall out of your seat, my stuff takes up that much space because it's in .wav format).

2. What is the last CD you bought?
Hero Music by Leeson. It's a local outfit and I know one of their guitarists. I could've bought it direct from him for $2 less, but I figured the band would get a much bigger kick from hearing they actually sold a copy through the stores. Sad, but that's the Singapore indie scene for you!

3. What is the last song you listened to before you read this post?
Haha, it's actually one of my own. I'm working on beefing up "To Elizabeth", which I've been mentioning in various posts, so I'm listening to it repeatedly until I start imagining new parts going over it. That's how I often compose.

4. Name four songs that you listen to a lot or that mean a lot to you.

These four songs are all the latter, and, with the exception of the third one, are likely to remain in my top four for a long, long time.

"In My Life" by The Beatles
There are love songs and there are life songs, and then there is In My Life, which is both. To the casual listener, it may sound like a generic 60's pop ballad, but its lyrics carry the most measured, considered and life-affirming message I've ever heard. Even today, when I'm in the right mood, this song brings wetness to my eyes, and I'm not afraid to say that. My favourite song of all time.

"Summer on the Westhill" by Kings of Convenience
Perfectly crafted, poignant acoustic number about a train commuter's thoughts as he watches the landscape roll past him. The last great hangup in my life is that I've hardly had the chance to travel, much as I'd like to (I've been on a plane only four times, i.e. to two countries and back) yet periodically find myself in travel conversations in which I have nothing to contribute. I dream of the day I can sit in Eirik Glambek Boe's place and sing softly to myself "Now I know there is a world beyond / The small place I was coming from".

"Crazy For You" by Let Loose
It's 1994 again! All the cool kids in ACS(I) are sporting centre-parted long hair (long by secondary school standards) and are clad in baggy checked shirts with fitting white t-shirts underneath. One presses the 'play' button and suddenly, four of them are in a row, doing coordinated stylish moves like the 'running man' and the 'scissors'!
"Crazy For You" is, shamefully, my favourite boyband song for overwhelmingly sentimental reasons, plus the fact that it is really well arranged and produced. It is the definitive aural equivalent of a first crush, adrenaline, swooning and all. No other boyband song captures the feeling quite as well.

"Tomorrow Never Knows" by The Beatles
"What", you say. "Two Beatles songs in your top four??" In a sense, this isn't really a 'Beatles' song because it's a million miles from anything else they've done. It's so far out that my first listening of it on Paul Zach's Top 10 Pieces of Music from the Last Millenium special in 1999 made me go out and discover the band. And pick up a guitar. I can't say any more; you have to hear it for yourself. It's the last track on their Revolver album, and the thing to do while it's playing is to repeat to yourself, "this was made in 19 f***ing 66. This was really made in 19 f***ing 66!!"

5. Which three people are you passing the baton to and why?

Debbie, because she is uber arty and I'm uber curious.

I'll add another two shortly.