Music is my radar
Published on 17/02/2007
Last week, I announced I would have begun to talk more about myself. Today, actually, I need your help, my beloved readers, for something rather personal.
Here's the problem. This is my MP3 player: it's not an iPod and (to answer your question), I don't want you to buy me a new one.
Up to 1 GB of music can be stored in it. Moreover, it's also a radio and can serve as a normal pen drive.
It's cheap and brilliant and is everything I look for in a music player.
Now, however, there is a big problem: my MP3 files have become boring.
After a year, during which I haven't added very much to my playlist (which is, of course, bigger than the gigabyte I can place in the player), I'm at the point where you constantly change track, in the hopeless quest for something you didn't remember you uploaded.
Right now, the only things I can, sometimes, bare to listen, without feeling the need to change track, are: Charlotte Gainsburg's latest album, the Who's "Tommy", the Interpol, The Strokes' latest album and Oasis' "Familiar to Millions" (which, sadly, has been their last good album).
But, little by little, they, too, have become annoying.
Unfortunately, these days I'm studying for the exam of pharmacology, so, I don't have much time to think about new stuff that deserves to be stored in my player.
So, I'm basically asking YOU to tell me what, in your opinion, can't miss in the MP3 player of a (proper pharmaceutical) chemist.
Either songs or entire albums.
In particular, what you think to be the best choice for when I cycle to only place where you can study in the night, in this sleepy town (namely, at the local university hospital) and back.
As I do rather often in this period (including yesterday and tonight).
I like Goldberg Variations, the old recording of Glen Gould from 50s. Also the Gregorian Chant can be soothing when played very quietly. You see, after one year at Celera Genomics medicnal chemistry my nerves are fried like a Kentucky chicken and the unobtrusive piano pieces or quietly chanting monks is all I can handle.
Do you know the song "un chimico" by Fabrizio de Andr?? It's sort of funny...I think every (italian) chemist should know this song.
It's on my hard disk, of course.
Yes, I think I should upload it again.
Hi Albert, I am a big fan of your blog. I am a medicinal chemist at hart but always seem to end up doing synthetic organic methodology work of some sort. Anyway, enough moaning. Go to http://stereotopic.blogspot.com/ and check out my selection of 2006 top albums. You are going to love Bonobo man. D!
I recommend The Mars Volta, or At The Drive-In if you've got a shorter musical attention span! Any Mars Volta album is good but best to start on the first album, Deloused In The Comatorium. For At The Drive-In, I'd say best go with Relationship Of Command.
Artist - Song:
1) Black Heart Procession - It's a Crime (I Never Told You About the Diamonds in Your Eyes)
2) Grizzly Bear - Knife
3) TV on the Radio - Wolf Like Me
4) Chemicall Brothers - Hold Tight London
Enjoy!!!
I would suggest "Sunday Morning" -Velvet Underground- by being a bit obvious, hope you don't mind my lack of imagination :)
it's a gorgeous Sunday morning just now (well, almost noon!), thats just the perfect song to wake up (and considering that the Velvet Underground were constantly under drugs, I guess it can be a perfect match with your beloved pharma chem thoughts!)
see you around and take care!
>chiara
I know well that building (S.Orsola hospital, wing 5, my best friend got hospitalized there several months), but I couldn't imagine that you could study there until late night.
What about music... I guess you already solved your problem, but good music never comes too late. Try out Battles' EPs and first album 'Mirrored', they're probably the most interesting band emerged in the last 2 years; the Editors' new album is astonishing as well.