As time flies by

[peterbirks]

Forget the 20th anniversary of Live Aid (although I was interested to see a phone poll on "The Wright Stuff" this morning had 55% of voters saying that there shouldn't be another Live Aid concert — a figure that clearly discomforted Emma B, to whom it hadn't occurred that sometimes it's best to call it a day). But forget that. The only musical anniversary worth remembering is that it is the 30th anniversary of the recording of Born To Run.

Now, I'm ancient. I can't even remember the first time that I heard this song, although I suspect it would have been in some room in Keynes College. But it can still have an impact. It's still the best song to keep me going on the treadmill.

So, what I wonder is, does this song still have an impact on people when they first hear it? Do young people (and there are plenty of them at the Springsteen concerts) remember the first time they came across the Springsteen canon?

Of course, for them, it will be different, since Born To Run (the album) was my first awareness of Springsteen, full stop. I guess that there is a good chance that people would only come to Born To Run these days after hearing other Springsteen songs first.

It's curious, but I have little recollection of the first time that I heard songs. I remember the first time that I heard Bat Out of Hell. I remember God Save The Queen. I remember Atmosphere. And, curiously, I remember She Loves You. But that isn't that many.

Comments

Re: Curved Air

[(Anonymous)]

Hm, I wonder what makes you think I wasn't under the influence of marijuana in 1973? (Just kidding...)

The Curved Air musicians were classically trained and could write music, which I suppose made them a bit different from the average rock group. I've never been keen on their other albums, but I still like the Second Album, which just happened to work. The main thing wrong with it now is that Sonja Kristina's vocals lack spontaneity, they're too mannered and well rehearsed. Probably the musicians coached her through every note. The songs are rather difficult to sing and she did well to get through them at all, but nevertheless she's the main problem -- ironic because she was the only common factor in the various lineups of the group.

-- Jonathan, near Barcelona

Re: Curved Air

[(Anonymous)]

And for me, Curved Air are definitely in the category, "Liked them at the time, (Hell, paid to see them), but sadly disappointed when I went back 25 years later". Along with an awful lot of Yes. But "Ultravivaldi" still works for me.
John in Salzgitter

Re: Curved Air

[(Anonymous)]

Someone else at the office was talking about Curved Air recently (he has a copy of the world's first coloured/printed on vinyl that was Air Conditioning - the first album. We were really trying to find out what Francis Monkman has been doing (since Sky) and found he has his own website and is just noodling away, doing TV program music, whilst there is a Curved Air website as well.

http://www.afkm.com/ is a sad site, not updated since 2003 and carrying the thoughts that if you want to hear what's he's doing, just send him a CD-R and he'll burn a copy for you.

http://www.curvedair.com is a lot slicker and updates everyone else.