13 Songs

Seasoned readers will remember the High Fidelity-esque challenge foisted upon me after I acquired a mobile phone with MP3 capacity but tragically little of it; there was room for 21 songs - so what would they be?

In a similar spirit, here's a lucky 13 tracks I am liking right now. Because I know you love lists.

1. Green Fields - The Good , The Bad & The Queen (from The Good, The Bad & The Queen)

I wrote this song years ago

Late at night, somewhere on the Goldhawk Road

I was never sure how or why.

Before the war and the tidal wave engulfed us all, it's true

How the world has changed

And I was learning how to change with you

2. Teen Age Riot - Sonic Youth (from Daydream Nation)

1988 - ah what bliss it was to be alive at the very beginning of leftfield grunge...

3. E-Bow The Letter - R.E.M. (from New Adventures In Hi-Fi)

Patti Smith!

4. Wasted Little DJs - The View (from Hats Off To The Buskers)

Dundee's Arctic Monkeys. Kind of.

5. Primitive Painters - Felt (from Absolute Classic Masterpieces)

In which Felt's 'Lawrence', 80s indie auteur sina qua non, is joined on vocals by Ms Elizabeth 'Cocteau Twins' Fraser. Whom we rather like. Produced by Robin Guthrie too. Peel to the max!

6. 80s Life - The Good, The Bad & The Queen (from The Good, The Bad & The Queen)

Oh Lord can a stone be ballast for an aching soul?

7. Just Another Day - Brian Eno (from Just Another Day On Earth)

8. Trains To Brazil - Guillemots (from Through The Window Pane)

Was Richard Hawley robbed by Monkeys - or were they?

9. Word On A Wing (live) - David Bowie (from StationToStation - bonus tracks)

In this age of grand illusion you walked into my life out of my dreams

I don't need another change, still you forced a way into my scheme of things

Becoming, year-by-year, my favourite Bowie album.

10. Once I Was (live) - Tim Buckley (from Dream Letter - Live In London 1968)

Buckley pere shows us where the sprog got that 4 octave range from. Cracking live acoustic version of my favourite track from Hello & Goodbye.

11. Brompton Oratory - Nick Cave (from The Boatman's Call)

Stand-out track (from many) on an album of love songs done the Cave way (i.e. full of doubt, darkness, Jesus and the Devil).

12. Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming To The Canyon) - The Mamas & The Papas

Acknowledgements to An Aquarium Drunkard's 'LA Burnout' compilation - and RIP Denny Doherty, founder member and lead vocalist (November 29th 1940 - January 19th 2007).

13. Garlands - Cocteau Twins (from Garlands)

Chaplets see me drugged/I could die in your rosary

I hit 41, I go Gothish again. Weird. Their first album. Bassist Will Heggie, who left shortly afterwards, is very much in the Peter Hook school of doomy bottom end. Which is how it should be.

You must buy The Good, The Bad & The Queen NOW.

Trust me, it will be album of the year.