Music of my Life 16

If James Taylor's Gorilla is my 2nd Favourite album, this is at the top of the list,

Stevie Wonder hadn't made an album for a couple of years. And when I knew this one was coming I pre-ordered it at Jotchams Record Shop.

On the day of it's release, I headed to the shop to pick it up, A double album and a bonus EP to! I can remember getting home and placing side one on my trusty old Dansette.

The first 10 seconds was all I needed, I fell in love with this album way before 'Love's In Need Of Love Today' finished.

I was 16 and this album was like a spiritual experience as it went from song to song.

On the first album there was also 'Have A Talk With God', 'Village Ghetto Land', 'Contusion', 'Sir Duke', 'I Wish', 'Knocks Me Off My Feet', 'Summer Soft' and 'Ordinary Pain', How could this album get any better?

I slipped on the second album. 'What a song to kick it off. 'Isn't She Lovely,' and on into 'Joy Inside my Tears.' 'Black Man' was unlike anything else I'd ever heard!

And then side 4. For me, the best song of the album 'Nigiculela, Es Una Historia, I am Singing' led into the wonderful 'If It's Magic.' Then two monster songs, 'As' and 'Another Star' What a finish!

But it wasn't - there was 'A Something's Extra'! The EP.

'Saturn, Ebony Eyes,' 'All Day Sucker' and 'Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)' to finish it all off.

The first time I heard the album it became my favourite album. And over the years, my love for 'Songs In The Key Of Life' has never dimmed. Just Stunning!

Just play this - my favourite song on the album;.

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The Music of My Life #13

 I went to boarding school when I was 14. It's an experience I'd never want to repeat.

I was in a dormitory with loads of other boys my age and we all had our little areas about 6ft x 4ft. I had a single bed and a little wardrobe to put my belongings in. And a curtain you pulled across to make it into your own little room.

In between the two rows of beds along the walls of the dorm, there was a walkway around 3ft wide. And at the end of the hallway, there was a solitary 13am socket. Luckily, that socket was only about 15 ft away from my little area,

In my wardrobe along with my clothes, I'd brought my Dansette record player and a motley collection of records.

'Superbad' is to this day my favourite compilation album. 'Talking Book' although can be sad, was a comfort to me.

I'd get my record player out and plug it into the socket, place it on the floor and play my records.

Most of the time I'd be on my own, feeling totally homesick, missing my family. and I'd sometimes have a little sob session on my own.

Other times two or three other boys would be there and they'd have some records (once they knew I had a record player, they brought some of their records) that we'd play. Those were better times.

Even now, all these years later, I can remember how lonely it felt there. When Stevie sang "You and I, we can conquer the world" I knew he was singling about love, but to me it was about me and Stevie getting through another day until I had visitors, half term or the end of term.

These two albums helped me get through some of the loneliest periods of my young life.

Even now hearing 'Talking Book' takes me back to some of the hardest times of my life, and reminds me I got through it.

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