It comes and goes so fast. One minute you are thinking how your trip seems so very far away, and the next minute, you are back from all your travels, and back into the swing of your every day life - it is crazy.
This is just a quick update about my musical choices on this trip. Boy did I pick some good ones, and I love that I will forever link them to this past trip.
Bass Communion - "Atmospherics" This album is a compilation of short pieces from other Bass Communion albums. It was perfect to listen to while gazing out of the window at the clouds on the long flights to and from Europe.
Kate Bush - "Aerial" What a work of art. This album was released in 2005, and is one of the newest albums from KB. It is gorgeous. So many different elements, styles, incorporation. The first disc (or fist half) is named "A Sea of Honey" and has some truly beautiful songs. I also found it fitting that there is a song about Joan of Arc - "Joanni" - as she played a big part in the history of France. One of my favorite KB songs is also on this half of the album - "How to be Invisible".
The second half is named "A Sky of Honey" and is supposed to take place on a single summer day. There is the use of birds singing throughout this half, and KB at one point mimics the bird song, and it is very interesting. I really enjoyed it. It is so fun to get acquainted with new albums of artists that you already love - especially when the albums are as amazing as this.
TOOL "Salival" - This one is not new to me. But I need TOOL to be in my soundtrack anywhere I am. And really, their "No Quarter" cover is just superb. I could and have listened to that song over and over.
The Beach Boys - "Pet Sounds" - Another album that I have always loved. It is like bringing an old friend with you. It is familiar and comfortable, yet never loses it's touch. Never gets old. "Caroline, No" will always bring a tear to my eyes, no matter how many times I hear it. "Wouldn't it be Nice" will always make me smile. I will always relate to "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" - the whole album is just timeless. Genius.
Porcupine Tree - "The Sky Moves Sideways" - I just love Porcupine Tree. They have so many albums that span so many different styles of music that it is hard to choose which album to give attention to. I had listened to The Sky Moves Sideways before, I knew I loved it - but I had time to really introduce myself to it and get to know it on this trip. On nights where I was still adjusting to the time change, I lay in my bed just immersed in this album. "Stars Die" of course, is just amazing, and I couldn't help but play it a few times in a row. I had a mix of all the different versions of this album which included different versions of "Moonloop" etc. Also, the "Moonloop" improv - very good stuff to listen to when you have nothing but time and can really dedicate yourself to the listening experience.
So, those were my main albums on the trip. Sprinkled here and there with some Beatles "Let it Be", "Dark Side of the Moon" and some solo Steven Wilson (Both "Insurgentes" and "Grace for Drowning") I made some great musical memories, and also discovered some really amazing new albums. These things are just as important to me on a trip as the actual places I visit - so it really made it that much better.
