101 Albums You Need To Hear Before I Die (2023)
Author: Martin Vengadesan
There used to be a time, back in the 90s, when I used to wait eagerly for the weekly entertainment pullout from a mainstream newspaper. Martin Vengadesan’s fortnightly article on rock and roll music and juicy titbits behind the people and bands that hit the charts and excited music enthusiasts are a sure pull factor. Infused in the writings was his apparent political leanings towards the left.
It must have had quite a following as the column went on for quite a while. Then, out of sight and out of mind. I went on to do other things in life and just remembered all about the articles when I met the author a few years ago in a reading group.
Who better person to narrate the juicy little backstories behind the singers and bands of generations that passed? This must be the quintessential go-to book to remind us and travel us back to the era when music was religion, politics, freedom, empowerment and expression. Now, it is consumerism, exhibitionism and short-lived.
Going through the various doyens over the years in the book, from the blues singers of Neesie Smith and BB King to the 60s heartthrobs of Bob Dylan, Beatles and Doors to heavy metal heavyweights of Deep Purple, Uriah Heep and Led Zeppelin, one thing seems to be a recurrent theme.
Flashes of brilliance only manifest occasionally. Good times do not last forever. Happy hours come with a closing time. In the correct ambience, with the right company of similar-minded lunatics, magic can materialise. The radiance has a window period. Within that short chance of opportunity, one has to churn out materials that would define his legacy.
With success, attention and the intoxicating lure of being in the limelight, the drive to stay on top of the game intensifies. In trickles in intoxicants and stimulants to numb the pain and stir creativity, respectively. The result is always the same: the higher the rise, the harder the fall.
On a personal note, I would vouch for a similar experience. At that time, of course, with the raging endorphins and stupor of self-satisfaction, I thought good times would never end. It is funny how man never learns from history. In hindsight, everybody is Ramanujam, and the hindsight vision is 20/20. We had a good thing going. We scaled hills, scurried through foreign country sides and were the envy of many. We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun. Who would have thought a minuscule of a wrong step would have brought the whole house of cards crumbling down? We were all too blind to see.
Author: Martin Vengadesan
There used to be a time, back in the 90s, when I used to wait eagerly for the weekly entertainment pullout from a mainstream newspaper. Martin Vengadesan’s fortnightly article on rock and roll music and juicy titbits behind the people and bands that hit the charts and excited music enthusiasts are a sure pull factor. Infused in the writings was his apparent political leanings towards the left.
It must have had quite a following as the column went on for quite a while. Then, out of sight and out of mind. I went on to do other things in life and just remembered all about the articles when I met the author a few years ago in a reading group. Who better person to narrate the juicy little backstories behind the singers and bands of generations that passed? This must be the quintessential go-to book to remind us and travel us back to the era when music was religion, politics, freedom, empowerment and expression. Now, it is consumerism, exhibitionism and short-lived.
Going through the various doyens over the years in the book, from the blues singers of Neesie Smith and BB King to the 60s heartthrobs of Bob Dylan, Beatles and Doors to heavy metal heavyweights of Deep Purple, Uriah Heep and Led Zeppelin, one thing seems to be a recurrent theme.
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| With the author |
Flashes of brilliance only manifest occasionally. Good times do not last forever. Happy hours come with a closing time. In the correct ambience, with the right company of similar-minded lunatics, magic can materialise. The radiance has a window period. Within that short chance of opportunity, one has to churn out materials that would define his legacy.
With success, attention and the intoxicating lure of being in the limelight, the drive to stay on top of the game intensifies. In trickles in intoxicants and stimulants to numb the pain and stir creativity, respectively. The result is always the same: the higher the rise, the harder the fall.
On a personal note, I would vouch for a similar experience. At that time, of course, with the raging endorphins and stupor of self-satisfaction, I thought good times would never end. It is funny how man never learns from history. In hindsight, everybody is Ramanujam, and the hindsight vision is 20/20. We had a good thing going. We scaled hills, scurried through foreign country sides and were the envy of many. We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun. Who would have thought a minuscule of a wrong step would have brought the whole house of cards crumbling down? We were all too blind to see.
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