Happy New Year!
A lot of people dis the New-Year’s-resolution thing, but it works for me – I’m a legendary giver-upper; hell, this is the tenth anniversary of the set of rules that led to the departure of Rob Deering version 1.0 – the man whose claim to look exactly like Chief Wiggum off of The Simpsons was pretty much entirely accurate.
So I’m on it this January, as ever, particularly as my next London Marathon looms; healthy eating, no booze, lots of general exercise and, of course, upping the running miles. I didn’t realise when I started my Infinite Running Music playlist(s) that I myself would benefit so obviously, but in this last week I have revelled in my Space songs, and – perhaps a little keenly, as the day itself is more than three months away – my Marathon specific tunes, and now I finally feel ready to go back to the coalface of creating this mighty musical resource.
You see, last August I broke my toe, and it really put a damper on my plans. I was shaping up to do two marathons in the Autumn – speedily and with ease, naturally – and now I couldn’t quite walk. I had assembled my first list-towards-New-York just days before I hurt myself, and now I didn’t know if I would even be going, so telling you all about it went out of the window. I stared out of said window feeling sorry for myself instead.
Long story short, I cancelled the first Marathon (old York), but made it, healed, but chastened and not fit enough, to New York. What’s more, my list got me round, helping me hit a couple of pretty light-headed musical highs at moments which otherwise might have been my lowest. This stuff really works!
So, time to add some new wonders to this seam of inspiration. If you’ve ever dipped in before, you’ll notice I lean heavily on my beloved Public Service Broadcasting. Well, as I’m trying to explore new things, in 2018 I resolve to look beyond their stuff to find you – and myself – new and different songs and bands to get us round our runs.
But you should know that I’ll be listening to their elegiac Every Valley on repeat as I cruise under this iron grey January sky; what an album – such an intelligent, natural progression for them – and I believe in Progress! It preserves their dynamic, accessible and deeply musical M.O., but mines new levels of emotion – not just sadness, but the joy within that sadness.
With some rocking riffs and rhythms, of course, and their trademark crescendi – this is music for running to, after all. I would specify Every Valley, The Pit, the aforementioned Progress and beautiful They Gave Me A Lamp as being particularly foot-friendly, but I couldn’t bear to take them out of context. And I promised not to fill these lists with PSB this Spring… so I won’t.
Happy listening – happy running – Happy New Year.
