The other night on the way home from a meal with my other half (Lucy), we were digging through the CD’s in my car to find something we haven’t listened to in a while. Recently I have been on a trip of Radiohead and the Vaccines with the occasional breaks to listen to Talksport to keep up with the football news.
While rummaging around we came across an album that I hold in the highest regard but have not listened to in long time, in fact I was surprised it was even in my car! The album I am referring to is ‘Well Well Well’ by Milburn. Although I’ve never thought of Milburn as my favorite band, I think this is one of the strongest modern day albums I have owned or listened too (since digging it up I have listened to it at least 6 times over!)
Milburn – Well Well Well
Rediscovering and listening to this album, that I not only think so highly of but was the exact CD that saw me through so many late nights bashing out essays and websites at university, seemed to have a rather profound effect on me. I got home and I felt really inspired to pick up my guitar, and instead of the planned activity of films and Singstar Lucy and me had planned, I played for hours until we decided to go to bed.
First I learned two of my favorite songs from the album and played a few other known favorites. Then I started running through a ‘set-list’ of my own songs. I regularly write songs and have a book that is starting to fill up with ideas, chords and lyrics. They are not by any means masterpieces, however there are a few that I have worked for months on and I am particularly proud of and others that hold meaning in one way or another.
The famous songbook…and a boxing duck!
There was one outcome from this spat of inspiration that I feel was particularly interesting and I don’t believe it would have happened otherwise. After playing for about 90 minutes I was flicking through my book of songs and started playing one I wrote 6-9 months ago, but was never quite pleased with. I started to play, and with the spontaneous tweaking of a simple chord and a slight change of tempo I discovered something I hadn’t noticed before, even though it was always written in front of me. Shortly after Lucy came in the room and said; “who sings that?!”. This is always the sign I know I am on to something good.
I’m interested what inspires others; does a budding filmmaker come home from the cinema and plan their latest project? Does the aspiring author finish their latest read and pick up the pencil (or keyboard!) and get started on their own master piece?
Comment and let me know what inspires you!
Soapbox Sox 
Musically, I am more inspired by thoughts than I am sounds. Yeah, I hear things that inspire me to pick up and play, but I never seem to be able to get the hang of that whole “I want to write a song just like Stevie Wonder’s Superstitious” thing. I think it’s because I think on terms of layers which are hard to break down.
The last time I wrote a full song that I was happy about came about like this. I was at the guitar and couldn’t find a pick. I was finger picking for a while but after a while grew weary of this. As luck would have it, I found a small piece of card with a woman’s face on it (no idea why) which, as a distraction from my lack of pick, I started strumming with. It was like a small, very thin plectrum, which lightly brushed the strings, giving a very rich, bright sound. I started jamming something in the key of key, using my love of dominant and major 7ths, and before I knew it, I had a tune.
Now, for me this isn’t unusual as I constantly get little ditties from jamming. However, on this particular evening my head was awash with thoughts of someone of whom I am very find who is suffering from terminal cancer. Because of the nature of my circumstances snd relationship with this person, I started thinking about terminal illness as a thing that affects those close as much as it does the sufferer. The chords that I was playing were cheerful enough, but tinged with a thoughtful sadness that comes from having a major 7th. So I began to write lyrics down. Literally half an hour after I had picked the guitar up, I had written and recorded a demo of a song that I am still very proud of.
I suppose that this case rings true the quote of Oscar Wilde; “Preach not because you want to say something but because you have something to say”. Normally when I write I tend to be shackled by trying to make the music sound original, moving or different in some way. This was just to give flavour for words which I needed to get out of my system. In this case, I think it worked.
Really well said. I find it fascinating that so many things can inspire all sorts of people in different ways. Like the way what inspires me may actually turn the next person off something all together!
What inspires me is sunshine. It’s sounds weird but sun shining in me and quiet makes me feel creative and alive.
I guess it’s the rebirth if every day and the consideration that it’s a fresh start every morning. It’s inspiring.