Valentine’s Day at Stereo Stories
A medley of romantic stories to mark Valentine's Day: The Eels, Vince Jones, Bon Iver, The Church, The Beatles.
Giant Steps by John Coltrane
David Oke Geelong 1982 In my university music major I had my eyes opened to the art form of Jazz music. John Coltrane’s Giant Steps, title track of his 1959 album, always made me pull my head in. It was a reality check. It was wild.
Into The Mystic by Van Morrison. Story by Chris Phillips.
Chris Phillips Maternity Ward, East Melbourne; April 2003 The midwives are attending to other new mums or about-to-be mums. Paul’s putting our stuff in the car to go home. I am a bit nervous that it’s now just the two of us.
Beach house records – part 3
Vin Maskell Moggs Creek, Australia; 1983 to 2013 The third and final part of our series about family, a beach house and its record collection.
Beach house records – part 2
Vin Maskell Moggs Creek, Australia, 1983 to 2013 Part 2 of our three-part series about family, a beach house and its record collection: from The Screaming Tribesmen to The Girl From Ipanema.
Music and travel – Backstreet Boys, Joni Mitchell, REM…
For Paul Chai, music and travel are inseparable. A photo might trigger a memory, he writes, but the right song will trigger a feeling.
Have I Told You Lately by Van Morrison. Story by Lucia Nardo
Lucia Nardo Hospital, Melbourne, 2015 There’s only one way to take a diagnosis of cancer in our family. You get on with it. But the day of Martin's surgery, I’m not getting on with it very well.
Dream A Little Dream Of Me by The Mamas and The Papas
When I sang, it was if he flipped the switch of his purring motor to a low level so he could listen to the words properly.
The Sidewinder by Lee Morgan
Nick Gadd London, 11p.m., December 1987 I didn’t have money for new records so I resorted to Peckham Public Library, whose music collection was free of the shoegazing guitar bands I preferred. I was forced to explore other genres .
Pinball Number Count on Sesame Street
Emma Westwood Geelong, 1977 Melbourne, 2014 This kind of almost avant-garde compositional material – that would give the Herbie Hancocks and Frank Zappas of this world a run for their money – was actually created to appeal to children. Call me gob-smacked.