Californian Dreamin'

I’m posting my favourites from the Californian vacation in October 2003. My sis burnt some CDs for us which was just awesome: this music will forever represent the Californian landscapes for me! I will never forget how we drove up to Highway 1, and as we caught the first glimpse of the ocean, a song I no longer remember finished and in its place the first tunes of Californian Dreamin’ began… What a coincidence! But then again, was it a coincidence? Or was it destiny, a tiny piece of destiny, totally unconsequential, and yet so beautiful… I will also never forget listening to Air in the Death Valley, the Madonna songs on the curving roads in Yosemite, Talking Heads on the road 395… Tom Waits in Berkeley, which Tom, our Italian / American friend called the People’s Republic of Berkeley…

It makes me wonder what constitutes memory. I always have this thing with music and with smell. Music brings back memories so vividly it sometimes frightens me. Especially the last month or so I have immensely enjoyed listening to my old favourites; there are times of difficulty when music can be a great comfort. It puts me back on my feet, so to say. Smell, on the other hand, is different. Smell memory is more eventful, it has less to do with evoking a particular emotion or an element of my identity. Well, I’ll have to give that some more thought; I don’t know as yet how to put this exactly in words.

So, here’s the Californian list.

California Dreamin' / Mamas & Papas
Intuition / Jewel
Psycho Killer / Talking Heads
Safe from Harm / Massive Attack
Wild Wild Life / Talking Heads
Dancing Queen / Abba
Downtown Train / Tom Waits
Hollywood / Madonna
Love Profusion / Madonna
En La Noche / Amparanoia
Unfinished Sympathy / Massive Attack
La Maldicion / Amparanoia
Hymn of the Big Wheel / Massive Attack
Ella Baila Bembe / Amparanoia
Dear Prudence / Siouxsie & the Banshees
Give the Anarchist a Cigarrette / Chumbawamba
Man Next Door / Massive Attack
Heaven Hell / Chumbawamba
Rent / Pet Shop Boys
Across the Universe / David Bowie
Halo / Depeche Mode
Fu-Gee-La / The Fugees
Hooligan / The Heart Throbs
Beautiful Stranger / Madonna
Can't Take My Eyes of You / Lauryn Hill
Five Miles Out / Mike Oldfield
Girl You'll Be A Woman Soon / Urge Overkill
Downtown Train / Tom Waits
All That She Wants / Ace of Base
Happy Nation / Ace of Base
La Fiesta / Amparanoia