The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]

The reason I mention this is because recently I came across a quote that seemed to explain why these 2 subjects are inherently linked:

You see the problem I have is that I often think too much about something.

OK, that’s wrong, we should never undermine the ability to think something through with rigour and purpose … it’s just that sometimes, in my focused state [I know, amazing eh!] I find it almost impossible to express all that I’ve learnt and had to consider in a simple – yet interesting – way.

And that’s where music helps and why that quote is so good.

You see once I’ve worked out the context of what I’m trying to convey, I basically look for songs that have that theme in their title and then just listen to them.

I know that sounds utterly ridiculous, but you’d be surprised how often there is a lyric that captures what you are looking to express but in a thought-provoking, infectious way.

Of course it doesn’t always work, but recently I was trying to think of the best way to articulate an idea around the concept of ‘restlessness’. I had tried so many different ways but my gut told me I didn’t have it.

[That’s another thing, for all the talk about processes and tools, more often that not what is right is something you ‘feel’, but that’s a post for another day]

So I went through my music collection and found a song by Bad English called – conveniently enough – The Restless Ones.

Anyway, as I was listening, I heard a line which said, “Let Them Know You Came” and immediately I knew that was it.

It perfectly encapsulated what we needed to say.

What would resonate and also liberate.

What would let us create work that you would feel, rather than be told.

What would turn my creative brief from functional to exciting.

And that’s why I like that above quote so much.

Sure, I know what I’ve described isn’t exactly true to what is being said, but the whole ‘released from the tyranny of conscious thought’ made a big impression on me, because when you’re at the point of writing a brief, it’s sometimes hard to turn off your brain from screaming out all the details you’ve learnt along the way … details that can throw you off course because they add distractions rather than clarity.

You see when you write a brief, you want it to be as exciting, infectious and ‘bursting with possible’ as possible … and the reason I often fall back on the power of music to help me out of a hole is because musicians often have a way of expressing a viewpoint in the most powerful, meaningful and emotional of ways, and if you can find the right fit, you can end up with a perspective that opens big doors rather than creates small boxes.

Or said another way, music removes the noise but keeps the beat.

Stuff that caught me totally and utterly unawares.

Stuff that was ridiculous in it’s positivity, generosity and belief.

It made more of an impression on me than you’d ever know.

In those few minutes, you managed to make me feel both pride and humility.

That might sound over-emotional claptrap, but it’s true.

I’ll let you into a secret, the reason I didn’t look you in the eye when you were talking to me is because the words you said made me want to cry.

Not sad tears, but happy.

OK … and pathetic ones.

But the fact is, having someone I respect – and like – express such faith in me was unbelievably amazing and an utter honour.

Seriously.

I have no idea if I can see through what you asked me to reconsider, but if I do, you’re one of the reasons I would.

I can’t say that about many people, but you’re definitely one of them.

Thank you for that.

But no guarantees.

Yes, you can say I had a mini-holiday type of thing.

Yes, I know that makes my blog post of a couple of weeks ago utterly rubbish [or more rubbish than usual] so just get over it.

Anyway, let’s get on with some more rubbish shall we?

Please?

Well screw you, I’m going to anyway.

I am not sure if you have noticed, but this blog is full of piss, vinegar, insults and ranting.

Sure, you lot contribute 75% of those attributes, but it’s still a fact.

Because of this, I thought I’d up the game a little bit by adding a dash of sophistication.

Yes, this blog is going posh. [Sort-of. Temporarily]

How? Well recently I was reading The Times newspaper and spotted a letter that I thought was worthy of sharing.

Yes, I know I’m the sort of person The Times would rather NOT read their paper, but as far as I know, it’s still a free country and I’ll read what I want thank-you-very-much.

Anyway, amongst all the self important ranting – the sort of self-important ranting that makes this blog look like calmness personified [albeit from the Jeremy Kyle school of intellectualism] – I spotted a letter that, in just a couple of lines, managed to capture the best of English humour and character at the same time.

To The Times

Dr John Doherty, Vienna

Brilliant.

“Tell me something I didn’t know”

… but the reason I’m saying this goes beyond this blog or the fact I’m a planner, it’s because of something I wrote just a few weeks ago.

Literally 2 weeks ago I made a big deal out of the fact I was not going to be having another holiday for 5 months.

5 MONTHS!!!

Even though a lot of you on hear questioned that, I was convinced it was true.

I was wrong.

In my defence, I was defining ‘a holiday’ as something more than a few days away but whatever way you look at it, by the time you read this, I’ll be on a plane, on my way to Sydney.

While that is terrible news for those Aussie folks, it’s excellent news for you because it means this will be the last post till Monday … so enjoy the peace, have a good weekend and try not to be too smug at knowing I couldn’t survive 5 weeks without a break, let alone 5 months.

OK, so after 1984 they went a bit dodgy, but I still think they are incredible.

And yes, I do like their Hot Space album, even if most fans hate it.

People talk about Muse as a band who push musical boundaries, but apart from the fact they sound an awful lot like Queen, if you listen to Freddie, Brian, Roger and John’s 1975 album – A Night At The Opera – you will see they were practitioners of musical diversity decades earlier.

Over the years, I’ve spent a fortune travelling the World to see their gigs, let alone buying albums, books, DVD’s and t-shirts … and while many mock them, the reality is they will go down in history as one of rock and roll’s biggest selling, influential and iconic bands.

I look at that photo at the top of the post and see a band that was at the height of their fame and creativity.

That photo was taken in 1981 and they look like people who have feel confident in their abilities and achievements.

That was the year they did their ground breaking South American tour, playing to crowds of over quarter of a million people … leaving an entire continent blown away by the power of their live performance.

Of course, they surpassed even that when 4 years later, they literally stole the show at the biggest concert in the World, Live Aid.

The fact the band still has a career 40+ years after forming and Freddie is still a beloved figure 23 years after he died is testimony to the impact the band has made on culture.

While there are many who like to heap shit on the band [and me for loving them] … I’ve always been able to dismiss their negative comments because they are fans of bands like The Smiths, the musical equivalent of clinical depression – so imagine how upset I was when I read this: