My Favourite Music

Good evening and welcome once again to another radio 2MR Monday Night broadcast… Monday night? What is this? Groundhog day???. I’m Stefan Sojka, and this week is a special programme - all about my favourite music. “Why is it so special?”, you ask… Well I happen to like music a lot, I really enjoy music, I like to listen to music, I like to play music, I like to write music… – in fact I like music so much that I have I let it take over and dominate my entire life!!! My god I can’t even sit still! It’s like some kind of compulsive obsessive disorder!! I’m always drumming on my bloody leg, whistling a dumb tune I can’t get out of my head, or singing some inane lyric over and over again. It’s a curse, goddamnit! Trillions of neurons in this brain of mine, and they’re all humming along to The Back Street Boys or Celine Di-bloody-ON. What a waste!

That’s not the start of it! If someone comes up to me in the street, and say’s “hello” my brain kicks in with

“is it me you’re looking for?”

after which I respond out loud with “HI” – followed by the silent echoing in my brain of

“Voltage Rock and Roll”….

Many times, I have contemplated suicide, or worse, walking into a karaoke bar, but after speaking with Max about this one Monday evening after workshop, as I was helping him to take out everyone’s garbage and wash up their coffee cups, and clean their urine splashes from his toilet, he suggested that I do a special show all about my favourite music, so that perhaps I could purge some of these uncontrollable urges, and put a positive spin on the whole experience. I turned to him, looked lovingly into his eyes, gave his hand a gentle squeeze and kissed him on the forehead, and said “thank you Max, I’ll give it a go” In that moment, my resolve hardened, and I made a commitment to do as Max had suggested. I kept saying to myself as I left that evening.. “I’ll give it a go…. Go go go….

SONG - CUP OF LIFE

Ricky Martin has got to be THE artist of this and the last millennium. He is not only an incredible vocalist, dancer and subtle interpreter of a lyric, he is an Entertainer! A world class act without comparison. His chiseled features, soothing voice and sultry Spanish accent, reach in and touch me where no other performer on the planet can - besides maybe Patrick Swayze when he sang “She’s Like the Wind”…. No, Ricky Martin is without doubt the finest living human embodiment of the spirit of music.

SOUNDGARDEN

Whilst most bands who fall under the genre of Grunge, tend to concern themselves with subject matter like snot, feces, premature ejaculation on your very first date, drive by shooting, watching TV and eating MacDonalds, Soundgarden elevate grunge to a higher plane. They steer away from two chord walls of guitars, and monotonous bass lines, and create sonic landscapes within the energetic ‘grunge’ tonal mix and lift the listener through realms of consciousness on a poetic, lyrical journey to new worlds of thought and experience. Some of Soundgardens themes are definitely dark, but the musical creativity surrounds and protects the listener, offering some hope of salvation from all their darkest fears. It’s like they are saying, tune into us, dude, and you’ll be OK. The fact that 80% of all youth suicides in the last five years have been reported as having had Soundgarden playing at the moment of death is beside the point. These guys Rock! Here’s a bit more Soundgarden…

SOUNDGARDEN

When it comes to love songs, there is no better band at writing and delivering a great love lyric and melody than Texan heart throbs, Pantera. Here is a touching rendition of a ballad called – “This Love” – which deals with those feelings of lovelorn longing that come when a relationship is facing those troubled times. Here’s Pantera…

PANTERA – THIS LOVE

Welcome back to “Love songs and Prescription medications”… That song went out to Monday night’s Kken Willis and his girlfriend, Fido – Kken I hope you and Fido can work through your differences – inter-species relationships are never that easy - And I hope you can hang onto – This Love…

The thing I love about Midnight Oil is the fact that they are, besides being incredibly talented musicians, live performers and an amazingly tight ensemble, Midnight Oil are a band with true conviction. Their concert in front of the Exxon Oil Head office and the unforgettable “sorry” statement they made at uh.… what was that event again? You know.. happened sometime last millennium.. that sports meet.. you know..where was it? The old abbatoir? The toxic waste dump Homebush Sports Carnival? Anyway.. Midnight Oil have always had strong beliefs and never shied away from expressing them. They never sold out, even though their concerts did consistently…

MIDNIGHT OIL – Back on The Borderline

Continuing this fascinating journey into My Favourite Music, I can’t ignore the great philosophers of our time. I mentioned in a previous show, the great Prophet Bomb Funk MC, when he said – Yeah Straight From the top of my dome as I rock rock rock rocka rock the microphone. This week we go back a few years to Canadian gurus of modern thought, Rush as they explain the meaning of life so succinctly, in this masterpiece – “Tom Sawyer”

TOM SAWYER

A modern-day warrior Mean mean stride, Today's Tom Sawyer Mean mean pride.
Though his mind is not for rent, Don't put him down as arrogant.
His reserve, a quiet defense, Riding out the day's events. The river – WOW

BEETHOVEN

That was Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, the second movement Molto Vivace performed by the London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Ginger Spice for the Unicef “stuff your face with hors deurves and champagne, dribble down your tuxedo, and raise money for the poor” concert series. The recording is available through Deuthsche Grammophon – Through Polydor. The catalogue number 435 643 dash 2 slash LRPO-B #5454545 …454 dash 1 dash 7 slash 3 tilde xqz qzx qxz zqx dash 9. An absolutely splendid, marvellous, glorious, magnificent and joyful rendition, the entire 14 hours of that movement and after the news I will play the 25 CD set of the third and final movement which should finish sometime next month.

KEITH URBAN

That was Keith Urban, Aussie Country rock success story there with “Ghost in This Guitar” – yes I actually like a bit of Country Music every now and then.

Well that just about brings me to the end of another show. “My favourite Music”. I hope you enjoyed at least some of the tracks I played, and maybe had a chuckle at my frivolous banter in between. Next week is a free form show, which is always a lot of fun, unless of course I decide to do a show about earthquakes, the gulf war or serial killers. Stay tuned to find out – this is Stefan Sojka saying goodnight…