As for Pocket Full, Part 1, below are tunes I’ve written about certain events, or to do with places and people, that relate to what is in Part 2. Again I’ve noted the relevant Chapter from Pocket Part 2 to which the song most relates, but bear in mind that many of these are only loose associations and are indicative of the general ‘vibe’ of what is in the chapter.
Use this thing here to go back to music for A Pocket Full, Part 1 or this one for music for ‘One of its legs…’
[Return to Mike’s Music page.]Pigeon Mix #2. Southey Street – the house of pigeons and three girls. (Dawn Chorus Chaos. January, 1983.). Instrumental I wrote while I was living under the pigeons. A bit of fun with just a pinch of angst!
Reflections. Southey Street again. (Three’s Not A Crowd). Memories of evenings by the firelight and brushing Allison’s hair mixed with some non-specific unrequited love stuff.
Woodshed. Oh look, more Southey Street! (Three’s Not A Crowd). My homage to the back woodshed, a little mouse and a weather beaten old tom cat.
Are You Happy? Playing pool in a local pub in Bowral. (Three’s Not A Crowd). Took me two days to answer a young girl’s question, but I got there! Here’s the answer.
Du Cane Gap. Tasmania. (Do I Know You?). An unforgettable experience of working as a ranger in Tas. One day while doing track work I was walking through a silent, towering cathedral of rainforest beech trees (Nothofagus) when of all things, it started snowing. Awe inspiring and humbling.
Bogong Moths. Canberra. (Rollin’ ‘n Rockin’). One day while working at The Australian Heritage Commission I was sitting by myself in a glass-walled meeting room with the autumn sun streaming through. A couple of Bogong Moths were fluttering against the windows, so I caught them and took them outside. I had the privilege while at the Commission to work with a number of Indigenous folks and this tune is a nod to the loss of country since European settlement for both people and wildlife. Bogong Moths are migratory and a favourite food item or ‘bush tucker’ for Indigenous people. The moths congregate in thousands over summer and were often part of ceremonies as local tribes gathered for the seasonal feast. You can read a bit more about it on the ACT Parks site.
The Minch. Overseas with Katie. (Home And Away). The first piece in my ‘opus’, The Hebridean Suite. The Minch is the stretch of water between the Western Isles (Outer Hebrides) and Inner Hebrides (Skye, etc.). Only spent two weeks in the Hebrides but it remains with me as one of my hearthstones. Now, just need to somehow manage to get to St Kilda (70kms further out) and I will have ticked off the top three on my bucket list! You can listen to the rest of the suite (still a work in progress) on the CD page on Bandcamp.
Whispers. Adelaide. (Shine On). A combination of fancy and thinking about Jo when she was by herself in Adelaide, South Australia.
Freeway. Canberra. (Fun At Home). While I would be exaggerating to say that Canberra ever really had a ‘rush hour’ back in the 1980s, just sometimes I stumbled into a reasonable approximation of same. That aside, this is a more general observation on the commuting life.
Chicken Wings. Canberra. (Burning Down The House). Ah yes, the infamous chicken wings! Max and Dweezil doing their thing at Yarralumla.
Windwood. Meeting Jules. The first tune I wrote for Julie. While my parents were wonderful old time/ ball room dancers, I seem to have skipped those genes and my two left feet refuse to provide any rhythm other than ‘swirl like a crazed, drugged out hippy’. So, this is the slow waltz I wish I could dance with Jules, and in a way, we do, but through the days of our shared lives rather than on a dance floor.
Sail Away. Mother Ocean. Goodnight little bear.
Return to Mike’s Music page.