Drunken Owls and Other Delights

All of you know, of course, that I can't write in a completely quiet room. It has nothing to do with the atmosphere...it's more that I'm just a music fiend that feels kind of weirded out when something isn't playing in the background. My radio at work is on throughout the day, and I usually have the WMP playing when I'm working from home.

When I'm writing, if I'm not listening to a new purchase or one of my many compilations made over the years (yes, I've made mp3 versions of them), I usually have a few fallbacks that I like to throw on. I mentioned to emmalyon last night that I particularly enjoy Beck's Sea Change, as it's rather mellow and ambient, not to mention it having his more coherent lyrics. Dishwalla's And You Think You Know What Life's About and Hooverphonic's Blue Wonder Power Milk are also big contenders, and have been in heavy rotation since my Belfry days of the late 90s.

Last night I'd decided, after listening to the Beck album and sludging my way through the next ADoS chapter, to listen to some more albums from 2002--about the time I was originally writing the current version of the book. I came up with Silverchair's Diorama, which I hadn't listened to in a good few years. I have to say it's one of their most melodic and optimistic-sounding albums (especially considering the grunge of their previous three), and I found myself really getting into its groove.

In retrospect, I think a lot of my favorite writing music dates from around 1998 to about 2003 or 2004--again, right about the time I was writing this trilogy. That isn't to say, however, that I don't listen to anything new when I'm writing new stuff. It's becoming increasingly rare (yes, I'm old, SHUT UP), but every now and again something new will come out that'll floor me and I'll listen to it repeatedly. I haven't done that in quite some time, more often than not due to saving my pennies rather than spilling scads of dough on new releases like I did in the past. There's also the fact that I'm not as obsessed with music as I once was. Sure, I probably follow new releases a hell of a lot more closely than most, but I'm no longer rushing to the nearest record store (translation: taking the 71 up to Amoeba on the way home) every Tuesday. We just don't have the space, and though I will continue to visit brick and mortar stores for cds (translation: stop at Amoeba and/or B&N), my purchases have gone more towards online. [/end of diversion]

Anyway...I've been having a bit of fun listening to some of my older titles while writing lately, and have realized that while some haven't quite held up as much as they used to, there are still some titles out there that I'll continue to listen to during my sessions. Of course, this is only when I'm actually writing in Spare Oom, as I now split my time between there and using the laptop in the living room. When I'm there we're usually watching something on TV (our mainstays as of late are Warehouse 13, Naruto Shippuden and Top Gear), so there is a bit of distraction which I'm still working on, but in the end I think I'm still able to get something done.

I guess I could work in a completely quiet room, and have done so in the past, but to me it's just part of who I am, and I enjoy the entertainment.

Okay, am I the only one who hears the opening timpani beats of the Olympic Theme, and my brain starts singing the George of the Jungle theme?

Or that, when the horns kick in, my brain starts singing "This...is...the Olym-pic Theme Song, dun dun dun-dun..."?

It is just me? Okay.

...while watching Reptilian on Sci-Fi:

"Yeah...that unearthly wubwubwub sound effect under the rocks? Not a good thing. Even though Evil Scientist Dude may say otherwise." ;)

...when Sci-Fi plays Ghost Hunters all evening--including a season premiere at 9pm.

*sigh*

I'll do my best. I did start early and did get a good chunk done already...

...watching episodes of Ghost Hunters on Sci-Fi is habitforming and a bad distraction for a writer.