Lists

 The tendency to make lists, or feel one needs to, is something of an affliction. I think it comes from a pre-occupation, in a certain sort of boy, with league tables and pop charts. It was once important where one's favourite record was in the hit parade and where one's chosen football team were in the league. While those concerns have faded in significance, the vestiges of a subliminal need to put things in order has endured.

But there might be a good reason for it. For example, in work, whenever senior management were questioned on any issue, we were assured that diversity/pay and conditions/well-being, possibly even doing the job were 'taken very seriously' and were a 'high priority'. But like tradespeople whose vans advertise them as specialists in many different types of work, not everything can be a specialism and not everything can be of the highest priority. 'Priority' means 'coming before' and so not everything can come before everything else.

I wish I'd written a letter to the in-house newspaper to make the point. I could have asked to see this much-vaunted order of priorities made real so that those whose concerns were lower down the list could ask why the concerns of others were considered more important. By making a list, one answers such questions once and for the time being.

 

A friend takes a virtuous passing interest in classical music and sometimes asks about composers. This week it was Mendelssohn. Very good, I said, and listed some Greatest Hits. I couldn't quite say he was a favourite because about a year ago I made a list of composers in order of preference- 87 of them with Pierre Boulez bottom- and Mendelssohn was 11th. Can one have eleven favourite composers. He can't get into my Top 10, the Violin Concerto in E minor notwithstanding. None of Tallis, Francois Couperin or Sibelius make the 10, their obvious masterpieces not quite comparing with the depth in the catalogues of others. The Top 10 looks quite solidly to be,

J.S. BACH
BEETHOVEN
MOZART
HANDEL
SHOSTAKOVICH
MONTEVERDI
BRAHMS
SCHUBERT
BUXTEHUDE
JOSQUIN DES PREZ

the biggest problem with that being not fitting both Mozart and Handel into the Top 3. Maybe it's Handel at no. 3 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. 

 

I was glad to hear on R2 in the small hours a programme on Neil Young by someone called Sigrid, a bit of hagiography but an overdue reminder of one who was 'favourite' enough for me to have a few of his albums. Much-loved but not under consideration for at least my Top 50 'pop' artists. But Bob Harris put in an appearance to say he was one of the best. For him more than me, yes, but ahead of The Eagles, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and all the other legends he would say the same about?

Bob at least deserves some credit for venturing outside of his own envelope by beginning Sounds of the 70's this afternoon with Sugar Baby Love by the Rubettes. 

But I'm left the chance to resurrect the old Top 6 feature by doing Neil Young. In no particular order,

Like a Hurricane, Unknown Legend, Harvest Moon, Lookin for a Love, Out on the Weekend, Heart of Gold.