Conscious Music

When considering how to ‘wiki-fy’ music, the most obvious option, is rational classification. Put it in boxes, ‘pigeon-hole’ it and alphabetical-ise artists and tracks within genres. Obvious and not world-changing.

Interestingly, artists hate to be pigeon-holed and most music-lovers claim to have eclectic, catholic or “I-like-what-I-like” tastes that defy this sort of rationalisation, resorting to it merely for convenience of research, purchase and storage.

If we want to do something different here, how about we look for a common, conscious thread that transcends physical and mental boundaries; how about we look for a certain level of awareness or consciousness in any music, and arrange our offering according to the amount of light - as well as sound - that it offers?













Each genre clearly has its flavour. Pop has a chewing gum immediacy; rap, an anger and harshness; country and western, a bitterness and sense of victimhood; soul, a yearning and unrest, reggae, an easy and sunny disposition. Yet within all the genres, as within all people, the potential exists to up the stakes by shedding more light, hope and positivity beyond the clichés, stereotypes and standing expectations.

Here’s an example:

“California Soul”, penned by the prolific Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson in the late 60’s is clearly a soul tune, certainly when handled by those Motown lovelies Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.

Check out these lyrics and imagine those tragic – now departed - lovers singing this to each other as well as us…

They had the melody and the beat
But it still didn't seem complete
Until they saw two lovers kissin
They knew just what was missin
So happy they were rockin and reelin
Because that added that lovin feeling
To California soul, California soul

I’ve played this track hundreds of times and it still brings a tear to me eye – delving as it does into my archetypal understanding of love, lovers and my own yearning to feel that ‘lovin feelin’”.

Over ten years ago, I was fortunate enough to host a “Mind, Body, Spirit” breakfast radio show that was ‘programmed’ along these conscious lines, letting the music speak to the soul of the listener, as well as guests and news items with an uplifting and inspiring flavour.

Boy, I want that show back – perhaps the Copper Beech platform and the ease of web-broadcasting could enable its return?

But for now, please nominate more conscious music for the top ten I’ve started below…

Conscious Music Top Ten (in no particular order):

Born Free – Matt Monro (Easy Listening ballad)

California Soul – Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (Soul)

Human Nature – Michael Jackson (Pop)

Sweet Child o’ Mine – Guns N’ Roses (Rock)

One Love – Bob Marley (Reggae)