The Soundtrack of our Lives

Whatever happened to the teenage dream? sang Marc Bolan on his eponymous 1974 single, an epic Toni Visconti production that conjured up a post-pop dystopia overshadowed by the deaths of James Dean and Marilyn Munroe plus a litany of tragic rock and roll stars from Buddy and Eddie through to Jimi, Janis and Jim.

I once had such a dream. And through this forthcoming coming-of-age tale that has been touched ineffably by music both good and bad, I want to fully explore and understand, with return visits to some of the most significant moments of my mis-spent youth, how it ever came about.

I will examine, with an almost forensic approach, the ordinary and the extraordinary, the cool and the uncool, the transient and the lasting. I will weave seemingly disconnected memories into one clear and redemptive whole. And, who knows, maybe it will help to explain why I never fail to get goosebumps whenever I hear the opening guitar riff to T Rex’s Ride A White Swan.

This is the soundtrack to (the early part) of my life!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7kOuJP3mPOeHBLlpgSQV99?si=2f1dabfc9de5419c