Entertainment For Lively Minds
Music to exercise to
In the procrastination thread, several said they beat the lethargy blues by taking regular exercise. So what do you have on your headphones when you're doing it?
I've just taken up a very particular form of exercise myself. Don't laugh, but I've started skateboarding. Well, re-started skateboarding. I was a hardcore skater in my teens and continued to dabble a bit in my twenties. Now I'm in my mid-thirties, a father of three and never expected to fall off another skateboard again. But then this state-of-the-art indoor skatepark opened up in Hemel Hempstead, down the road from me, and it coincided with me developing a bit of a paunch. So I paid a visit and it was utterly thrilling. And amazingly I was nowhere near the oldest person there. I've visited many times since.
Anyway, I need music to skate to. All the Spotify playlists on my phone are geared for late night listening. You can't pull a frontside board slide to the lilting tones of Diamond Mine by King Creosote. Eventually I stuck on some Rage Against the Machine and At the Drive-In and it really helped me to pull off some, ahem, gnarly moves. But I need more. It doesn't have to be all nu-metal you know. This is just as effective.
(Ezy Rider by Jimi Hendrix)
What music do you exercise to?
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Hip hop and skating go together like some kind of similie
You can't beat a bit of Eric B and the Rakim, ultramagnetic MCs, De La Soul, Tribe or Beasties
Yeah.
Positive, conscious hip-hop, surely. Jurassic 5, Blackalicious, Quannum MCs, De La Soul, Beastie Boys. I imagine those would work great with skating, although I've never done any more than fall off a skateboard.
When I'm exercising, I have an 8-hour playlist of obvious, rocking/danceable stuff that's familiar and fun. Nothing challenging. Just stuff I know I like. I shuffle it. Works for me.
Can't help you, I'm afraid
A few years back I was a regular visitor to a municipal gym. They canvassed the members for opinions on the choice of music channel. The thing I least miss about the gym is the lowest common denominator music channel, not to mention the daytime TV adverts for personal debt restructuring. But I had to be frank with them, that if they tried to cater for my tastes, they'd certainly clear the gym.
Pumping iron to Gentle Giant. Hmmmm.
today it was a playlist called "onetwothreefour!"
which features amongst others early undertones...MCR....QOTSA...Elvis Costello ( live at the Nashville Rooms 1977)....Dr Feelgood.
not that it helps...after half an hour I'm a total wreck and on my way home buy a Kebab and a giant bar of Green and Blacks chocolate...
Like others, my
exercise soundtrack changes. In truth, it only ever really lasts for a couple of songs anyway, but lately I have found that the Oh Brother, where art thou soundtrack good for me, particularly 'Down to the river to pray' and keep on the sunny side'. I suppose because they are sing-along ones, still a bit bizarre though. Not sure it would help much with the skateboarding either.
I can't wear head / earphones whils exercising.
I sweat like a glassblower's arse and they get very uncomfortable. So I have to tolerate whatever's on the gym PA. Normally KISS or Smash Hits Radio. Purgatory. Tonight they had Zane Lowe's R1 prog playing. What a sweet relief it was.
You mean they played?
Gentle Giant? (see above post)
Where is your gym? Oh, hang on, Portsmouth. That's not exactly handy.
Keep on keeping on bro!
Great post Joe.
I've described myself as a 'skater' ever since '77 even though in recent years 'cyclist' would be nearer the truth. That Dogtown doc is fabulous with a great soundtrack which, to guys my age, really conjures up that era. I actually got into Hendrix because Tony Alva name checked him in interviews at that time. I really ought to have told him that when I got to skate with him in Horncastle in Lincolnshire in the early 80's!
I turn 50 in 2013 and am already making plans for spending it at the recently opened skatepark in Venice, California (Dogtown to anyone who cares). You can put your mortgage on Hendrix being on the iPod while I try to kill myself in that beautiful pool!
Wait
I've always experienced a deep-seated sense of self-loathing in the gruelling, utterly joyless monotony of weight-lifting. There's no better accompaniment than the thousand yard stare into the abyss of human degradation embodied by the first three Swans albums - Filth, Cop and Greed.
Once during a yoga session, while listening to The Moldy Peaches, I was caught off guard by the line: "Without 40 ounces of social skills I'm just an ass in the crack of humanity, I'm just a huge manatee."
In my mirth I lurched forward unexpectedly and head-butted the floor.
Fluke's album
Six Wheels On My Wagon is fantastic music to exercise to or indeed to create kickflips that are sick, smooth or indeed diamondz. Bro.
Slid