Strange week - I had a rubbish cold, a couple of days off work - and a trip to Paris in the middle of the week, it caught up with me on Thursday and I spent most of the day in bed sniffing and moaning, my wife calls it ‘retiring to my quarters’

I wanted to post - but I was reluctant to move the PC into my room - so I got some paper and scribbled down some notes on the first 5 tunes from my Zune when I put it on ’shuffle’.

So click ‘more’ for the full story of my MP3 player on random…

10,000 Maniacs - Jubilee (from ‘Blind Mans Zoo’ - 1989)

I remember listening to this on repeat for ages when it was released, completely climactic tune telling the story of a religious boy burning the church house down.

Jay-Z - Hard Knock Life (from ‘Greatest Hits’ - 2006)

The one with the sample from Annie - this was the track that first raised the Jigga man into my consciousness.

Damien Rice - The Blowers Daughter (from ‘Live at Union Chapel’)

I’ve had two mixed experiences seeing Damien Rice live, but this gig at Union Chapel sounds like an example from high side of that equation.

The Decemberists - This Island/Come and See (from ‘The Crane Wife’ - 2006)

Epic 12 minute track that made this exercise much longer than I thought it would be - but the closest to 1970’s prog rock I will find in my collection

Willy Mason - Riptide (from ‘If the Ocean gets Rough’ - 2007)

Bluesy and Chilled out - from a hugely overlooked album, ultra relaxing voice.