Tuesday Tunes: Countless as the Stars

I wasn't quite sure which way to go with the musical contribution to this month's CSFF blog tour; I could have attempted a Top Ten Countless songs, or songs about stars... I thought about doing a Top Ten of Top Tens... but since I've started down this road of blogging about Countless as the Stars, I figured the logical (and easiest) thing to do would be to re-post the soundtrack to the book.

I won't give away any blatant spoilers, but will use this to give you a few small clues about what sort of things to expect in the story.

1. Blondie - Union City Blue.
In my mind, the movie's opening credits roll over Aidan's C-Car journey through Unioncity in the opening chapter. Union City Blue is perfect here in every way. Available on Blondie - Greatest Hits.

2. Brian Eno - Under Stars.
Brian Eno's Apollo was composed as a soundtrack for the films of the Apollo moon landings, inspired by the feelings and sensations of space travel. This CD was the constantly playing during the writing of the spacebourne segements of Countless, the first of which is in Chapter 2.

3. Brian Eno - Music for Airports.
The background music for Chapter 3, which is set in a Spaceport. Pick any or all four tracks from Eno's first ambient offering.

4. Petra - No Doubt.
I wanted to have some Christian music on the soundtrack, and while Petra may be a bit old skool, I think this is a great song, especially for when Ade and Savana get some bad news. Available on No Doubt.

5. Petra - I Love You Lord.
A worship song that doesn't specifically mention Jesus for the Temple scene in Chapter 7. Nice interpretation too, all tribal drums and harmonies. Available on Petra Praise 2 - We Need Jesus.

6. Marston Smith - Stairway to Heaven.
I knew from early on that Stairway to Heaven would be like Litah's anthem. Playing at the launch party will be the definitive version by Marston Smith. Available on Forever Cello.

7. Thus Spake Zarathustra.
Perfect dramatic piece for the public unveiling of Tellus from space. OK, so I nicked the idea from Stanley Kubrick. Available on most sci-fi theme CDs.

8. Porcupine Tree - It Will Rain For A Million Years.
This is nice and moody, for Galford in Chapter 9. This is from one of the few non-instrumental CDs I like to play while writing, 'On the Sunday of Life...'

9. Enigma - The Gate.
Something else I can listen to while writing is Enigma's mix of ambient soundscapes, dance beats and wierd lyrics. The Gate seems an appropriate soundtrack for the discovery of a new planet. Available on The Screen Behind the Mirror.

10. Jean Michel Jarre - Last Rendez-Vous (Ron's Piece).
A poignant piece to be played at the first funeral on an alien planet. Available on Rendez-Vous.

11. Balanescu Quartet - Robots.
I just love the combination of the 'futuristic' Kraftwerk tune played by a string quartet! It's playing in the dress shop in Chapter 14. Available on Possessed.

12. Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygene Part 1.
By Chapter 16 we are back in space travel mode. Although Apollo remains the main musical influence for these scenes, I didn't want Jarre to go overlooked. Available on Oxygene.

13. Brian Eno - Come With Us.
This slightly wierd and sinister track from My Life in the Bush of Ghosts accompanies Dan Straker's return to the Black City in Chapter 19.

14. Los Chicharrons - Chicharron N Boogaloo (Groove Armada Mix).
For the action sequences in Chapter 21. I don't think this mix is widely available; the original is on Conga Heaven Bongo Hell, but probably won't have the same effect.

15. REM - Everybody Hurts.
Arguably REMs finest moment, here for Blaise in Chapters 23 & 24. Available on Automatic for the People.

16. Lard - Forkboy.
Film buffs may recognise this as the riot theme from Natural Born Killers. It serves much the same purpose here. Available on The Last Temptation of Reid.

17. Groove Armada - At the River.
Sublime chillout track by one of the UK's most popular dance acts. For when Aidan is at the, erm, river. Available on The Best of Groove Armada.

18. Brian Eno - Matta.
This track has the kind of eerie feel and wierd noises required for a forest world. Also from Apollo.

19. Porcupine Tree - Voyage 34.
A musical interpretation of an LSD trip was all I had to go on for Chapter 27. It wasn't something I wanted to research that thoroughly. Brilliantly now available on CD - I have the two seperate versions on 12 inch vinyl. As an alternative, Queen Quotes Crowley from 'On the Sunday of Life...' is suitably psychadelic.

20. The Kinks - Days.
Classic tune for, well, Chapter 30. (Don't want to spoil anything this close to the end!) Find a copy on most Kinks compilations, or the 3-disc edition of The Village Green Preservation Society. Oh, and on no account must you substitute a cover version.

21. Steve - Smile.
Finishing with another Christian band who were cool at the time... a mellow, upbeat song for the final scene. Available on Falling Down.

There's a slightly abbreviated Spotify version here for those able to use it (not all the tracks listed are available on Spotify).

This post is part of the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour free-for-all month, which continues here:
Brandon Barr Thomas Clayton Booher Keanan Brand Grace Bridges Beckie Burnham Morgan L. Busse Jeff Chapman CSFF Blog Tour Stacey Dale D. G. D. Davidson Jeff Draper George Duncan April Erwin Andrea Graham Tori Greene Ryan Heart Timothy Hicks Becky Jesse Jason Joyner Julie Carol Keen Krystine Kercher Mike Lynch Rebecca LuElla Miller New Authors Fellowship John W. Otte Donita K. Paul Sarah Sawyer Chawna Schroeder James Somers Speculative Faith Rachel Starr Thomson Jason Waguespac Fred Warren Dona Watson Phyllis Wheeler KM Wilsher