The one hundred and eighty-sixth TV show: #487 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

After the other Star Trek installments, this was the one I was looking forward to covering most. It takes the large, optimistic Star Trek future and explores and challenges it. The crew don't all get along, but have conflicts built in that they still solve civilly, there are other outsiders with different points of view they take on, but there's still a lot of places where it's resolved from that same philosophy - so far at least, challenging it but not breaking it. Its focus on serialization and its large recurring cast helps to create a world that stays grounded on the station, avoiding the reset the other shows in the series take as the ship travels on. It starts off strong, and builds to a story that presages the storytelling of later dramas. So far, it really has been the best Star Trek show.

The one hundred and fifty-sixth classical recording: #121 Leopold Mozart - Trumpet Concerto

This is a fairly short trumpet-based piece. It moves quite swiftly, with a bold and optimistic tone. It's still imposing, but with a lighter touch than other pieces, the trumpets' clarity really aiding that sound. It's quick, full and enjoyable to listen to.

The four hundred and fourtieth album: #440 Japan - Quiet Life

Quiet Life, almost as its title implies, is a calm new wave album, the music at times almost ambient as it tends to sink away a bit. It's fine, but it feels like there's not a lot of impact in any of the songs that stuck with me.

The four hundred and thirty-ninth album: #439 The Clash - London Calling

It's been over fourty years now, but the worries at the core of London Calling's title track still exist - there's an apt comparison to that time and the current state of the world and the UK in particular as it seems to be spinning out of control, it feels like nothing changes. The following tracks don't all keep the undiluted punk energy and anger, but while there is more ska and pure rock in the following tracks, the attitude, anger and counter culture lyrics remain in a lot of the tracks regardless - rather than a standalone punk album, it flows into the different genres that will start to dominate the scene, ska, new wave and hard rock, and it's clear the band is able to pull them off without losing who they are.

The one hundred and fifty-fifth classical recording: #185 Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Sonata in C sharp minor, op. 27, no. 2, "Moonlight"

Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata is one of those famous names, an evocative name given in retrospect to a sonata with three distinct parts. The first movement is sombre and delicate, uncomplicated to listen to and a gentle prelude to the happier second movement. It goes into what sounds to me like a more complex third movement, a stormy piece that's harder to keep up with. The middle movement suffers in comparison to the other two, the simplicity of the first really shining to just bring that out while the third riles you up that much more.

The five hundred fourty-ninth song: It Must Be Love - Madness

Although I don't believe I've covered Madness yet at this point, they were an established band at this point. The reggae-inspired cover of the song then would have probably felt like their sound, although to me it feels differently produced, not entirely fitting in with their ska sound but having a lot of their poppy sounds still in place - not pushing it as much as I thought it could, but still quite well done as a song.

The five hundred fiftieth song: Tom Sawyer - Rush

There's a bit held back in Tom Sawyer, lyrically interesting and musically quite complex, with a far more futuristic sound in especially its solos than later acts did - the use of electronics feels stronger in plces in a way that the eighties really embrace. It's a flavour that's supported by the simpler sound of the vocals, avoiding the hard rock shouting but instead giving an earlier rock feel even as the rest of the music feels more ahead of its time.

The five hundred fifty-first song: Girls on Film - Duran Duran

As a new wave entry, I find Girls on Film a bit overwhelming - I know the music video would have been more tittilating and new wave leads off from here - Duran Duran is a big name after all - but it musically odens't give me that much more of interest. It feels like Duran Duran would work better in an album context, but here it feels like it lacks something.

The five hundred fifty-second song: I Love Rock ‘n Roll - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

Following the demise of punk and the start of the longer lasting post punk era, it feels like hard rock takes on even more of it. Joan Jett feels like it leans into it heavily, in the presentation - more colourful but with the punk edge, the repetitive chorus underlined with the simpler melody. It's good, though, it's catchy, happy and gives that throwback feel that feels quite contemporary with other songs of the era.

The five hundred fifty-third song: Mickey - Toni Basil

The other side is that we can see where pop really goes. Mickey's cheerleader-like chant was obviously made to suit Toni Basil, but it also creates a pop sound that not only feels catchy, but feels a fairly early new wave evolution that leads to the bubblegum pop music we see being on the rise as well. Even as it lacks depth - it really is a cheesy love song - it also creates a really good atmosphere.

The five hundred fifty-fourth song: Computer Love - Kraftwerk

We're already done with all of Kraftwerk's work for the album's list, while this is the last of their songs on this list. It's softer and gentler, the unrelenting beat replaced by a gentle synthesizer sound. It still sounds electric, but there's something that has softened even though the lyrics still focus on the progress of the earlier work - perhaps reflecting a move to softness needed in the harsh 80s

The five hundred fifty-fifth song: O Superman - Laurie Anderson

I'm not sure whether I can reliably say anything about O Superman. It's an art piece as much as a song, an experiment with music and sound whose beat is a looped 'Ha', the singing is all through a heavy vocorder and is as often spoken word as it's singing, and the remainder of the music comes in and out, often just an ethereal sound that feels like it comes in and then slowly fades away. It's art, it's an experience, but it's surprising it became as big a hit as it did, especially as I'm not sure it holds up for the full eight minutes - but again, I'm not sure if this is something that's purely to be liked.

The four hundred and thirty-eighth album: #438 The Undertones - The Undertones

The Undertones' debut album comes in, brings half an hour of punk and goes again. It leaves you with a strong impression, mixing a still strong message with the upbeat party punk that I've appreciated more but doesn't always get as political. It's poppy, but with that punk background lurking along underneath the whole time.

The four hundred and thirty-seventh album: #437 Chic - Risque

I have to admit that I find Risque to be a lot more accessible than I thought it would be - while the disco tracks are still a bit too long sometimes, they have enough variety in them that they stay enjoyable throughout. There's a build and a progression in the tracks, perhaps without as much of a story, but it feels much better constructed than the endless repetition of most funk albums. Disco is improving.

The one hundred and fifty-fourth classical recording: #722 George Enescu - Violin Sonata no. 3

There's a real sadness to this sonata. Scored for violin and piano, it feels like it has these two instruments both do their own thing, harmoniously but not meeting, creating a distance by design. The violin's slow music sounds torturous at times, with the piano providing more comfort in this piece. It's not that disconcerting - certainly no Ravel - but it's a piece that keeps you on your toes a lot more.

The one hundred and eighty-fifth TV show: #605 Bob & Rose

We gave up on this show after less than two episodes... It was off putting in so many places. While Russell T. Davies' previous Queer As Folk worked as a way of representation and to show the follies of the gay clubbing lifestyle of the late nineties, his attempt to write a straight romance fails on several levels. The characters are unlikeable - the women, from Rose to her mother to his best friend Holly - manipulative and looking to get their way (in the end Rose is a stalker), the men pushovers and all gay men promiscuous. Add to that a lot of rants about Bob not being gay the right way and it all started to feel a bit much. While I'm sure the story of a gay man ending up in a straight relationship and still feeling gay might be true, it feels like it skips over a lot of nuance and considering the timeframe it was written in, potentially dangerous because it's just about meeting the right woman. I might get why this may have been a safe option at the time, but it feels like a very clumsy attempt at writing a love story that I couldn't bear to continue, simply as a bizarre misstep.