Day 170 | at Kambolgie campsite, Kakadu NP: back on the dirt on the way to Koolpin Gorge

61 km | Heading west total: 7,469 km

I’ve got music to offend anyone on that new iPod.

I’d carried it all around on my laptop but for some reason had never listened to any of it for almost 6 months.

There’s Shostakovich’s String Quartets and a few of his symphonies, (although not my favourite the 10th. Someone else seems to have grabbed that.) Some Liszt and Schumann piano. A fair amount of jazz, with piano trios featuring prominently: Bill Evans, of course, you can’t go past his lesser known record Everyone digs Bill Evans, the one after his At the Village Vanguard one of the jazz greats, plenty of Keith Jarrett, well it’s good music to work to, or even ride a bike with (maybe just too tasteful and pretty) and Brad Mehldau is pretty chunky too. Tord Gustavsen: I’m missing his great first album but the other 2 are impressive as well. How many people have released 3 albums with such a large number of instant classics on them, not one bad track. I started listening to the Marcin Wasilewski Trio because they are the backing band for Tomasz Stanko. Somehow I was only left with one of his CDs with the cleanout of my collection.

It’s good to have time to finally be able to concentrate on Thelonious Monk’s particular madness. The Necks are great to ride along to particularly Drive by. Miles Davis with Kind of Blue obviously but also my own favourite Someday my prince will come. Eno’s Apollo is a must along with On land.

There’s 3 Boards of Canada’s albums but the first Music has the right to children is the one in my top 5 albums. Don’t despair there’s some noise as well: My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless remains timeless, and the more recent imitators Mogwai clears the ears of wax. Barry Adamson, or the Propellerheads, get you in a cadence frenzy groove. Some Sigur ros, and even The Go Betweens and Nick Drake. Where did DJ Shadow come from?

I’ve left a few out of this list because I’m surprised they’re on there: Astor Piazzola and Beth Orton among them.

An eclectic collection.

My recently ex-partner, or more probably her teenage son, ended up with my copies of OK Computer although that has made me listen more closely to The Bends and the almost as good, or is it better, In Rainbows which I offered 2 quid for in the pay-as-much-or-as-little-as-you-want download at the end of 2007.

she looks like the real thing,
she tastes like the real thing,
my fake plastic love . . .
and if I could be who you wanted . . .
all the time, all time.