It’s funny but when I first got the I-Pod, I didn’t realise that it would change the way that I listen to music. I don’t just mean that I started to download more. While this is true, I think it would have happened anyway. Also, there is no reason not to listen to downloads in an old-fashioned, album by album, track by track sort of way. But I find, more and more, I listen to it on shuffle. it saves me having to decide and if I’m cooking which is when I usually listen to it, then I don’t have to stop to stick another CD on.

It is one thing to be in the mood for something and listen to it but another completely to have a great song appear unexpectedly. For example, last night I was listening and Come Back by The Mighty Wah came on. There are a number of reasons why it is always great to hear this song. For a start, it has a great thumping anthemic chorus which you can chant along to. This immediately removes any residual stress. There is nothing like chanting along to a good song to do that. Secondly there is a good degree of nostalgia attached to this song. I was 12 when this song was in the charts and so it reminds me of being young and carefree. So there is another level of happiness attached to it.

To me, this is the way that music works in my life. No matter how stressful my day has been, I know that for at least that time when I am cooking and I am listening to the I-Pod, I know that will be a guaranteed time of happiness. Even though, this being my record collection, there is a huge number of miserable bastards on there – Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Morrissey to name but a few, music always lifts the spirits.