[sindohte]

All of you have provided some good listening suggestions, but are there any more ideas about particular CDs or songs in particular that you listen to when writing a love scene for a story that you are writing? I am in dire need of finding music to help me write a love scene that dear BB among others are waiting anxiously for me to produce. So my muse who is currently silent on this one particular scene and I are begging you for any additional romantic listening suggestions.

And to provide a little more clarification, I think that I am also interested in musical suggestions that might be a little shall we say "harder" in nature - along the lines of Steve Lawler and his Dark Drums CD? Or trance would be good as well.

Input pretty please

[Panneth]

Another thought - Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls. Love that song!

[TrissMarigold]

All for love by Bryan Adams, Sting and Rod Stewart maybe?
or Where the wild roses grow by Kylie Minogue and Nick Cave
Adiemus by Enya (actually all her songs)
well french musical Romeo et Juliette comes to mind especially the song 'Aimer'
or some songs from the musical Notre Dame de Paris, like 'Belle'
Desree - Kissing you
Eric Serra - Little Light of Love (from The Big Blue movie)
Eric Serra - My Lady Blue (Big Blue)
Eric Serra - The Big Blue Overture (instrumental)
Dido - take my hand; here with me
Now we are free, from the Gladiator
U2 - with or without you; one
Queen - heaven
Goo Goo Dolls - Iris

[Vulgarweed]

I find I listen to a lot of world music when writing -- the lyrics don't distract me if I don't understand the language.

For Middle-earth stories, nothing beats Scandinavian folk music, naturally enough.NorthSide Records (in Minneapolis, USA) has these fantastic Nordic Roots samplers with all their artists: some are very traditional sounding, others incorporate the trad sounds with electronic/ethereal dance music, rock, and other styles. Very Elven-ish and otherworldly, the lot of it. I also have a couple CDs by Knut Buen, a master player of the Hardanger fiddle (used famously in the Rohan theme...) from Norway.

For stories that have kind of a melancholy or ancient or martial feel to them, I like a lot of Middle-Eastern/North African music and also Central Asian and Eastern European music. I love Muszikas from Hungary, Gogol Bordello from, well, all over the place, and the Shoghaken Ensemble from Armenia. Huun-Huur-Tu, from Tuva (near Siberia/China), have a gorgeous dry, windy, mountain/steppe feel to their songs, and their throat-singing is also otherworldly.

If something is really intense/creepy/sexual/mystical, there's the Master Musicians of Joujouka, from Morocco, whose music has unrelenting drumming and these crying, howling wind instruments.

Sometimes metal works very well. Either the more melodic epic style, or really heavy doom, or really vicious black metal if I'm trying to get that Angband/Mordor state of mind.

Yes, the LOTR sound tracks work really well, too. There are only three of 'em, though, and I can't overuse them.

Old English folk rock is good. Steeleye Span, Pentangle, Fairport Convention. (Everybody knows "The Battle of Evermore," right, that Led Zeppelin song that Sandy Denny from Fairport sings on--the one that's so terribly Siege of Minas Tirith?)

This is running really long, isn't it? Sorry - I'm a big ol' music geek!

[BittenBuggy]

Ah, see, I'm a Garth Brooks-girl myself. I love his song "The Red Stroke" for writing smut! Its just so... damn sexy! Also, Garth Brooks does a lot of songs revolving around sex... horny bastard.

Ahem, other than that, I do listen to the Lord of the RIngs Soundtracks when writing non-smut (which is hardly never) but.. ahem, anyway. I can't listen to rock music and write, I just cant.

And I LOVE Sting (in the Police) and Bryan Adams.. I have "Lonely Nights" stuck in my head now... oh the beaty of that man...

Also, big Rob Thomas and Willie Nelson fan, I love the unconventional, almost scratchy voices.

[Roisin]

I like to listen to the Shrek soundtrack, and the Princess Bride soundtrack.

Roisin

[BittenBuggy]

Wow... BB just read over her last post...

Remind me not to ever post again while under the influence of caffine...


*hops up and down* Coffee! coffee! coffee! coffee!!!!

[Andreth]

My favorites to use are Mazzy Star 'Fade Into You', Evanescence 'October' - that's a demo song and hard to find, but it's worth it. It's pretty much Annatar's theme song. Then almost anything by Coldplay, especially when writing angst.

Now if you're talking about writing something a little more, ahem, raunchy then I have to go with Nine Inch Nails 'Complications of the Flesh', 'Hurt' and 'Closer' (that's my all time favorite), or really the whole 'Downward Spiral' album. Depeche Mode's album 'Violator' is another good one. Or their greatest hits double CD.

[sindohte]

[Andreth]

Yes, major Depeche Mode fan (although REM has always been my number one favorite since 'Murmur' came out in 1981) cause Dave Gahan has one of the greatest voices in the known world. I like 'Songs of Faith, Love and Devotion', too, but mostly just because of 'I Feel You' and 'Walking In My Shoes'. 'Music for the Masses' was always my favorite until 'Violator' came out and then it got bumped down to number two.

And you know, I'm really glad Dave Gahan got off the drugs and has been staying clean, but damn I sure liked him with that long hair and tattoos.

[sindohte]

Dave Gahan back in his long haired days *sigh* While his look might have changed and I am also glad that he has gotten off the drugs, his voice is just SO distinctive. That voice has a texture all its own.

[Miluiwen]

I tend to listen to quite a mixture of things when I write. Sometimes, its Norah Jones (especially Don't Know Why, Seven Years and Lonestar, but my favourite is definitely Cold Cold Heart) sometimes LotR OST, but I strongly suggest Natalie Merchant as well, especially her song Ophelia.

I like Evanescence as well- going to see them in concert in a couple of weeks! Hello and Everybody's Fool are some of my favourites, but I really want to find Origin. I can't find it anywhere, and have been told to be careful with the ones on eBay- some are fakes. Ah well.