Muse

I’m glad that Muse have finally won an award for Best British Band (NME 2010).

I discovered them in the early days of my relationship with Ruf.

Their song ‘Starlight’ was my ringtone and wake-up alarm for many months. It symbolised my infidelity and my hope for the future.

As I drove away from my home and my family on a Friday night, intent on satisfying my carnal desires and tearful all at the same time, it would come onto the radio and I would shout the words to fuel my determination.

Later, it transpired that one of their older songs, ‘Plug In Baby’, is a favourite that I share with my daughter. It was one of those common ground moments at a time when everything between us seemed to be falling apart.

I was given the cd ‘Black Holes and Revelations’ and I fell in love. It just struck a chord with me and empathised with the battle that was my life. But there were other side issues that kept it in my heart.

‘Knights of Cydonia’ is the only song I have ever managed to play successfully on Guitar Hero. In my childhood, I could actually play the guitar, so it was very upsetting to have Slash tell me that I’m rubbish and to ‘get off’ repeatedly. I began to learn that you have to forget the actual tune and just focus on the hand/eye coordination, following the screen and ignoring the desire of my brain to ‘play it by ear’ as I always have done. When I finally managed to make the damn thing work, I was ecstatic.

The release of their latest album, ‘The Resistance’, coincided with my decision to walk away and start a new life on my own. I can identify with so many of the lyrics about the downtrodden resisting and then rising up to overpower their oppressors. And the anthemic chorus of ‘The Uprising’ became my creed.

And ‘Undisclosed Desires’ was the soundtrack to a major orgasm.

‘The Resistance’, with its fabulous lyrics and ‘grab you by the scruff of the neck’ beat has buoyed me up on more than one occasion when I was down.

I had intended to buy the album but, conscious of the hundreds of cds that sit in piles back at the house, I realised that the more sensible option was to download it.

The power of advertising means that itunes @ £5.99 or $11.99 was the first option that sprang to mind, but then I discovered that Amazon have their own mp3 download department which is cheaper @ £4.98 or $7.99. Singles are also available at £0.59 or $0.99.

So ‘The Resistance’ became my first ever download.

A signal of a new beginning in so many ways.