Music & Driving

“ Son, get up you bum. Driver hasn’t come today so you got to take me to… (some far away place)” This is something I hear at my place on a regular basis. Oh the thought of driving on Indian roads. Only masochists look forward to such a jaunt. But still you’ll see me rushing towards the car keys, slotting in the key, cranking the engine up, and waiting… But I got company, a CD I compiled on the best driving or (if you’re a hardcore biker) riding songs, and frankly it’s an absolute pleasure listening to it while driving. There are songs and there are songs.

Honestly it doesn’t matter where I have to take my folks or my siblings and go, the music does and more importantly the sound system. Even a simple one will do, it doesn’t have to be a big, expensive one which will blow your brains out. Music doesn’t really need a humongous woofer that’ll send in vibes through the seat making you feel like you got a Mercedes with a seat massager to satiate your carnal bachelor / bachelorette needs. Music needs quality to be appreciated not quantity. Clearity is all I ask of it.

Pardon me for digressing a bit there, (and I probably will do so later on but bear with me!!) but I’m trying to make a point here. Point is it doesn’t matter what you drive, it can be your dad’s precious Mercedes or a dukkar (old and outdated.. basically what folks in madras call a thagaira dabba) fiat, its what on the inside that matters. Comfortable interiors and a wonderful ICE (in car entertainment system) will do for driving. This is my opinion and am sure some of you are like what about the looks, the engine – the POWER, fuel economy etc etc. Frankly if you love your music it doesn’t matter.

I ,like any other petrol nut, love to rev the nuts off the engine and make music with the exhaust. I would love a Ferrari, or a even better a Lamborghini (No money doesn’t grow on trees in my house :-P) but honestly where, where in god’s name are you going to drive them in India. You can say ECR, Mumbai-Pune expressway and the Golden Quadrilateral, but such roads can be counted on your fingers. The Automobile industry is booming (hurray good for all of us), but like cause and effect, this boom is sadly displayed on our roads. More cars means more congestion and no matter how many flyovers come up, it’ll all be too little to late.

So how does music help you ask?? Scientists in UK have proven that listening to calm music soothes your mind and de-stresses you. They primarily carried this test out with Beethoven music. Ok so you don’t like Beethoven, your more into hard rock and metal and some retro. Got some bad news there for you. Seems music that’s loud and with heavy beats makes you more aggressive. So basically if you’re the one who listens to linkin park or metallica then let me know, I’ll stay out of your way. However like all research this is only a generalized observation. Hence if your late on that date and you rather not face the consequences of your beloved’s fury, slot in some metallica, linkin park, rammstein, the hard stuff. Hey even dappan koothu n ganaa type songs work. Albeit if your stuck in traffic maybe some love songs to put you in a pensive mood, so the traffic around you just vanishes (subsequently you become the cause of another traffic jam). Some suggestions: coldplay, roja, Bombay, some illayaraja melody, dire straits, eric clapton

Oh I nearly forgot about what bikers can do to beat the stress. Well there’s ipod (hurrah!) plug in but don’t forget to put on that lid people. Really wish someone would invent a helmet with inbuilt speakers. Hmm, maybe I’ll do that and patent it ;-)

So I hope you get what I’m trying to say. Here’s my list of famous driving songs. Now this is only a matter of personal opinion, so in case you do have any suggestions do let me know when you bump into me. I’ve primarily listed down English songs and that too rock and they are in no particular order, I like them all equally. Also I might have left some great artistes and that’s again down to the philosophy of “different people, different strokes” and I can’t list them all down here. (too many n too little space J )

1. Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen

2. Highway to Hell – AC/DC

3. Highway Star – Deep Purple

4. Born to Be Wild – Steppenwolf

5. Du Hast – Rammstein

6. Black Knight – Deep Purple

7. Leave You Far Behind – Lunatic Calm

8. Heavy Fuel – Dire Straits

9. Hotel California – Eagles

10. Are You Gonna Go My Way – Lenny Kravitz

11. We Will Rock You – Queen ( J and you thought I forgot)

12. Rockstar – Nickelback

13. Clocks – Coldplay

14. Riders on the Storm – The Doors

15. Life in the Fast Lane - Eagles

CONFESSIONS OF A BIKER

I’m glued and absolutely fascinated by what am watching on TV. It’s Discover Travel and Living Channel (one of the meaningful channels on TV with sane entertainment). The show “Long Way Round”. What’s it about?? Two guys, who love biking on their way from London to New York on BMW R1200GS’s (sorry for getting a bit technical there.. basically it’s a big, humongous bike that you can use to conquer the world) via Central Europe, Ukraine, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Russia and finally Canada (phew long way round indeed.. Why not just catch a flight??) Now everyone has a relative idea of what’s crazy and not. These two are absolutely nuts in my book and frankly watching the whole series I just fell in love with the show and the whole concept behind it. Besides the two blokes happen to be celebrities. One of them Ewan McGregor (of Star Wars and Island fame) and Charley Boorman(a well.. umm.. lesser known actor).

So what I am going to rant about is, as the title suggests, Bikers. Now these aren’t people who just ride two wheelers but people who ride Bikes, and there’s a huge difference between the two. A biker in simple terms is a person (male/female) who enjoy riding bikes (right enough of the mokkai!!). These are blokes who are obsessed with machinery and it’s like a sniff of some illegal drug. It gets you high. Talking about sniffing and intakes, riding bikes is any day a healthier habit than smoking or drinking.

Right moving on.. I want to break certain myths that people assume about bikers. Now being a sort of almost there biker to hanging out with real bikers, I believe am in a good position to break that myth.

Myth 1: All bikers wear leather, have livers hanging by a thread and lungs that have seen better days

The clichéd outlook of the biker. The guy drinks like a fish and smokes like a chimney and doesn’t matter if he’s stuck in a desert he’ll still have the leather jacket on. If u believe this, then frankly you’ll believe me if I say that George Bush is an innocent man.

Myth 2: Bikers love their machines more than their Girlfriends

Ah no, not true. Smart bikers somehow manage to balance the two love stories. However this is a rare case as not everyone understands the passion and they are constantly haggled by the jealousy of their missus. Best advice to women who have a husband/beloved who’s a biker.. gift him a jacket, gloves or even a scale model of any imported bike and trust me you’ll have him wrapped around your finger. Let me make one thing clear to all the womenfolk reading this, You got shopping, ice creams and chocolates, we men got our gadgets and our machines !! I rest my case J

Myth 3: Bikers have somehow managed to escape the mental asylum

I know personally that some of these lads are crazy and loony. Some sacrifice anything and everything to satiate their passion for two wheels and an engine, either by working long hours tinkering around trying to make it go faster or ride off someplace and chase the setting sun. Yes but tell you what you try it and see how much you’ll get hooked on to it.

The other thing is the look on most parent’s faces when they see their kid hanging around with one. It’s like they seen Satan himself and they know their son’s headed to hell. I’ve had to experience this with some of my friend’s parents. It’s hard enough being a sardar in Madras, on top of that this !! Life ain’t a bed of roses!

Frankly I can go on about the clichés and stereotypes but I think I’ve bored you enough and I know what most of your argument will be against biking being dangerous et al. Looking at the Indian road scenario, You might as well be the buffoon behind the lit cigar or the one with a beer belly. Well I concede on that fact but it’s not at all bad. Life is boring if one doesn’t take risks. You can sit in that office chair, or in our case sit in the classroom and stare at the blank board and day dream, but that doesn’t mean your dreams will come true. They’ll be as empty and meaningless as that blackboard. Go venture out into the wilderness (well our roads are quite similar to a jungle anyway) get you r hands greased, start up that motor, strap on the helmet, put on them boots and chase the horizon. Hey it’s not like your going to go from Chennai To Chicago is it?? It’s a very romantic thought but it can come true if you want it to, It’s your life!! Ride Safe !!