First Dance Friday: Gets Physical (Part One)

How did I cope before First Dance Friday? How did I manage before I created this small corner of the world where I can BORE ON about music? It's so horribly self-indulgent, I almost feel guilty writing it. Especially as my good intentions of helping engaged couples find their first dance song have evaporated like a dawn mist, blown across the fields by my infinite capacity to talk about MYSELF and MY OPINIONS. Oh, go on, you love it.

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On the bright side, my ability to prattle on at infinite length about tuneage is starting to see me pop up elsewhere on the web (where people are yet to be bored of me). This week you can find my latest round-up of new album releases over at the super-stylish Florence Finds  and also live music highlights for the coming weeks at My Life In Leeds, both of which are compulsory reading if you care the MEREST IOTA about what's top of the pops. I feel almost in demand. Very, nearly, almost.

Anyway, my motivation for this week's post is YOUR motivation (always thinking of others, that's me). You can't have missed the fact that it's January -step outside and wonder at the wheelie bins whizzing past your head- and as it's a new year the world is once again full of good fitness intentions. Now, personally I CANNOT abide exercising without something loud and excellent in my ears. So I'm bringing you...(fanfare)....

Bad Penny's Baddest Rock Workout.

I'm doing this in two parts - two! - so if you put it all together you should have enough noisy ear-candy to get you through a suitably gruelling workout. Come on now, no slacking!

1. We're warming up to start, so we want something that's going to get you through those first few minutes when you're still wondering whether you wouldn't be happier on the sofa with a bag of jelly babies watching Nature's Greatest Events. You're going to need something driving, mean and moody. Ladies and gents, you're going to need Mr Billy Idol.



2. Getting over the "10 minute hump" is the first hurdle of cardio-vascular exercise. So the next song is fast, furious and will make you want to move. Standing still is not possible with the Detroit Cobras - every song they've done makes me wish I could jive. If you've never heard this band, listen, and then go forth and discover their back catalogue - Mink, Rat Or Rabbit and Life, Love & Leaving are both A-MAZING records.



3. If you don't like shouty bands, you aren't going to like this next one, I'm afraid. It's probably my favourite workout track of all time. BOOM!



4. Now we're really motoring, so it's time for the best song the Donnas will probably ever do (what a pinnacle though) and here speaks a girl who has followed their career closely and still has their first split 7" with the Toilet Boys - where are they now, eh? If this doesn't get the endorphins going, nothing will.



5. OK so now we're really rolling. If you're running and you've made it this far, chances are you'll be off your bonce on happy feel-good. It's time to rummage through the attic and pull out a blinder. I can't listen to this without thinking of Jack Black's character in School Of Rock now. But never mind.



6. I'm going to hold you at the halfway point with some real air-punching AOR rock. If you love the Loggins, you'll love this beauty. It will make you feel like you're actually in a montage, in a film, in the 80s, training for some sort of important physical challenge. Stay strong my friend, you shall overcome!



That's it for this week, class! Let me know what songs get your adrenalin pumping and don't forget to come back next week for part 2....