Saturday, August 12, 2006

Music for gaming

I was thinking recently about finding appropriate music to listen to when we are gaming.

Here's my list.

I want to play Through the Desert while listening to In the Desert, by Michael Flanders & Donald Swann.

I want to play Mystery of the Abbey while listening to gregorian chants.

I want to play Euphrates & Tigris while listening to The Rivers of Babylon, by Boney M.

I want to play Pirates' Cove while listening to In the Navy, by The Village People.

I want to play Nautilus while listening to Yellow Submarine, by The Beatles.

I want to play Funny Friends (Fiese Freunde Fette Feten) while listening to I spent my last $10 on Birth Control and Beer, by Two Nice Girls.

I want to play Arche Opti Mix while listening to Uncle Noah's Ark, by The Wiggles.

I want to play Coloretto while listening to Karma Chameleon, by Culture Club.

I want to play Manhattan while listening to Super Womble.

I want to play Frank's Zoo while listening to Mammal, by They Might be Giants.

I told Fraser I wanted to play Ticket to Ride while listening to Morningtown Ride, by The Seekers, and he looked at me as if I was nuts, then dragged out a Beatles CD to remind me of the song, umm, Ticket to Ride. oops. So make Morningtown Ride, umm, Ticket to Ride: Europe. Because of the passengers.

Which leaves me with a need for another train song. Maybe the song about the Pufferbellies would be good for Age of Steam.

I want to play Zoo Sim while listening to the Dublin Zoological Gardens, by The Wiggles (with Morgan Crowley)

I want to play Samurai while listening to Big in Japan, by Alphaville.

I suspect I can live without playing Britannia while listening to God Save the Queen.

I would love to play Dawn Under while listening to the soundtrack of Once More with Feeling, the Buffy Musical episode.

I want to play Hexentanz while listening to Ding Dong the Witch is dead from the Wizard of Oz.

Is St Petersburg on the Volga? I suspect that the Song of the Volga Boatmen would be forgivable for theme points, even if it reveals my woeful lack of geographic knowledge.

I want to play Schrille Stille while listening to anything by Heino. (Actually, I suspect that silence might be preferable)

I want to play Ace of Aces while listening to Snoopy vs the Red Baron.

I want to play Deutschlandreise while listening to Alphaville's To Germany with Love.

For TransAmerica, I would be very tempted by Please Come to Boston, by Joan Baez. I had a "full Baez" the other day with LA, Denver and Boston.

I want to play Cleopatra and the Society of Architects while listening to Walk Like an Egyptian, by the Bangles.

Fraser wants to play Star Fleet Battles while listening to the Star Trekkin' song, by The Firm.

I want to play Fifth Avenue while listening to New York New York, by Frank Sinatra.

I want to play Bang! while listening to I shot the Sheriff (any version).

I want to play Red Empire while listening to Back in the USSR, by The Beatles.

I think I need to play Circus Flohcati while listening to The Ecstasy of Dancing Fleas by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra

I really want to play Igloo Pop while listening to Eskimo, by Corky and the Juice Pigs.

I want to play Diplomacy while listening to Everybody wants to Rule the World, by Tears for Fears.

I want to play Mille Bornes while listening to 500 miles, by The Proclaimers.

I want to play Nuclear War while I listen to We will all go together when we go, by the inimitable Tom Lehrer.

I want to play Werewolf while listening to the Doug Anthony All-Stars' cover of the Hunters and Collectors song Throw Your Arms Around Me. OK, I want to play werewolf, and I want to listen to the song. The two together are just gravy. And maybe Hungry Like the Wolf, by Duran Duran, just for extras.


And I just want to play Princes of Florence, regardless of background noise.

What do you think? Have I missed one of your favourites? Have I revealed more of my iTunes library than was perhaps advisable?

May all your Meeples hold a tune,

Melissa

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I personally must listen to heavy metal. So here's my comparative wishlist.
Through the Desert - http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/metalchurch/blessingindisguise.html#5 or http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/kamelot/thefourthlegacy.html#5

Mystery of the Abbey - http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/avantasia/themetalopera.html#3

Tigres and Euphrates - http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/edguy/theaterofsalvation.html#2
Actually there are too many metal songs about Babylon. (Yes, I just went with Melissa's idea..)

Pirate's Cove - Anything by Running Wild, of course, but specifically http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/runningwild/underjollyroger.html#1

If you really need a train song, can I recommend
http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/megadeth/trainofconsequences.html#1

or http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/armoredsaint/symbolofsalvation.html#3

or http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/nevermore/politicsinecstasy.html#4

or http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/ozzyosbourne/blizzardofozz.html#2

Samurai? Definitely Flotsam and Jetsam's http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/flotsamjetsam/noplacefordisgrace.html#1

I haven't played most of the games you reference, but it sounds like Hexenstance requires a little "Wicked Ways" by Leatherwolf (link not provided)

Ace of Aces? How about Aces High?
http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/ironmaiden/powerslave.html#1

Ah, Bang.
Why do we always sing that song when we shoot the sheriff? I have another take on this song: the Outlaw.
http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/manowar/louderthanhell.html#6

http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/wickedangel/headswillroll.html#2

http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/anthrax/spreadingthedisease.html#2

Red Empire sounds like it needs a little Iron Maiden with http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/ironmaiden/noprayerforthedying.html#10

or crimson Glory's http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/crimsonglory/transcendence.html#2

Speaking of crimson glory, I have a song for werewolf:
http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/crimsonglory/strangeandbeautiful.html#7

It's a little obscure but I haven't found links to Leatherwolf's "Leatherwolf" from their 1984 self titled.

I don't know most of the games you list, so the reference goes over my head, and thus I cannot respond with how I would envision the sound track ;)

Gerald McD said...

I laughed out loud when I saw your listing of Karma Chameleon. I haven't heard or thought of that song in a long, long time. That's a perfect match of song to game. Of the music you list and that I'm familiar with, I like your choices. Of course, there is no end to such a list, you know. To show you my cleverness, I propose playing Around the World in 80 Days while listening to Around the World in 80 Days. Doesn't that blow your mind? I think the Karma Chameleon got into my brain.......

Mischa said...

I can't believe that someone else has heard that Two Nice Girls song besides me. I had a heck of a time tracking down the MP3.

Fraser said...

One that missed our workshopping - Play Finstere Flure (we have the German edition) to The Monster Mash, I also suggested Chrononauts to The Summer of '39

Melissa said...

Damien: I definitely have a gap as far as Heavy Metal goes. So what would you recommend for Full Metal Planete?

Gerald: see, those are the ones we miss. I just thought of playing Blue Moon while listening to Blue Moon :)

mdk: ditto. A housemate of mine used to have it on CD, but I eventually found the MP3.

DW: Thanks. We tried to find a good song for Power Grid but came up empty.

Mikko: Good call on Alan Partridge :)

And Fraser: 2 more good ones.

Anonymous said...

Ingenious while Weird Al's "Genious in France" is playing ...

Anonymous said...

I always prepare a playlist before gaming with a game related theme. The other night I had people over for Cash n Guns and Bootleggers so I made a playlist with the Chicago and the Godfather soundtracks. I've done wild west playlists for Bang and Wyatt Earp. And you can't be a gamer without a pirates playlist. :)

I have a digital player in my stereo that streams from a music PC, which can be piped to speakers in every room. I definitely think that gaming is better with decent theme music.

Anonymous said...

Power Grid:

"Electricity" by OMD

Anonymous said...

Werewolf - Of Wolf and Man by Metallica

http://www.angelfire.com/realm/shades/lyrics/ofwolfandman.htm

Anonymous said...

When I thought of Transamerica, what came to mind was "I've been everywhere" by Johnny Cash.

Anonymous said...

A great one for Power Grid that I use is The Polecats' 'Make A Circuit with Me'.