h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I was thinking recently: for a while, it was common for musicians to write songs about train travel, and include sounds that mimic the sound of a train. I can think of legends like Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Glen Miller and Lonnie Donegan, just for a start.
We don't hear steam trains in daily life any more, though. It made me wonder what modern sounds have been or could be integrated into music from our everyday lives. Telephone sounds, dial-up modems and more have been used in songs, but those are out of date now too.
What sounds can you think of that have been taken from real life and woven into songs? And what others can you suggest that would be suitable?

Nelson Riddle is famous for his automotive synesthesia, whether from "Route 66" or "The Avengers".

Jimi Hendrix also used automotive rhythms including a police siren in his electric guitar treatment on "The Star Spangled Banner"/"Anacreon in Heaven".

I do remember "the lumberjack" by Jackyl. They used a chainsaw as instrument. Still thinking about more recent stuff.

There is also the computer error song, composed with windows error sounds.

Perhaps not up to date, but universal and a famous exercise of synesthesia, Tchaikovsky used the rhythm of falling snowflakes to signal the beginning of the Russian counter-attack in his "1812 Overture".

Another train song is Steve Goodman's "City of New Orleans," made famous by Arlo Guthrie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXGFKpWUOW0

I always get a kick out of the sounds of cars honking in Gershwin's "American in Paris." Something along the same lines might be the modern bee- beep sounds of vehicles backing up. There are also numerous beeping sounds as people use their remotes to open their car doors. When the cashier at my local supermarket scans items, there are beeps.

Pink Floyd's Money.

The cash register and loose change sounds were recorded to tape (seven separate sections). The sample was cut out of the reel and taped end to end in a loop. This loop was fed through a tape player with the loose part of the loop pulled taut with a mic stand.

In the Beginning - The Moody Blues from 1969.

Their imagination of a future controlled by a Big Brother / Computer led / spacey society (I think). Bursts in at 1.25 or so

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgHvIFxGT0c

PP.

And The Smiths' 'How Soon is Now' always conjours up the feeling of cars passing on a dark wet night to me (although that was probably not the plan and the recording was hugely complicated and fueled by cannabis).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnpILIIo9ek

PP.

Kraftwerk - Autobahn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e11h73WhqK4


Trans Europe express
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7i83yoQSo0

Back to trains: "Kedeng kedeng" by Guus Meeuwis

Monty Python sketch - 'the machine that goes ping'

Would seem to sum up most modern sounds to me. There must be half a dozen things in my kitchen that go ping to announce their readiness or that there's something wrong. And that's not counting the mobile phone or computer going ping when an alert occurs.


We are now the world that goes Ping.

Our washing machine finishes with 4 Morse code "F"s.

-... -... -... -...

Ours does O, ---

"Lovely to see you" was .

Weren't there some sounds in the interior of the heart of Gold?

The doors had a characteristic sound.

Gabriel Cedra. Blues gob iron. Mississippi Train.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2XwZTc7QHw

PP.