Favorite Cruising Music?

[veprjack]

OK - CSN&Y's "Southern Cross" is pretty good and Chris Cross' "Sailing" is a no-brainer (if you like him). And then there's Bob Marley in general and while cruising the islands it's a "must". I like everthing from Heavy Metal (though probably not while cruising) to Mozart, so I'm probably weird.

What music do you all like to listen to when cruising? Yeah, I know that on a watch you a) don't want to interfere with people's sleep and b) don't want to block out important sounds that warrant your attention, but on a nice day with good visibility, what "does it" for you?

[Pamlicotraveler]

I love music, but when I am sailing I like to hear the water and wind.

I have friends that bring big boom boxes on and want to play underway, but for some reason that doesn't work for me. At anchor or the dock that's fine, but wind and water flow is the best music there is to me.

[sailhog]

Anything with a nice, sweet, soft, melodious, effervescent yet delicate fart sound to it.

[DRFerron]

I have iPod playlists for various stages (and moods) of a trip:

Waking Up Easing into the day with a cup of tea/coffee in the cockpit. Classical and instrumental music

Underway Upbeat, excited that the motor is off. Reggae (there's more out there than just Marley, good as he is ), some classical, classic rock, sea shanties, trop rock, etc.

At Anchor Relaxing with beer/wine and good food. Blues, traditional jazz (none of that so-called "smooth" jazz nonsense), standards, acoustic singer-songwriter tunes

However, we have yet to listen to any of the music that I spend time collecting actually on the boat. We like to hear the burble underway, or the near-silence at anchor. We turned on the radio only once at anchor and that was to listen to a Phillies game.

Mostly I play my playlists while puttering around the house.

Maybe I should change the playlist titles to:

Cleaning (or Moving Stuff Around) the Garage
Cleaning (or Moving Stuff Around) the House
Gardening

[CalypsoP35]

Someone posted on a similar thread Kenny Chesney's album Be As You Are. I downloaded and it has become my favorite sailing album. A number of the songs have sailing references and many of the songs have refereneces to the Virgin Islands. My favorite lyric from one of the songs:

French kissing life square in the mouth sailing out on the sea.

[welshwind]

When winds are big and the boat is really moving along, my kids love to put on the theme song from Pirates of the Caribbean.

[LandLocked66c]

Beach Boys - Sloop Jon B!

Some Buffet of course, and throw in some TOTO - Africa... To name a few.

[Ninefingers]

If hear Chris Cross "Sailing" near my boat, I will unload a full battery of flares in your direction. I will save one shot in case your boat does not go up in flames. That one I will use on myself.

Jazz is good. Latin works.

[veprjack]

Great and HILARIOUS responses. I agree - and especially since I'm a newbie - I may never get used to the beautiful sounds created by the boat and/or nature. When I see people walking along the beach wearing headphones with roaring waves in the background, I want to ask them if they are listening to the sounds of traffic or airport noise! Still, the first time I THINK I have the sails trimmed just right in a 15 knot wind, I WILL be tempted to play something.

Oh, and agreed about Chris Cross' "Sailing". Didn't the Geneva Convention ban that song from being played to torture prisoners at Abu Ghraib Prison and elsewhere?

[MacGyverRI]

Deep Purple - Highway Star
Al Stewart - Life In Dark Water
Al Stewart - Time Passages
Enya, (anything)
Chicago - Wishing You Were Here
Hoku - Perfect Day (Legally Blond theme)
Jimmy Buffet (anything)
Kenny G
Van Morrison
Bachata style Latin music
and a crap load more