Have you ever matched a book with an album? So the music becomes part of the world of the book

[HumphreyCobbler]

and you think of one when you read or listen to the other?

I did this with Ursula Le Guin's Tombs of Atuan and Dead Can Dance's Into the Labryinth.

Or am I just a bit odd?

I can't ever hear Depeche Mode's Black Celebration album without thinking about Virginia Andrews Flowers in the Attic - especially the song that starts 'Here in this house, where it all happens....' for the life of me now cannot remember the name of the song!

Feel the same about the Cocteau Twins - can transport you totally, have my labour bag packed (due Monday) and they are the only CD's I've got in case the MP3 player doesn't work. Don't know how transportive their powers are but worth a try [hopeful emoticon].

I always think of Far From The Madding Crowd with U2's The Joshua Tree but I guess that's just because of the time I was reading it as they're not natural companions

Will have a scan of my shelves when my head is clearer and maybe some others will come to mind.

Ooh yes. The Amber Spyglass (and subsequently, The Subtle Knife, but not Northern Lights) are inextricably linked in my mind with Up by R.E.M.

I think it was more of a coincidence that I bought that album and that book around the same time, but some of the lyrics are vaguely relevant, e.g. reference to consulting the i-ching, and a line "Open the window and lift into a dream" but every time I hear a song from the album I am there in the HDM world

Very interesting thread!
I cannot listen to music while I read, so don't have any.
When I was younger I would have... but cannot remember anything
Though "The Stand' is forever linked with football for me... I read it same summer as Italia '90

Loads of good ones here.

I know this is slightly off topic, but I always felt the makers of the Lord of the Rings films really missed a trick by going down the obvious wishy washy new age type music for the elves. In my head I always heard their music as a kind of tallis/monteverdi-ish sound. Complicated but clear.

Humphrey - i sooo agree with you about Lord of the rings. It could be a lot more atmoshperic if they used Brian Eno or Cocteau Twins stylee stuff or the stuff you suggest.

Ohfuschia- I am hoping you will have a lovely birth and give your baby a name off the album "Treasure" as a result.

What would you favourite be ?

I think i like "Otterley" -their spelling or Beatrix. -both these are my favourite tracks.

i am LOVING this thread - long many it continue!

For me, The Stand will always make me think of Don't fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult, because of the tv film

Agree with LOTR, that it was a bit obvious

I'm off to think of any others

Thanks for your good wishes, Vulgar, remains to be seen how far I will get with 'Lazy Calm' and 'Fluffy Tufts' before I need the hard drugs but who knows? Already know he's a boy so can't go with your suggestions I'm afraid , and though I do love the track 'Ivo' he's most likely a Gabriel, in part because of another song I haven't been able to get out of my head for the past few months. Funny how much music permeates your life - for years I've thought of how I'd have the Cocteau Twins at labour and now here I am with the bag packed - arrgh.

Sorry to go off topic, did have a scan of my shelves but only the obvious things came up like the jazz soundtrack that seems to go with The Great Gatsby and On the Road - am convinced there are more somewhere in my brain though. Enjoying everyone's suggestions

Also possibly a bit off topic here, but the synaesthesia reference caught my eye. The main character in Clare Morrall's 'Astonishing Splashes of Colour' has the condition - anyone else read that? Quite an interesting book, but I'm afraid I did want to shake the heroine quite hard on occasion, and as I took it on holiday with me, it didn't make for a very jolly, relaxed read...

ohfuschia - Gabriel is a lovely name

Vulgar

Re synaesthesia, also fascinated by this, did
get The Man Who Tasted Shapes from the library after seeing a documentary about it, might have been a BBC One Life one, don't think I finished it so will look it out again and also the 2 fiction ones mentioned sound interesting.

yes, lord of the rings with Stanley Road by Paul Weller. Had it on loop when I read it for the first time. Funnily tho, I can read the book without hearing the music, but when I hear the music, i see images from the book.