Maybe it’s weird, but I’ve developed a bit of a thing for police
sirens. I know it’s not a sound you
really want to hear most of the time but I can’t help finding it very exciting. It must just be tapping into something deep,
an association with danger and illicit thrills. It conjures up flashing lights and cityscapes, neon signs, speed, edginess, exhilaration, a rush of blood and a racing
heart. That must be it….
There are a good few songs with sirens in that I like
too. The Clash’s ‘White Riot’, of
course, and the Equals ‘Police On My Back’ spring to mind, but both are from the
time before we here in the UK replaced our rather reserved ‘nee naw’ sirens with the far more rousing American
style wailing ones. It’s those wailing sounds that really get me now though, especially when they speed up. Ohh! This would explain why a song by Jungle has
become a bit of a personal indulgence, because whenever I want that little sonic thrill, something to make my eyes flash and
my skin tingle, I no longer need to go out and smash the window of the local jewellers. I can just listen to The Heat and tune my ears into the
siren in the background instead. Ah, if only it was much higher in the
mix and went on for longer!
