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11. Pink Floyd's "Sheep." I love the mood as the song starts. It starts out with an idyllic scene of sheep grazing, with some pleasant keyboards. "Harmlessly passing your time in the grassland away." But then some sinister bass creeps in. "Only dimly aware of a certain unease in the air." And then it takes off. And of course it's an allegory. Spoiler: The sheep are us.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want
He makes me down to lie
Through pastures green He leadeth me the silent waters by
With bright knives He releaseth my soul
I'm a big fan of the Animals album. It's where the Floyd briefly became a rock band.
12. My sister got me into the Violent Femmes and their classic debut album. My favorites are their longer, more powerful songs, like "Add It Up." Punk. DIY, low budget. Sexual frustration. Nothing quite like you've ever heard before, or since. "Groundbreaking." "Influential." Honest. Dark. Driving.
There are several fast songs on the album, but none quite so driven as this one.
13. Best track 1, side 1, album 1: Led Zeppelin, "Good Times, Bad Times."
Zeppelin comes out swinging!
14. This song wins for Saddest Song Ever. "Without You," by Harry Nilsson. I enjoy his quirky songs like "Coconut" and "Jump into the Fire," but wow, just listen to this voice. He won a Grammy for it - Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, in 1973.
First runner up for saddest song is Patti Smith's "Farewell Reel."
Comment: James - Adding to the song's sadness is that it was written by poor Pete Ham of Badfinger.
15. Pearl Jam, "Given to Fly".
One of the highlights of their concert in October.
"...a soaring epic that goes a long way in conveying Yield's majestic splendor. Frontman Eddie Vedder narrates the tale of a misunderstood, near-Messianic youth in front of hushed verses that explode into stratospheric choruses."
16. Peter Gabriel, "Digging in the Dirt"
I love the dark, sinister feel, and the heavy bass. This song can never quite get loud enough. It's too bad the sound on the video and/or my little computer speakers isn't very good. Find the real version with good sound, and crank it.
17. Patti Smith, "Gloria"
Back in the late nineties, I heard a lot about this Patti Smith person, and had to check her out. I started with her latest album, Gone Again, which I loved. Then I went back to the beginning, and Horses. I listened to it a couple of times, and couldn't quite decide what I thought of it. "Redondo Beach" had started to grow on me, but on the third listen, "Gloria" hit me - blew me away, really.
Patti was one of the founders of the New York Punk scene, in the mid seventies. This is not what you might expect from punk - it's no two-minute crash of guitars. It's crafted, but rough and loose. High-energy and abandon. Sex. Piano. It's a reimagining of Them's classic blues track. It evolves and rises. It leaves you breathless.
Bonus track: an early, live version of "Gloria" by the original band. Total blues.
18. Tori Amos, "God". I love the rolling beat and the bass end of the piano. Plus, I'm a sucker for piano.
Honorable mention: "Spark".
19. R.E.M. - "Nightswimming".
Simplicity of composition. Also, did I mention I'm a sucker for piano?
20. Stevie Wonder, Superstition
Nobody can lay a groove down like Stevie.
Part 3
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want
He makes me down to lie
Through pastures green He leadeth me the silent waters by
With bright knives He releaseth my soul
I'm a big fan of the Animals album. It's where the Floyd briefly became a rock band.
12. My sister got me into the Violent Femmes and their classic debut album. My favorites are their longer, more powerful songs, like "Add It Up." Punk. DIY, low budget. Sexual frustration. Nothing quite like you've ever heard before, or since. "Groundbreaking." "Influential." Honest. Dark. Driving.
There are several fast songs on the album, but none quite so driven as this one.
13. Best track 1, side 1, album 1: Led Zeppelin, "Good Times, Bad Times."
Zeppelin comes out swinging!
14. This song wins for Saddest Song Ever. "Without You," by Harry Nilsson. I enjoy his quirky songs like "Coconut" and "Jump into the Fire," but wow, just listen to this voice. He won a Grammy for it - Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, in 1973.
First runner up for saddest song is Patti Smith's "Farewell Reel."
Comment: James - Adding to the song's sadness is that it was written by poor Pete Ham of Badfinger.
15. Pearl Jam, "Given to Fly".
One of the highlights of their concert in October.
"...a soaring epic that goes a long way in conveying Yield's majestic splendor. Frontman Eddie Vedder narrates the tale of a misunderstood, near-Messianic youth in front of hushed verses that explode into stratospheric choruses."
16. Peter Gabriel, "Digging in the Dirt"
I love the dark, sinister feel, and the heavy bass. This song can never quite get loud enough. It's too bad the sound on the video and/or my little computer speakers isn't very good. Find the real version with good sound, and crank it.
17. Patti Smith, "Gloria"
Back in the late nineties, I heard a lot about this Patti Smith person, and had to check her out. I started with her latest album, Gone Again, which I loved. Then I went back to the beginning, and Horses. I listened to it a couple of times, and couldn't quite decide what I thought of it. "Redondo Beach" had started to grow on me, but on the third listen, "Gloria" hit me - blew me away, really.
Patti was one of the founders of the New York Punk scene, in the mid seventies. This is not what you might expect from punk - it's no two-minute crash of guitars. It's crafted, but rough and loose. High-energy and abandon. Sex. Piano. It's a reimagining of Them's classic blues track. It evolves and rises. It leaves you breathless.
Bonus track: an early, live version of "Gloria" by the original band. Total blues.
18. Tori Amos, "God". I love the rolling beat and the bass end of the piano. Plus, I'm a sucker for piano.
Honorable mention: "Spark".
19. R.E.M. - "Nightswimming".
Simplicity of composition. Also, did I mention I'm a sucker for piano?
20. Stevie Wonder, Superstition
Nobody can lay a groove down like Stevie.
Part 3
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Date: 2015-02-04 08:03 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2015-02-06 03:20 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2015-02-04 03:34 pm (UTC)From:And Superstition...amazing piece of music!