Whoa, this is hard. There are SO many. I think the list would change from day to day. Here is today’s list.
1. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
This is my favorite George Harrison song, though I can’t say I understand it. I do like the idea of randomly picking up a word or a phrase and building a song around it. I liked the regular version enough already with the Clapton lead, but recently I heard a more acoustic version on “Love” that includes more or different verses, and it is beautiful. I think I may like that version even better!
2. Because
I can’t decide if the whole medley on side 2 of Abbey Road should be considered as one song, so I have compromised and just chosen the first part of the medley, “Because.” Again, the acappella version on “Love” underlines the beauty of the harmonies, as well as the symmetry and simplicity of the lyrics, which for me has various levels of meaning. There is an ethereal quality that shows a side of the band I wish had had more time to develop.
3. Across the Universe
This is my all time favorite song about writing songs, and one of Lennon’s most poetically beautiful songs ever. They are to me a window into his heart – or shall I say his best self.
4. Rocky Raccoon
So many people find this song funny, yet, there is a pathos in the opening notes that pervades the song to me. It is a fun and silly story, but it also is sad, and it also raises lots of profound questions, all surrounding the Gideon Bible theme.
5. I Am the Walrus
OK, it is more a less a nonsense song, a medley of unfinished songs and silly phrases with all kinds of silly word play and heavy duty tripping out behind it, but musically it just appeals to me.
6. I Saw Her Standing There
This is a quintessential early Beatles song. Somehow the inherent energy of the song, the in-you-face rocking out beginning, survived the toned down editing of the early records, though there is a bootleg version that will blow your skin off. It reminds me that the Beatles were an incredible working band for years and years, and the world had not quite seen such a show of musical force.
7. A Day in the Life
A neat concept, sort of existential and all, a slice of life, a miscellaneous day, depicted in two ways, via the news and via personal experience. Great blend of two songs with complementary themes, plus all that orchestrated tension!
8. Revolution
What can I say, I love to crank this up as loud as my speakers will play it and ears stand it. I prefer the fast version. Maybe this song contains one of the few instances where I actually agree with John Lennon! There is a lot of wisdom in this song, and what a great guitar/drum opening!
9. If I Fell
OK, I grant, this maybe the most schmaltzy sounding of all Beatle’s songs, but the harmonies are beautiful, and the sentiment realistic. One can sense John’s fear all over and around this song.
10. I Me Mine
It sounds like a total smack down of the rest of the band to me, though Harrison said not. I think it’s just a groovy song, and pretty much expresses the narcissism of our day pretty well. Let It Be was actually the first Beatles album I bought with my own money – I was only 12 when they broke up – and I have always had a deep affection for it, Phil Spector notwithstanding.
Showing posts with label Top Ten. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Top Ten. Show all posts
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Top Ten Albums
Well, here I go, trying to be true to my resolutions. The is the second of my top tens, but the first real one really. OK, I do this for fun for me. But I’d love your feedback.
By albums I mean, 1) albums I own, 2) non “best of” albums, and 3) lifetime favorites, as of today. Of course "album" and "CD" mean the same as far as the list goes.
Choosing favorite albums is kind of like choosing between beautiful sunsets. Numbers 11-99 all come close.
OK, here goes, roughly in order….
1. The Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East – – The Allman Brothers Band
I suppose they are my favorite band of all time, if I had to choose. The Brothers were on top of their game during the Fillmore Concerts. They are incredibly tight and together, even in the long jams. It may include the best beginning of any album ever – the intro to Statesboro Blues. I like all the songs, but Stormy Monday may be my favorite. With Duane and Dickey both cooking, and throwing in a great organ solo by Gregg - it’s hard to beat. I was recently given the re-mastered version that preserves more of the original order of the Fillmore Concert. I recommend it. By the way, I saw them in concert in Columbia on their Brothers and Sisters tour. Too bad I missed Duane, but that still ranks as my favorite concert of all time.
2. Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs – Derek and the Dominos
I bought this early in my teens, and it has followed me around all my adult life. I go through phases, listening to it for weeks in my car, and then putting it aside for a year or so. It gets better to me every year. It’s hard to know what to say about this record. It’s rough and under produced, Clapton’s voice is far from sterling, and yet the record is incredible in its emotional power, its consistency, and its mood. So, my two favorite albums both include Duane Allman. Well, I guess I like the blues, and on this record it’s hard to beat the double guitars wailing on Have You Ever Loved a Woman. And to know how true it was for Clapton!
3. Moondance – Van Morrison
Talking about a record of no bad songs! Van Morrison has been a brilliant song writer for decades, and is still going strong. But of all his records this is the smoothest, most consistent, and most emotionally powerful. I’ll tell you, it’s hard for me to listen to Into the Mystic or Brand New Day without tears. I’ve asked that Brand New Day be played at my funeral! The fusion of rock and jazz, electric instruments and horns, is brilliant. But the one word that comes to my mind when I think of this record is "smooth.”
4. Late for the Sky – Jackson Browne
I have listened to the record so many times in my life, and in so many places, and under so many circumstances, that it feels like an extension of me. I consider it his best work. Well, I think of Jackson Browne and David Lindley as a collaborative team. Can we imagine these songs without Lindley’s slide guitar or beautiful violins? My Clemson roommate and I used to play Road and the Sky at top volume and dance around the room before every Clemson home football game. What a great opening line! Over time, the more mellow works have meant more to me – For a Dancer, Fountain of Sorrow, Before the Deluge. What can I say, I love it.
5. Abbey Road – The Beatles
This only entered my top ten this year. I went through a spell when I could not stop listening to it, after I read the long Beatles bio. I don’t know if it is their best record, but it is for now my favorite of their records. I especially am drawn to the medley on side two, which I find to be an ever constant source of musical interest. It is a diverse and eclectic record, more a group of individual works, except for the brilliant medley, which is a compendium of connected short works and themes owned by all of them. “Because the world is round...” I mean, is that ethereal beauty or what?
6. My Life – Iris Dement
I know, who is Iris Dement you say? Well, she is a folk/old country/twangy singer songwriter from the other side of the other side of the hills, and her songs are piercing and haunting. Having now seen her in concert this past summer I realize that there is an aura about her plain Jane no frills persona - transcendent almost. The woman can write songs that make you cry or laugh or remember loved ones or hope for better things. You name it. The song My Life is a favorite.
7. Slow Train Coming – Bob Dylan
I remember when I first listened to Slow Train Coming on my parents' big living room stereo console. I wept. I also spent like three hours trying to write down all the words. If only we had had the internet back then! I love the hard driving bluesy feel to much of the record, yet Precious Angel, I Believe in You, When He Returns, and Man Gave Names to All the Animals are favorites. Mark Knoppler’s guitar on Precious Angel is world class. And I still consider it to contain Bob Dylan’s best singing of his entire career!
8. The Joshua Tree – U2
I didn’t like 80’s music. Big hair, big shows, big production, power ballads, all balanced by punk which I found tiresome. I had about given up when my Toronto nephews turned me on to U2. So I got involved in music again. And when Joshua Tree came out, I sensed it was simply a special, magical accomplishment. U2 is a great band, and I have liked most of their permutations. But give me Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, With or Without You, Bullet the Blue Sky, and One Tree Hill and I am just fine. And by the way, their Where the Streets have No Name at the Super Bowl after 9/11 was both sensitive and magnificent. I can’t wait.
9. Audible Sigh – Bill Mallonee and the Vigilantes of Love
Bill Mallonee, formerly of The Vigilantes of Love, has labored in the world of independent labels for most of his career, which is too bad in a way, given that he is up there with Bob Dylan and Jackson Browne as a songwriter. And his voice grows on you. Resplendent, with a little back up vocal help from Emmylou Harris, is one of the greatest songs ever written by anybody. He was and is a poet, and a bard, and a knower of the human condition. This is a great record.
10. Led Zeppelin II – Led Zeppelin
It’s hard to choose between a whole bunch of records for my top ten, including two or three Led Zeppelin ones, but I give the nod this week to II. I didn’t like Led Zeppelin so much when I was younger. Oh, yeah, me and all my friends spent hours trying to figure out the meaning of Stairway to Heaven, but the driving force of their music, and Robert Plant’s voice grated on me. Not any more for some reason, and I am appreciating more and more their musical brilliance as a band. It’s hard to pick a favorite song on this record, but I might just give the nod to Heartbreaker, due to the incredible lead guitar riff.
Well, that’s the top ten for today!
By albums I mean, 1) albums I own, 2) non “best of” albums, and 3) lifetime favorites, as of today. Of course "album" and "CD" mean the same as far as the list goes.
Choosing favorite albums is kind of like choosing between beautiful sunsets. Numbers 11-99 all come close.
OK, here goes, roughly in order….
1. The Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East – – The Allman Brothers Band
I suppose they are my favorite band of all time, if I had to choose. The Brothers were on top of their game during the Fillmore Concerts. They are incredibly tight and together, even in the long jams. It may include the best beginning of any album ever – the intro to Statesboro Blues. I like all the songs, but Stormy Monday may be my favorite. With Duane and Dickey both cooking, and throwing in a great organ solo by Gregg - it’s hard to beat. I was recently given the re-mastered version that preserves more of the original order of the Fillmore Concert. I recommend it. By the way, I saw them in concert in Columbia on their Brothers and Sisters tour. Too bad I missed Duane, but that still ranks as my favorite concert of all time.
2. Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs – Derek and the Dominos
I bought this early in my teens, and it has followed me around all my adult life. I go through phases, listening to it for weeks in my car, and then putting it aside for a year or so. It gets better to me every year. It’s hard to know what to say about this record. It’s rough and under produced, Clapton’s voice is far from sterling, and yet the record is incredible in its emotional power, its consistency, and its mood. So, my two favorite albums both include Duane Allman. Well, I guess I like the blues, and on this record it’s hard to beat the double guitars wailing on Have You Ever Loved a Woman. And to know how true it was for Clapton!
3. Moondance – Van Morrison
Talking about a record of no bad songs! Van Morrison has been a brilliant song writer for decades, and is still going strong. But of all his records this is the smoothest, most consistent, and most emotionally powerful. I’ll tell you, it’s hard for me to listen to Into the Mystic or Brand New Day without tears. I’ve asked that Brand New Day be played at my funeral! The fusion of rock and jazz, electric instruments and horns, is brilliant. But the one word that comes to my mind when I think of this record is "smooth.”
4. Late for the Sky – Jackson Browne
I have listened to the record so many times in my life, and in so many places, and under so many circumstances, that it feels like an extension of me. I consider it his best work. Well, I think of Jackson Browne and David Lindley as a collaborative team. Can we imagine these songs without Lindley’s slide guitar or beautiful violins? My Clemson roommate and I used to play Road and the Sky at top volume and dance around the room before every Clemson home football game. What a great opening line! Over time, the more mellow works have meant more to me – For a Dancer, Fountain of Sorrow, Before the Deluge. What can I say, I love it.
5. Abbey Road – The Beatles
This only entered my top ten this year. I went through a spell when I could not stop listening to it, after I read the long Beatles bio. I don’t know if it is their best record, but it is for now my favorite of their records. I especially am drawn to the medley on side two, which I find to be an ever constant source of musical interest. It is a diverse and eclectic record, more a group of individual works, except for the brilliant medley, which is a compendium of connected short works and themes owned by all of them. “Because the world is round...” I mean, is that ethereal beauty or what?
6. My Life – Iris Dement
I know, who is Iris Dement you say? Well, she is a folk/old country/twangy singer songwriter from the other side of the other side of the hills, and her songs are piercing and haunting. Having now seen her in concert this past summer I realize that there is an aura about her plain Jane no frills persona - transcendent almost. The woman can write songs that make you cry or laugh or remember loved ones or hope for better things. You name it. The song My Life is a favorite.
7. Slow Train Coming – Bob Dylan
I remember when I first listened to Slow Train Coming on my parents' big living room stereo console. I wept. I also spent like three hours trying to write down all the words. If only we had had the internet back then! I love the hard driving bluesy feel to much of the record, yet Precious Angel, I Believe in You, When He Returns, and Man Gave Names to All the Animals are favorites. Mark Knoppler’s guitar on Precious Angel is world class. And I still consider it to contain Bob Dylan’s best singing of his entire career!
8. The Joshua Tree – U2
I didn’t like 80’s music. Big hair, big shows, big production, power ballads, all balanced by punk which I found tiresome. I had about given up when my Toronto nephews turned me on to U2. So I got involved in music again. And when Joshua Tree came out, I sensed it was simply a special, magical accomplishment. U2 is a great band, and I have liked most of their permutations. But give me Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, With or Without You, Bullet the Blue Sky, and One Tree Hill and I am just fine. And by the way, their Where the Streets have No Name at the Super Bowl after 9/11 was both sensitive and magnificent. I can’t wait.
9. Audible Sigh – Bill Mallonee and the Vigilantes of Love
Bill Mallonee, formerly of The Vigilantes of Love, has labored in the world of independent labels for most of his career, which is too bad in a way, given that he is up there with Bob Dylan and Jackson Browne as a songwriter. And his voice grows on you. Resplendent, with a little back up vocal help from Emmylou Harris, is one of the greatest songs ever written by anybody. He was and is a poet, and a bard, and a knower of the human condition. This is a great record.
10. Led Zeppelin II – Led Zeppelin
It’s hard to choose between a whole bunch of records for my top ten, including two or three Led Zeppelin ones, but I give the nod this week to II. I didn’t like Led Zeppelin so much when I was younger. Oh, yeah, me and all my friends spent hours trying to figure out the meaning of Stairway to Heaven, but the driving force of their music, and Robert Plant’s voice grated on me. Not any more for some reason, and I am appreciating more and more their musical brilliance as a band. It’s hard to pick a favorite song on this record, but I might just give the nod to Heartbreaker, due to the incredible lead guitar riff.
Well, that’s the top ten for today!
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