Frankly overwhelmed. As people check in with their lists and stories, I cannot keep up. Just today, Lake came in with his list. Which prompted a lot of questions, comments, and memories.
Thing is, I want to add some new posts. But I don’t want to strand this excellent conversation about Top 100s. This is the new home for all of that. New lists should be posted here. Comments on the lists of others should be posted here. Important point. We’re NOT moving on. We’re going to keep talking about music.
Hence, for example, my questions and comments for the newest list. Lake’s. You’re a teacher. No classical music at all?
Other than that, you’re driving me nuts. Bjork? She can’t sing, honey. And you have a second Icelandic song. What did they do to you up there?
You have a thing for Pink Floyd. Why? Although… the one thing you should have taken from MY list is that the best Pink Floyd cut ever is Van Morrison’s version of Comfortably Numb.
Envy? A lot. A whole bunch. Peter Gabriel. Driving home a point I’ve already lamented.
And something so consistent it almost seems like an affectation. Picking the less famous songs of bands so popular even I know them. So you have to choose something I’ve never heard of by Bush, something I barely remember by Glen Hansard, a (second and therefore superfluous) Sting song no one remembers, and a Metallica song nobody anywhere has ever heard of.
On the other hand, Iona. Had no idea there was any such thing as a true Celtic rock band. The singer is almost as pretty as the guitarist. Such a shame the Irish are running out of pretty people. A discovery worth all of this effort.
Explain yourself.
Back to ErisGuy. Memory is failing me. A song I know I committed to computer. Native American album, haunting cut featuring a digeridoo. Got it from a girl I met who was dying rapidly from cancer. Couldn’t stop listening to it. Now I can’t find the CD or the file. Any of you. Help me out…
Everybody else. Keep talking. Keep posting your lists.
>Explain yourself.
Sounds like I’ve got some ‘splainin to do.
Classical music: You’re right. It’s because it doesn’t live in my iTunes, which I went to instead of my CD collection. I listen to longer pieces in the car when I know I have a drive to myself — Beethoven, some Bach (because of Godel, Escher, Bach), Gorecki thanks to you. Vivaldi’s Summer should have made my top 100.
But hey, did you listen to Einaudi’s Fly? It was an Einaudi piece that I chose to use for Iceland from the Air.
Bjork: She’s capable of singing, and I think All Is Full Of Love is a prime example of that. Did I mention that we saw her in concert in Iceland? But I liked her before that impressive performance. I don’t really like her experimental stuff (which is most of it, I know), but you’re not right to write her off completely.
I won’t apologize for Sigur Ros, the crescendos they build up to are very powerful for me. Their music was the soundtrack for my work through grad school.
Did you know Of Monsters and Men is from Iceland as well? Anyway, I enjoyed all three long before I thought Iceland was a potential destination for me, so don’t pin it on the trip.
Pink Floyd: Those are easy — growing up, my dad listened to them often at home and in the car. We went through the entire Wish You Were Here – Shine on you Crazy Diamond while heading up the water gap for a hiking trip, and at some point when I was perhaps 11, it sunk in and I was a fan for life. My middle school and early high school years were spent listening to Floyd when schoolmates were listening to Marky Mark, New Kids, etc.
You’re right about the Van Morrison accompanied Comfortably Numb, it’s sublime. I find that Pink Floyd sounds amazing live, and The Delicate Sound of Thunder concert album was a fixture in my Sony Walkman.
Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Genesis– all were also the music of my childhood. Saved me from the truly new wave 80’s, I think.
Bush: 40 Miles from the Sun is quiet, emotional. I think we like Bush for different reasons. You mentioned your daughter. For me, Bush rocked but got overplayed and stale quickly just as I was going to college. Bad timing for me, because his voice and their fuzzy riffs are excellent. Guys my age would probably lump them into the guilty pleasure category, but I don’t feel guilty about it.
Glen Hansard — it was the song from the movie Once, the other song. I liked it better than Falling Slowly. In the movie, they essentially played When Your Mind’s Made Up twice in a row, and I didn’t mind. Love that crescendo. You’ve seen Once?
Sting: Ouch on either count. Desert Rose was one of the dance songs at our wedding, and while I don’t think it holds up very well, it carries great memory and meaning for me. Back off. And Mad About You, I just find it beautiful and sad.
Metallica’s Astronomy — it’s a cover of the Blue Oyster Cult song. Another one with great memories, as my one fellow astronomy major and I would blast it and laugh our heads off in all-night observing sessions, just trying to stay alive as we drowned in astrophysics work and burning the candle at both ends.
Not an affectation. That needles me. But so be it, I know the rich memories from these songs and they stay on my list. I think they’re damn good, too.
Glad I could pass along Iona. That opening theme is the powerful song I use to accompany images of the universe before I talk about astronomy, it’s perfect.
Okay. I was just messin’ witcha. Loved your list. Love them all. You I can tease. So I did. But you’re still wrong about Bajork.
I can take a teasing! And *you’re* wrong about Bjork, but we’ll have to agree to disagree.
Did you hear Metric’s ‘Black Sheep’? I haven’t heard a good female rock voice like that since the 80’s.
Not yet. Will do.
Not wrong about Bajork. Just asked the missus. She confirmed.
Not proof but solid evidence.
About her voice? Or her wackiness? I know she’s a total headcase and I don’t put any stock in her lyrics, but I think you criticized her voice, said she can’t sing. But listen to Pagan Poetry or All Is Full of Love or a handful of other ‘normal songs,’ the voice is in there. May not matter to you given the baggage of her crazy brain, but a few of her songs have moved me enough to defend her, or at least my appreciation of her songs.
I just saw the woman in concert, her performance of this crazy song was powerful and loud and, well, an experience. Judge her if you like, but I enjoyed the hell out of the lunacy and bizarre visuals.
Please, everybody. Don’t get distracted. Don’t forget about my question regarding the digeridoo. I’m dead serious about wanting help there.
The digeridoo is a popular additional instrument on many Native American albums. Without more to go on…. Sorry. And I own only about 25 NA albums. Chances are small.
My collection contains Clipman, Nakai, Eaton, Windpony, Native Flute Ensemble, Mesa Music Consort (uses synths), Youngblood, Mirabel and few others.
I own a digeridoo, which I bought in Australia. Actually I bought hollowed-out eucalyptus limb from Aboriginals. Painted it myself, with help from my wife, the artist. It’s tone is a little off, which is why was sold as a blank.
By golly I think it’s Mirabel. Thank you very much.
Did anyone else notice how much ‘Abraham’s Daughter’ (Arcade Fire) from ‘The Hunger Games’ resembled, let’s see, ’The Gold It’s in the…’* from Pink Floyd’s ‘Obscured by Clouds?’
*I’m doing this from memory, so it might be ‘Childhood’s End” instead.
Stuck in the late 60’s/early 70’s. Could have just listed Richard Thompson (with and without Linda), John Hiatt, Jack Bruce, and Beethoven, but then that’d be really boring to look at. Mostly play albums, not song mixes, so this took some time. Hope it’s at least a bit interesting to others.
“A Love Supreme” (Parts 1-4) Coltrane
“Biloxi” Jesse Winchester
“Boppin’ the Blues” Carl Perkins and NRBQ
“Conference of the Birds” Dave Holland Quartet
“Cuban Slide” Pretenders
“Dancing with the Moonlit Knight” Genesis
“Days” Kinks
“De Drums’ Keith Jarrett
“Death May Be Your Santa Claus” Mott the Hoople
“Deserted Cities of the Heart” Cream
“Disappear” INXS
“Django” Ron Carter, and by almost everyone else
“Dr Jimmy” the Who
“E.T.I.” Blue Oyster Cult
“Eastern Rain” Fairport Convention
“Easy To Slip” Little Feat
“Family Snapshot” Gabriel
“Fionnghuala” The Bothy Band
“For Shame of Doing Wrong” Richard & Linda Thompson
“For Shame of Doing Wrong” Richard solo, from The Chrono Show CD
“Gimme Shelter” Stones
“Girl From the North Country” Dylan/Cash
“Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” Mingus; John McLauglin; almost everyone else
“Good Shepard” Jefferson Airplane
“Guts” John Cale
“Hand of Fate” Stones
“Heavenly Fire” Chris Hillman (Souther/Hillman/Furay)
“Here Comes the Sun” Beatles
“Hey Jude” Beatles
“Here Comes the Flood” Peter Gabriel
“Home to You” Seatrain
“I Believe (When I Fall in Love . . .)” Stevie Wonder
“I Go to Sleep” Pretenders
“Icy Blue Heart” John Hiatt
“It’s All Too Much” Steve Hackett
“Jack Straw” Grateful Dead
“Juggler’s Parade” Dave Holland Quintet
“Jump Into the Fire” Nilsson
“Late November” Sandy Denney
“Life During Wartime” Talking Heads
“Long Before Our Mothers Cried” Sonny Fortune
“(Believe You Were) Lucky” Til Tuesday
“Make Me Smile” Cockney Rebel
“Marcella” Beach Boys
“Marbles” John McLaughlin
“Memphis in the Meantime” Johnn Hiatt
“Moving” Kate Bush
“Never Tell Your Mother She’s Out of Tune” Jack Bruce
“No Surrender” Jack Bruce
“Old Gospel” Jackie Mclean
“One Step Over the Line” John Hiatt
“Pack Up Your Sorrows” Richard and Mimi Farina
“Ragged Heroes” Albion Band
“Reach Out” Four Tops
“Red Barchetta” Rush
“Sahara” McCoy Tyner
“Saint Dominic’s Preview” Van Morrison
“She Don’t Love Nobody” Desert Rose Band
“Sloth” Fairport Convention
“Snakes on Everything” Little Feat
“Something Happens’ Dave Edmunds
“Station to Station” Bowie
“Sweet Jane” Velvet Underground
“Stayed Too Long at the Fair” Bonnie Raitt
“Stoned Me” Van Morrison
“Stormy Monday” Cream, from 2005 reunion
“Stuck in the Middle with You” Stealer’s Wheel
“Supper’s Ready” Genesis
“Tangled Up in Blue” Dylan
“Tear Stained Letter” Richard Thompson
“Telegraph Road” Dire Straits
“Tempted” Squeeze
“The Grand Ennui” Mike Nesmsith
“The Israelites” Desmond Dekker
“The Loner” Neil Young
“The Old Brown Case” Norman Blake
“Thomas the Rhymer” Steeleye Span (live version)
“Train Leaves Here This Morning” Dillard and Clark
“Urge For Going” Joni Mitchell
“Victoria” Kinks
“When I Get to the Border” Richard & Linda Thompson
“White Room” Cream
“Why” Fleetwood Mac
various conductors/orchestras:
Symphony #7, all 4 movements, Beethoven
Symphony #9, all 4 movements, Beethoven
4th movement, Symphony 9, Dvorak
Symphony #6, all 4 movements Tschaikovsky
Did a longish comment that got wiped for some reason. I was suggesting your list is not well served by my criteria. It needs description, explanation, and presentation rather than mere listing. We did our imprinting at much the same time, but the sixties/seventies era was so various, no one could listen to everything. I missed a lot of your favorites, although maybe I heard them without knowing the names. Still don’t know more than one or two names of Crosby Stills & Nash songs. Feel free to educate us.
Ok, here’s some representative background/explanations. Most selections fall into the ole “associatedwith a certain place and time,” with the first note bringing that all back to life. Some are just great tunes that I never tire of hearing – no other association than that. Onto the former though. Four Tops “Reach Out”: Living in Germany, on the economy, Armed Forces Network radio, 5th grade or something like that – just a terrific sound , chorus and beat that I never tired of, even to this day – it was a sound from “home” and it made me feel good. INXS “Disappear,”, another great radio song, AFN again, but years later and the place and time was Saudi Arabia during Desert Shield/Desert Storm. We’re planning missions, with the tunes blaring, and for four minutes at a time I can just tune out the real world.
There are better Stones tunes than “Hand of Fate,” but it was that song I cranked up, LOUD, before heading off to take a final exam that, if I didn’t pass, was going to alter the future I had mapped out, and not in the direction I was intending. (I passed. Barely. All that was required. Thanks Mick. )
Mike Nesmith: Kind of creating country rock while in the Monkees at the same time the Byrds (and Dillard and Clark, and . . . ) were moving along in a similar vein, and I followed along as he set out on his solo efforts. This tune isn’t really an example of that style, for lack of a better word, but I was taken with the opening lyric: “I was overland touring in my new Ferrari at just about a hundred and ten . . .” (I loved Ferraris – who ever sang about them, until Rush many years later?)
Mingus. I’m in high school, working in a record store part time, and decided there must be more to modern music than rock and roll – so I buy the latest Mingus album, because I knew the name but not the music, and then go back in time for the rest of the catalog. “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” is a beautiful, melancholy tribute, which I somehow recognized I think before I knew it was about Lester Young. The emotions just flow out of the piece.
Mingus was my jumping point to a whole new world of music, to include Jackie McLean – here playing an Ornette Coleman composition (with Ornette on trumpet) that transports you (ok, me) to a joyous gospel celebration. (Just like many of Mingus’ work.) McCoy Tyner’s “Sahara” was also part of the time of discovery, and another example of music that transports me elsewhere.
Keith Jarrett “De Drums” shows Keith rocking out, or at least swinging a bit, compared to his intense solo concerts – it’s about the drums and the bass, and you can hum along.
Ray Davies – able to capture a longing for a past that maybe never existed, or to tell an interesting story in under four minutes (I almost put “Lola” on the list, but once again I turn to the radio, this time Radio Luxembourg, in what, 1969, and here’s a really catchy rock tune playing that’s about . . . Queen Victoria.) “Days” is “just” a simple, heart-felt thank you.
“Gimme Shelter,” Stones – 1969, I’m 14 – run to the BX, new Stones album just in (you had to be there when they unpacked the new record shipments as it might be months before there was a restock) – rush home, and wow, the Stones. Do we need words?
Richard Thompson – introduced by a co-worker a few years older than me to Fairport Convention – an interesting English band that was creating this Brit folk-rock thing – stellar guitar player, and another sophisticated songwriter at a young age. Marries Linda, embarks on solo career; I buy the first Richard and Linda album without having heard anything , and the opening riffs of “When I Get to the Border” begin a decades long appreciation (well, it’s more than that, but–I’ll leave it there): even better guitar playing (acoustic and electric) over the years; terrific ability to convey memorable stories, feelings and characters; and he develops into a decent singer to boot.
Beethoven’s 9th: A belief in God AND because it makes me feel alive. Beethoven’s 7th: there’s mirth, humor, joy, and in the second movement, one of the most sublime pieces of music I’ve ever heard. Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” is a different road to the same destination.
The Cream selections: “imprinting” is a good word – 1968-69’s music was just astonishing, and these three guys were just about the best of all – the musicianship, the unique songwriting, and Jack’s voice. And then to fast forward to the 2005 reunion DVD – I picked “Stormy Monday” off that because it’s the best version I’ve heard by anyone of that.
Mott the Hoople’s “Death May Be Your Santa Claus”: I have no idea why – maybe the song title cracked me up, and I liked the tune from that ?
Neil Young “The Loner” – because Neil is interesting, and CS&N isn’t – I think it’s an admirable thing that you don’t know more than a couple of their songs . . .
Almost put down Hendrix, and yes, it would have been “All Along the Watchtower.” My alibi addition may be then all of “Electric Ladyland.”
Hope I’ve met more of the intent and purpose.
Beautiful contribution. Always liked INXS myself, mostly Don’t Change and Never Tear Us Apart. Liked Hand of Fate too. Good raw riff.
The voice of Jack Bruce. You’re right.
Totally missed the Fairport Convention thing. Why we’re doing this thing, I suspect. I’ll listen.
The onset of heroin jazz. Learned about it later in life. Miles Davis Kind of Blue, and then Coltrane. Sometimes I think it’s pretentious, self indulgent and awful. Then I think it’s beautiful. I may keep ping-ponging on the subject for the rest of my life. But I do go back and listen again. Have you tried Bill Evans?
Can’t quite agree that Neil Young is interesting. He’s talented though. Went through a phase where I had to hear Round & Round every day. Not lately.
I’ll second you on the Electric Ladyland nomination.
Didn’t you mention John Cale? Know I’ve heard him, maybe a lot. Can’t place him. I get senior moments these days.
Beethoven. Good for you. Not my guy. But that’s not my call. I can see why he puts a clamp on people. But he seems to me like a, well, clamp. Too demanding. I find myself rebelling. For once I would like to meet someone who was fondest of the second, fourth, sixth and eight symphonies. Just saying…
Was this a productive experience for you? Or have you always known what lay beyond your fingertips and earlobes?
Thanks. For Fairport Convention, I recommend listening to Liege and Lief, the last album with Sandy Denny with the “classic” band line-up. I’m one of many folks out there who think this is the definitive British folk-rock album.
John Cale was a founding member of Velvet Underground – lots of solo stuff over the decades- he had 3 albums out on Island Records in the mid 70’s that I found intriguing, one of which has a horror-movie take on “Heartbreak Hotel” – just terrific. And that particular album starts out with a tribute to Brian Wilson.
My path to Bill Evans was through rock-n-roll – read an interview with Jack Casady (Airplane) and he mentioned Scotty LaFaro as a big influence. Went out and bought some Bill Evans albums
Beethoven’s 6th is actually the symphony I play the most, and of which I have the most recordings. The other even ones – nah, boring. I guess those were practice for the good ones.
Your last questions are interesting. Yes, to the first and maybe to the last question. I normally listen to albums, and don’t do iPod shuffles. Putting this list together was a challenge because of that – top 50 or 100 albums would have been a snap to do. Where I surprised myself in looking at the songs list was the number of relationship/wistfulness (is that a word?) type songs that sort of just appeared. Music has also been a passion, and especially back in the day – I was hungry for more. That was one reason I ended up dropping out of school (for a few years) and selling records full time. (Best job for two years was record department manager at Korvettes, for all you east coasters of a certain age – I couldn’t wait for Monday mornings to come back around.)
Best part of all of this – seeing other people’s lists, and nodding along saying to myself “Yes . . . “
Can we include complete symphonies and/or concertos, etc., in this list?
Absolutely.
Geez, step away for a couple of days and miss a ton of stuff. I’ve been going nonstop since Friday evening. I will catch up as soon as I’m able.
“Closing in on a guess you don’t really have an ear for music, just meaning.”
Something I’m not sure I can explain but will try anyway. You’re right and wrong. I do have an ear for music as far as being able to appreciate how much talent is required to perform one type of song over another. I played an instrument for many years, four of those with a high-level band led by a conductor so traditional he would not allow us to use a drum set. He only grudgingly let our quartet do a jazz number once. I liked doing both. Jazz goes to the edge of chaos, classical takes a more reserved discipline. Both require passion & talent to pull off.
It’s hard for me to listen to long instrumentals, classical or otherwise, mainly because of what you said about the Stones: classical music might make you believe in God, but the Stones make you feel alive. Participating in the music makes me feel alive. The only way I can participate nowadays is by singing, which I am actually better at than I ever was playing an instrument. And since I am in my car 95% of the time I listen to music nowadays, I sing in my car quite a lot.
Which is why Oasis is my favorite overall band. Not because I think they are the most talented, but because no other band has such a large number of songs that I enjoy singing along with. Song for song, they are the most un-skipped-during-shuffle-play group on my ipod. And by “ipod”, I mean “Android phone”.
Not running from the other stuff, like the Japanese tracks or picking a song for Barbara. Just getting this thought out there for now while I have time.
Sorry if I was out of line. It seemed in some ways that your list was more autobiographical than musical. Apologies.
No need for apologies, you were correct. Just confirming what you said. I don’t want anyone thinking I believe Bullet With Butterfly Wings to be one of the 100 greatest pieces of music ever written, haha. Haven’t been able to contribute much b/c it has been a bad week. Long story. Going to try and catch up today.
OK, here’s my list. I need to say up front this is not intended to be a list of the top 100 songs of all time. But it is a list of 100 of my favorites, many of which are definitely linked to time and place. I still respond to all of them when I hear them, which is not all that often since my radio listening is mostly limited to time in my car commuting to and from work (about 2 hours a day). During that time the radio is permanently tuned to the locally owned Kansas City sports talk station covering KU, K-State, Missouri, the Royals and the Chiefs. Hopefully, some of you will find something new and interesting in it, or perhaps just baffling. Thanks to my son for formatting this list from my initial Excel list. I’m clueless when it comes to Excel having spent the last 27 years working in PageMaker and, more recently, InDesign.
“2nd Piano Concerto” Rachmaninoff
“2nd Symphony” Rachmaninoff
“Absolute Beginners” David Bowie
“All Along the Watchtower” Bob Dylan
“All Along the Watchtower” Jimmie Hendrix
“Another Piece of My Heart” Janis Joplin
“Beast of Burden” Rolling Stones
“Beast of Burden” Bette Midler (with a cameo by Mick Jagger)
“Beauty and the Beast” Stevie Nicks
“Bell Bottom Blues” Eric Clapton
“Blue Bayou” Roy Orbison
“Blue Bayou” Linda Ronstadt
“Blue Danube Waltz” Johann Strauss II
“Bohemian Rhapsody” Queen
“Breakfast In America” Supertramp
“Brothers in Arms” Dire Straits
“Brownsville Girl” Bob Dylan
“Can’t You See” Marshall Tucker Band
“Cat People/Putting Out Fire” David Bowie
“City of New Orleans” Steve Goodman and Jethro Burns
“Comfortably Numb” Pink Floyd (On Pulse, over the top)
“Comfortably Numb” Van Morrison
“Crazy” Gnarls Barkley
“Crazy on You” Heart
“Desolation Row” Bob Dylan
“Desperado” Linda Ronstadt
“Desperado” The Eagles
“Do You Realize” The Flaming Lips
“Dueling Banjos” Flatt & Scruggs.
“Edge of Seventeen” Stevie Nicks
“Embryonic Journey” Jorma Kaukonen
“Feels So Good” Van Halen
“Foggy Mountain Breakdown” Flatt & Scruggs
“Freebird” Lynard Skynyrd
“Freedom/I’m On My Way” Don Shirley Trio
“Funeral for a Friend (Love Lies Bleeding)” Elton John
“Ghost Riders in the Sky” The Outlaws
“Gimme Shelter” The Rolling Stones
“Glory Road” Bruce Springsteen
“Good Vibrations” The Beach Boys
“Graceland” Paul Simon
“Green Grass and High Tides” The Outlaws
“Hallelujah” Jeff Buckley
“Heroes and Villains” The Beach Boys
“Hey, Mister Tambourine Man” Bob Dylan
“Hysteria” Def Leppard
“I Want You” Bob Dylan
“Joanne” Michael Nesmith (original studio recoding)
“Jump” Van Halen
“Layla” Eric Clapton
“Layla” Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton
“Learning to Fly” Pink Floyd
“Lillie, Rosemary and the jack of Hearts” Bob Dylan
“Looking for the Heart of Saturday Night” Tom Waits
“Love Bites” Def Leppard
“Midnight Walker” Davey Spillane
“Miss Atomic Bomb” The Killers
“New World Symphony” Dvorak
“Once Upon a Time in the West” Dire Straits
“One Headlight” The Wallflowers
“One Slip” Pink Floyd
“Only Women Bleed” Alice Cooper (I once heard on the radio a version of this with Slash playing guitar, but I’ve never been able to find it anwhere since)
“Opening Theme to A Fistfull of Dollars” Ennio Morricone
“Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World “ Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (He butchers the lyrics but it’s a guilty pleasure)
“Paradise By the Dashboard Light” Meatloaf
“Piano Concerto” Grieg
“Please Come to Boston” Dave Loggins
“Positively 4th Street” Bob Dylan
“Put Your Lights On” Everlast/Santana
“Rave On” Buddy Holly
“Rebel Yell” Billy Idol
“Rhapsody in Blue” Gershwin
“Roads to Moscow” Al Stewart
“Rock and a Hard Place” The Rolling Stones
“Samba Pa Ti” Santana
“Sorcerer” From Streets of Fire (written by Stevie Nicks)
“St. Louis Blues” Louis Armstrong
“Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” U2
“Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues” Bob Dylan
“Symphonic Dances” Rachmaninoff
“Tangled Up In Blue” Bob Dylan
“Teach Me How to Fly” Rotary Connection
“The Boxer” Simon & Garfunkle
“The Man’s Too Strong” Dire Straits
“The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” The Band
“The Weight” The Band
“Thus Sprach Zarathustra” Richard Stauss
“Turn Me Loose” Lover Boy
“Unchained Melody” Righteous Brothers (Bobby Hatfield)
“Violin Concerto” Mendelssohn
“Wabash Cannonball” Kansas State Pep Band (there’s more to this story)
“Waltzing Matilda” Tom Waits
“Waterboy” Don Shirley Trio
“When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky” Bob Dyan
“When Will I” Monte Montgomery
“White Wedding” Billy Idol
“Whole Lot of Love” Led Zeppelin
“William Tell Overture” Rossini
“Yellow Brick Road” Elton John
“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” The Rolling Stones
Great list. Huge overlap with my own top hundred or so or more. I have to get back to this. But please, guys, don’t wait for me. Discuss amongst yourselves.
We’ve been struggling a bit here with allergies and aches and pains. There are overlaps in all the lists. Hendrix’s All Along the Watchtower should have been on my list. Envy point. And your “Waltzing Matilda” by Tom Waits is actually “Tom Traubert’s Blues,” which IS on my list. More to come…
Argh. I knew that about Tom Traubert’s Bues, but the You Tube link I looked up called it Waltzing Matilda and I wasn’t thinking clearly. Late night and all that.
Don’t trouble yourself. Your list is like a twin of mine, except where it should have have been the same. My only objection is you have too much Dylan for my taste. Never ever thought anyone would pick Rachmaninov’s 2nd concerto AND 2nd Symphony. Wow. Me too. Marshall Tucker. Al Stewart’s Roads to Moscow, dire Straits, Santana, Meatloaf, Ennio Morricone, Righteous Brothers…
We’re soul brothers. Grieg. Maybe Peer Gynt over the concerto. Think you picked the wrong song a couple times. Led Zep’s Thank you is my favorite, for example. But can’t fault you for your U2 choice. No Gabriel?
Oh well. We can talk more later.
Ever heard the Stones Dylan song?
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hFKH0cs_VYM
Or the absolutely peerless Van Morrison version of Comfortably Numb?
http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=kp&v=wpFo_E9Fq2k
Crap! Crap! Cap! I was almost done with a lengthy response to your last comment when I did something that made it all go away. For what it’s worth I am very aware of the Van Morrison version of Comfortably Numb and I like it a lot. But I also like David Gilmour’s over-the-top version from the Pulse video. But then you have to take into account that I like the Jim Steinman songs at the beginning and end of the movie Streets of Fire. I’ll try to recreate my response tomorrow night.
Try not to fret. I’ve only lost comments twice today. I think we’re straining the limits of WordPress here. Let’s see. Jim Steinman. Bat Out of Hell. Loved it. I remember seeing streets of Fire (and playing the video game), but not the music. Hold on:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Eiv9Bhbsxfk&feature=kp
This it? I’m going to need convincing.
Since you asked, RL, I will try to explain the Japanese stuff concisely, without making your eyes glaze over. Admittedly, it feels silly inserting this into these other ongoing conversations about some heavy musical hitters. Anyway, there is a canon of shared experiences amongst anyone who has played the Final Fantasy video game series. Much of it is useless stuff that occupies my brain cells, like Star Trek TNG trivia. One exception, though, is the music. I still like a lot of the music.
The theme from the Suteki Da Ne song is woven into several other tracks throughout one particular game and, what can I say, it got stuck in my head. Definitely an autobiographical track, like you said.
Similarly, the JENOVA song is from an earlier game and plays during certain battles. This song popped into my head whenever I had to walk around on campus during my plebe year of school. We couldn’t talk and had to walk at a very rapid pace and absolutely wanted to avoid being stopped by any upperclassman. Every “stroll” out of the barracks was a battle, and I would never be stopped for walking too slowly if I walked in time with this fast-paced tune. And I never was. Didn’t plan it that way, it just happened. We don’t have much control over which songs get stuck in our heads.
I listened to Suteki Da Ne and Jenova. I actually get it. I honestly do. I even think I can write about this in a way you’ll approve of. But I will need embed codes for the videos. My iPad hates Youtube and won’t allow me to embed videos. You can enclose them in a comment or an email message.
You’re right that we aren’t able to control what songs lodge in our heads. Why I’ve spent too much time avoiding music in recent years. I’m trying to make up for that now. Music is our salvation. It irrigates the soul. Doesn’t matter where it comes from. Just what it does. The dumb ad jingle is that sticks in your dreams is just collateral damage. Not a reason to damn the whole enterprise.
“Doesn’t matter where it comes from. Just what it does.”
There are a lot of people who don’t get that but I’m glad you do. I think these are the embed codes you asked for:
SDN:
Jenova has a plethora of covers, but this is the original version:
Whoops, they didn’t appear. I will email them.
Please send me an embed code for the Vitamin String Band too. Love it. Everyone needs to hear it. Think you could have gotten Barbara with this one.
Here’s some of the comment I tried to leave the other night but accidentally deleted it.
Whole Lotta Loving. I spent most of 1969-70 in Cam Rahn Bay, Viet Nam. While there I ordered a stereo setup through the PX and had it shipped home. Reel-to-reel tape recorder, high powered tuner-amp and some big speakers. When I got home and set it up, the first tape I put on was Led Zep, first song was Whole Lotta Loving. Being unfamiliar with the volume potential of my new system I damn near blew the walls out. Loved that song ever since. The opening guitar riff can be overwhelming.
Roads to Moscow. I first heard that song while driving in my car at night. I liked it right off. But what really got me was the final line, “and the steely Russian skies go on…forever.” Made my hair stand on end.
Dylan. Actually, I could have included more Dylan but I didn’t want to overdo it. I was in high school when Dylan hit the scene and I had no use for him. I was in my Rand influenced phase of being a musical snob: if it wasn’t Rachmaninoff it probably was junk. I enjoyed a few of his songs performed by other artists, but not by him. Part of the problem was my inability to understand what the hell he was singing. It wasn’t until my time in Cam Rahn Bay, under the influence of (something) that all of a sudden I could hear every word clear as day.
Stones. Basically the same reaction as to Dylan. In 1965 after my freshman year in college, three carloads of us guys took week long trip from northeast Kansas to Estes Park, Colorado. Of course we had the radio on all the way, and, I swear, about every 15 minutes they played Satisfaction. I grew to absolutely detest that song. Obviously, I’ve since changed my tune.
Sorry if this seems disjointed. I’m keeping an eye on my 17-month-old granddaughter while my son and his wife are working in the back yard. She’s a joy, but can be a handful at times. Later.
RL, couple of things regarding your list:
Adagio for Strings could have been in my top 100, though I prefer the vocal arrangement below. Absolutely beautiful. You may have heard it before but for anyone who hasn’t:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXRJBK8oJSA
Secondly, what’s the story with the Hooters? That’s one ‘80s band I don’t believe I’ve heard of before.
The Hooters were a Philly band but big nationally for a while too. You’ll find the songs I listed at Youtube. Witty lyrics, good harmonies, good playing. Give them a listen.
Few more comments & questions on your list, RL:
– Songs I like which I hadn’t heard before: the Ronettes, I’m No Angel, Good As I Was to You, If You Go Away,
– What is up with Chimes of Freedom?
– What’s the story with Come Dancing? Before my time. Usually the only place I hear that is as one of those music clips the networks play leading into a commercial break during football games.
– Also curious about Dreaming by Blondie. The Smashing Pumpkins did a cover of that song in the ’90s, which is the first place I heard it. The original version is much better.
– Finally, what’s the story with the Sex Pistols? I only know of them in passing. Also before my time. One of my friend’s older brothers liked them.
Still making my way through the rest.