BW's 150: 31-40

 

THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES....

We have reached the Top 40! 

I know some of my selections up until now have left some of you scratching your heads, and I imagine a number of songs in my Top 40 will have you using both hands. But I will explain to the best of my ability why these songs mean the world to me, and maybe you will hear what I hear, if you aren't already on board.

These songs are sequenced in optimum playing order, not by rank. 

 

Somebody To Love- Queen
I was on board with Queen from their second album. I fell head over heels with "Sheer Heart Attack." Then, "A Night At The Opera" took over the world. So hearing "Somebody To Love" released as the first single from "A Day At The Races" was somewhat of a shocker. I didn't love it. Was I going to love anything after "A Night At The Opera?" Even after finding some amazing tracks on "A Day At The Races," "Somebody To Love" still wasn't one of them. It took Freddie Mercury's death and the endless tributes and film clips for me to get this song. Queen weren't the greatest live band. They simply could not recreate the studio magic on stage, and Freddie rarely made that brilliant falsetto work in performance. But "Somebody To Love" was a consistant showstopper. I think Freddie saved it all up for this song, gave it everything, and then rolled the dice with everything else in concert. It's become one of my 3 favorite Queen songs and still makes the hair on my neck stand up.

Something- The Beatles
"Dis is a love song dat never says da words, I love you," said Frank Sinatra. He also referred to it as a Lennon & McCartney song. I love the song, but this song is only just okay without Paul's gorgeous bass line and George's guitar solo. Both are stunning.

(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave- Martha & The Vandellas
The intro alone makes this an all time favorite. It's 30 seconds of magic. The music is so iconic, it's hard to believe people are making those sounds. This song evokes everything good about life.

I Can See For Miles- The Who
Another from my favorite album of all time. This really doesn't belong on "The Who Sell Out." As a matter of fact, nothing before or after by The Who sounds quite like this song. The arrangement is a bitch, too. I tried playing it with The Hard Copies, and almost every section is different than the one before it. Again, lightning in a bottle!

America- Simon & Garfunkel
This songs builds beautifully. It's an epic movie in a little under four minutes.
"Kathy, I'm lost", I said, though I knew she was sleeping
I'm empty and aching and I don't know why"
Damn.

Willin'- Little Feat
It was recorded twice. This is the slower, full band version found on "Sailin' Shoes." Lowell George played this for Zappa while he was in the Mothers and Zappa said he should go form a band. So he did. It's a beauty and I never tire of it.

Suspicious Minds- Elvis Presley
If you listen to the original by Mark James, you will hear exactly why this is a brilliant record. From the opening guitar picking, which isn't on the original, the female backing vocals, the false ending, this, again, sounds like nothing else. It's fantastic record making that feels like a genre in itself. My favorite Elvis song.

Reflections Of My Life- Marmalade
How great is the record? I was six and it made me nostalgic! All involved nailed it. If you have good memories, and you miss friends, family and your old home, well, this is the song for you.

September Song- Erroll Garner
I do love melancholy music. There are hundreds upon hundreds of versions of this song, but the one that sealed the deal for me was the arrangement played in Woody Allen's "Radio Days." It's uncredited and after years of research, I found out in a very odd way who performed it. I was in a Chinese restaurant near the Beacon Theatre with my friend Derek, another Woody diehard and we were talking about his films. Once again, I mention "September Song" and the woman sitting next to us interrupts: "I don't mean to be eavesdropping, but I work for Woody Allen. That version of September Song in Radio Days was recorded along with a number of other songs by Dick Hyman and his small orchestra." When I asked why it wasn't credited, she said, "It's probably stock, in the music library for anyone to use." I don't know how true that was, but I do know, when a song about the "precious few days left" in a man's life can still be effective as an instrumental, you know you've got something special. This version by Erroll Garner is close to that film arrangement.

Both Sides Now- Jason Falkner
Let me explain. First, I am not a fan of ironic cover versions. I don't want to hear death metal versions of Abba, or acoustic versions of Black Sabbath. Though, John Wesley Harding's acoustic take on Madonna's "Like A Prayer" knocked me out, and I believe it was the first of these ironic covers. But Jason Falkner's power pop take on Joni's classic is something truly brilliant. It begins with a "Yee Ha" and right off the bat you might think, "This is not going to work." But Falkner is too smart. He knows how to wriggle his way into your wheelhouse. The second verse adds a high and low harmony that is to die for and the second chorus adds "oohs and aaah." Third verse, he sings in a higher register that shifts in and out of falsetto and raises the bar yet again! Finally, the breakdown before the coda into "No no no no NO! Why why why why WHY?" More "oohs and aaahs!" Jeez, it's a smorgasbord of power pops tricks and a big risk taker that I think works on every level! That is why it is in my Top 40! It's gets bigger and better with each verse.

zip