Theres something beautifully melancholic about the best British (Early) house music, and of course, theres nothing quite as melancholy as a Brass Band. I haven't heard the whole LP, but this track off teh 12 inch single brings a tear to my eye everytime I hear it.

Whoever it was that thought of doing this cover was a genius, I'm sure they thought it would be solid cheese, but instead its one of those moments of inspirational magic. I'd love to hear their version of "Strings of Life".

the exellent title track from reggae ladies althea and donna's 1978 effort, uptown top ranking. don't know too much about them, except that this is a nigh-on perfect album. short and sweet (about 35 minutes), but without a single skippable track. great arrangements and vocals, though the lyrics seem to borderline between daft and genius in places. still, this is top class, and absolutely essential party music.

The very mysterious DJ Black Lodge, from Manchester. This is a person who played his cards so close to his chest that his first couple of singles didn't even name the tracks.

Blood / Brass combines the music from Dumbo (that 'Pink Elephants' tune) and some heavy dub. And, if that doesn't sound genius to you, well, I do despair.

A pendant's note: this track actually apears on two singles, his first on Acupuncture (where it appeared untitled and without so much dub content), and the remixed version that I am recommending here, a limited-edition release on an unknown label through the Rough Trade shop.

A storming upbeat bossa on the A & M label, produced by Sergio Mendes. It's a short track which sounds essentially like Mendes's Brasil '66 only better. Walter Wanderley or someone who sounds very like him adds some great touches on the organ, and the singers steal a refrain from Bacharach's then-current 'Casino Royale' movie theme 'Bond Street' and work it into the chorus. Really great stuff, written by a genius: Jorge Ben.

Brian Eno on guitar, percussion, organs and piano and John Cale on viola. When you put geniuses like these two together, something brilliant is bound to happen. In this case, it's this song. This one gets me every time.

Another amazing version of this fantastic tune. This features several very different-sounding multitracked guitars, and really is quite astounding. It feels very short at a little under 2 and a half minutes. The opening features an acoustic guitar playing a wonderfully delicate and precise rhythm, accompanied by a nice wall of strings and electric guitar hits. A twangy picked guitar plays the melody, building gradually for about a minute.

The track then explodes into a quite amazing sequence, in which a dirty-sounding fuzz guitar picks out a bassline while a manic and jazzy improvised guitar solo moves around over the top and the strings maintain some solid bluesey chords. The sound is extremely funky, and vaguely reminiscent of some tracks from the late 60s 101 strings album 'Astro Sounds from beyond the year 2000', but ends up being more tasteful. Pure genius!

Just a perfect, perfect pop song. Makes you wanna dance and groove along, but at the same time it's soo unbelievably sweet and a just a liitle melancholy. It starts with a drum beat, and then there's this bass-and-drums groove for a few seconds. Then a little sweet electric piano line enters, just before the voice begins singing the melody: "I'm drinking stars up in the sky, you know where you are / I'm driving cars around your house, it seems so fun". When it's time for the chorus ("So listen to my bubble go pop / I'm coming in, I'm coming over the top"), the main voice sings over a backing vocal doing an "ooh" harmony, and then there's absolute genius backing vocal, where the word "pop" becomes "papapapa". After that, a little guitar riff/solo, along with a very cool electric piano line. Then it just repeats everything all over again one more time, for infinite happiness. The time for a middle break has arrived. A new funky bass groove with lots of different "papapa"s harmonizing together. Now, go back to the first bass-and-drums groove, with a jazzy, relaxed guitar solo, and then it's just grooves and grooves and heavenly harmonies, "Blowin' bubbles".

Candiria is a band too prolific for their own good in my opinion. Mixing traditional and avan-garde jazz, heavy metal, hip-hop/rap, and everything in between.
Not a fan of hip hop and rap, myself, I refrain from anything they do in that style, but the rest of it is pure extreme, progressive, jazz, metal, instrumental genius.

Cardiacs have been described as: fairground music; punk rock; prog rock; beautiful; frightening; deadly serious; total euphoria; ugly; sexy; avant-garde; pop genius; totally genuine; disturbing; uplifting... All I can say is this song has one of the maddest guitar solos I have ever heard!

An amazing trippy piece of social commentary, from their genius concept LP. The opening track, and it goes all over the place with this completely mad arrangement by Chad Stuart, and produced by Gary Usher (of "Pet Sounds" fame). The track seems to pertain to mortality, and the sad truth of time and the forgotten... It sets the tone for the whole album, which seems inspired by atmosphere of the time, when singles were exchanged for huge concept pieces, more likely due to the success of "Sgt. Peppers" and the like, but taking a much more delightfully cynical view! A sometimes overlooked part of the britpop puzzle, Chad and Jeremy are full of surprises.

I almost know nothing about the Chad Mitchell trio, except that John Denver was in the group. I'm not even sure that this is the same guy for that matter. I guess it's really not too suprising that an old folkie would team-up with geniuses like Bob Dorough & Stu Scharf for a little boot in the ass, since those guys seemed to be working a lot of crossover pop material. That's really the reason I picked this up, basically to see what could happen.

The record ends up being incredible actually. Imagine a mix of "golden throat" type schmaltz, Tom Rapp-ish hip folk, Nilssonesque melodrama, and the poetic and jazzy humor of Scharf & Dorough and that will sum it up. It can grow on you for sure.

This track is in the sort of word jazz thing in a highly characterized way hard to describe without taking up too much space... just listen. I think this was a piece from an Alan Arkin LP. Suppose I will have to get one of those now.

Be my midnight swimmer and I'll be your sea salt lips, be my cold-blooded killer and I'll be your fingertips.
Lyrics this good are few and far between, Simon Aldred is a genius, fully deserving his Ivor Novello and deserving of far more recognition. Get it in your ears, you won't regret it.

I had to mention my favorite Claudine tune. A nice cinematic piece about an enigmatic lover with "Laughing eyes & dark brown hair..." who sweeps her off her feet, then splits with her dough when he goes to buy a ring. The track is touched by the deep-blue sax of Ernie Watts, which gives the track a "Noir-ish" vibe. Look of Love is one of the best records she did in her short career. Arranged by the genius Nick DeCaro, the godfather of A.O.R. !

I'm just reacquainting myself with the entire Low album after buying it on CD (my LP has been out of my reach for a few years). It really is utter genius. If they were in any other context, I don't imagine I would enjoy some of the guitar solos featured in this song. Here, they work brilliantly though. The musical basis of 'always crashing in the same car' is quite simple, but the superb musical performances and odd, otherworldly production give it an incredible richness. Bowie's vocal is mournful, and doesn't dominate the track.

A nasty/under appreciated gem from David Bowie's Berlin period, "Beauty and The Beast" is sheer perfection/pure malice in musical form. Ominous squibs of sound coalesce around an almost crocodilian groove and Robert Fripp's hissing, poisonous guitar line. Then Bowie makes one his most memorable vocal entrances with a sound somewhere between a croon and a scream. Things just get nastier from there - David playing the hipster, killer android on the lead vocal, while the backgrounds get all down and dirty on chorus. Then, as if he's suddenly come his senses after committing some atrocious act, Bowie howls over the break: "I want you to believe me!/I wanted to be good!/I wanted no distractions!/Like every good boy should!" - before sliding back into the sociopathic sleekness of the last verse. The genius of the tune is that it suggests all manner of violence/bad shit without actually describing any act of mayhem. Therefore the imagination runs riot. A brilliant/evil track.

I discovered this work of absolute genius today - it was on a 3 disc Bowie compilation ("The Platinum Collection") which a colleague was playing at work.

The song starts with an echoey 80s drum sound with a repeated guitar riff, behind which we begin to hear a beautiful chord sequence played on the synth. The riff drops out and Bowie sings a fantastic melody over the chord sequence, which takes many subtle and grand turns. The song has a relatively complicated construction and instrumentation.

From the era when it seemed every band was named after a fabric, this angular indie gem was, for my money, one of the very best singles of the nascent Britpop era. Precipitating the self-referential indulgences of later bands, but not with the aura of smugness that pervaded the Albarn-esque dahn-tha-dawgs mockernee, the legend that is no-surname Lawrence (from alternative gods Felt) spews forth a classic.

The best way to describe this is 'miserable glam' - a great Mud-style beat clashes perfectly with Lawrence's scathing vocals of how he hates everything about so-called classic rock: "Spector's wall, knock it down; Jerry Lee, run him out of town." He ends up extolling the virtues of MOR and, in a stroke of utter pop genius, segues his tune into Middle Of The Road's hit Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep as sung by the kind of girl who populated the 70's Top Of The Pops LPs.

An absolutely amazing song that spans many many many genres including ambient, metal, rock, and all out wackiness. Truly gives a great idea of the depth and breadth of Devin Townsend's genius.

All the elements that made Dexys so interesting are distilled into this spritual eoic,passion ,commitment and the awkward genius of Kevin Rowland from the album that gave the world "Come on Eileen" this is ifve minutes of beauty,sweat and belief.Commencing with a pastoral flute and quickly growing into that familiar dexys blend of brass and strings ,a rousing chorus and a lonely whistled finale .Not immediately accesible but if you're a "bit" interested you could be converted for ever.

Dinah Washington was known as "queen of the blues" but she also had a great flare for jazz singing. This is a remarkable example of her phrasing ability and exquisite style. Quincy Jones' genius shines in his musical arrangement and orchestral conduction.

Probably the most chipper song of heartbreak I've ever heard. Young takes Willie Nelsons melancholy words, adds a bouncy beat, cheesy call and response chorus and that delightful early sixties country and western sound.

"Hello Walls"

"Hellooo, Helloo"
.
Along with his very fruity delivery it just makes this song sheer genius. Yet another song I first heard on the late John Peels show. And an unexpected example of why he was such a great DJ.

Imagine James Brown and Bob Marley's genius and charisma plus a broader musical knowledge, much more danceable beats, complete ease at improvisation, and a wicked sense of humor. This didn't happen in the US or in the UK - it happenned in Africa and it was done by Nigerians in a Nigerian studio & for a African audience. Little, wimpy Euro-American civilization: now that you got it on CD, listen and learn.

This song features my favourite guitar solo of all time. I love the way it builds, the guitar just soars - sheer genius. Check out the mad rhythm section. I play this song most days of my life. I adore it. And no I don't live with my Mama lol.

Fred Barton is a musical comedy Genius! In the mid-1980's he put together a one-man (or woman) show in which he resurrected the classic Wizard Of Oz character, Almira Gulch. This track is described as the song that was "cut from the Wizard of Oz" while "Judy Garland got to sing 'Over the Rainbow'" [because] "somebody was working for her". His hilarious lyrics are side-splitting and right on the mark for the character he is protraying. Almira boasts of her ability to spoil frozen food just by walking thru the kitchen, kicking her obstetrician during her first visit as a child, and finding deliciousness in maliciousness at every available moment...

From one of the key Tropicalia albums, a typically genius Veloso composition, with a jazzy but vaguely psychedelic feel, sung in gorgeously beguiling style (and in English!) by Gal. Actually, this whole LP is essential. (note: in London there seem to be a lot of vinyl pressings � of dubious legality � of vintage Brazilian LPs around at the moment. Sound quality is sometimes iffy, but most of this stuff is hard to find on CD).

I saw Global Communication play live in a church and they were, err, heavenly. This song probably showcases their celestial sound best. Weighing in at a mighty 14-plus minutes, it certainly takes time to get going. But that's the beauty. Like current darlings of the ambient music scene Boards of Canada and geniuses of the past such as Bowie and Eno, the wonder of the sound is in its slow-building intensity. Orchestral-like chords and heavy bass make this song an ambient must-have. But the whole album is a winner. Sell the fridge and let your food rot to own this one.

An addictive and perfect track, which fuses several of my obsessions (vocal groups, Ennio Morricone-style chord sequences, Brazilian pop) with incredible power. The song is a Brazilian standard, written by Baden Powell, but this version is very different to any other I've heard. This recording opens feverishly with brass and strings, maintaining a doomy and very serious mood throughout. All the same, it manages to be extremely groovy, with rock drums and a twangy guitar accompanying the strings and harmonizing vocals. The arrangement is quite brilliant and never sounds crowded, with a stark feel produced by the different parts dropping in and out. The part of the track which to me is pure genius is the instrumental break in the middle, which sounds like it's excerpted from one of the coolest of Morricone's late 60s B-movie soundtracks - honey smooth strings, blended with some excellent drums and a cool trumpet part. The vocals are also rather gripping - always very serious sounding, and often wordlessly chanting the melody.

A perrenial sesonal classic given a veneer of French disco sophistication,its appeal lies in retaining the melancholy of the songs intent whilst infusing the proceedings with something more up beat and Parisienne ,so the song runs at am exhaustive 8 minutes but leads you out of a forboding autumn and takes you nearer the optimism of spring. All achieved through the genius of arrangement and Miss Jones empathy with the song

Yet another testament to the genius of this much slept on wonder. I have yet to hear an Janko Nilovic song without an initially intriguing introduction, incredible structure, and amazing breakdowns. Shacking Pop is not one of Nilovic's most complex, however the throbbing bass, raging fuzz guitar, and clarity of the drums make this a winner.

Unreal.
First of all, there's Jill Scott. With as much respect I have for her songwriting and singing abilities, I've never thought of her as a musical genius. Her music was, and stays, consistently the best soul music being released. And I'm sure that in twenty years I'll still have great fondness listening to her tunes. Yet, I don't hesitate to state that she is not a genius.

"Slowly Surely" is a great track off Jill Scott's "Who is Jill Scott: Words and Sounds, Vol. 1" album. The track, itself, is a departure from the rest of the album in composition. It is lyrically and melodically experimental, and deosn't perform as a very commercially radio friendly tune. Having said that, this is probably my favorite track on this sublime album.

Theo Parrish is a genius, however. There are no two ways about it. His music is difficult to understand. His path to fame and stardom seems as intentional as Donald Trump's efforts at staying unnoticed. He has a tendency to compose electronic dance music with beats so slow, they'd make Big Daddy Kane half step. This isn't a salmon swimming upstream. This fish is out of the water wondering why he can't fly.

The remix, in the commercial music industry, has been tainted ever since the digital age. Starting off as a tool for DJs in night clubs, a track would have been remixed to have extended beats in the beginning and the end of the track. Thus, early remixes were plainly titled, "Extended Version". However, remixes on commercial radio are merely an effort to milk the popularity of whatever is popular at the moment. These remixes usually include a guest vocalist singing, or rapping, along the original track. Another version of the remix is the time filler. When albums were made with consideration to program times for opposing sides (as well as cassette tapes), remixes were often added when material was scarce. This practice would eventually wipe out the addition of the "Reprise" track. These remix tracks were usually the chosen radio friendly track with extra production on top of the original track.

The remix for "Slowly Surely" is none of the above. It is very unique as it's own being. It pulsates to it's own heartbeat. It moves on it's own, in no predictable direction, as if Theo Parrish had little control over his artistic output. That's his genius. That's his art.

...What You Deserve

There wasn't enough room for the full title of this song.
Phil Spector Wall of Sound-influenced pop genius!!! Probably the best song of last year, & the Crews Against Consumisimo extended mix is, amazingly, even better.
Surpirsingly, this was produced by James Dean Bradfield from the Manics, though way better than anything they've ever done.
Good title as well.

An incredible, hard-to-describe classic from Jorge Ben. It opens with a funky, feverishly strummed chord sequence, and builds up beautifully. Warm strings come in, while the vocals become more and more manic (in a good way). I really can't do this song justice in words, but I urge you to check it out. Jorge Ben really is a genius songwriter, and his backing group, 'trio mocoto' really rock.

Genius strumming and amazing vocals. I have to confess that the first thing that occurred to me when I heard this, other than how brilliant it is, was the sudden realisation that The Wedding Present were not a very original band. Not only that, but they were vastly inferior to Josef K.

From what I've heard, this is probably the Josef K song that most emphasizes the 'mega-fast strumming' thing that they had going on (sorry - I'm not very eloquent today!). It's just an incredibly catchy, brilliantly executed single that just sounds otherworldly to me.

And people say eminem is hard - Julian was singing about drugs long before. This one is truly magnificent: "Then I heard my mother cry/ 'I'm out of my mind on dope and speed!'/ No no, let me tell you not no word of a lie..." Julian sings in a Scott Walker style. He also cheerily gives instructions to his musicians as he goes along: "This time, stay on A!". It's really good. For whatever reason, the album this was on was suppressed, but he stuck it out on the greatest hits (Floored Genius) anyway.

A lovely little pop song, Jellypop perky Jean uses a standard Julian Cope trick - having a nice little repetitive musical phrase running in the background throughout the whole song. He then builds things up with a simple organ sound. The effect is very gentle and ambient and wonderful. At one point late in the song, Julian stunningly stops singing and starts talking. Here the real genius cuts through, and I start wondering why more people don't rant on about this guy as much as I do.

This is a strange song and it hits me in a strange place. The melody is very pretty, yet complex and unexpected and there are odd washes of moog at times. It's a Christmas song and has a Christmas feeling but not the familiar fireside one. Instead it's the cold alien blank expanse of snow and that pulse of stars. Kate Bush is a genius at creating this precise, complicated emotional terrain. Also, being a genius requires you to risk making a fool of yourself and Kate Bush certainly isn't afraid to do that. She's like that eccentric high school drama teacher I never had. In this song she turns herself into the snow that falls over the white city. "Jumpin' down with my paraCHUTE! Oh see how I fall."

70's oh so 70's daubs of wierd gaudiness, layered over plain drabness.

Quirky....very quirky also hilarious, disturbing and unforgettable.

Sample Lyric " Oh what a woman what a tongue, what an abrasive manner"

I first heard this when i around 15 or 16, borrowed from a local Mushroom dealer called Mad dog, I kid you not. At the time I'd "Inadvertently" consumed some of his wares, and was beginning to get hazy and paisley, hence he made me and a couple of friends lay down on his room floor, head to toe, turned off the lights and put Majory Razorblade on.........we giggled in the darkness like school kids,which we were, as we listened to the tale of the woman with the long and fusty dress..I've never forgotten it....

I highly recommend the Album Majory Razorblade, by Kevin Coyne - a lost genius. The title track sets the tone for an album full of seedy characters, each lost in their own wanton little worlds, with lashings of philosphical blurbs "Being on your own is hard, being with someone is harder"

well worth exploring.........

This song is unlike any other I've recommended, but it's hard to hear this and not sense the pure genius which infused Lee's best work. The song is a dramatic narrative about an American woman who runs off to marry an Indian and join their tribe. Instead of singing, Lee simply speaks the words, while every now and again a manic chorus chimes in with 'Thuuu Nights' while a string section scratches away. If I had as cool a voice as Lee (er, and some talent at recording), I guess I could take the songwriting approach that he has here - the music is quite simple, but the narrative as spoken by Lee is gripping, and the entire production is impeccably executed. Check out 'Jos�' for another successful song with this formula.

the dubs of this song are great. Digitalism put a new spin on the song that is originally an r&b song. They give it a great dancefloor work over. Hard edged genius.

I first heard this song and thought it was the album's standout track, but then the guy I was quasi-seeing (I thought he was my boyfriend, get it?) started seeing someone else. That was when I realized the true genius of the lyrics. The music is amazing as well, and it is one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands.

A sophisticated and understated pop bossa. This song can breeze by the first time you hear it, but the unexpected hooks and chord changes make for addictive listening. There are strings, a gentle and high male vocal and a rhythmic piano. It really is heavenly. I should add that the CD compilation this appears on, 'the essential...volume 2', is really one of the very best single-artist compilations I've ever heard. The liner notes are not perfect though - this song is erroneously listed as 'Tiao branco forte'. Great compilation though, one which showed me that Marcos really is a genius.

Well, you know the man. But how long is it going to take for rock journalism to acknowledge the genius of Marcos Valles music in the sixties and seventies and give him the rightful respect he so justly earns ? Ok, no harsh words about Caeatano, Milton, Mutantes and the other ones but no one i think could combine the brazilian sound with valles sense of pop melody. Perhaps it is as one reviewer at amazon expressed it while reviewing the essential marcos vol 2 ; A bit too much cheese. Marcos Valle is perhaps a little bit too fun to listen to, not authentic enough. And he´s still got it going. Especially on this fine track where he recycles his wanda vidal track from the seventies

This song is deep, and it actually makes you think. The lyrics and the music are absolutely genius! There should be should be so many more comments on this song! And btw, I got this song off the tv show One Tree Hill. OTH's music rocks, if you're into this kind of music!

An accusatory narrative on his marriage to Motown owner Berry Gordys daughter.Sweet but bitter not the same as bittersweet.Strangely compelling with no distinct melody ,bridge or chorus and the title only mentioned in the last few bars .However you feel after one listen an intimacy with the songs creator and this confessional opus .In places you can hear four or five Marvins pleading and apologising and blaming.I think in this instance it would appropriate to use the word genius .The moral being never marry the boss,s daughter.

superb music, so different to the usual repetitious stuff thats been used for years, most suitable to the vocal range of Morrissey, a crooning rockstar!! Thats got to be a winner. More needed from this guy Spencer Cobrin, he's something else, just think of it, a genius lyricist backed by a brilliant writer, some combo!! Moz could really outperform himself.

Bedroom electro-dance music by some Scottish guy. Genius it certainly isn't, but there is a certain kind of intrinsic lyricism about some of his ideas that appeals. His album samples Judie Tzuke's "Stay with me still dawn" and Kim Carnes's "Bette Davis Eyes" as well as, famously, Gloria Estefan/Miami Sound Machine's "Doctor Beat".

A song about personal body space. I know that this doesn't exactly sound electrifying, but the song itself does. In fact the whole album this is from is filled with fantastic lyrically unorthodox songs, most of which are extremely good.

During this very skilfully constructed song, we hear some of the most lyrical, expressive sounds ever to be played on synths. We hear that slightly strange vocal performance style that makes a virtue out of sounding uncool - but it's always very musical.

Tony Mansfield is an absolute musical genius and innovator. After the three new Musik albums, he went on to produce A-ha's first album and a few records for other artists, but never seems to have had the recognition Trevor Horn recieved. I wonder what he's doing now...

Seriously, this one is brilliant. Nick's love song to both his new-born child and the chaotic city he was living in at the time (Sao Paulo) is an utter feast for those who love language: Nick rolls off such lines as

I thought about my friend Michel
How they rolled him in linoleum
And then shot him in the head
A bloody halo like a think bubble
Was circling his head
And I bellowed at the firmament
It looks like the rains are here to stay...

Another one of my faves... grrrrrrrreat orchestration, unbelievably well produced and heavenly
vocals in perfect harmony. A song to bring me on my knees... hoping it won't stop... so sweet, yet goes very crescendo... a definite 'two thumbs up' for this one... This group never made an album. It's one of those typical 'studio groups' who produced a sound that could knock you KO (IF you like the positive sound of the late 60s). It takes a genius to arrange a song like that: 'And may my heart be cast into stone" (immediately followed by two short orchestral outbursts pa-taa pa-taa) "And may the world go deaf when I roar" (pa-taa pa-taa)... One word: d e l i g h t f u l

A legend, not so much reborn as rejuvinated ,his relentless vision has endured for 33 years through one guise or another,this reflective and odd piece of psychedelia sounds old ,new ,retro and contemporary all at the same time if you have never arrived at the door of Wellers quiet genius now is the time,this track pulls you in then threatens to lose you before you realise you are in the place to be.

From that much maligned genre, eurodisco, comes an amazing story of a young girl moving to the city. She has dreams of dancing and making it under the bright lights, but is confronted only by people who see sexuality in her dancing, not freedom. She is exploited; her ideals ruined.

People think I make too much of the genius of Penny. I can often be heard espousing, at length, her brilliance and analysing her songs (I tend to do the latter in my head - there's only so much friends can take). Penny was pretty famous in Germany and only vaguely so everywhere else, primarily for the disco classic Lady Bump. She is now a sci-fi/fantasy novelist but unfortunately her books have not been translated into English else I'd doubtless find social comment in those as well...

I was never a Pulp fan, and I'm still not exactly a huge one. I never quite got why songs like 'Do you remember the first time' and 'Common People' were so great. I don't mind those songs now, but they never hit me in the way that 'This is Hardcore' did.

It's hard to explain why the dramatic, slightly ridiculous tone of the song appeals to me so much. The song is built around a sample from 'Bolero on the moon rocks' by Peter Thomas, the German film composer, and I think it's used very well - the sample adds texture and atmosphere, but doesn't dictate the song. I enjoy the way things develop at a slow pace, with new musical sections still being introduced late in the song. I'm very fond of all of these, but the slow, dreamy section that comes in at around 4:15 is particularly appealing, with its lush and strangely 80s sounding backgrounds.

Utter, utter genius!

It's all very beautiful, but the power is particularly in the chorus and the instrumental break which follows it. I am pretty sure that Regina has heard a piece of music which I know and like, such is the strong sense of familiarity I get when I hear this short instrumental part...I mean it sounds like something I particularly like and already know. I can't place the piece at the moment, but will amend when I do...it might be something from a jazz/classical crossover albums.

Jeff Lynne does a fantastic job with the production...the sound is spectacular.

A beautiful, melodic ode to sadness, from reclusive New Zealand guitar genius Roy Montgomery. (His first band, The Pin Group, released the first ever single on the now-legendary Flying Nun Records.) Lyrically and melodicly, this song would fit neatly into the canon of either Joy Division or The Smiths, although Monthgomery's beautiful guitar playing owes more to Tom Verlaine than Johnny Marr. Probably the best sad song ever written by a New Zealander .... maybe anyone.

I'm not going to say much about this track aside from it being one of my favorite Sammy Davis, Jr. performances. This really shouldn't work, but it does. Chalk it up to the genius of Sammy.

This recording is utter genius, and I have no idea why I didn't recommend it before. The track opens with some spooky ambient steel guitar sound effects, before some bongoes and vibes set the scene for the tune, which is picked out superbly twangily on the guitar. The great thing about the track is the spooky little effects and chromatic tunes that pop in and out in the background. Some of these are on the steel guitar, but the others could be vocal or vibraphone; it's hard to tell. It's all over in just over 2 minutes, but this really is a delightfully exotic recording.

A lovely, dark, haunting song with an intricate string arrangement; this really got me hooked on Gainsbourg as soon as I heard it. Musically, the song dazzles me - the arrangement flows beautifully and sounds very original (to me, anyway; if I'm wrong, please help steer me in the direction of more recordings like this!). Serge is a great vocalist here as well. At times he whispers, but some lines he really spits out - 'a quel point je HAIS......ce que tu es...' The guy was a genius.

A pop song of epic grandeur. Marc Almond's rather out of tune singing doesn't ultimately detract from what is a great song and a very good recorded performance. The synth player of the duo, Dave Ball, appears to have been a somewhat underrated pop genius.

Stephen Lynch is what happens when psychosis goes unchecked... he is also a comic genius! Make no mistake, he is twisted beyond repair, but it is hilarious to listen to his crazed ramblings and sick observations and he is a master at guitar work. This song is written in the style of a father singing his little girl to sleep. He explains in a kind soothing voice that mommy won't be back because, "daddy likes porno and $10 whores, daddy gets wasted and robs liquor stores, daddy likes rubbing against little boys on the bus, i think that's why your mommy left us". Definitely a great amusement when drunk or in a crowd of rowdy friends. I've got several of my friend's hooked on this CD. His other CD 'Superhero' which is all performed live includes excellent participaton by the audience on this track... but it is only available thru mailorder from his record company or at live shows, the version on amazon/cdnow does not include this track

The recording may be raw, but this song reeks of pure insane genius. 60's-inspired organ-fueled sleaze. The band boasts the former organist of "The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black". This is one of many instrumental numbers consisting of guitar, organ, shakers and what sounds like an old drum machine. Shamelessly derivitive, lo-fi and spooky. It's one part surf and equal parts garage and swing. Henry Mancini-meets-The Mummies-meets-The Stray Cats.

With a glam stomp, middle eastern rhythms, electro inflections, Furry invention and a monstrous hook, this is one of the many highlights from SFA's latest album "Dark Days/Light Years".
The album is chock full of brilliance to be honest, it may be the best thing they have done in 10 years, it is that good!

Genius. SFA OK.

A bubbling almost loop like backing track punctuated by David Byrnes deranged t.v evangelist style exclamations "My god this is not my beautiful house ,this is not my beautiful wife,what have i done"? .Then a stroke of genius to pull the song back from the edge of avant garde ,a joyous funky ,gospel inspired chorus .A band at their most inspired and confident with the wizardry of Eno pressing all the right buttons.Hard to believe no one has recomended this before.

Man! Out of all the dollar-bin records i've bought in the last six months this one takes the prize. Amazing vocal pop ala' Harpers Bizarre or The Vogues, but more like the latter, due to the sheer genius production and selection of material.

This is a song by the great Box Tops that gets played all over your local "oldies" radio station, only made more superior with better production and beat. It has that misty sunshine appeal of HB, with cooed almost whispered verses, but then takes it higher with their own trademark choir-loft harmonies and effects. It supersedes the original by a longshot, bringing together sly shuffles and baroque arcs of genius.

The album has too many great versions to mention, but look for a review on their version of The Doors "Touch Me" coming soon, with a clip.

A must for fans of HB, Classics IV, Association, Cyrkle etc.

Post-punk "pop" at its most gorgeous/baroque/bewilderingly extreme - and the perfect introduction to the God-like genius of Alan Rankine and the late/great singer Billy Mackenzie. A four car-pile-up between Roxy Music (circa "For Your Pleasure"), Bowie (circa "Heroes"), Scott Walker's "Scott 3" and Kraftwerk's "The Man Machine", (with King Tubby and Shirley Bassey acting as ambulance attendants), this song is both empty and lush, creepy and hilarious, ice-cold and almost embarrassingly emotional. I have loved/lived/died by this song for almost two decades, and I still can't begin to tell you what its about. It's like something from outer space - like so many of the greatest pop songs are.

The genius of Billy McKenzie is distilled in this largely unheard epic.Tribal drums introduce a synth pop backing which allows a bit more floorspace for what sounds like a barber shop quartet before McKenzie,s yerning vocals commence the song proper.
Both chaotic and cohesive ,this really shouldnt work but a maverick self belief produces a truly fantastic odd,unforgetable moment.This remained unreleased for nearly twenty years by a short sighted record company looking for a uqick repetitive return.Some things never change .

I can never get tired of this song! The overlapping vocal harmonies are wonderful. A good example of Brian Wilson's genius at creating a crafty, intricate production supported by a simple melody. Why this wasn't a huge hit I don't know (I believe it was their last single at Capitol and wasn't promoted very well).

To me, songs like this best express the genius of Brian Wilson. Listen to the tender lyrics and vocal on this...this is the happiest he has ever sounded. (Given the time that this was recorded, it's almost depressing...this was probably also the last time in his life that he was truly happy. What the more poetic call bittersweet?) Yet, this is so mellow and unassuming. It's blissful, joyous - and above all else, madly in love, as evidenced by the spoken "I love you." at the end. The writing credits lists Wilson-Love, but all I can hear is Brian here. Mike Love was never this genuine.

As for the arrangement, it hints at what was to come with "Pet Sounds". Fender bass! Tambourines! Harpsichords! It's a beautiful thing, and Sonny Bono built his career off of it. Sleep well, sweet Congressman.

Pure cinematic pop genius.This song was the flip for their single "Don't You Care?" which was a big hit for them lasting 14 weeks in the top 10.And even though I love that song, the B side has always captivated me more.The orchestration is just breath taking. It sounds more like a soundtrack theme than an album track.Like a lost Bond theme or something, really stunning!!

The LP uses the same style for another great one called"You Are Gone"as well. Vinyl copies are almost everywhere in the US for like 5$, Well worth it!

Cover of indie shoegazer band Ride's 1992 song. I never knew the original, which this sounds extremely similar to. As ever I am very quick to enjoy the use of labels with which to typecast.

The song evinces what I consider to be a kind of poetic genius. Musically it mirrors the lyric in its absolute simplicity.

Message for yer! Message for yer!

My theory is that everyone seriously into music has time for The Fall. They're just too superlative - in places - not to give them massive amounts of respect.

I have no problem with being a selective Fall fan, and probably err too much to "the Brix Years" for serious Mark E Smith hardcases. I love the early to middle period and The Classical, for me, is the absolute pinnacle of their acheivements. A parity of stupidity and - er, classicality - it marries the phrasing genius of Smith with one of the very best group line-ups in their 27 year career.

So what if MES is a toothless old git now? So what if they haven't released an album of worth in many a year? So what if their back catalogue is being shamelessly exploited by various low-rent record labels? They are one of the biggest unacknowledged influences on British music today and it's time they got the props they are worthy of.

I don't know if Jeffery Lee Peirce was a genius, but I find this song and album to be. ;)

Was already a fan of the LP "Gideon Gaye" with its lovely mix of Beach Boys meets Steely Dan production. Sean O'Hagen is a Genius. He's really outdone himself with this record! SUBLIME!

genius. from the guitar fueled intro, the clever lyrics and overall catchy tune. it could, but doesn't sound dated at all.

To me this is certainly a pinnacle of pure late 60s sunshine pop. Composed by pop genius Roger Nichols the timeless, idealistic lyrics were written by Tony Asher (who wrote most of the lyrics with Brian Wilson on Pet Sounds) not by his regular partner Paul Williams. Sunshine pop hardly gets any sunnier than on this track: great production, strings galore, Beach Boys-esque vocal harmonies, great bassline & trumpet and catchy as hell with it's uplifting chord progressions throughout. While the album version (recently included on the highly recommended "The Get Easy! Sunshine Pop Collection") is good already, the single version is just crisper, lusher, just perfect.

Genius late 60s pop with vocal harmonies. This was composed by Roger Nichols, and has some beautiful chord changes and Bacharach-meets-Brian-Wilson interludes.

The verse is sombre and in a minor key, but when they sing 'close to me' to usher in the chorus, the sun comes out! There's some scat singing in the interludes. I had previously only really known the Vogues for '5 o'clock world', but this is superb - an unusual and memorable track.

This is total genius. Perfectly formed dramatic faux classical mid sixties pop. Scott does a solo vocal.

The White Stripes' longest song at seven minutes, this song is amazing.
Jack White tells you how it is, and his voice takes on a sexy, drawn-out drawl. "I may not be your third man, girl/But it's a fact that I'm your seventh son". Genius.

First of all, the tap dancing? genius. Tilly and the Wall are a great band and this song even though it's supposed to be sad, it sounds so lighthearted at the same time. Simple and clean: a great tune.

It's a situation we can all imagine ourselves in - an ex-partner is getting married, we're invited, we get drunk and embarrassing at the reception. Twinkle, aka posh girl Lynn Ripley (who went to school with Camilla Parker-Bowles!) is a lyrical genius and this unbelievably good little number was relegated to the B-side of her final 60's single, Micky.

This song contains one of my favourite song lyrics ever. Pondering why they split up, Twinkle admits it was because she wouldn't have sex with him until they were married and says "it was a woman that he wanted, not a lady". How great is that? I thought she was going to say "...not a girl" first time I heard it and was taken aback by the simple brilliance of that turnaround.

Plus, well an American friend has nicknamed me Twinkle because I'm her favourite Brit-girl and I can live with that.