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You searched for ‘delicate’, which matched 58 songs.
click - person recommending, year, performer, songtitle - to see more recommendations.
Bicho do Mato  performed by Elis Regina
Recommended by PappaWheelie [profile]

Many may already be aware of this samba due to Walter Wanderly's space-age tinged organ instrumental version, but Elis's original vocal version is far more powerful with relentless horn blasts. It also demonstrates her range of emotions put into the performance as she goes from delicate to belting.


available on CD - Samba Soul '70! (Six Degrees)




  ambassador: I believe the original version (by anybody) is on Jorge Ben's "Ben e Samba Bom" on philips from the mid 60s.
Hurt So Bad  performed by Nancy Holloway
Recommended by mr_klenster [profile]

This is a perfect cover in every way, arranged by Daniel Janin. The heavy, driving bass, long whine of the horns, and thick drumming make a monster instrumental. Nothing like the Bacharach version. Nancy Holloway does an outstanding rendition of the lyrics, delicate in some places, husky in others, bleeding and pleading the whole way through. The slow, pained delivery of the lyrics almost seem to be off pace with the tempo of the beat, but the horn melodies punctuate and hold this song together. There are qualities about this song that I find impossible to describe. All that's left to say is that this song is so cool and mesmerizing that it's hard not to close your eyes, and let yourself slip into the textures of this song. I never get tired of it.

from Hello Dolly!



Same Girl  performed by Randy Newman
Recommended by umbrellasfollowrain [profile]

This song is devastating. The piano is precise, but halting and delicate, as though the melody is just as tentative about saying anything at all as the singer is. The song clocks in at less than three minutes, but the strings shudder like a dark devouring cloud hovering at the horizon, drinking up the lyrics for what seem like months, or years.




delicate  performed by damien rice
Recommended by anakinskywalker [profile]

from o


Laura  performed by Julie London  1955
Recommended by delicado [profile]

'Laura' has long been my favorite standard. The tune is elegant and haunting, and completely devoid of some of the schmaltzy feel that plagues many popular standards.

Written as an instrumental for the 1944 film of the same name, this was composed as a piano-based number, and so Julie's version is perhaps not the most orthodox recording. However, it's incredibly powerful and atmospheric, and I *think* it's my favorite version.

The entire track lasts just 1 minute and 40 seconds. The first verse is sung as a solo voice without any accompaniment other than the spooky reverberation effect. When the music does come in, it's provided by a small jazz trio led by Barney Kessel. Kessel's delicate jazz chords and picking complement Julie's voice beautifully.

from Julie is her name, available on CD (Liberty)



Strip-Tease  performed by Nico  1962
Recommended by delicado [profile]

It's fantastic that this track has come to light. I believe its story is this: Nico auditioned for the film 'Strip-Tease' in 1962, and recorded this song, but eventually Juliette Greco was chosen instead, and so this recording was lost. To me it's a remarkable document - although I knew Nico had made a brief appearance in 'La Dolce Vita', I never knew she had recorded with Gainsbourg. The track itself is a delicate slow number with prominent latin percussion and bongo sounds, similar Serge's other early 60s film work, such as 'L'eau a la bouche'. Nico's voice is just as distinctive as it is on her famous records with Velvet Underground, but in this context it sounds different. I like it when things like this come to light, bringing together two people I admire - like Astrud Gilberto singing Morricone, Scott Walker singing Schifrin, or Julie London singing Margo Guryan.


available on CD - le cin�ma de Serge Gainsbourg (Universal France)




  e: this is the best ever. i love this.
Don’t Answer Me  performed by Cilla Black  1965
Recommended by Flippet [profile]

This is one of the supreme examples of the ballad genre that Cilla Black excelled in during the 1960s. An exquisite song of love gone wrong, the track demonstrates the full depth, quality and range of Cilla's extraordinary voice - from the delicate soft tones to the full powered belt. A huge hit for Cilla in 1965, reaching #5 in the UK Top 40.


available on CD - The Best Of Cilla Black


Musical Pocket Watch Theme  performed by Ennio Morricone  1965
Recommended by texjernigan [profile]

This is the first track of Ennio Morricone's that I liked that wasn't inherently WESTERN, though it did come from the film, "For a Few Dollars More," the best of the trilogy if you ask me. The melody is delicate and fresh, especially coming from the perspective of one that hadn't yet heard the rest of his non-western music.

from For a Few dollars more
available on CD - for a few dollars more




  jackamaku: I agree, For a Few Dollars more is my favorite of the thrilogy, and this is a great track.
Se telefonando  performed by Mina  1966
Recommended by delicado [profile]

A dramatic pop number from the 60s in which Mina passionately belts out the tune. The opening is gentle, with a delicate trumpet melody; it then builds up to a huge climax with full orchestra. The song is infuriatingly catchy and familiar; I'm sure I had heard it many times before I finally identified it about five years ago. Very highly recommended.


available on CD - Canto Morricone, Vol 1 (Bear Family)




  andyjl: This song was covered in a great version by Francoise Hardy (as "Je changerais d'avis"). It's on several compilations of her 60s recordings.
  delicado: Francoise also recorded it in English (the recording is exactly the same apart from the vocals) as 'I will change my life'. Great stuff!
Wake and Kill  performed by Ennio Morricone  1966
Recommended by texjernigan [profile]

From the Soundtrack to the movie, "Svegliati e Uccidi," which I think means wake and kill, this has a typical spy thriller sound. That's something taht I couldn't really tell you, having not grown up in the era, but when I was showing my dad a lot of the music that I've searched out, he certainly laughed a quite a few of the tracks. Still, I find the melody haunting and cool, especially that highly distorted yet delicate guitar work.





I want your kiss  performed by Lani Groves (with Phil Moore and the Afro Latin Soultet)  1967
Recommended by delicado [profile]

This one has really been haunting me. I recently heard this rare and sought after album, and was entranced by the opening track, a devastating vocal. Although Lani Groves sings in English, in a style very similar to Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66, I knew that this was a Brazilian track that I had heard before.

Researching a song with as generic a title as 'I want your kiss' is hard though, and with no knowledge of who the composer was, most of the search engine results were soft porn stories. After a while I threw on Elis Regina's first album, Samba - eu canto assim, and happily found the information I was looking for. The original Portuguese song is called 'Sou sem paz', and was written by Adylson Godoy, who may or may not be the same person as Amilton Godoy, who was the pianist in the Zimbo Trio.

After all my research, I was disappointed to learn that this song has hardly ever been recorded; the only versions I know of are this and those by the Zimbo Trio and Elis Regina.

Trivia aside, this is a nice fusion of several of my musical passions. The chord sequence is unusual, delicate and surprising, and the vocal is passionate. I think it would be fair to say that Lani Groves doesn't have quite Elis's passionate delivery, but for me this is offset by the beautiful backing arrangement, featuring some great organ playing.

from Afro Brazil Oba! (Tower)



Like to get to know you  performed by Spanky and our Gang  1968
Recommended by delicado [profile]

This lovely late 60s pop track is wistful and atmospheric. The instrumentation is exquisite (vocal group with a delicately strummed/picked acoustic guitar, strings), and there is a cool false ending. The result is a very rich sound, evocative of lost summers. A sound which I'm very fond of...

from Like to get to know you (Mercury 61161)
available on CD - Spanky’s Greatest Hit(s)




  tempted: I just found the original album of the same name this song is on. It's beautiful with just the right kind of softly psychedelic artwork and some crazy, groovy spoken word passages on some tracks. "Like to Get to Know You" stands out as the definitive song and remains one of the most mesmerizing soft pop tunes in the world.
  gregcaz: It's also worth noting that the single version, found on the 1969 "Spanky's Greatest Hit(s)" album, is the definitive one, free as it is from the pickup-line chatter that obscures the intro on the original album, as well as featuring the gorgeous coda which is included separately on the "LTGTKY" LP.
  artlongjr: This is my favorite Spanky and Our Gang tune, a gorgeous and wistful number. I also have the original LP, which features a different version from the 45 as gregcaz mentioned. There is a video of the band performing this on Youtube that I think originally aired on the Smothers Brothers. I saw Spanky and the Gang a number of times on TV as a kid.
Ode to Billy Joe  performed by Ronnie Aldrich  1968
Recommended by delicado [profile]

A near-perfect take on this classic song. Ronnie dispenses with vocals, instead building a beautiful mood with some great strings, a relentless beat and percussive guitar. The bluesey melody is carried delicately by the piano. I'm not really getting it across here, but the track is astounding - astonishingly addictive and well recorded, building wonderfully to a warm and incredibly groovy climax.

from For Lovers Only (London/Phase 4)



Ode to Billy Joe  performed by Buddy Merrill  1968
Recommended by delicado [profile]

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!

from Land of a Thousand Guitars (Accent ACS 5026)
available on CD - 25 All time hits (Accent)



Jane B  performed by Jane Birkin  1968
Recommended by delicado [profile]

This song is living proof that whatever you try to do, if you execute it well, the rest can take care of itself. Serge didn't even bother writing a song (this is just an arrangement of Chopin's prelude in E minor). But the song is excellent, and stands up to (at least several hundred) repeated listens. There's a slow, jerky beat, and a heavy bassline. Birkin's delicate vocal works well with this backing, and the whole thing has a very hip feel.


available on CD - Master Serie Vol. 1 (Polygram France)


To Put Up With You  performed by The Sandpipers  1968
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

Late 60s mellow sunshine pop with amazing vocal harmonies, composed by the legendary Roger Nichols with lyrics written by his long-time partner Paul Williams. A very gentle, breezy and light tune, due to excellent arrangement/production by Nick DeCaro and Tommy LiPuma with a delicately sounding trumpet playing the main melody. Like many Nichols songs, it's soft and mellow while being full of longing and melancholia at the same time.

from Softly (A&M)



Rose Petals, Incense, and a Kitten  performed by The Association  1968
Recommended by artlongjr [profile]

This song has been a favorite of mine ever since I first heard it on the album "Birthday" back in the 80's. It reminds me of walking along the beach with my girlfriend, looking at a gorgeous sunset. The song was written by Jim Yester, who also sings lead...the string arrangement, great vocal harmonies, lush melody and delicate guitar solo by Tommy Tedesco make this a sunshine pop classic. Jim Yester also contributed two other equally great tunes on this album, "Birthday Morning" and the stunning, majestic "Barefoot Gentleman". I recommend the entire album to fans of 1960s harmony pop-it is their most psychedelic record, hands down, and my favorite by them,although I still haven't heard their first LP yet, which others have recommended to me as their best.

from Birthday, available on CD



  delicado: This is a truly exquisite track. I've been listening to this album a lot recently actually.
  eftimihn: A track so great it abolutely deserves to be recommended twice, here is my entry: http://www.musicaltaste.com/filter.php?songtitle=Rose%20Petals%2C%20Incense%20and%20a%20Kitten
  artlongjr: I'm glad so many people like this song...you can't go wrong with this album, in addition to "Rose Petals", there is "Everything That Touches You", "Toymaker", "Hear in Here", and "The Time it is Today", all great tunes. I just wonder what the results would have been if the Association had recorded "MacArthur Park" like they were requested to at that time!
  Major Minor: Seconded! Birthday is my favorite Association album containing some of the finest Sunshine Pop tracks ever!
You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)  performed by Cal Tjader  1969
Recommended by delicado [profile]

This was actually never one of my favorite Bacharach songs, but I find this version delightful. It opens with a simple bassline and a groovy breakbeat, which are soon joined by delicate strings and woodwinds, and finally Cal's cool vibes. There are a lot of cool sounds in the mix; I think I can hear both a 12 string guitar and a hammond organ. Anyway, the track swings very nicely, and the groovy beat carries on relentlessly in the background. The all-Bacharach album this comes from is apparently disliked by purists, but I think it's really rather wonderful.

from Sounds Out Burt Bacharach, available on CD



Sugar In The Rain  performed by Sid Ramin  1969
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

An incredibly light and gentle bossa nova track with an impeccable, delicate arrangement. Originally released on the "Stiletto"-Soundtrack, it's due to compiler Toru Hashimoto's excellent work on the "Cafe Apres-Midi" series that this gem didn't fade into obscurity.

from Stiletto (Columbia)
available on CD - Cafe Apres-Midi - Rose (Sony)




  tapler: Sid Ramin was a phenomenally talented arranger and orchestrator. His old RCA LPs exhibit his imaginative approach to big band music.
500 Miles (Theme From Winning)  performed by Dave Grusin  1969
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

Delicate instrumental by Dave Grusin, that grows with each listen and has all the charachteristics of late 60s arrangements i love so much. The instrumentation is diverse, rich, yet subtle with piano, organ, horns, flutes and wonderfully arrangened, smooth strings and some harp embellishments thrown in. The mood is mellow, romantic with a dose of melancholia. Another great instrumental from the soundtrack, "California Montage", has recently appeared on "The Get Easy! Sunshine Pop Collection", while this one unfortunately is only available on vinyl.

from Winning (Decca DL 79-169)



La Lucertola  performed by Ennio Morricone  1970
Recommended by delicado [profile]

This is an extremely atmospheric soundtrack piece, with a wordless vocal melody from Edda Del Orso. Strings, electric harpsichord and some subtle electronic effects set the scene. There are also some beautiful Bacharach-style twists with brass. Overall it's a deadly serious and delicate number, incredibly intense, while still sounding very 'cool' (whatever that means...).

from La Lucertola (Soundtrack)
available on CD - Mondo Morricone (Coliseum)




  eftimihn: Perfect description, delicado. This track is firmly in my Morricone Top 10, though it would be impossible for me to actually write down a top 10, maybe top 20, no, a top 50 would be possible...maybe...damn, one man - so many terrific tunes!
  dominb: I got the first Mondo Morricone cd on its original release nearly 10 years ago now,I was familiar with Morricone's stuff but when I heard this it totally changed me.I became a Morricone devotee and this first track along with "Metti..." blew me away.The version on Mondo is actually about a minute shorter than the original version,so is "Metti" and some of the other "Mondo" tracks,they've abridged them no doubt to fit the cd...I found this out gradually from hearing the complete versions,they're not different versions,they've just been cut down....This is one of Ennio's all time great themes.
Sweet Susan  performed by Ennio Morricone  1972
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

You probably wouldn't expect an amazing easy listening track by Morricone on a western soundtrack i guess, but that's what you get here. Except for the harmonica intro this is pure Morricone lounge and it features the most delicate use of a muted, toned down trumpet sound one can imagine. The way it's gently built up is just fantastic and it surely can make your hair raise, it's so subtly but overwhelmingly performed. After the harmonica there's piano chords fading in, then the song kicks off with subtle strings in the background and with a midtempo drumbeat. Wonderful melody, after a while the strings start to crescend leading into a swirl and a harpsicord is added in the right places. This track just melts in your ears like italian ice cream in the sun. Another gem by Ennio, the song was even issued as a single in Italy in 1972, together with "Sonny", recommended elsewhere on musicaltaste.

from La Banda J. & S. (CAM CSE 050)
available on CD - CAM (CSE 050)




  dominb: Yes, this song, hidden away on the "La Banda J & S" soundtrack is quintessential Morricone, it is truly sublime. One of the joys of Morricone is discovering tracks like this given his overwhelming output so thankyou for pointing this song out.
Waiting for the Moving Van  performed by David Ackles  1972
Recommended by I, Claudius [profile]

An underrated '70s singer-songwriter, Ackles was a weird hybrid of Scott Walker and Brecht-Weill. He had a macabre, darkly humorous streak, but he could be almost embarrassingly sentimental at times; this is one of those times. It's a delicately orchestrated ballad about a guy whose family left him because he didn't have time for them. Comes from his best album, 'American Gothic.'

from American Gothic, available on CD


Andalucia  performed by John Cale  1973
Recommended by delicado [profile]

This is from a great album that I recently received as a gift. Andalucia opens with a beautiful echoey acoustic guitar. It's a tender, simple song, with delicate guitar playing, entertaining lyrics (like 'Andalucia - when can I see yer'), and a great melody. The atmosphere is enhanced by a steel guitar and some nice multitracked vocals. I guess Cale's voice is an acquired taste, but I find him rather earnest and charming.

from Paris 1919, available on CD



Black Eyed Dog  performed by Nick Drake  1974
Recommended by two-headed boy [profile]

In order to fully examine the minds of torment and depression, one would need to be familiar with Nick Drake's 'Black Eyed Dog.' With his transcendant ability to translate his demons into song, Nick Drake accounts a supernatural phantasm chasing him through the darkness of his own neurosis. 'Black eyed dog he claws at my door' - sung in his upper register, with the use of heavey falcetto, sounds like he is straining to survive a nightmare. His performance, despite the sparse production of acoustic guitar and vocal, is expansive. Use of harmonics and finger roll on this song proves the mastery of his instrument, as an amateur guitarist I am baffled by the sound he can create. The singular pulse of the guitar string rings-out with a delicate harmonic while the layering of other voices continue subtly underneath. And the result is the tragic embrace of his own psychological deterioration; a horror unlike the Macabre style of the French, it stands as its own haunting style, that of 'Drakesque.'

As we know his depression did finally catch up to him, and as a revisionist I would say that Nick knew it would all along, sooner or later. One would only need to hear this song and some of the pieces are put into place.

from Time of No Reply, available on CD




  Liv: they say he had to have several overdubs of his voice on this track until he got it right, because of his depression his voice was trembling.. so far from the classical orchestrations of his early recordings, the sparse instrumentation and the intense emotion of "Black dog" affects you even more as Nick's haunting voice sounds like he's singing through an abyss of infinite darkness and despair..
  songs-I-love: Actually, the lyrics to this song go "A black-eyed dog, he CALLED at my door...", but with Nick's way of singing (or rather: expressing himself), it's just all too easy to get confused. The line "I'm growing old and I wanna go home" gets through my heart like a bullet every time I hear it. Only few songs can evoke such strong emotions in me.
  kkkerplunkkk: Yes beautiful and chilling, but it's a small comfort to know that this wasn't actually the last song he ever recorded, that sad honour going to the recently discovered Tow The Line.
Bitter-Sweet  performed by Roxy Music  1974
Recommended by delicado [profile]

For someone like me, the strangest thing about getting really into Roxy Music is the overt rockiness of a lot of their material. Even on this track, which is one more of their slower, more mournful numbers, there are a lot of very heavy rocky moments. They work pretty well though, and I'm certainly not complaining.

The atmospheric opening is breathtaking, and Bryan Ferry's vocal as he sings 'I've opened up my heart' is incredibly beautiful. The words and music seem to meld together in a very pretty way, but then before long the track mutates into a stomping, carnival like passage that clearly influenced Nick Cave to a considerable extent. Throughout the song there's this interchange between delicate, melodic verses and the rowdy, discordant section. Like another favorite Roxy track, 'Just like you', this song finishes with a clever chord change.

I'm sure many people would find 'Bitter-Sweet' much too dramatic and serious - perhaps some days I would too - but it does have an incredible elegance and style that makes me keep on listening.

from Country Life, available on CD



Porque Te Vas  performed by Jeanette  1974
Recommended by mika2k1 [profile]

Jeanette has a voice that is forever sixteen. Porque Te Vas, is an upbeat Spanish pop tune layered in big beat and horns. Beautifully meshed with Jeanette's delicate voice, the result is stunning sweetness.

The song appears the 1976 Carlos Saura film, titled Cria Cuervos (Raise Ravens), aka Cria!







I�m Shadowing You  performed by The Singers Unlimited  1975
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

Wonderful song (written by Blossom Dearie and Johnny Mercer), perfectly performed, produced and arranged. The Singers Unlimited recorded over a dozen albums between 1972/1981 for the acclaimed german MPS label. This track has an incredibly mellow, almost etheral sound with a breezy bossa rhythm, delicate instrumentation by the Pat Williams Orchestra and the Singers' magic voices on top of it.

from Feeling Free (MPS/Verve)
available on CD - Magic Voices (Motor Music)



Chelsea Girl  performed by Simple Minds  1979
Recommended by dsalmones [profile]

Simple Mind's second single, "Chelsea Girl", was an apt follow-up to its predecessor "Life in a Day", an epic chant, a shimmering melody, and a sing-along chorus that paid spell-bound homage to Velvet Underground chanteuse Nico, in her role within Warhol�s movie of the same name.

Producer John Leckie gives "Chelsea Girl" a lovely delicate quality, especially across the long, tinkling keyboard intro, an aura that barely dissipates even when drummer Brian McGee and bassist Derek Forbes's kick in with their thumping rhythm. The band were proving to be masters at these juxtaposed styles, creating rock solid bases and overlaying them with much more fragile and elegant melodies and atmospheres. Here, those latter are close to effervescent and, as the band shift down into the long bass-driven, overlapping tag teamed vocal outro (a playful lift from Roxy Music�s �Mother Of Pearl�, but no matter), absolutely crystalline.

On album and onstage, �Chelsea Girl� remained fans' favorite, on 45 though, it inexplicably crashed and burned, and didn't even reach the UK chart.
(AMG)

from Life In A Day, available on CD


Cordeiro De Nanã  performed by João Gilberto  1980
Recommended by delicado [profile]

Just one minute and twenty seconds long, this a perfectly distilled piece of Brazilian pop/mood music. The song consists of a simple, beautiful chord progression, which is repeated over and over. João sings a simple vocal over his guitar, and then some brass and strings come in to join him. The arrangement is stunning: sweeping and beautiful, with a delicate, sparkly sound at the beginning and end. It sounds very like the work of Claus Ogerman (who arranged the tracks on 'Amoroso', which appears on the same CD), but in fact, it's arranged by Johnny Mandel. Although this was recorded in 1980, it has a timeless feel. The entire Amoroso/Brasil CD is quite incredible. It took a few listens to really hit home, but has now become one of my 'desert island discs'.

from Brasil
available on CD - Amoroso/Brasil (Warner Brothers)



  barry_c: I agree, a beautiful, beautiful tune. You should check out the original version of this tunes, by Os Tinco�s: http://www.luizamerico.com.br/fundamentais-tincoas.php
  kfigaro: I really love very much this song with these subtile orchestration of Johnny Mandel me two, and I also know the original version of Os Tinco�s (1977) which is very different and with verses that J.Gilberto don't sing... Thalma de Freitas also sing this dreamy tunes in her album (2004) _______________________ http://chantsetheres.over-blog.com/
  delicado: Just listening to this again a few years after my initial recommendation. It really does encapsulate a lot of the mysterious, seductive elements of Brazilian music for me.
Oh Well, I'll never learn  performed by Morrissey  1987
Recommended by delicado [profile]

Clocking in at around 2 minutes, this B-side is very simple, but beautiful. It was something of a 'holy grail' to me as a young Smiths fan, hidden as it was on the rare 'Suedehead' single (cassette and CD singles only!). I managed to procure a tape of it via my brother, and was instantly entranced. Morrissey has recorded many songs which are catchier and more intense than this, yet it has a unique power. The lyrics are entertaining - 'I found the fountain of youth and I fell in', and the accompaniment is delicate and sparse, with some great guitar playing from Vini Reilly. It ends with something rather lovely - it's nothing really, but it's one of those little details which when I was young, I used to pick on in songs - as Morrissey repeats 'I'll never learn', a spooky, echoey sound comes in and envelopes the entire song. Such little things used to please me...

from Suedehead (single) (HMV)
available on CD - My Early Burglary Years



  FlyingDutchman1971: I couldn't agree more! Having purchased the US 12 inch of 'suedehead' which didn't include this track, it was such a nice surprise in 1994 when I purchased the 13-cd british singles box set and found this track. Moz sings this song with such a great since of joyous naughtiness that you just want to tweak his delinquent little nose.
Forbidden Colours  performed by David Sylvian  1987
Recommended by Mike [profile]

A re-recording, with Sylvian's lyrics, of Sakamoto's instrumental track written a few years earlier for the film "Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence".

Delicately, poignantly beautiful; an exquisite piece (ok - song) which used to be available as the "extra" track on CD versions of Sylvian's most consistent album, "Secrets of the Beehive".


available on CD - CDV 2471 (Virgin)


Indian Ocean  performed by Field Mice  1990
Recommended by delicado [profile]

A beautiful guitar pop track, with superbly recorded 12 string and electric guitars, and an immaculately serious, yet shy vocal. Hearing it now, I'm amazed at how well this track has aged. To me, the beauty of the song lies more in the intricacy of its guitar parts than any musical or lyrical innovation. The guitar playing recalls the best indie guitar music of the 80s, particularly Johnny Marr. I remember seeing the band not long after this record came out. The guitarist seemed very shy, and faced the side of the stage, staring into his Rickenbacker. To cap all of this brilliance, this song features a superb fake ending, after which the instrumental refrain comes back in for a final few glorious moments.

from So Said Kay (Sarah Records SARAH 38)
available on CD - Where'd You Learn To Kiss That Way? (Shinkansen Recordings)




  farawayfriend: The field mice are one of the great unknown pop bands... a truly gorgeous song by an amazing artist.
Vapour Trail  performed by Ride  1991
Recommended by delicado [profile]

However you look at it, this song is simply too good to have not yet been recommended by me on this site. The final track on Ride's 1991 debut, this is simple, formulaic even, but very nicely executed. It opens with the same nice chord sequence that makes up most of the song, played on a solo guitar. Mark Gardner's vocals are wavering and delicate (ok, they're a little out of tune as well), but charming. The drum beat hints at the indie-dance sensibility of the time, and is extremely catchy without being ridiculous.

The real hook of the song for me lies in the harmonies introduced by the string parts which periodically underlay the chords. As the song builds, these string arrangements become more full. The rest of the band fades away and leaves them at the end. I'm surprised at how much I still enjoy this.

from Nowhere, available on CD




  shaka_klaus: ye-ye! nice one!
  andrew76: first you look so strong then you fade away the sunlight blinds my eyes i love you anyway - pure genius - and then one of them joined Oasis. Bugger.
Iluminados  performed by Eliane Elias  1993
Recommended by Mike [profile]

Very, very pretty music. A vocal duet between the song's composer and the wonderful Ms Elias, possessor of beautiful, slightly husky voice and superb pianistic skills.

Her trio here includes Eddie Gomez and Jack DeJonette, both once of Bill Evans's trio. There are a few delicate touches of synth which compliment the mood, used like a string orchestra.

from Paulistana


Two Star  performed by Everything But The Girl  1994
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

To me, Everything But The Girl are one of the most memorable bands of the 80s and 90s. What always strikes me is how their sound evolved from jangly, jazzy-pop in the beginning to polished, rather slick sophisti-pop in the late 80s/early 90s to sample-heavy, drum & bass/trip-hop influenced, house-embracing electronica at the end of their recording history in the mid/late 90s. Despite the change in sound they always managed to capture a consistency in the feel of the music, always revolving around the same themes over the years, dripping with melancholia, unrequited love, self-pity, romantic disillusionment etc. "Two Star" is a delicate, yet emotionally bleak ballad. Acoustic in sound, with piano, double bass and a wonderful string arrangement by Harry Robinson plus some cor anglais embellishments by Kate St. John.

from Amplified Heart, available on CD



Houdini’s Box  performed by Jill Sobule  1995
Recommended by malpt [profile]

I intensely adore this song. It's delicately executed, yet the lyrics are so bold that it's somewhat jarring.

Also, I think Jill Sobule is tragically underrated. She's astonishingly talented, intelligent and humorous. I say, listen to her work, you won't regret it.

from Jill Sobule (Atlantic)
available on CD - I Never Learned to Swim: Jill Sobule 1990-2000 (Beyond Records)


Spirit Compass  performed by The Kennedys  1995
Recommended by Harch [profile]

This is the closing song on Pete and Maura Kennedy's debut album, "River of Fallen Stars".

Its shimmering guitars, hypnotic rhythm and delicate vocals are the perfect close to a truly fine album.

They have performed it at my requset at three of their shows which I have seen, and they play it better each time!

from River of Fallen Stars, available on CD


One Man in My Heart  performed by The Human League  1995
Recommended by dsalmones [profile]

Although far removed from the adventurous group that had long ago dabbled in minimilist, almost avant-garde electronics, all these years later the Human League continued to take its pop seriously. "One Man in My Heart" could have been a total throwaway, a gloopy little love song without a single redeeming quality, beloved by grannies and tweenies, gag-inducing for those outside those age parameters. But the band obviously gave the number time and attention, and thus ensured that it can't be so easily dismissed. Inserting a much sampled electro effect into the intro, creating an intriguingly intricate rhythm, counterpointing swelling, lush synths with a palpitating '70s-styled organ, layering on vocals and harmonies, and conjuring up a romantic milieu flushed with delicate atmospheres, the group produced a love song unlike virtually all typical pop fodder. The work, effortless as it sounds on disc, paid off, and this 1995 single swept into the U.K. Top 15.
(AMG)

from Octopus, available on CD


Latitudes  performed by Ollano  1996
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

This track is delicately built upon a sample from the first opening bars of "The End Of A Love Affair" by Julie London, a song i absolutely love (and was recommended by delicado somewhere else on this site). Further on Ollano add a gentle bossa nova rhythm to the track and light, breezy vocals (in french) by Helena Noguerra. Evokes a feeling of a mild, sunny day at a lovely seaside.

from Ollano, available on CD




  jeanette: Oooo, I've recently come to really admire this. I have it on a not-that-great Bungalow compilation, Atomium 3003; it's kind of hidden somewhere in the middle and I didn't pay much attention to it when I first bought the CD a few years ago. But thanks to the wonders of mp3 shuffle technology it came up on a playlist last week - I thought, "what is this?" - and played it several more times on the trot. Marvellous stuff.
The Moon and the Stars  performed by Mr. Wright  1998
Recommended by secularus [profile]

I was immediately captivated by the tropical beat that begins this 6 minute tune. The track simultaneously induces a melancholic yet inspired feeling. Kevin Wright's delicate voice, like many fine things in life, is an aquired taste. His mournful voice tells of ethereal objects"the moon..the stars..the milky way.."and his longing to be with the one he "holds dear."

from Star Time, available on CD


Tereza and Tomas  performed by Bright Eyes  1998
Recommended by two-headed boy [profile]

'Bright Eyes' O'Connor Oberst is a gifted lyricist and probably the best for his age (19 at record release). With his literary references and unconventional recording, listening to Bright Eyes is quite an experience. In this instance we meet the protagonists of the novel, 'The Unberable Lightness of Being,' and find in their weightlessness the desire to escape. Slow acoustic struming by O'Conner steady his intense vocals and between the chimes and reverberating forte piano we experience a disjointing storm used to great effect. The song has us drifting at sea with a delicate melody until we are at last erased like a skeleton in chalk. Bright Eyes sings - 'Let's sail away disappearing in a mist. Let's sail away with a whisper and a kiss. Or vanish from a road somewhere, like Tereza and Tomas, suspended in this bliss.' We feel his expressive words and sound pass through us, and late in the day we find it echoing softly in our heads. Quite an accomplishment for someone who couldn't drink yet, I look forward to following his career.

from Letting Off the Happiness (Saddle Creek Records lbj - 23)



Sleep The Clock Around  performed by Belle & Sebastian  1998
Recommended by penelope_66 [profile]

Beautiful, uplifting synth-crossed acoustic sound with their typical hint of sinister mood lingering throughout. Streaming trumpet, whirling keyboard and delicate vocals singing of a hit and miss existence. "Take a walk in the park, take a valium pill/Read the letter you got from the memory girl/But it takes more than this to make sense of the day/Yeah it takes more than milk to get rid of the taste." This and "Electronic Renaissance" are my two favorites by this group, and incidentally stand apart in sound from everything else they've created. Do your ears a favor and hear it...


available on CD - The Boy With The Arab Strap (Matador)




  delicado: yeah, great song. 'electronic renaissance' is from 'tiger milk', right? If it's the one I'm thinking of, I'm a big fan as well; I particularly enjoy the way it appropriates the mood of New Order's 'Procession'.
  penelope_66: yes, electronic renaissance is from tiger milk, which is their first album, and best in my opinion. the synth does add a bit of new order quality to it, now that you meantion it. Mmaybe that's why i like it so much...
  two-headed boy: Has to be one of my favorite B&S songs for the simple reason of the bag pipe howl at the end. Incredible arrangers to be sure. "Electronic Renaissance" is a wonderful tune as well, establishes Tiger Milk as their best attempt, a sprawling masterpiece.
  frmars: "Delicate singing" stands here for bad singing and quaveringvoice, "streaming trumpet" for rather cheap synth preset. Melody is rather uninteresting and ultra repetitive. I have often tried Belle & Sebastian. It is a very mediocre band.
  konsu: This coming from a guy (fmars) who thinks Brian Eno can sing.
Groovin� With You  performed by The Gentle People  1999
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

What a great blend of electronica and easy listening this track is. Think of it as a trippy, chillin' "A Summer Place" in outer space with gentle male/female vocals, some french whisperings and sparse, delicate electronica intertwined with the memorable, lush string melody sample of "A Summer Place".

from Simply Faboo, available on CD




  n-jeff: Great track, it made me buy the LP, which was a little disappointing, but the first four or five tracks are great, and for me this song is the opeak of them, and the whole LP.
Unchanging Window  performed by Broadcast  2000
Recommended by tempted [profile]

Broadcast are the perfect retro-futuristic band. They make space age pop like no one else today. Haunting Moogs, fuzzy, reverb-laden guitars and tight bass and drums. Trish Keenan's voice sounds like an understatement with its simple, effortless tone. For lovers of Morricone, United States Of America and Stereolab.

from Noise Made By People, available on CD



Chocolate And Strawberries  performed by The Januaries  2000
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

This song really sounds pretty much like the title would suggest : Warm, lush, sweet and sensual due to the 60s retro-ish, Bacharach-esque style of the tune combined with warm, warbling electronic sounds and with a delicately sounding trumpet solo. Very nice seductive vocal delivery by singer Debbie Diamond on top of that. Yummy !

from The Januaries (Foodchain Records)



Let�s Stay Inside  performed by Ivy  2000
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

Sparsely instrumented, bossa nova-tinged ballad by New York-based Indie-Pop trio Ivy. Very breezy, airy sounding due to a delicate muted trumpet riff and Dominique Durand's charming, accented vocals (reminding me of the even more accented singing Claudine Longet).

from Long Distance, available on CD



Falling From Grace  performed by The Gentle Waves  2000
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

"The Gentle Waves" was the guised solo project of Belle & Sebastian's Isobel Campbell, before she eventually recorded under her own name after leaving the group. This is pure etheral, introverted, delicate indie pop with a strong late 60s feel to it. The track starts with toned down drums, bass and acoustic guitar to complement Isobel Campbells's airy vocals. Later a wonderful harpsicord joins in, together with some violins and cello giving it a flowing, autumnal feel.

from Swansong For You, available on CD



...The Collapse of Detective Dullight  performed by Of Montreal  2001
Recommended by two-headed boy [profile]

'The Events Leading up to the Collapse of Detective Dullight' is not a song but a narrative story, and it’s funny as hell. The off-kilter character voices of the already brilliant stream-of-consciousness plot are cartoonish enough for their own Saturday morning series. When the detectives start their investigation nothing makes sense. There’s Jell-O, serenading butterflies, file cabinets, murder, catacombs, and all the seasonings for a hilarious dream. I am usually brought to tears when Detective Slots reads from his revered exercise in free verse titled ‘The Cause of Gauze’. I will supply you with a sample:
"Oh, the cause of gauze. The Manuels have fondled many memories from my lap though each memory has its own lap and swimmers swim laps. Even swimmers have laps however and while in that condition many require a delicate gauze."
If you hear this without purchasing the actual album, 'Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimisical Verse,' then you are being cheated. The dreams of this band are as colorful as the illustrations they provide us in their album sleeves. The 'Where's Waldo' pictorial representations enrich the listening experience by engaging us in a journey deep into the frying-pan brains of these madmen. In fact, this is a perfect introduction into a very strange world of psychedelicado. Think the Beach Boy's 'Smile.' The reaction of my friends after hearing this have been harmoniously the same, 'they have to be on drugs.' The truth is Of Montreal are not on drugs, they are drugs.

from Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse (Kindercore KC064)


baked a cake  performed by Mick Thomas and the sure thing  2001
Recommended by phil [profile]

This chap Mick Thomas is extremely sentimental, and if you want to get into him, you have to expect to have your heart strings tugged pretty regular. However, if your make up is unashamedly sentimental as mine is, you can really get into this very plain, open and beautiful style of singing.

This one is one of Mick's best - I haven't quite worked out the genders on it (some people think he is singing as a woman in this one) but he certainly takes the place of a rather downtrodden, unconfident person. The chorus is very delicately judged:
I'd have baked a cake
if I knew you were coming
but now that you're here
it's time we did some talking
who'm I trying to kid?
I knew you'd be coming around


The backing is slow, but expressive hawaiian guitars subordinated to the lyrics. Mick's voice itself is incredibly expressive - he's a big old chap, and his voice has a lot of power but also it seems to have the sound of experience behind it. He also has a brilliant range -I've tried to sing this many a time and it's very hard.

from Dust on my shoes, available on CD


Samba de mon coeur qui bat  performed by Coralie Cl�ment  2001
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

Lovely, mellow bossa nova track. Coralie Clement is the sister of Benjamin Biolay, who wrote almost all the songs on the album and produced, arranged and played a variety of instruments on it. There's a timeless quality about this song, certainly due to the fact the arrangement is simply impeccable and delicate and Coralies whispery, rather flat but warm, sensual voice sounds like a cross between Astrud Gilberto, Claudine Longet and Jane Birkin. The whole record is a quite a gem.

from Salle des pas perdus, available on CD



I Will Get On  performed by Annie  2002
Recommended by SleazyListening [profile]

You may remember Annie from her/their housey dancefloor number of a year or two back "The Greatest Hit".

Well, they've come back with this, a sublime downbeat track with a lush-yet-delicate female vocal. Instrumentally, it reminds me of a slower, swinging P-funk number, quite minimal beats but funky as all hell (in a chill kinda way).

Absolutely beautiful -hard to find but worth looking.

Originally a limited-release 7" on Norwegian label Telle, and quickly licensed by UK house label Loaded -it appears on a sampler they released late 2002.


available on CD - (vinyl) (Loaded)


Green Eyes  performed by Coldplay  2002
Recommended by xfanatic50 [profile]

This song is great. It's delicate, and flowing and just beautiful. Chris Martin's voice is so great and perfect on this track. Coldplay at it's best.

from A Rush of Blood to the Head (Capitol)



The Next Step You�ll Take  performed by Club 8  2003
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

Club 8, consisting of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Johan Angergaard and vcalist Karolina Komstedt, started of in the mid 90s with a twee indie pop sound, with jangly guitars (Angergaard being a major Smiths fan) and simple instrumetation. With the release of their self- titled album in 2001 they added some electronica without losing the general tone of their music which is basically well crafted, melodic, gentle, airy, etheral, melancholic indie pop. Karolina Komstedt vocals are quite similar to early Nina Person of The Cardigans or Claudine Longet in their airy, angelic, dreamlike delivery. "The Next Step You'll Take" is a bossa nova influenced track, with gentle acoustic and electric guitars, some percussion and vibraphone. Nothing groundbreaking, but they combine well known elements in such a charming, delicate way i find them hard to resist.

from Strangely Beautiful, available on CD



When The Laughter Is Over  performed by Swing Out Sister  2004
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

Their latest offering "Where Our Love Grows" seems like a brighter, lighter twin of the beautiful 2001 release "Somewhere Deep In The Night", trading in sparkling stars with sunny seashores. "When The Laughter Is Over" conjures up a late 60s melancholic "lost summer" kind of mood. That's obvious since they delicately build the song around a sample taken from Roger Nichols & The Small Circle of Friends' marvelous "I Can See Only You" from 1968.

from Where Our Love Grows, available on CD



Suspended From Class  performed by Camera Obscura  2004
Recommended by autopilot [profile]

Do you like soft rock? Belle & Sebastien? 60's pop?

If you answered yes to the above, this song (and the whole album) is a must listen. Twee vocals, cheeky lyrics, delicate harmonies and the occasional trumpet solo fill out a song about a schoolgirl crush gone wrong.

Quite simply a perfect song for lying in a grassy field watching the sun set.

from Underachievers Please Try Harder, available on CD


Time Out From The World  performed by Goldfrapp  2005
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

Am i the only one disappointed Goldfrapp by now almost completely abandoned their "Felt Mountain"-style and are now solely winding down on the glam-electro route? Anyway, "Time Out From The World" could easily have been on the first album, it sounds like a follow up to "Pilots": Gently flowing, nocturnal in texture, floating through a vast open space with delicate electronica and synths building up to a lush finale with an orchestral armada of strings. Despite the electronics it still has this late-60s-John-Barry feeling all over it.

from Supernature, available on CD




  robert[o]: I doubt you're "only one" who wishes Goldfrapp lingered a tad longer on the slopes of Felt Mountain, but I really feel they made the right choice. "Felt Mountain II - The Sequel" would have been really anticlimactic. The Thin White Duchess, @ his height in the 1970's, had the right impulse - once you've got a trope right; move onwards! A great song tip though, and I would give a shout towards "Let It Take You" likewise. It sounds like John Barry arranging a weird Prince song circa "Purple Rain".
  Mike: You're definitely not the only one, Efti ,and there is one more just here. To me, each successive album has contained fewer magically beautiful tracks than the last, the jump "onwards" into material I find uninteresting being accelerated hugely with the new disc. Robert, the evidence suggests that the choice appears to have been the right one when assessed on the basis of commercial success, but artistically I personally think it a shame they chose to concentrate so much on the "T-Rex with synths material". However I'll return to the new record again in a while and see if it grates less on me...
  eftimihn: Thanks for the song recommendation, Robert. Well, i wouldn't have asked for just another Felt Mountain, but maybe for a slower transition towards their new sound, for keeping that magical feel of such stellar song such as "Pilots" or "Utopia". And "Supernature" feels rather "Black Cherry II" to me, so to me they really haven't moved on from there now either. But i know it's always a topic of debate, the "sticking to their style" vs. "changing/progressing from album to album" thing basically. I mean, did anyone complain The Smiths didn't move on to, say, synth pop? Did anyone complain Kraftwerk using electronics for 30 years? I don't know, i like electronic music a lot, but with Goldfrapp i just feel it's a loss such a gifted arranger like Will Gregory with all the right influences, carrying a Morricone/Barry style into a new contemporary sound, is now so firmly into synths and electronics...
  robert[o]: You have some very valid points - I just don't agree that they apply here. A band/artist need not radically change styles release to release, but I stand by my previous statement when you get it right, move on. "Felt Mountain" got it really, really right. In retrospect, I see the shift for that group as correct move artistically. Likewise, I see "Supernature" not so much as "Black Cherry II", but as the logical fulfillment of the shift that that record, now clearly a transitional LP, suggested. I would also say that "Supernature" is a stronger record than "Black Cherry" on pretty much every front (save perhaps the lack of anything as utterly exquisite "Black Cherry's" title track - which I believe is the group's best song to date.) Now I happen to like the obvious points of reference for "Supernature" - glam rock and electro - as much as I do Italian soundtracks. (All three genres do much the same for me - create their own sonic environments, that play with the contents of my skull.) And if Goldfrapp's next LP is "Supernature II", I will complain loudly - (but I hope/suspect Allison and Will are smarter than that.) And @ the risk of fueling further controversy, many a great band/artist has run a great sound/trope/idea/etc. into the floorboards. (See: The Pixies, The Ramones, The Cocteau Twins, (my beloved) T. Rex and, sadly, The Smiths (post "The Queen is Dead") and Kraftwerk (post "Computer World").) Many of the artists I love best - Bowie, Gainsbourg, Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, Siouxsie, Wire, The Fall, Broadcast - all remake/remodel themselves every so often. Sometimes said exercise fails - but seem, to me, to create a sense of artistic vitality within the work of said bands/artists. (And "Supernature" feels, to me, thick with that very vitality.) Also let's not fall prey to the reverse snobbery that the commercial success of this LP means it is therefore an inferior piece of work artistically. Remember so much of what this forum champions - Bacharach, Nancy and Lee, Serge, Dusty, etc. - was squarely middle of the road pop music. It makes me very, very happy that people are actually hearing/buying sexy, smart, pop music w/more that a little sense of darkness to it, rather than bland, processed, obvious crap that dominates the charts.
The Circus  performed by Take That  2008
Recommended by geezer [profile]

The cornertstone of their spectacular return was the songwriting and this piano led ballad is a fine example .A delicate melody that could easily become a "little old wine drinker me" standard at the hand of future lounge vegas artistes .The hook line and stinger is "everybody loves a circus show but im the only clown youll ever know",OUCH!!.A rare example of pop being allowed to grow up and turn into something more substantial.

from The Circus, available on CD


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