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List songs by Song title | Performer | Year

You searched for ‘fine’, which matched 127 songs.
click - person recommending, year, performer, songtitle - to see more recommendations.
It's A Fine Day  performed by ATB f/ Miss Jane
Recommended by LOWTONES22 [profile]

It's exactly that, A Fine Day. Kinda like theose first days of Spring, people finally leave their houses and shake out the Winter Blues. Great to hear at a club and dance to. The epitome of house breaks.





Mrs. Bluebird  performed by Eternity’s Children
Recommended by jscarbo4 [profile]

Along with same of their other recordings, this one personifies the era. Some like to define those years with acid rock, but the softer sounds are the ones we remember. I was a radio jock in Biloxi and drummer Roy Whitaker even record jocked for me at WLOX between gigs. I would love to contact some of these guys again.





  jumphigher: i pat gill's only daughter kristie who r u my dad wants to know
  jumphigher: /Users/janetgill/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Modified/2006/Roll 12/daddy slide:me.jpg this is me and my dad when i was like 2
White Rabbitt  performed by Jefferson Airplane
Recommended by inbloom44 [profile]

The Pyschedelic Movement at it's finest.Grace Slicks voice is priceless.





  malpt: I love that song. Though, just listening to it makes me feel like I smoked a little with the caterpillar.
  inbloom44: Very good point!
The Stumble  performed by Freddie King
Recommended by dwmjuk [profile]

Classic blues-progression, considered one of the first and finest Blues-rock intrumentals. Please ingore the indulgent Gary Moore version.




Travelling Riverside Blues  performed by Led Zeppelin
Recommended by dwmjuk [profile]

Finest cover of a Delta-blues track by heavy blues band. Pounding and relentless, and retains a semblance of delta-mississippi feel.

Find the original too! The lyrics are very interesting.

from BBC Sessions ONLY


Dying Crapshooter’s Blues  performed by Blind Willie McTell
Recommended by dwmjuk [profile]

Early urban blues from the master of all that is politically incorrect (listen to his lyrics on most tracks regarding women). Recorded as a tribute to a friend, full recording has a 3 minute rant by Blind Willie recounting the story of writing this, andsinging it at a friend's funeral. The finest early urban blues track - playful chord progression and a perfectly sophisticated urban take on his normal country blues output. Sharp lyrics are a joy to listen to.




Easter Parade  performed by The Faith Brothers
Recommended by tonyharte [profile]

During the early days of 1982, I was as a 'wet behind the ears' 19 year old suddenly sent to a faraway war in the (previously unheard of) Falkland Islands. This deeply haunting, passionate and heart-rendering track by the much missed Faith Brothers, encapsulates much of the mood, confusion, passion, patriotic pride and dark bitter reality of that horrific time. Now no longer naive at 42, my mind still screams and my heart still aches ... as I listen .. and remember.

Along with 'And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda' (Eric Bogle, The Pogues et al), I believe 'Easter Parade' to be the finest song ever written about the utter desperation of war ... and life after the tea and medals have been dished out.

Would love to know if any Faith Brothers music is available on CD. (Tapes worn out and faded in the sun - a bit like me!). Can anyone help?

from Eventide



  Mr Greedy: I have some Faith Brothers tracks on MP3 format (Easter Parade, Fulham Court, A Stranger On Homeground, Eventide). How can I get them to you? Mr G.
  tonyharte: Many thanks - your not so Greedy at all! However, since my original post, the very kind Faith Bros frontman Billy Franks has sorted me out with a CD. He's a top lad - check out his solo stuff too. Regards and keep on keeping on! TonyH
  watford7: How can I get my hands on a DVD copy of Eventide? Does anyone have In The Country of the Blind on CD? Recommendation: Welcome To Comboland (collection of great songs from Raleigh/Greensboro/Athens area of US, some genius songs. Watford7
  TDQ: LOVED the Faith Brothers, saw them in Dublin many years ago with the Alarm and was bowled over. AM DESPERATE to get MP3s or CD`s of any of their work, happy to pay too. So if anyone can help, please please mail me on [email protected] Oh and Fulham Court was wasted as a Bside, my fave FB track, would love to hear it again... sniff sniff... Have vinyls but no way of playing them! Glenn
  tonyharte: TDQ - I went to billyfranks.com and then emailed him directly. He was happy to send CDs. I responded with a donation, but really, he does it out of kindness. Dead right about Fulham Court!
  eddie: I am dying to get hold of the album, eventide I think its called, the one with the burning broken statue on the front. My dad used to play this album all the time when I was his little tom boy! Wanted to get it for Fathers Day. Know he would be really surprised!! Does anyone have it on CD/MP3? Have checked out ebay and amazon to no avail :(
  eddie: Hoorah!!!! I went to billyfranks.com and downloaded it!! Brilliant!!!! :)
  tonyharte: Well done young Eddie! Your dad is clearly a man of good taste. You've make me feel mighty old now though. T'Internet is a wonderful thing ... sometimes.
  eddie: Indeed! We danced to it for hours when i was a little girl back in the 80's, and the look on his face was priceless when i started playing it! Brilliant again!!!! :)
Oasis  performed by Wonderwall
Recommended by xicanti [profile]

Fine. I like it because it's mournful and I find the lyrics intriguing. Every time I listen to it, I come up with a different theory on what it might mean. It interests me.

And why NOT recommend it if I like it? If you don't, then fine, but I'll thank you not to jump down my throat because I do.





  djfreshmoney: How about filling in the rest of the info, including the reasons you're recommending the song! Tell me why you think this band and the song are good! Without that, your recommendation isn't really worth anything.
  Undercover_Owl: I also love Wonderwall by Oasis! (Does anybody really need explanation......unless they haven't heard this song before.....please!) This isn't my ultimate favorite song, but it's a notably good one, IMO. It's tough to describe. DJFRESHMONEY: can you describe this song for us?
  whoops: ok, i'll try to describe it for you two, Oasis addicts : Totally bombastic song, that set me in the mood to reconsider the quality of the Robyn Hitchcock bad lp's i still have in my collection everytime i hear it (thanks god it's not so often nowadays), at least Robyn Hitchcock knows how to craft a delicate pop song using only three chords. To answer your question Undercover_Owl, yes sometimes an explanation is necessary since we can't read in your head, neither in your heart...and no, everyone who have heard this song doesn't necessarily love it.
  snafkin: I'm not jumping down anyones throat! Wonderwall is a great song but everybody knows it already - how about an Oasis b side that people might have missed! Don't be so touchy! ;-)
  karitopv5: ok... now... hello to everybody... god... i'm new in these... so... someone can explain me the real meaning of wonderwall or just... explain it... god, every time i hear it i love it more... but i find 2 sences to the song and i don't know wich is the one that is correct... SOMEBODY help me PLEASE!... ok... that's all thank you xoxox
  n-jeff: Ialways thought it was a song about Cocaine. But I may be wrong.
BTW Paul Anka's version is great! Just what we need in these troubled times.

  konsu: "Wonderwall" is an english film from 1968 that may have inspired this song. It has a soundtrack by 3rd Beatle George Harrison thats actually quite gorgeous. It also has Jane Birkin playing a pregnant model who attempts suicide... sound like a song?
It’s Over  performed by Bad Finger
Recommended by TippyCanoe [profile]

another fine song about touring. out of this world harmonies.

from Straight Up (Apple SW-3387)


somliga g�r med trasiga skor  performed by cornelis vreeswijk
Recommended by olli [profile]

it's about time i recommended some vreeswijk. after all he's one of my very favourite artsts, and pretty obscure outside scandinavia. it's hard to decide wich song to post, as i guess you'd have to be scandinavian to enjoy the masterful, deceptivly simple lyrics. the best way to describe the man is as kind of a swedish crossbred of serge gainsbourg, tom waits and bob dylan.
this is one of his best-known songs, a qusasi-joyous melancholy number about death and hopelessness.
i once heard someone say something that summed up the power of this guy pretty well: "I don�t understand swedish, however I do understand Cornelis Vreeswijk"


the best place to start if you're interested n an initial taste, is probably the new 2-cd set. if you're like me, youll soon advance to the original lp's and the 5-cd set "master cees memoarer".

lyrics:
Somliga g�r med trasiga skor, s�g vad beror det p�?
Gud fader som i himmelen bor kanske vill ha det s�.
Gud fader som i himmelen bor blundar och sover s�tt. Vem bryr sig om ett par trasiga skor n�r man �r gammal och tr�tt?
Vem bryr sig om hur dagarna g�r? Dom vandrar som dom vill.
Medborgare, om ett hundra �r finns du ej l�ngre till.
D� har n�n annan tagit din stol, det vet du inte av.
Du k�nner varken regn eller sol ner i din m�rka grav.
Vem bryr sig om hur n�tterna far? Jag bryr mig inte ett sp�r. Bara jag f�r ha mitt ansikte kvar dolt i min �lsklings h�r.
Jag �r en tvivelaktig figur, duger ej mycket till. Bakom ett h�rn st�r d�den p� lur, han tar mig n�r han vill.
Somliga g�r med trasiga skor tills dom har slutat g�. Dj�vulen som i helvetet bor f�r sig ett gott skratt d�
a very, very bad and rushed translation of the lyrics,most of the humor and finer points are lost but at least you'll know what's it about:

some walk around in bad shoes, say, why is is it so?
maybe the good lord up in the sky wants it that way.
the good lord up in the sky sleeps calmly now.
who cares about a pair of bad shoes when they are old and tired?
who cares how the days pass? they go the way the want.
fellow citizen, in a hundred years you will no longer exist.
someone else will have taken your chair, but you won't know about that.
you'll feel neither rain nor sun, down in your dark grave.
who cares how the nights pass? i don't care at all.
as long as i get to keep my my face tucked in my love's hair.
i'm a questionable character, not good for much.
behind a corner death lurks, he'll take me whenever he wants.
some walk around in bad shoes/ until hey walk no more
the devil, who lives down in the hell/ will have a good laugh then.






  daniel: Hello, I don�t like your translation of "somliga g�r med trasiga skor", You have changed alot in the lyrics, If you like the song you should work on it and translate it corectly. Daniel
Girl on the moon  performed by John Southworth
Recommended by moondog [profile]

If Burt Bacharach would produce a hawain cabaret/ukulele band under the supervision of David Lynch with songs written by aliens and Paul Mcartney they could come close to the music of John Southworth. Confused ? well, but canadian popster Southworth defies description. And it´s not just orginality for orginalitys sake. Southworth is just as interested in crafting a fine melody. Maybe his whiny voice is offputting for some but i find it all the more charming. Girl on the moon is taken from his marvelous debut album (which he sadly hasn´t topped yet although the new Yosemite comes close) Mars, pennsylvania and i believe you can find it for just 1 dollar on amazon. So, what are you waiting for ?


available on CD - Mars, Pennsylvania (Bar/none)


Out on the rebound for love  performed by Gangway
Recommended by moondog [profile]

Danish pop anyone ? Not that i am an expert in the genre but danish group Gangway made some fine records in the eighties in the aztec camera, prefab sprout vein. Especially this fine track with acoustic guitars that attack you like swarming bees and just the right amount of romantic longing that is the trademark of the genre.




Parabens  performed by Marcos Valle
Recommended by moondog [profile]

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

from contrasts (far out)


This year  performed by Mountain goats
Recommended by moondog [profile]

When you´ve overdosed on soft pop and brazilian reissues of the sixties, well, you need something else. So, how about an alt-country concept record, sort of, on child abuse ? Now, don´t runaway because Mountain Goats singer/songwriter John Darnielle is in my opionon the antidote of all the other, look at me how authentic i am singer/songwriters, that have seem to have regular subscriptions in mojos review department. There is a sense of urgency in darnielles songs that he writes songs because he has to. Taken from a fine album overall,The sunset tree, "This year" is the stand out track with a chorus to seek comfort from in the darkest of times; "i am gonna make it through this year if it kills me".

from The sunset tree (4ad)


Dirty Harry  performed by Gorillaz
Recommended by sungoddess [profile]

It took me a long, long while to �get� Gorillaz. Oh come on, who didn�t like �Clint Eastwood�? I dunno, having sunshine in a bag is a nice lyric to repeat when people are pissing you and your shit off� yet, �Clint Eastwood� didn�t make me a fan.

No, in fact, no Gorillaz track did more to bring me into the fold than �Dirty Harry�, with its amazing keyboards, bassline and children�s chorale�

It�s just been a while since I�ve come across pop music that was so far off the beaten track, that it redefines what is �mainstream�. This is always fun for music lovers, but once again goes to prove that noone with taste thinks the cookie cutter approach to popular music is the right way.

Well I�m a Gorillaz fan now, maybe three or four years late, but I�m a fan for sure. �Demon Days� has quickly jumped up to �Heavy Rotation� status in my last.fm and musicmobs profiles in a heart beat.

It�s weird, because someone brought a pre-release copy of �Demon Days� for me way back in April, but I listened to it a few times and then ignored it, forgot it for the most part (if you ignore the iconic billboards and posters everywhere across London). I�m famous for that though, I tend to err on the side of not believing the hype, a la Public Enemy.

It was only about three or four weeks ago, after my flatmate�s accidental stop on the �Dirty Harry� video one night, while I was in another room working.

Said keyboards, bass line and chorale, made me stop what I was doing, get up and go into the living room, calling incredulously as I went, �What are you listening to?�

That my friends, is all Big Mami wrote on the matter�

from Demon Days


Lifesize  performed by A Fine Frenzy
Recommended by Chillax07 [profile]

Female vocals, song about how love changes people. It was in the season finale of How I Met Your Mother.




Dying Is Fine  performed by Ra Ra Riot
Recommended by lhirsch92 [profile]




Requiem Mass  performed by Amadeus Wolfgang Mozart  1791
Recommended by kaptnunderpnts [profile]

this music is absolutely haunting. it is powerful and heavy, yet has moments of absolute finesse.




Jesus Wash Away My Troubles  performed by Sam Cooke & The Soul Stirrers  1956
Recommended by antarctica [profile]

Pure gospel as only Sam Cooke can achieve. His soulful vocalization carries this song into heavy spiritual and emotional territory. Its beauty cannot be fairly defined.





All Blues  performed by Miles Davis  1959
Recommended by peek [profile]

A slow modal jazz blues from the record that defined modal jazz.
Miles - Trumpet
Julian "Cannonball" Adderly - Alto Sax
John Coltrane - Tenor Sax
Bill Evans - Piano
Paul Chambers - Bass
Jimmy Cobb - Drums
Like allways with Miles all musicians are outstanding. The modal form - in short very few chords and more based on notes in scales - whas new and fresh so the musicians had to be very creative and innovative. And They Succeded in making some of the best music ever created.

from Kind of Blue (Colombia CL 1355)
available on CD - CK 64935 (Colombia/Legacy)


Ma Premiere Cigarette  performed by Gillian Hills  1960
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

Don't let Wind Of Change by The Scorpians put you off. The use of whistling in a song is usually A Very Good Thing, and here to prove it comes Gillian Hills.

Hills was the titular Beat Girl in the 1960 John Barry-scored film, and never has anyone managed to look so moody on screen for so long. Ma Premiere Cigarette, a fake-eyelash batting number if ever there was one, is from her short period as a ye-ye girl, when she produced some of the very best songs in a fine genre.

The storyline to this one is bizarre. Gillian likes this guy Jimmy, who smokes; she wants to impress him so she has her first cigarette, smoked with various degrees of success; her eyes start to water and she can't work out whether it's the emotion of the occasion or the smoke irritating her peepers... There are little puffs and exhalation sounds throughout the song. It all makes for a wonderful listening experience.

from Ma Premiere Cigarette EP (Barclay 70352)
available on CD - Twistin' The Rock Vol 9: Vue Integrale (Barclay)



Female of the Species  performed by Meg Myles  1961
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

I can just imagine people sitting in a seedy New York movie theatre on 42nd Street back in 1961 watching a b-movie called "Satan in High Heels". The film is in its last reel and suddenly the main female character comes out on the nightclub stage wearing a leather outfit complete with 6-inch dominitrix boots and a riding crop! The music swells and she starts to sing:
---
i'm the kind of woman, not hard to understand,
i'm the one who cracks the whip and holds the upper hand
I'll beat you, mistreat you, til you quiver and quail,
the female of the species is more deadly than the male.
---
This little film isn't likely to have ever had a soundtrack album which in a way is sad because in addition to this camply little gem there are a couple of other cute vocals by Meg Myles and the other actresses in the film and some great jazz instrumentals sprinkled throughout as well. The fine folks at Something Weird Video have kindly put this little film out on DVD. You can also catch the scene containing this song on their compilation of movie trailers (where I first discovered this film) released to inform people of their DVD catalog.

from from the film "Satan in High Heels" (Something Weird Video www.somethingweird.com)


I Want To Be Around  performed by Blossom Dearie  1963
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

Blossom manages to play the piano while filing her fingernails into sharp claws on this track. She assures her departing Romeo that he is going to get his come-uppance in the love department and justice will provide her with a "front row seat" to enjoy watching him squirm!
This wonderful album was originally recorded for the Hires Root Beer Company (!) while she was singing on their commercials, and was available for 50 cents and two bottle caps. Now, a copy can cost you around $150-$200. Luckily, the fine people at Disk Union in Japan have gotten a hold of a mint copy of the original LP and released it to Cd.

from The Most Rootin' Tootin' Songs of 1963, available on CD


It’s For You  performed by Cilla Black  1964
Recommended by Doctor Mod [profile]

I'm no Cilla fan. While I've enjoyed many of her recordings, she was no match as an artist for such contemporaries as Dusty Springfield, Dionne Warwick, Lulu, or even Pet Clark, Sandie Shaw, and Jackie DeShannon, all who did very similar material. Still, Cilla had one advantage the others didn't, Lennon-McCartney tunes written with her in mind. I think the Beatles, who knew her well, understood her vocal limitations and provided songs that would show her to best advantage.
"It's For You" is certainly one of the finest recordings she ever made. Its jazzy arrangement, the edgy key changes, and the tempo shifts are as sophisticated as they were unique in 1960s Britpop. The music contributes to a sense of intrigue to the clever, ironic lyrics that pretend to dismiss love only to give it. Cilla rises to the occasion, giving what might well be her best performance ever--stunning!




Stop  performed by Julie Grant  1965
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

A powerful, emotional, sophisticated song, the kind that Brit-girl Julie does the best. Without resorting to mawkish affectation, the sheer hush and force of her voice can make tears well up. This was her final single for the Pye label, and a fitting tribute to one of the most consistantly good careers of all the 60's UK female singers.

from the single Stop (Pye 7N.15884)
available on CD - Count On Me! (RPM)



The Witch  performed by The Sonics  1965
Recommended by dsalmones [profile]

"The Witch" was the Sonics' debut single, released on Etiquette, the Tacoma, WA-based label owned and operated by local hero Buck Ormsby, member of garage rock pioneers the Wailers, who are known for unearthing the obscure R&B song "Louie, Louie." Reworking the tunes of Little Richard and Bo Diddley, the Sonics worked the local teen-hop circuit as a rock & roll cover band until eventually coming up with some original material with "The Witch" and what would become the flip side to the single, "Psycho." After revamping the lineup, taking on various members of the Searchers, Gerry Roslie commandeered the vocal duties with a bracing blues shouter style that would become the group's trademark. "The Witch," roughly recorded in mono, is a brooding rocker based around a revved-up blues progression with quivering guitar and a basic sax line holding down a simple riff, drums kicking away in the background. Roslie belts his cautionary tale, sagely advising all to steer clear of "evil chicks," with vocal-chord-shredding wails: "So you know the little girl/Who's new in town/Well you better watch out now/Or she'll put you down/'Cause she's an evil chick/Say, she's the witch, oww!" The band barrels on, lacking any semblance of finesse, stomping into a tempo shift and doubling the speed as Roslie howls, "Well she walks around/Late at night/Most other people sleepin' tight/If you hear her knockin' on your door/You better say get away/Wha whoo!" Guitarist Andy Parypa lets loose a note-stumbling guitar solo in a style similar to Dave Davies of the the Kinks. "The Witch" would become a regional hit, receiving extensive airplay on the powerful Seattle AM station KJR, but the Sonics would never break nationally, most of the country not yet ready for the extremely aggressive attach of the group's rough-and-tumble music.
(AMG)

from Here Are the Sonics (Norton 000903)
available on CD - Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era 1965-1968 (Rhino)



  blackthorne80: I like this!
Can Your Monkey do the Dog?  performed by The Tee-Set  1966
Recommended by tinks [profile]

Dutch R&Bsters lay down their finest Spencer Davis Group imitation on this Rufus Thomas classic. From their '66 LP "Emotion", which also features the Nederbeat classic "Don't You Leave".

from Emotion, available on CD




  umbrellasfollowrain: I'm really interested in tracking this down. I badly want it for a friend's birthday mix cd. Do you know of anywhere that I could download the complete song online? Say you did then oh wow, would that ever be cool.
Fried Neck Bones and Home Fries  performed by Willie Bobo  1966
Recommended by tinks [profile]

Latin soul at it's finest!! Willie and his boys lock themselves into a serious groove on this cut. Also available on the highly-recommended Rhino compilation "Sabroso! The Afro-Latin Groove".

from Uno, Dos, Tres (Verve)
available on CD - Uno, Dos, Tres/Spanish Grease (Verve)



Nie Zadziera Nosa  performed by Czerwone Gitary  1966
Recommended by Aquatown [profile]

Rummaging through used music stores had been a long time hobby. You never know what you'll stumble across. I picked up this Czerwone Gitary 25 track CD in Winnipeg for just 2 Canadian dollars. It's a little spotty in parts (especially in the 70s recordings) but it has plenty of fine beat group sounds from the 60s as well. This track finds them sounding most Liverpudlian with plenty of "sha-la-la"s thrown in for good measure.


available on CD - The Best Of Czerwone Gitary (Polskie Nagrania)




  Malgorzata: What you can know about Poland, huh? About Polish music, movies, traditions? I'm from Poland, I was born there and I'm proud. So, I think tahat maybe you should check what you are putting on website.
  Monapp: Gośka ale on nie napisał nic specjalnie obrażającego.
Veleiro  performed by Elis Regina  1966
Recommended by Mr Steal [profile]

What a range of emotion and mood she packs into this song. The fact that I don't speak any Portuguese just doesn't matter. The arrangement, too, is stunning, and combines with Elis's voice to create several heart-stopping moments in under 3 minutes � and there's one sublime crescendo where she sings a low, ascending scale that defines why I love music.

from Elis (Philips P765.001P)



who needs forever  performed by astrud gilberto  1966
Recommended by coffman [profile]

This exceptionally haunting and lyrical song by Quincy Jones has received its definitive interpretion by Astrud Gilberto with arrangement and accompaniment by the Brazilian organist Walter Wanderley. The melancholy urgency of the piece resonates well with the dark/sad tonality that pervades so much of Bossa Nova music, though its character is also reminiscent of certain otherwise very different pieces from the bebop era, which had a formative influence on Quincy Jones' music. There is definitely the remote influence of Charlie Parker and especially Dizzy Gillespie. It's truly a completely unique piece. The drifting melody which seems to skirt over the chord changes has a beautiful inevitability. Only a very gifted and skilled musician could have contrived such a beautiful work. So Quincy Jones deserves especial credit for crafting this song from the film "The Deadly Affair."

Astrud's delivery, so typically limpid and restrained, only serves to heighten the intensity of this darkly passionate song. The subtle but somehow fierce organ playing of Walter Wanderley acheives a sizzling romanticism that perfectly complements the reading of Astrud's apparently detached fatalism.

In my opinion, this track is a true musical masterpiece. Its remarkable economy of means is a testament to the skill of the composer as well as the artistry of the performers. In fact, it's a nearly perfect combination of expressive means and poetic intent. The beautiful resolution, with Astrud's perfect striking of the high B-flat over the half-diminished F-minor seventh, is a moment of sublime dramatic intensity, though profoundly understated, as is typical of her finest artistic moments. One is reminded of Miles Davis. Her poetic skill is rooted in subtlety.

I have listened to this extraordinary track hundreds of times, and always experienced chills rising up on the back of my neck. How amazing that this incredible musical gem was omitted from the original album A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness. Perhaps it was too intense, too heavy; whatever the case, it's a truly remarkable piece of music.

I'm truly grateful to have discovered this great albeit minor musical masterpiece. There's really nothing else quite like it! The sizzling but subtle sensitivity of the rhythm section (Claudio Slon on drums, possibly Joao Gilberto on guitar and Jose Marino on bass) adds an intensity to the piece which helps project the almost existential tone of the song.

I'm really swept away by this obscure and neglected work, which attains -- for me at least -- to a peak of poetic intensity really rare in music. As is usual with Astrud at her best, it accomplishes its artistic ends with what seems like the most minimal of means. But subtlety is always the avenue to the most profound of artistic experiences. I think this is a remarkable example -- one of the greatest -- of the wedding of popular music and high art. It is a truly perfect performance. In my opinion, its greatness increases rather than diminshes with repeated listenings. There is only one word for that -- it's magic!

from A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness, available on CD



  rio: you must pick-up the quincy jones soundtrack (released with the score to "the pawnbroker") with astrud singing "who needs forever". The lush quincy jones score is hauntingly beautiful, and astrud never sounded better. This version is the real deal for me..
  rferus: Amazing guitar on this piece.
Twilight Zone  performed by The Spiders  1966
Recommended by delicado [profile]

For many years I've continued my life under the misapprehension that one version of the Twilight Theme (in my case, the original Marty Manning version) would do me just fine. But this tremendous Japanese group sounds version is unmissable. Lots of random sound effects with a heavy influence from The Ventures in Space. It kicks off at 1:08 where the drums stop and the sound effects just take over. Lots of random twanging and watery bits. Really cool sounding. Then at 1:40 the drums come in hard and funky. There are a few more little breakdowns and it ends in total chaos leaving you feeling the aliens definitely are coming!

Basically it's a very well executed recording.


available on CD - GS Box Set


Can't wait too long  performed by The Beach Boys  1967
Recommended by delicado [profile]

A superb, achingly beautiful song which, to my knowledge, never appeared on a Beach Boys album, and was merely a studio outtake. The track opens with an incredible dense wall of harmonized vocals, and emotive lyrics ("I miss you darlin, I miss you so hard"). Later, the rhythm changes, and it becomes (to my taste) slightly cheesily rocky, but not so much as to ruin the song, which still rates as one of the Beach Boys' finest.


available on CD - Smiley Smile/Wild Honey (EMI/Capitol)




  catfish: also check the different version on the box set. fantastic tune, and recorded after smile was shelved - proof that brian's genius endure a sea of troubles...
Herbert's Song  performed by Krzysztof Komeda  1967
Recommended by bobbyspacetroup [profile]

There are many memorable cuts on this soundtrack, and I essentially picked this because it's the longest. Anyway, Komeda's score is perfect for the film -- humorous maybe but definetly very, very creepy.





Roda  performed by Gilberto Gil  1967
Recommended by PappaWheelie [profile]

Post Bossa-Nova, Pre-Tropicalia, Brasilian Samba at it's finest!

from Louva��o (PHILLIPS)
available on CD - Canta Brasil: Great Brazilian Songbook, # 1 (Verve)



"a carol for lorelei"  performed by the cryan’ shames  1967
Recommended by association [profile]

scratch in the sky is the name of the cryan' shames
album that came out in 1967 from these chicago soft/sunshine pop masters whom also added an amazing dash of psyche to all there recordings...
"a carol for lorelei" starts the album off with bells and association(ish) harmonies!! brilliant
ignore what allmusic.com said about this album they are fools the song writing is up to par with the beach boys and others.
if you dig the Association and The Millennium and other fine sunshine pop groups with that mellow groove get it now. the japanese import is worth the extra for the original back cover art work that the sundazed version didn't recreate faithfully. i love 'em

from scratch in the sky (columbia 2786)
available on CD - yes (sundazed or even better the japanese import)


Listen To Me  performed by Luiz Henrique w / Sivuca  1967
Recommended by pleasepleaseme [profile]

Very nice lyric & Henrique has a fine voice & nice guitar style. But the real standout is Sivuca on accordian & scat vocal on this song & the whole album. One of my favorite jazz scat records. The other being Guilherme Vergueiro's "Naturalmente" lp from 1978.

from Barra Limpa, available on CD



Make The Madness Stop  performed by Free Design  1967
Recommended by charlesives [profile]

Masterpiece! This record, a legend amongst those who know it, with its fine writing, arranging and singing clearly deserves its place in the Pantheon of great pop. It may have failed commercially in its time but the beauty of their pop puts it amongst the best of our times and explains why 37 years after its creation it remains exquisitely artful to our ears. I could write 100,000 words scratching at what I love about this group and their first 4 records, and this song alone.But, the Free Design deserve, rather than my dull hyperbole, a good listen. Rousing and sublime, almost TOO GOOD to have been a big hit. If you read a bit about them you realize that these singing siblings made some naive career choices that favored music over money. Our gain.
Some bonehead on this site claimed The Free Design sound like Stereolab. That writer got it butt backwards. Sadly, Stereolab doesn't have the skill to really reach the musical and spiritual depth of the Free Design. Stereolab's OK, don't get me wrong, but they are often a pale imitation of a much richer source. Letitia from Stereolab cites The Free Design as one of her all-time favorite bands, so at least they have sublime taste and honesty when it comes to revealing their sources.

Guaranteed to lift you up way high.
Buy or download NOW!!!

Fave part: "Wish that I were corny....:

from Kites Are Fun, available on CD



  konsu: No, you have it backwards, because your emotions get in the way. Understandable though, with this group, and particularly this song (which is one of my all-time faves). It "blows your mind but not completely..." is what I like to say. Stereolab have always worn their influences on their sleeves, from the Beach Boys to Can. And it seems like I should explain by saying that they are a gateway group for so many young people to discover older pop, but shallow as some are, they only like the FD songs that sound like more contemporary artists. Not that it's a super bad thing, just a little dissapointing, considering the depth and beauty of this groups entire body of work... Dig? Love, Bonehead.
Paper Castle  performed by Rotary Connection  1968
Recommended by tinks [profile]

The Temptations may be first in your mind when you think of psychedelic soul, but this group, featuring former Turnkeys leader Maurice Dollison and the woman we can blame for "Lovin' You", Minnie Riperton, defined it with this single scorching, fuzzy, crunchy, swirling, doped-up masterpiece. Long-time Chess arranger Charles Stepney milks the string section for all it's worth.

from Aladdin (Cadet Concept)
available on CD - Aladdin/Dinner Music (Raven)




  Liv: A strange hybrid of styles.. Psychedelic soul?
  tinks: yeah, and it wasn't even the strangest...there was an off-shoot that i'll hereby dub "native soul", which was a blend of psychedelic soul, with it's fuzz guitars and such, and native american drums. the sound is best exemplified by the instrumental group the electric indian, who were from philadelphia (and featured len barry of "1-2-3" fame") and had a moderate-sized hit with "keem-o-sabe". they recorded a couple of lps in the idiom, while all other examples i've heard have been one-off attempts. there's also good stuff out there by a group called the little big horns and a song called "warpath" by the isley brothers which is an all-out masterpiece.
  Swinging London: Thought I didn't like The Rotary connection. Hearing that, I've changed my mind. It's outa-sight!
Eleanor Rigby  performed by Tony Bennett  1968
Recommended by tinks [profile]

What can be said about this? Long before Tony was on MTV Unplugged, he tried this misguided attempt to 'get hip with the kids'. Funny thing is, I love it. He doesn't sing this so much as emote it. It's reminiscent of some of Shatner's finer moments. I should also note that the album is worth seeking out for the uber-psychedelic cover art alone.

from Tony Bennett Sings the Great Hits of Today (Columbia)



Love so fine  performed by Roger Nichols and the Small Circle of Friends  1968
Recommended by delicado [profile]

It's hard not to smile when you hear this lovely, rousing late 60s number. Roger Nichols is the composer (along with Paul Williams) of many late 60s and 70s hits for, amongst others, The Carpenters. He wrote this song with 'Pet Sounds' lyricist Tony Asher, and they created a beautiful combination of sunny soft pop sounds (handclaps, brass, group harmonies) and pleasing, happy words. Musically, it is superior and extra-catchy, with nice Bacharach-esque touches and great instrumentation. The lead vocal also deserves a mention for sounding almost supernaturally brilliant (far better than it sounds in the sound sample). The singer is Melinda Macleod; her voice is lovely anyway, but here it sounds as if 3 perfect takes have been somehow overlaid on top of each other to produce an incredibly rich, soothing effect. It's over quickly - in just over two minutes. At which point I normally listen to it again a few times.

from Roger Nichols and the Small Circle of Friends (A&M)
available on CD - Complete (Polydor Japan)




  PappaWheelie: I couldn't agree more. This is the epitome of what Pizzicato Five were trying to recreate in the early 90's.
  klatu: I didn't realize someone had picked this one already! I spelled it "&" instead of "and". Excellent choice!
I Think It’s Going To Rain Today  performed by Dusty Springfield  1968
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

The lady may have left the stage, but her spirit lives on in her recordings, and this is among her finest!! Sadly unreleased in the US for 28 years, this gloriously somber song was included in the 1995 anthology box set. Dusty sings with a sadness in her voice as she vocally paints a picture of a dreary day. While the overcast sky fails to crush her spirit, it does provide an opportunity for introspection and reflection. She is accompanied only by piano and orchestral strings which give this song a beautifully sad sound that make it perfect for playing on a rainy day.

from the Dusty Springfield Anthology, available on CD




  delicado: I must say, this is a quite brilliant recording; thanks for mentioning it! I heard the original Randy Newman version the other day, but to me, neither the arrangement or vocal performance were a patch on Dusty. Not that I'm biased or anything!
The Happiest Day Of My Life  performed by Queen Anne’s Lace  1968
Recommended by gregcaz [profile]

Soft-rock magic. This song is breathy, light, and perversely sad-sounding. Maybe wistful is the word. The album is in the finest Free Design-sounding tradition, including covers of Beatles, Bacharach, Paul Simon, "Sally Go Round The Roses," and such top-shelf originals as this. Truly splendid.

from Queen Anne's Lace (Coral CRL 757509)



Love so fine  performed by Roger Nichols and the Small Circle of Friends  1968
Recommended by klatu [profile]

The pinnacle of soft pop! And I can't imagine it not being followed up by "kinda wasted without you"! Twin peaks! Vinyl buffs are at a disadvantage there, you have to get up quickly for the side change to experience the epiphany, and deal with the "pops-and-crackles" chiaschuro instead of "sterile" atomic clock mastering. Also included, my favorite version of the Lovin' Spoonful's "Cocoanut Grove", even better than the one by David Lee Roth! Well, I probably lost a few of you on that one. Roger Nichols went on to later fame and fortune as Paul Williams' songwriting partner on several smash singles, mostly by the wrongly-maligned Carpenters. After that, engineering on all of the Steely Dan albums. Not too many superstar engineers, but on those albums, it was notable. Fagen'n'Becker dubbed him Roger "the Immortal" Nichols on some liner notes. Now he has a byline in some stereo mag, or so I am told.

from Roger Nichols and the Small Circle of Friends, available on CD



  gregcaz: Roger Nichols/pop genius and Roger Nichols/Steely Dan engineer are actually two different people. When Steely Dan toured Japan, people kept asking him to sign their "Small Circle" CDs! So funny!
  klatu: How embarrassing to be the spreader of internet misinformation! I've heard that from several places. It seemed so plausible, with the Ted Templeman Harper's Bizarre/Van Halen connection. Or is that two Ted Templemans? Thanks for the correction. So it's probably the Steely Dan guy who writes the article? I'll have to check that out.
Only a Fool  performed by Clyde Mcphatter  1968
Recommended by geezer [profile]

An attempt to bring a former soul legend up to date at least in 1968,a beautiful soulful ballad composed by Apple man Jackie Lomax and put out by brit psych label Deram .as it happened it sank without trace audible only to collectors of rare soul and sixties pop compilations which is a shame because this is a fine song tinged with a sense of audible regret and sadness that proliferated many a late sixties chart hit of inferior quality

from Best of


New Song  performed by Judy Mackenzie  1969
Recommended by Ashley [profile]

God-bothereing at its finest. Judy Mackenzie was a late 60s folkie with a Christian perspective who was ushered into the studio in 1969 courtesy of tiny label Key. The album isn't that great, but this uplifting brass-heavy pop tune and the the iredeemably sad strum-along Sally Brown are simply divine. Both can be found on the excellent Resurrcetion CD.

from Judy (Key)
available on CD - Resurrection (Second Coming)


Do You Know The Way To San Jose?  performed by Bossa Rio  1969
Recommended by konsu [profile]

WOW! We all know how much the brazillians love Burt, well, this is a fine example of how well he was interpreted by the south.



They keep the original arrangement but spice it up a bit with snappy side-stick beat and pumped-up organ stabs ala' Wanderley.The singers are (I believe) Gracinha Leporace & Pery Ribeiro,and they harmonize beautifully as Manfredo Fest rythmically taps his organ paired with piano in a sumptuous unison.They carry the song along in gradually ascending stages of bliss,until they drop away only to build "Do-you -know-the-ways"in an rounded refrain to finsh it off...Absolutely gorgeous! Produced by Sergio Mendes in his imitable style!!!Also check out their version of "Up, Up, And Away", from the same LP.

from Bossa Rio, available on CD



sweets for my sweet  performed by The Carnival  1969
Recommended by klatu [profile]

Another Brazil '66 knockoff band, maybe not as solid as the Mendes-endorsed Bossa Rio, but they did do a nice version of the Roger Nichols track "love so fine". More importantly, they did this, a cover of one of the Drifter's less memorable hits, done over with a very punchy, immediate arrangement. More aggressive than most of Sergio's stuff. Nice Peanuts, Guaraldi/Schroeder style piano intro! Recorded in L.A. with a few studio guns on board. (added later) Maybe I have velveeta pumping through my heart, but I do enjoy this whole album, even the pretty bad version of turn, turn, turn.

from The Carnival, available on CD


karma sitar  performed by 101 strings  1969
Recommended by olli [profile]

The standout track on the otherwise pretty dull lp "the exotic sounds of love". The title says it all really, it`s a mighty fine psychsploitation/middle east -style track. Love the swirling strings.

from the exotic sounds of love (astor)
available on CD - astro sounds from beyond the year 2000 (scamp)


wan’drin’ star  performed by lee marvin  1969
Recommended by olli [profile]

lee marvin sings! i really like the simplistic string arrangements here, especially in the intro and chorus. lee marvin's unbelievably gruff voice fits the song well. wish he'd done some more musical work, he'd be fun for an even kitchier easy listening album.

"do i know where hell is? hell is in hello.
heaven is goodbye forever, it's time for me to go.
i was born under a wan'drin' star...."


"when i get to heaven, tie me to a tree
or i'll begin to roam and soon you'll know where i will be"
classic kitch.

from paint your wagon ost



  n-jeff: heh, and for the hit single the flip was Clint Eastwoods ultra weedy version of "I talk to the trees". Great for starting conversations while DJing in clubs.
"Whats this sh***!?"
"Clint Eastwood"
"Really?, No! what?"
heh.

I�m Gonna Make You Love Me  performed by Nick DeCaro  196?
Recommended by konsu [profile]

Whenever I hear this track I think the same thing, that it seems to be the beginning of something
bigger. ....And it seems in a way that it was...

What a great version of an already undisputed soul classic! He really adds something to it thats loose and breezy. Like he did with his arrangement work, he adds something indefineable, but definately something we would hear for decades to come in american radio pop. More precisely, in the 70's.

It's one of the many blossoms in the blue-eyed soul bouquet!

from Happy Heart (A&M SP-4176)
available on CD - Afternoon Tea Music - Orange Iced Tea (UM3 (Japan))




  klatu: Anyone interested in the work of A&M sound sculptor/master arranger Nick DeCaro would be well directed towards the masterful album "Italian Graffiti", MCA 74.
  steveo443: Happy Heart album by Nick Decaro has some great tracks..Outstanding is the title track(Happy Heart) there is a Bacharach influence here....Another Great tune on the album is Quiet Sunday?(think thats the title) Nick Decaro was a certifiable genius! Love his arrangements.
I Feel Fine  performed by Enoch Light and the Light Brigade  196?
Recommended by standish [profile]

Truly fine. Sounds like the music that comes out of teenagers' radios in mid-'60s comedy films. Brilliantly brassy with an over-perky beat and twangy/tinny guitars.

from Discotheque Vol 2 (Command)


5:09  performed by Bobby And I  196?
Recommended by Pal [profile]

When it seems like The Free Design finally have got the attention they so well deserve, I would like to recommend something that is very close in my opinion... Bobby and I! 5:09 fits in perfectly between Love so fine (Roger Nichols & The Small Circle Of Friends) and 2002-A Hit Song (The Free Design). The arrangment is incredible, there's a unique singer-singer magnetism on the top and the drums and bass makes me wanna dance the days away. Jim Gordon play drums (how many records has he done?) and the bass player, Rod Ellicott, is brilliant. Of course they added the song with string, horns & flutes... It's sunshine all over! I don't know anything about them, I only have this fine record, so if you know anything feel free to send me an email.

from Bobby and I (IMPERIAL LP-12420)


Bridge Over Troubled Water  performed by Simon and Garfunkel  1970
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

What a beautiful song from one of the most influential duos of the 1960's. Paul Simon has written some of the best songs of this past century and this is among his finest. The moving orchestration featuring piano, violins, and the booming kettle drums convey the emotions of this song in a way that transcends time. It is still as moving as it was 32 years ago at the time it was released!

from Bridge Over Troubled Water, available on CD


Ai Ai Ai  performed by Emma Sugimoto  1970
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

The "Softrock Drivin'" series is a terrifically compiled collection of japanese soft rock and bossa nova gems from the late 60s/early 70s. And it clearly shows that the japanese interest in all kinds of easy listening music wasn't solely influenced by contemporaries like Burt Bacharach but by native artists as well. This track by Emma Sugimoto is a delightfully light and fluffy piece of japanese pop and sounds like a blueprint for some kind of "Shibuya-Kei" track artists like Pizzicato Five could have produced. With shimmering strings, harpiscord embellishments, slightly funky electric guitar and a wonderful trumpet on top. With the clear, transparent production and fine arrangement it's a true standout track of the series.

from Softrock Drivin': Between Waves, available on CD



’Til I Die  performed by The Beach Boys  1971
Recommended by Genza [profile]

What a song. No time for breathing - because we're straight into three phases of soaring harmonies and choppy Wurlitzer piano chords. As your spine tingles get prepared for the cyclical refrain that brings the song to its climax. We're talking beauty defined.

from Surf's Up (Brother Records / Capitol Records 7243 5 25692 2 9)



  tinks: i'm witchu on this one, man...i can't even listen to it without getting all choked up. "i'm a cork on the ocean/floating over the raging sea".
  sok186: After being pushed and pushed to make more music for the Beach Boys, Brian contributes his last major composition. It's always seemed to be his way of saying,"This is why I can't keep making music, and I need to go away for a while, because this is what I feel." Easily essential listening.
Esperanca  performed by Trio Mocoto  1971
Recommended by pleasepleaseme [profile]

Ben is one swingin' cat. Mocoto rock his Composition. Infectious piano & tamborine!

Very Perfect LP. Outstanding performing, nicely recorded, nicely paced. And a fine list of composers. Tim Maia, Antonio Carlos & Jocafi, Erasmo Carlos/Roberto Carlos & Jorge Ben.

from Muita Zorra!, available on CD



Falling Free  performed by Bert Kaempfert  1971
Recommended by delicado [profile]

This is one of those odd discoveries: a track on a CD I've owned for about 8 years, but which I had somehow overlooked. I buy a lot of CDs, and I guess is one of the later tracks on a long compilation cd. Still, that's not much of an excuse, is it!

This is a slow, groovy instrumental (well, with wordless vocals) with funky drums, some fine fuzz guitar work, nice spiky brass and some very pleasing chord changes. It is strongly reminiscent of similar work of the time by people like Johnny Harris. I have a few tracks by completely different artists with a very similar feel/orchestration and closely related chord sequences. It's simultaneously very hip sounding yet quite square with the choir and strings. I love it, obviously.

from Now! (Polydor)
available on CD - Easy Loungin' (Polydor Germany)



Superfly  performed by Kurtis Mayfield  1972
Recommended by Superfly [profile]

Typical Blaxbloitation sound with the divine guitar of Curtis completing it. Makes me wish i were born black and living in NY in the 70's. Mayfield's finest hour for sure.

from Superfly OST, available on CD



  monkeymaddness: MOve on up....passes the jcalderman beauty test
Theme For Doc  performed by Henry Mancini and Doc Severinsen  1973
Recommended by bobbyspacetroup [profile]

A great, soulful piece opening Hank and Doc's 1973 LP. Great arrangement with wah-wah guitar and fine playing by Severinsen!

from Brass, Ivory & Strings (RCA Quadradisc APD1-0098-A)



Satan  performed by Jon Lucien  1973
Recommended by pleasepleaseme [profile]

Another fine "Scat" vocal track & there are others on this powerful record. All songs are by Jon Lucien. Outstanding voice & lyrics plus strong arranging & conducing by Lucien and Dave Grusin. SoulJazz at its best!

from Rashida, available on CD


Let Me In  performed by Osmonds  1973
Recommended by Flippet [profile]

Often dismissed as a teen band - the Osmonds in their hey day were prolific and produced some of the best and most soulful of the early to mid 70s pop scene. Their record sales and popularity at the time are a testimony to this fact. This song is a fine example of their ability to maximise the potential of a song. A haunting love ballad, the song was a huge hit in its day and reveals their excellent voices and musicianship at its very best. The Osmonds set the template for the boy band phenomenon of the late 90s - but their pop legacy should be seriously reassessed by critics of this music genre.


available on CD - The Very Best Of The Osmonds (Polydor)


Lark’s tongues in aspic parts 1 & 2  performed by King Crimson  1974
Recommended by Maximum_Bygraves [profile]

ok, so it's two tracks, and can't really be called a song, very prog in its construction, real whisper to a scream stuff and some of Robert Fripps finest work, lyrical and savage. Fantasticaly clean production as well. Reminds me of slint. the marimba intro to the first track's a bit unneccesary though.

from Larks tongues in aspic


Get It Up For Love  performed by David Cassidy  1975
Recommended by Flippet [profile]

Cassidy recorded this track as part of a suite of songs for his new record label in 1975. Attempting to redefine his image from teen idol to serious artist, this song was David's first new single. It is a perfect example of the west coast R&B sound popular at the time. A brilliant recording, the song was banned from radio airplay by the BBC as the title was too shocking. More likely was the fact that no-one understood who this "new" David Cassidy was. The banning of the song was solved by flipping the b-side to the a-side with the result that Cassidy's version of "I Write The Songs" became a huge hit for him internationally and later inspired the less sensitive and more commercial rendition of the song produced by Barry Manilow. David Cassidy at his best!

from The Higher They Climb The Harder They Fall, available on CD


Mr Wilson  performed by John Cale   1975
Recommended by geezer [profile]

The Mr Wilson in question is Beach Boy Brian, a rather obvious lyrical homage,musically speaking its a whole differnt ball game ,a sutle pop song with a great chorus which improves with repeated listens ,its sound is closer to the prog pop of Genesis or Supertramp and of course Brian Eno who aided and assisted on this fine track from a fine album Slow Dazzle.

from Slow Dazle
available on CD - Slow Dazzle


Deacon Blues  performed by Steely Dan  1977
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

On "Aja", Donald and Walter reached the zenith of their perfection, with an unsurpassed attention to sonic detail and texture. In fact, the recording of these 40 minutes of music took them about a year of studio work. They assembled an incredible array of the finest session musicians around at the time, creating 7 timeless tracks of jazz-rock fusion, impeccably engineered and produced by Roger Nichols (this is the other Roger Nichols!) and Gary Katz. "Deacon Blues" is certainly one of the most heartfelt, mellow tracks they ever created. It never ceases to amaze me how seemingly effortless they create this elegance in the harmonies and chord progressions.

from Aja, available on CD



Cuckoo Clock  performed by Rachel Sweet  1978
Recommended by blacktype [profile]

This a wonderful slice of punk-pop quirkiness that just NEEDS to be jumped around to. Rachel's singing voice is wonderfully petulant and even though I have no idea what the lyrics are about the attitude and jadedness come across loud and clear. She's better known for her covers such as B-A-B-Y and New Rose but this is far and away her finest recording,

from Fool Around (Stiff)



  unathanthium: Rachel was my pin-up.A slightly chubby teenager with a voice that could break rocks.So convincing is this song that I have spent many years breaking into cuckoo clocks in order to liberate the toy singer trapped within.I have yet to find her but the search goes on.
Everybody’s Got to learn Sometime  performed by The Korgis  1979
Recommended by Mike [profile]

An absolute classic of British pop. Beautiful song whose verses and chorus each use original and stunningly effective chord sequences. The verse's melody line is exceptionally fine, as is the atmospheric production.

from Dumb Waiters (Rialto)
available on CD - Don't Look Back - the very best of the Korgis (Castle)


Im in Love with a German Filmstar   performed by The Passions  1980
Recommended by geezer [profile]

The finer elements of post -punk ,guitar effects ,hypnotic melody and the depth of a REAL song still provoking cover versions 30 years later.
Inhabiting that small territory betwen post punk and new romantic not unlike "Drowning in Berlin" by the Mobiles .its quality is in the song refusal to date

from 30,000 feet over China
available on CD - 30000 over China


Toy Box  performed by Sylvia Striplin  1981
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

This reminds me of The Velvet Underground. Not musically in the slightest but just on one point - while absolutely great, paved the way for some awful copycats.

This is ultra-soft funk, luxuriating in comfort like the fluffy fur Striplin is wearing on the sleeve. Absolutely adorable, and so finely nuanced that it never cloys and just improves with repeated listening. It's hard to pick one song from this LP not just because they're all so damn brilliant but because each and every one of the songs sounds better nestled between their bedfellows.

Unfortunately this kind of style was robbed of all its subtlety and beauty in the 80's leading to the formula of soulless soul that began to proliferate. Enjoy this album for what it is; a creative apex between the decades.

from Give Me Your Love, available on CD



The Evenings Young  performed by YELLO  1981
Recommended by beautifulmutant [profile]

Dieter Meier is a hero of mine. Some say I resemble him. If only I had as much suave and cool in my whole body as he possesses in one note, I would be happy. This is synthetic underground dance music at it's finest. They kep on producing albums which may tread familiar territory, but which are never stale or old. I first saw the video for "The Evening's Young" on USA Networks "Nite Flite" TV show and was hooked by the throbbing synths and odd vocal delivery. I became hooked on Yello. This is a quintessential song IMO

from Claro Que Si (Polygram / Mercury)


We Belong Together  performed by Rickie Lee Jones  1981
Recommended by komodo [profile]

An American tale with references to Brando, Dean and Natalie Wood, and characters like "Johnny the King". A series of melancholy snapshots of hope set to a jazz inflected soundtrack. Top-notch, both musically and lyrically.

With the companion piece (in my eyes, anyway) "Living It Up" (introducing us to "Eddie", "C***-finger Louie" & "Zero") which directly follows it on the album, it represents the pinnacle of Rickie Lee Jones career.

The rest of the "Pirates" album has its moments, such as the title track, as well as some less successful songs, and is well worth a listen if you get a chance.

I�ve listened to quite a lot of other stuff by Rickie Lee Jones and sadly it seems she has never come close to reaching the heights achieved by these two fine tracks, IMO.

from Pirates, available on CD


Tales from the Riverbank  performed by The Jam  1981
Recommended by geezer [profile]

Released as a B-side in 1981 ,this group were so prolific at this time vast parts of their output never made it to albums ,turning up ,like this gem as b sides or outakes,This is late period Jam in a wistful jangly mood but with a darker undertone lurking behind the mellowness ,the song ,lyrically,mourns the passing of a way of life sacrificed to progress and declining morals.Has hints of British psychedelica at its most parochial ,The Kinks come to mind as do early Floyd.The almost pastoral feel of this was not out of step with Wellers writing at this time and his finest inspiration often came to fruition on calssic b-sides like this .

from Extras (Polydor)
available on CD - The Jam-Extras


Steppin� Out  performed by Joe Jackson  1982
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

I grew up listening to Joe Jackson and i still find his venturing into all sorts of musical styles and the eclecticism surrounding his musical work very interesting. Starting as a post-punk, new wave singer/songwriter he released three great albums from 79-81 with his "Joe Jackson Band" before going solo with a string of fine albums in the 80s (musically ranging from jazz, R&B, rock to latin-tinged sophisticated pop) and later writing and arranging soundtracks and even doing classical music. He recently regrouped with his band, produced another album and toured with the original line-up consisting of Gary Sanford, Graham Maby and Dave Houghton and surprisingly it worked as good as in the beginning of his career. "Steppin' Out" was released on probably his best solo offering "Night & Day" in 1982, a highly evocative, melancholic, catchy pop song skillfully mixing a synth sequencer beat and keyboards with piano jazz harmonies and xylophones.

from Night & Day, available on CD




  komodo: I'll second your comments regarding Joe Jackson. I'm surprised that with classic albums such as "I'm the Man", "Look Sharp", "Body & Soul" and the aformentioned "Steppin' Out", Joe Jackson doesn't, in my opinion, recieve the credit he deserves. "Steppin' Out" is a great track, but my favourite version is actually from "Live 1980/86" where he takes a dramatic - perhaps even melodramatic - approach to the song. It shimmers then swells into this wonderful sound, evocative of a kind of fantasy 40's New York, but anchored by JJ's usual lyrical poignancy. Somewhat overblown? Perhaps, but wonderful stuff nonetheless, and definately one to check out if you've not heard it before.
Senses Working Overtime  performed by X T C  1982
Recommended by geezer [profile]

From its folk song intro to the tweeting bird conclusion this is a master class in pastoral pop,unmistakably English and undeniably brilliant .
This is XTC,s finest moment and their biggest hit ,that tranquil introduction explodes into a football terrace style chorus becoming more euphoric at each turn slowly winding down to its resting place somewhere in a quiet church yard

from English Settlement, available on CD


True  performed by Spandau Ballet  1983
Recommended by thewilyfilipino [profile]

The great NYFD firefighter and actor Steve Buscemi immortalizes this song in the otherwise forgettable Adam Sandler vehicle "The Wedding Singer:" he winces, he exhales extra H's, he emotes. Spandau Ballet's lead singer, Tony Hadley, would never have done that; dressed in all his Bryan Ferry finery and sporting his New Romantic do, he stood with the mike pinched in the fingers of his hand... and emoted. "Oh I want the truth to be SAIIIIID [then his voice breaks]. [Pregnant pause.] [And then the Uh-huh-huh-huh-hi comes in again.]

Yes, "True." Performed by a band with one of the most stupid band names imaginable, "True" invaded Philippine airwaves, spawned a silly Spandau Ballet - Duran Duran showdown on DWLS 97.1, and jumpstarted the dead-end careers of a million amateur singers. (A good friend of mine, who actually could sing, once performed this during some high school party, and had it choreographed so that the lights would go out during the "pregnant pause." The women screamed.)

But darn it, the song still gets to me -- not every time, God no, but only when I'm in a semi-nostalgic mood regarding the worst years of my life (high school). That cheesy sax instrumental break that still haunts my dreams! The harmonizing Kemp brothers! "Always in time / But never in line for dreams!" The sound of my soul indeed.

from The Collection, available on CD


down at the nightclub  performed by the creeps  1983
Recommended by shaka_klaus [profile]

classic swedish 80's garage. the creeps finest hour. find it and enjoy!

from enjoy the creeps


The Cutter  performed by Echo & The Bunnymen  1983
Recommended by dsalmones [profile]

On �The Cutter� fellow Liverpool natives, Echo and The Bunnymen successfully wed the Eastern influenced psychedelic sounds made famous by hometown heroes, The Beatles. Crafting Eastern influences into a new post-punk hybrid that was sweeping England in the Early 80�s. It was songs like �The Cutter� that would help define the newly coined Neo-psychedelic sub-genre, practiced by such group�s of the period as The Chameleons U.K., Psychedelic Furs and Simple Minds amongst others. The track opens with a keyboard approximation of Indian strings, whirring briefly before the band kicks into a percolating groove of popping bass, driving straight drums and chinking guitar accents. Ian McCulloch adds another layer of �60 nostalgia, employing his expressive, slack-jawed vocal delivery that conjures aural images of the late Jim Morrison as he unfurls lines that drip with apprehension �Who�s on the seventh floor? / Brewing alternatives / What�s in the bottom drawer? / Waiting for things to give�. The Eastern strings re-enter at strategic points, filling in space between verses and McCulloch�s esoteric pleas to �spare us the cutter!�, which sounds like a good idea in any case. The arrangement also veers into epic territory quite unexpectedly in the second half, signaled by a sweeping wave of keyboard and McCulloch�s more subdued delivery as poses a string of rhetorically poignant questions, �Am I the happy loss? / Will I still recoil? / When the skin is lost / Am I the worthy cross? / Will I still be soiled? / When the dirt is off� -as the music swell behind him. Like any good single, the track never looses steam, cruising through each section with power and grace. A nod is in order for Ian Broudie, who�s smooth production helped The Cutter become Echo and The Bunnymen�s first top ten single in Britain and a linchpin track for the Neo-psychedelic movement.
(AMG)

from Porcupine, available on CD


helpless  performed by the flirts  1984
Recommended by olli [profile]

fine little new wave bubblegum desperation pop song, with lyrics wich borrow heavily from the beatles' "yesterday". great bassline and some great new-wavey dance effects. not exactly a masterpiece, it's way too long and a bit clumsy in places, but it has that something that keeps me returning to it from time to time. usually when drunk at parties.





Middle Of The Road  performed by The Pretenders  1984
Recommended by dsalmones [profile]

Who could forget the rousing "woo-hooa-a-hooas" that helped define the Pretenders' 1984 smash hit "Middle of the Road"? In a decade that saw synthesizer-oriented pop music arriving on U.S. soil from England, singer/guitarist Chrissie Hynde and bandmates tear it up on this classic example of pure, unadulterated rock music. The Pretenders' offering successfully maintains a formulaic rock pattern, with drums that beat on at a driving frenetic 4/4 pace and guitar riffs that induce foot stomping by the most conservative crowd. By the time the harmonica solo kicks in toward the track's end, "Middle of the Road" has worked itself up into such a musical romp that it challenges anyone to remain sitting down. There is no technical or instrumental trickery to be found here, no "secret sauce"; the song is very much in your face. Its rollicking music and lyrics that paint a picture of a journey make anyone want to hop into the car and take off for the open road. "Middle of the road, is trying to find me/ I'm standing in the middle of life with my plans behind me." You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who didn't identify with that sentiment. The Pretenders zeroed in on one of humankind's most basic, secret desire � to get up and go � and backed it with an equally driven musical arrangement. And that's what makes this recording a timeless classic.
(AMG)

from Learning To Crawl, available on CD


Cecil Beaton�s Scrapbook  performed by Would Be Goods  1985
Recommended by andyjl [profile]


The finest moment of a legendary 80s UK indie label which fused a post-punk spirit with the best elements of 60s pop style - bossa nova, light psychedelia, girl groups. And pre-empted the lounge/easy listening revival by about 10 years. The Would Be-Goods were two sisters, Jessica and Miranda, who couldn�t sing and did so beautifully. The �l catalogue is being re-issued on CD by Cherry Red Records. Well worth checking out.


from The Camera Loves Me, available on CD


Velocity Girl  performed by Primal Scream  1986
Recommended by n-jeff [profile]

First heard on the NME C86 cassette which sort of defined mid 80's indie, and from well before Weatherall, 'Loaded' and samplers comes this gem. Less than 2 minutes long, Bobby Gillespie's sing song voice floats on top of super clean chiming guitars, no real verse/ chorus structure it just builds and leaves on the reverb off the guitar.






  G400 Custom: This comes from the 12-inch of 'Crystal Crescent' as I remember, which I think is a much better song: loads of brass, a bit like the Teardrop Explodes. For what it's worth, I despise 'Screamadelica' like few other albums. The band: bunch of muppet longhairs with guitars. The music: crusty dance shite. Didn't anyone notice the discrepancy? Conclusion: Primal Scream themselves had sod all to do with the making of the album, although they did appear on its follow-up. Which was also crap.
  n-jeff: Har, har. Get it off your chest, mate. I more or less disagree with all of that, but its not for me to criticise anyone for ranting.....
  shaka_klaus: hey! i like that song. but i think it's probably written by beattie/gillespie. beattie later had some adventures in stereo if i'm not terribly mistaken.
She Loves You  performed by Ted Chippington  1986
Recommended by geezer [profile]

A dour but sincere take on Liverpools finest,Mr Chippington narates this love song in the third party promising a female friend that if he see,s her love he will indeed tell him that "she loves you".Teasingly short and breezy set to lounge core backing,if the irony is missed it could sound twee or contrived but its sincere delivery endears the listener and involves him or her in an ongoing domestic upset .A unique approach to one of the most optimistic love songs of all time


available on CD - Vinyl or MP3


Paint A Vulgar Picture  performed by the Smiths  1987
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

Morrissey, ever the angry young vegan, sings a beautiful tribute to a music idol who has recently died and then proceeds to lash out at the big record companies that repackage and reissue the work of the artist all in the name of the almighty dollar. Sadly the very same thing would happen to the Smiths' catalogue just a few years later. Define 'irony'. Of course I sit here at this computer just 14 feet away from a record shelf that is stuffed with the reissues and repackages of the above named catalogue but I just couldn't resist those cute little 10-inch limited edition vinyl LPs that Warner UK put out in the early 1990s including the very album this song appears on...

from Strangeways Here We Come, available on CD



  jmurray: Am I the only one who thinks this song is about Ian Curtis and Factory Records? Think about it. Morrissey would have certainly gone to JD shows in the late 70's. Reportedly, he was at the 4 June 1976 Pistols show at Lesser Free Trade Hall. Clearly, Moz and the Smiths rejected Factory Records when their time came about to find a label. Maybe, Moz was not only disgusted with Factory's obsession with repackageing JD material into new releases, but perhaps Moz had a romantic eye for Curtis. Perhaps, they touched "at the soundcheck." And though somewhat morbid, he sang about never tainting his love for Curtis because Curtis was "on their hands a dead star."
  n-jeff: I wouldn't have thought it was the case, it must have been 20 years before factory compiled Joy Divisions stuff. When he died they bought out the scheduled releases: "love will tear us apart", "Closer" and then I think it was a few years before "Still" appeared. They got on pretty quickly with developing new Order IIRC, it couldn't have been that long before "ceremony" appeared.
I'm not Tony Wilsons biggest fan, but I think Factory did a pretty good job of handling Curtis' suicide. And they weren't really that popular anyway, at that time.
Now, the frenzy that marked John Lennons death. That was something else.

  jmurray: Paint a Vulgar Picture was 1987, long after Factory, and the remainder of JD had moved on to New Order. By that time, NO had released numerous 12" singles and LP's all the way through FAC 150, Brotherhood. For the record, FAC 37 was a video release called Here Are The Young Men of JD in Aug '82, FAC 40 is the JD compilation Still released in Oct '81, and NO's first release Ceremony is FAC 33 in Jan '81. There are also many JD appearances on various Factory Records compilations, both LP and video. All of this, of course, going on long before Moz, Marr, Rourke, and Joyce ever were together as the Smiths. One final thought, and please excuse the macabre, listen very closely to the last line of lyric in Vulgar, there is a distinct, but obvious choking sound just after the last word. If Moz hadn't made a career of singing about the "romantic" side of death, suicide, et. al. I would dismiss it as just a gutteral noise, but...
  n-jeff: I bow to your superior research.
And wince to your final thought!

  lasinge: I just tonight thought for the first time about who the song might be about (bizarre, since it's one of my favorite songs) and the first person I came up with was Ian Curtis. This story is old (I know) but it goes on...
  FlyingDutchman1971: The new Smiths bootleg "Unreleased Demos and B-sides" has a great rendition of this song with slightly different lyrics. Grab a copy of you have the chance.
  delicado: It has literally never occurred to me that this could be who it's about. I guess it's possible but it just seems wrong to me somehow. And I don't remember any tacky badges on Factory releases (unless I missed them). Interesting bootleg for sure...
Fairytale of New York  performed by Kirsty MacColl with the Pogues  1987
Recommended by Mike [profile]

The first 1 minute and 23 seconds of this are beautifully adapted from the main theme of Morricone's "Once upon a time in America" ("Deborah's theme"). Well, the first line of the vocal melody of this is actually directly lifted from Morricone's first line, but we won't over-emphasise the point. (I just hope Ennio got his royalties!). The vocal performance of Shane McGowan of the Pogues is something one can either see some merit in or not, but it has a certain musical expressiveness.

The same "Deborah's theme" is used again repeatedly in the second half of the track, particularly the instrumental fade, but nowhere with the effectiveness of the first 1:23.




Try to Believe  performed by Oingo Boingo  1989
Recommended by elfslut [profile]

This track that also appears on the Midnight Run soundtrack is one of Danny Elfman's finest songs.

from Dark At the End of the Tunnel, available on CD


One More Time  performed by The Clash  198?
Recommended by mattypenny [profile]

I love the Clash. I love the way they were four disparate individuals each bringing their own stuff to the mix. Topper's excellent drumming, Simonon's cool, Mick Jones musicality and street smarts, and Joe Strummer's....umm...Strummer-ness.

I love the fact they didn't play Top of the Pops. I love the fact that Strummer admitted that this was mainly 'cos he was crap at miming rather than out of any significant political stance or anything.

I love how gooood they were live. And I love the fact that I was lucky enough to see them.

I love the fact that Strummer picked 'Crawfish' as his favourite Elvis song. I also love the fact that sometimes, to my mind, they got things badly wrong, sounded a bit gauche or wrongheaded or worse. I'm thinking of Red Brigade t-shirts, using Belfast as a photo opportunity, and maybe singing about ghettos and Brixton, for the 'romance' of it when they weren't necessarily the closest to either. I dunno. That side makes me feel uneasy at times, but that's fine - makes me think.

This song is great. Reggae influenced rock, Strummer belting out 'one more time in the ghetto...'.

Its been so sad losing Joe, Johnny (Cash) and John (Peel) over the last couple of years. Good men, you feel.

from Sandanista, available on CD


Being Boring  performed by Pet Shop Boys  1990
Recommended by Genza [profile]

Surprised to see nothing by the Pet Shop Boys on Musical Taste. Now the only remaining intelligent British pop act, the Pet Shop Boys have consistently mixed dramtic chord changes with pathos-loaded lyrics. Being Boring is possibly their finest moment - reflective, sad and beautiful.

from Behaviour



  Mike: Totally agree re the worth of the PSBs output and the dramatic and very distinctive use of harmony therein. Several of their songs would be in my all-time favourites list if I ever made one.
Stone Cold Yesterday  performed by The Connells  1990
Recommended by john_l [profile]

This is a fairly straight-ahead rocker with a well-defined beat, which some have called the Connells' best song. My favourite thing about it is that snaking guitar line which lies in behind the vocals in the first verse, and then starts to repeat an octave higher in the second, but quickly changes direction. Very inventive! It reminds me of the shorter guitar line that leads into the chorus on "Upside Down" from their previous LP "Fun and Games".

This LP seemed to see the band influenced by grunge and moving in a direction featuring a harder guitar sound, but I don't think it was an improvement at all, and I do have most of their CDs ...

from One Simple Word, available on CD


False Goodbyes  performed by Echo and the Bunnymen  1990
Recommended by diogenes44 [profile]

From the much maligned (unfairly) non Mc Cullough lp, a slice of dreamy, aggressive psychedelia with some of Will Sergeant's finest moments on guitar and a vocal to match from "the singer who never was". Should be on every compilation of the band but no doubt will remain hard to find. A pity.

from Reverberation (Korova)


Fine Art Of Friendship  performed by King�s X  1990
Recommended by MoeShinola [profile]

King's X is my favorite hard rock band by far. This song is on Faith Hope & Love, a very psychedelic record with a sound different from their others. They must have had the fairy dust going on at the recording sessions for this album because the sound is just beyond bluesy and groovy. The guitar just sounds...slinky! that's the word. Slink and snaky and dark. Their harmonies are a wonder to behold as usual, and the lyrics are mystical and weird.

from Faith Hope & Love (Megaforce UPC)


Not Waving But Drowning  performed by Julian Cope  1991
Recommended by Stian______ [profile]

Julian Cope was a leader in the post-punk band Teardrop Explodes . This tune is from his finest solo album :Peggy Suicide. The production is very sleek and crystal clear .
The mood of this song is somewhat a mix of mystic and playful-its theatrical and druggy.Its pretty much dragging along in the same tempo from beginning to end , but it never gets close to boring.

from Peggy Suicide, available on CD



Honeytree  performed by The Wolfgang Press  1991
Recommended by robert[o] [profile]

A great track from a truly great LP that I fear might have slipped through the cracks in the floorboards in the decade or so since it's release. TWP's "Queer" remains the band masterpiece, an ungodly amalgam of Can, Talking Heads, Roxy Music, King Tubby and De La Soul. This song perfectly highlights the record's/band's strengths - Mark Cox's cut and paste/dub programming, Andrew Gray's blistering guitar, Mick Allen's brilliant "Tom Waits sings the Mark E. Smith Songbook" voice/words, aided by then Throwing Muses Leslie Langston's sexy bass/backgrounds vocals. The song is both seductive and sinister - the spoonful of sugar being the its' "The Fall Plays The Burt Bacharach Songbook" shambling groove that helps down the medicine that is Mick Allen's venomous lyrics in re: America's inaction/indifference in the face of the AIDS crisis. Rarely has subject matter so heavy, been dealt with in such light/deft manner. I recommend the whole "Queer" LP - particularly the British edition , which differs in tracklisting and uses of samples. (It is likewise available on the band's fine - if somewhat short - best of "Everything is Beautiful 1983-1995"

from Queer &/or Everything is Beautiful 1983-1995, available on CD



  konsu: I always liked these guys too. Queer did miss the mark in america for sure, although I think "Going South" got some airplay... I'm a big fan of the Birdwood Cage LP. A very underrated group from a very popular label.
Noah’s Dove  performed by 10,000 Maniacs  1992
Recommended by Yammer [profile]

For admirers of classic pop song construction, production, and performance, Noah's Dove is jaw-dropping in its perfection. The subtle piano hook, deep and dark chord changes, and the warm, dry-eyed, heartbreakingly acute singing grab your ears, while the lyrics (an unhurried, unsparing epitaph to a relationship with a cheating scumbag) clench your heart. The best part may be that it introduces Our Time In Eden, a collection of finely-crafted folk-pop songs that served as a worthy finale for the Maniacs.

from Our Time In Eden


Liberation  performed by Pet Shop Boys  1993
Recommended by Mike [profile]

Lush electronica from the masters of the art. In the early 1990s, the Pet Shop Boys produced some of the finest electronic pop ever heard. This lyrical, optimistic song is a superb example. "Your love is liberation".

from Very, available on CD


Have you got ticket to the Dome?  performed by Ip  1993
Recommended by Genza [profile]

Japanese recluse Ip rarely leaves the confines of his room-cum-studio - and it's usually to attend a naff 1980s-stylee disco. The shy, clumsy student takes on the persona of a mentalist when news of a party spreads.

To celebrate his love of all things crazee, Ip recorded a series of bizarre poptastic tracks in the early 1990s. The songs suffer from dreadful production values and annoying lyrics, much of which is spoken in broken Engrish. But hey, that only adds to the fun.

Ip's debut album 'Floor 15: Room 17' is his best. Two stand out tracks include: 'Knocking on door while Mr Room Mate is away now', and 'Why are all new friends arrive for special event not on?'.

But his best song is 'Have you got ticket to the Dome?', a slice of Human League-esque rom-pop, bolted on to a 130 bpm, glam rock rhythm.

I used to know his acquaintance, this bloke that used to wear a plastic suit and fake glasses. He would hang around with a can of cheap lager. But I haven't seen him in months. I think he lost his mobile phone, or something. He'd probably say: 'Oh yeah, Gonza, Genzo. I remember. The good old days. Hanging out in the Lounge.'

Whatever. But Ip. Far out.

from Floor 15: Room 17, available on CD



  delicado: I don't remember Ip's music. Wasn't there a related thing called 'DJ Bakesey'? I remember that being really good.
  Genza: Don't remember Ip? What on earth...? If I remember rightly, you used to hang around with him and those two mates of his that used to jump up and down on bed and squeal in a high-pitched way. Very, very odd. As for 'DJ Bakesey', he wag good - and some of his mates in the JCR Squad were pretty hot. Their sound - looking back - was pretty ground-breaking. 'MC Lem' was amazing and I loved his booming anthem 'Fish Pie': 'All I want for tea is Fish Pie All I want for tea is Fish Pie If I get it, I won't swear like a bad boy If I get it, I won't play Duncan no more...' Who was Duncan? And what did it all mean? Am I scared? Can I sleep here?
Hannah Jane  performed by Hootie & The Blowfish  1994
Recommended by thedoc [profile]

Off the wall lyrics but incredibly fine singing and the arrangements are out of this world. Whatever happened to this fine band?


available on CD - Cracked Rear View (Atlantic)


Reaching out from Here  performed by The Boo Radleys  1994
Recommended by geezer [profile]

A Band doomed by the vagueries of fashion ,too late for the Madchester boom and too early for Britpop,despite consistantly great records like this ,a melancholy ,sixties influenced piece of perfect pop,never quite breaking into glee but a memorable chorus and a fine economic restrained pop song.A band worth looking back on in small doses

from Wake Up!, available on CD


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


37 Hours (In The U.S.A.)  performed by Raw Stylus  1995
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

Raw Stylus effortlessly combined british acid jazz elements with sophisticated, elegant Steely Dan-esque american jazz/soul/funk. In fact, like on this track, the music sounds very much like a Steely Dan backing track with warm Fender Rhodes keyboards, precise horn section, funky rhythm section and jazzy guitars. Which really isn't much of a wonder when looking at the credits of the album. Let's see: The album is impeccably produced by the Dan's producer Gary Katz, features an incredible amount of fine session musicians including Steely Dan regulars (like Bernard Purdie, Randy Brecker or Hugh McCracken), has even Donald Fagen providing synths on "37 Hours (In The U.S.A.) and they even embedded some chords of "Josie" in the song. Unfortunately, despite the talent, Raw Stylus remained a one album band to this very day, kinda sad actually...

from Pushing Against The Flow, available on CD



Tell Me When  performed by The Human League  1995
Recommended by dsalmones [profile]

Although a thick line has long been drawn connecting disco to the '90s techno scene, few have bothered to connect the dots between the more modern genre and synth pop. The Human League didn't need to fret about such things, though; they intuitively understood those relationships, having explored virtually all the influences over their career � industrial, funk, R&B, synth pop, new wave, and disco itself. And when the wheel turned again, the band was back on top with a sound that hadn't really changed, but just refined. With a few minor alterations, 1995's "Tell Me When" could have come from 1983, slotting nicely between "Fascination" and "Mirror Man." Of course, the drum programming would need to be changed (there were no jungle rhythms back then!), but the funky bassline can stay, along with the bubbly synths. In fact, the real difference is found in the vignette-esque lyrics and the more complex vocals. And these slight changes make all the difference, turning synth dreams into techno club success. A taster for the group's forthcoming Octopus album, "Tell Me When" hit on both sides of the Atlantic, landing just outside the Top 6 and Top 30 in the U.K. and U.S., respectively.
(AMG)

from Octopus, available on CD


You’re A Hero  performed by Patric C  1996
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

Digital Hardcore just sounds hopelessly dated now. Whether its the post-September 11th climate of antipathy to all things terrorist / anarchist, or those dusty 10,000bpm sounds, or Alec Empire's gradual metamorphosis into a footsoldier of nu-metal I guess we'll never know.

However, Patric C (the male half of EC8OR) escapes this near-universal damnation with his first album, probably because it was specifically retro in the first instance. The musical accompaniment to an imaginary computer game, The Horrible Plans Of Flex Busterman beeps and bursts at you like all the best simple timewasting game soundtracks did. This song, played toward the end of the album and meant to signify success at the digital challenge, is the finest of all; an inspired melody that is devilish in its simplicity and an absolutely perfect sound to come from a Commodore 64 or Amiga 500 (two of the "instruments" Patric C employed on this album).

It also retains a definite piss-taking attitude, which also stands it in good stead for longevity; the general earnestness of most Digital Hardcore is so difficult to stomach these days, and lightness of touch sets Patric C apart.

from The Horrible Plans Of Flex Busterman, available on CD



Do I Scare You  performed by Shakespear’s Sister  1996
Recommended by OneCharmingBastard [profile]

One of the finest moments of she-glam ever, Siobhan Fahey's long-buried-but-about-to-be-unearthed-for-reconsideration third Shakespear's Sister record has many harrowing moments of brilliance, but none moreso than "Do I Scare You". Opening with a swirl of Eastern-cum-goth keyboards, boasting "there goes the year/in doctors bills and sleeping pills", Fahey's voice squeaks, snipes, and snarls throughout, ultimately climaxing on the verge of pumping lyrical lead into a deserving partner (and listener) by the final bridge. I can't think of a celebrity meltdown on disc that was ever this catchy.

from Shakespear's Sister (SF)
available on CD - The Best Of Shakespear's Sister (London/Warner)


The Virginian  performed by Neko Case and Her Boyfriends  1997
Recommended by mitchiavelli [profile]

This track is from Neko Case's first solo effort of the same name.

Case was born in Virginia, raised in Olympia, Washington, and now lives in Chicago.

She did a degree in fine arts at the Emily Carr School of Art and Design in Vancouver, BC. It was in Vancouver that she joined grrll group Maow who recorded two CDs for Mint Records.

After Maow disbanded Case recorded her alt. country album 'the Virginian' also for Mint.

'The Virginian' is an astonishing song from a great solo debut by gifted artist.

from The Virginian, available on CD



With My Looks And Your Brains  performed by The Mr T Experience  1997
Recommended by tapler [profile]

This is a really catchy and funny pop song. Dr. Frank is a masterful songwriter and this is among his finest efforts.

from Revenge Is Sweet And So Are You, available on CD



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


Out of my hands  performed by Richard x Heyman  1998
Recommended by moondog [profile]

Music for pussies producer Steve Albini once answered when he shared his thoughts about the genre powerpop. So, perhaps that makes me one then but anyone who likes melodies got to admit that the genre has produced some gems over the years. Richard x Heyman is one of the standouts in the genre. When he doesn´t tune his rickenbacker in his tabbey road studio in new york he goes out searching for homeless cats. So, maybe now i got you all concvinced that the man differs a bit from the average powerpopper. Out of my hands is taken from the mighty fine cornerstone and is overflowing with hooks,hooks my friends which is exactly what i need right now.

from cornerstone


Maria  performed by Blondie  1999
Recommended by Scuffcakes [profile]

This newer outing by Blondie is really a great listen. I think this track especially defines the album. It's a beautiful showcase for the great vocal range that Debbie Harry can perform. Blondie was fun to listen to in the early 80's and this just shows that they still have a fresh and fun approach to pop.

from No Exit (Beyond)


Slide Show  performed by Travis  1999
Recommended by xfanatic50 [profile]

A beautiful, stripped-down acoustic ballad, the final song on Travis' finest album. This song has one of the most amazing chorus' I've ever heard, a comment on the messages of music in life: "There is no design for life/There's no devil's haircut in my mind/There is not a wonderwall to climb or step around" Smart, and lovely.

from The Man Who (Sony)


bored  performed by another face in the crowd  1999
Recommended by complacentbasement [profile]

it's rock and roll at its absolute finest.
...and i'm aware of what an out of proportion statement that is...

from afitc career tape


zebulon  performed by einst�rtzende neubaten  199?
Recommended by olli [profile]

i like eist�rtzende neubaten better after they started writing ballads. in my opinion, this is one of their finest pseudo-velvet underground moments. some nice metallic spring percussion, humming and subtle string backing. it plods along quite nicely and builds tension until it explodes into full industropop greatness at the end. i have no idea what the lyrics are about as i don�t speak german, but the music has quite an uplifting effect. a bit like playing around with controlled fire in science class or something.
(yes, i know, it's a stupid comparison).


available on CD - tabula rasa


Minitoka  performed by DJ Food  2000
Recommended by bobbyspacetroup [profile]

DJ Food's Kaleidoscope was a mind-blowing record for me when I first heard it, and I'm still very fond of it after countless listens. I guess I liked it for many of the same reasons I initially liked Tipsy's Trip Tease; they both took samples I was familiar with, or at least some of which I was familiar with, and pushed them in totally unexpected directions. DJ Food's samples are perhaps more varied and less dense than Tipsy's but still just as finely and imaginatively put together. It's hard for me to single out favorite tracks on this record, but this one is a great piece of modern Exotica. The primary sample here is "By The Waters of Minnetonka" from Stanley Black's "Exotic Percussion" record on London's Phase 4 label. There are some other nice touches including harp, slide guitar, bird sounds, and even a little Ravel ("Daphnis et Chloe"). Highly recommended.

from Kaleidoscope, available on CD




  delicado: I'm also a fan of the album, and I adore this track. The way the thick synth sound merges with the 40-year old sample is quite brilliant.
England 2 Columbia 0  performed by Kirsty MacColl  2000
Recommended by komodo [profile]

A superb tale of wronged love and wounded pride performed with a mighty swagger, drenched in latin rhythms and horns, but with that bittersweet humour and English setting that have been hallmark's of Kirsty's whole career.

There are so many songs from Kirsty that I love in so many musical styles, but the "Tropical Brainstorm" album is really the best thing she ever did. She has absorbed the influences from her travels in Latin America, but the album is no pastiche, it is pure MacColl. Whilst occasionally missing its mark, it has so many fine, joyful and wryly funny moments, and, to me, all the signs of an artist entering a new, fiercely creative and joyful stage of her career.

Sadly we will never know where Kirsty's musical journey would have taken her.

from Tropical Brainstorm, available on CD


Descarga  performed by Gerardo Frisina  2001
Recommended by secularus [profile]

Upon first listen to this tune, I was sold! Available so far only on 12", the track starts off in a traditional congas ala samba vibe with dashes of upright bass. Then the simple but colorful piano melody kicks in and your booty is ready to move. Although this is a modern dancefloor stormer you cannot help but hear its nod to a bygone era in Latin music. If it wasn't for the quick tempo I would think this fine example of a dancefloor delight was created in the late 60s, early 70s.


available on CD - Break n Bossa 4 (Schema)



  delicado: Frisina also compiled the excellent 'Up' compilation on Schema. Great early 70s instrumentals with a hard groove - highly recommended!
Wicked Little Town  performed by John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch  2001
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

A departure from the rest of the soundtrack to this cult-classic film. While the other songs are very much influenced by the glam-rock era with a nod to the songs of Meat Loaf (and why not, considering the film has quite a Rocky Horror-ish feel to it), this is a beautiful little ballad. 'Wicked Little Town' bespeaks the desperation of the character Hedwig who is stifled by circumstances and situations that she feels powerless to change. She knows that there is a big world out there and she wants to experience it and make a name for herself if only she can get out of the 'wicked little town' that she is now confined to. Doomed to remain an outcast who lives on the fringes of society in her present surroundings, she can only cling to her dream of escape and the eventual realization of her full potential.

from Hedwig and the Angry Inch - Motion Picture Soundtrack, available on CD



  yonderboy: Trivia: 'Wicked Little Town' is Trask's reflections on Grinnell, Iowa.
J’Attendrai  performed by Michael Berard  2001
Recommended by russk666 [profile]

An acoustic (classical) guitar rendition played over the closing credits of the Showtime Film: "Varian's War" The vertuoso Jazz musician from Quebec has graced us with the finest performance of this much loved and performed chanson extant. It is perfection.

from DVD :"Varian's War" (Showtime Entertainment)
available on CD - not (none)


Get a Room  performed by Jim O’Rourke  2001
Recommended by hewtwit [profile]

One of the finest songs to come from o'rourke's bacharachisation. Lovely changes, brilliant lyrics and an epic ending which is as depressing as it is funny.

from insignificance


The Look Of Love  performed by Diana Krall  2001
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

For "The Look Of Love" Diana Krall managed to bring the legendary Claus Ogerman out of his retirement as an arranger (in fact, at that point, he didn't arrange for other people for 15 years or so). That was due to the fact that Krall's longtime producer, Tommy LiPuma (who did some marvelous production work for A&M in the late 60s e.g. for Claudine Longet or The Sandpipers) used to work with Ogerman in the past and so Claus got on board. While Krall's jazz followers found the result all too schmaltzy i just love it. The track is a very laid back, gentle, cool sounding version with a subtle bossa rhythm. And the arrangement and production is as immaculate as you might expect with Mrs. Krall giving a fine vocal performance, reminding me a lot of Julie London.

from The Look Of Love, available on CD




  konsu: It reminds me of some of Ogerman's work for Verve/CTI in the late 60's. Really the nicest version of this song in years.
Love Will Take Its Time  performed by Mary Margaret O'Hara  2002
Recommended by mitchiavelli [profile]

'Love Will Take Its Time' is from the soundtrack to the film 'Apartment Hunting'.

O'Hara devotees like myself have been waiting for 15 years for a follow-up to 'Miss America' and we got a fine one in 'Apartment Hunting'.

'Love Will Take Its Time' is a jump blues/jazz number with few of the vocal tics/tricks that make O'Hara a singers singer.

Those who love creative vocals must check it out!

It is not being distributed widely so you may have to go here: http://www.apartmenthunting.com/ if you want it.

from Apartment Hunting (soundtrack) (Apartment Hunting Productions)
available on CD - Apartment Hunting (Apartment Hunting Productions)


blow him back into my arms  performed by moneybrother  2004
Recommended by shaka_klaus [profile]

moneybrother (anders wendin of former swedish punkband monster fame) delivers his strongest gospel since his first lp, 'blood panic'. this song is among his absolute finest and together with the first single of the album, 'they're building walls around us', a good example of a brilliant song writer.

from to die alone, available on CD


dry drunk emperor  performed by TV on the Radio  2005
Recommended by stoneworks [profile]

This song makes me want to be a proud american. It's definitely the finest antiwar song I've ever heard. It perfectly sums up my feelings about the bush administration and it conjures up the revolutionary spirit that must have been swirling around before the birth of our country.
That being said, I'm not usually that drawn towards protest songs per se. But this one grabs my attention with its drumcorps-like rhythm and its chanted vocal delivery with many layered voices. The guitar work is incredibly moving dynamic and textural. The meandering flute soloing echoes the lyrical call to "grab your fife and drum!" and then carries the song off into the sunset.
Of course, the lyrics are the most mind-blowing element when you pick them apart. After two poetically scathing verses describing the idiocy of empire, the third verse imagines the unapologetic uprising of the people. I highly recommend downloading the lyrics and getting familiar on that level. Powerful song!!!!

from released as single (Interscope)


Burn the Bridges  performed by Feeder  2006
Recommended by dream [profile]

great melodic rock with fine lyrics.

from Feeder the singles (Echo)


Russian Dolls  performed by Michel Griffin  2006
Recommended by michelgriffin [profile]

"Russian Dolls" is a finely crafted song about the abuses of power. It uses guitar and muted organ to establish an ambience of quiet menace. I love the lyrics, which are clever and true. You can see the video on <a href='http://www.neilyoung.com/lwwtoday/lwwvideospage.html'>Neil Young's 'Living With War' site</a>

from Russian Dolls (MGP 634479394805)
available on CD - Russian Dolls (MGP 2608)


Savion Glover  performed by P.O.S.  2008
Recommended by mariefischer [profile]

Minnesota Hip-Hop, it is fine. I say take a listen, whether or not you prefer hip-hop.

from Never Better (Rhymesayers)


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


Long Shadow  performed by Joe Strummer  200?
Recommended by mattypenny [profile]

A sad situation but a fine, positive song. Joe Strummer recorded this as a demo for Johnny Cash, I guess with a view to it being recorded for one of the 'American' records.

Within a couple of years both had passed on.

The song is classic Strummer though - upbeat, with vivid words (as usually laying it on with a trowel), the chorus being 'You cast a long shadow' - I hear it as a tribute to Johnny Cash. It finishes off with the words 'there's always rock and ROLL!', which is kind of fitting.

I've only got this on a freebie with Uncut magazine - I dunno if its commercially available or not.




Come Closer  performed by Miles Kane   2010
Recommended by geezer [profile]

Something new from pops new boy wonder ,former Rascal and Last Shadow Puppeteer Kane trawls through pops back pages to define the sound of NOW!.
Brit pop arrogance with Bolan esque flirtations and a smattering of David Essex combine to forge a great fresh poppy sound that will undoubtedly have a limited shelf life but for the rest of the summer this will be the album to have

from Colour of the Trap, available on CD


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