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You searched for ‘high’, which matched 213 songs.
click - person recommending, year, performer, songtitle - to see more recommendations.
High Wire  performed by Edwin Astley & His Orchestra
Recommended by bobbyspacetroup [profile]

A gem from the classic '60s television soundtrack to "Secret Agent Man"/"Danger Man". Driving rhthym with harpsichord and brass.





This Is What She’s Like  performed by Dexys Midnight Runners
Recommended by LawrenceM [profile]

Am amazing song ... 14 minutes of pure passion. I think Kevin Rowland is one of the few singers of the past few decades who has real soul. The man MEANS IT and this song just makes my soul soar. The way it starts off with the dialogue, and the accapala singing, and then how the band just kicks in at the same moment, and your heartbeat just rises, and keeps on rising as Kevin just takes the songer higher and higher ... and sevem minutes in, just when you think it's going to finally finish, it changes completely and runs on for another seven minutes. I always feel exhasted after the song has ended ... it's such an emotional rush.

from Don't Stand Me Down, available on CD (EMI)


False Paradise  performed by Starcrost
Recommended by Pal [profile]

From my favorite compilation jazz bizniz! Highly recomended.


available on CD - Jazz Bizniz! (counterpoint)


Whirl  performed by High Rise
Recommended by Damian Vegas [profile]

Totally overdriven, psych-noise power trio rawk. (There, that should satisfy your need for critical cliche.) Seriously, though, this is one of my favorite tracks by High Rise. The band just seems totally in sync here while still going nuts. Especially potent (as always) is Munehiro Narita's guitar soloing. The band puts so much in the song that it really feels longer than it is, and it's still not nearly long enough. Recommended for people who love great guitar solos and just plain fierce rock and roll.


available on CD - Disallow (Squealer Music)


Born To Lose  performed by Bouncing Souls
Recommended by inbloom44 [profile]

I hearty Punk rock romp through heart break....Sing along if you want.




December Will Be Magic Again  performed by Kate Bush
Recommended by umbrellasfollowrain [profile]

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





  jeanette: I always think that this kind of christmas song just isn't done enough. It is a great song anyway, but what makes it even better is that it has this unusual view of the festive season - that it's not just about being jolly / feeling downbeat / singing about how "so much has happened in a year" etc etc. Kate Bush of course is mistress of the offbeat lyric and it's nice that she found a way to marry it to a christmas tune.
Aces High  performed by Iron Maiden
Recommended by inbloom44 [profile]

A little cheesey maybe...but it makes me want to kick major butt and the gutair riffs are incredible.




After The Dance (Instrumental)  performed by Marvin Gaye
Recommended by mr_klenster [profile]

I don't know if this has already been recommended. When you think Marvin Gaye, it's the gut-wrenching, highly emotive vocal style and incredible lyrics that immediately come to mind. This song is curious, yet not unique to Marvin in that it manages to capture those same Marvin-qualities in a purely instrumental track. The vocal version of this song is great too, and I don't mean to imply that the vocal version is somehow inferior, however the vocal and instrumental versions leave me with completely different emotional impressions. The vocal version is so much more overtly full of desire and pure lust, the instrumental version by comparison feels so much more uncertain, longing, and subtle. For me, it's the subtlety and grace of this instrumental version that make it so compelling.





Majory Razor Blade  performed by Kevin Coyne
Recommended by camus [profile]

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

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

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

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

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

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




The Highwayman  performed by Loreena McKennitt
Recommended by xicanti [profile]

I almost always cry when I'm listening to this one. McKennitt's voice is amazing, and I think she's done wonderful things with all the poetry she's adapted to music. This one in particular really speaks to me; she's made me feel the poem in ways that I never could while just reading it.

from The Book of Secrets


Stella  performed by Andreas Vollenweider
Recommended by snoopy313 [profile]

On a few cafe del mar type albums but don't let that put you off also on the excellent new big chill album. Vollenweider is a highly underated harp player this is a gem which will make your heart sing. It's one of those songs that kind of teases you with what it's going to do and then does it unashamedly and then just when it sounds like it's going to just noodle off to sleep it starts nudging you and letting you know your going to get it again, little minx! Sorry but this is aural sex - download - you and everyone you know will love it maybe not as much as me but they will.




Highway 101  performed by social distortion
Recommended by inbloom44 [profile]

Catchy but still hard and edgy. What a grown up Punk kid should sound like.




Tattoo  performed by Siouxsie and the Banshees
Recommended by robert[o] [profile]

The b-side of The Banshees' great/very successful cover of "Dear Prudence", and a great example of the band's perverse ability to generate b-sides on the odd afternoon off that where not only better than most bands' A-sides, but often better than most of the proper tracks from the Banshees' albums. (Thus, I can't recommend the "Downside Up" box set of the group's non-LP tracks highly enough.) This song is sleek, groovy, evil, paranoid funk, with Siouxsie at her most alluring/menacing. Tricky covered the song, thus acknowledging the impact of The Banshees on the Bristol trip-hop crew.

from Downside Up


the way you make me feel  performed by michael jackson
Recommended by complacentbasement [profile]

if you haven't heard this song yet, i highly recommend waiting until you are wearing shoes that are comfortable enough for you to uncontrollably break out into dance!




Dracula i love you  performed by Tuca
Recommended by moondog [profile]

If anyone ever wondered why Francoise Hardy never did an album as good as La Question this woman might well be the answer. For it was Tuca that was responsible for, well as i have figured out at least, the songs, production and string arrangements on that particular album. Tuca only made three albums herself, all of which is flawed, but at her best shows her influence on the la question album. With a voice somewhere between nara leao and joyce her songs really did come onto her own on her last album Dracula i love you. The title track is a haunting ballad that almost sounds if Kate Bush had been born in Brazil. Well, nearly i must add because i had so high expectations after the la question album so i was a bit disappointed when i heard her albums. But you could only imagine what great music Tuca could have done. This track at least shows her enormous potential and a sense of atmosphere that i haven´t heard from any other brazilian artist. Tuca tragically died in 1978 after trying losing weight to fast. Does anyone know more about her?

from Dracula i love you


When I Was a Young Girl  performed by Feist
Recommended by ThisNameIsTaken [profile]

inspired by traditional American Folk Music 'When I Was a Young Girl' contains beautiful vocals, haunting lyrics and a great beat.

Leslie Feist is an incredible artist and i would highly recomend the entire album 'Let It Die' (preferably the 2004 re-release).

from Let It Die, available on CD (Universal / Polydor)



Desire  performed by Ryan Adams
Recommended by CaitlinSpelledWrong [profile]

OMG, a song that actually has a beautiful sound and beautiful lyrics....you're kidding me? Ryan Adams has a soothing voice and beautiful lyrics to go with it. "All this waiting for the power, for some answer to this fire, sinking slowly the water's higher...Desire"




Everything Zen  performed by Bush
Recommended by blackbison2008 [profile]

High energy post-grunge. I like the energy and the arrangement, how they have the verse with just the bass and the cymbals and then they wail into the chorus with that great grunge guitar

from Sixteen Stone


song of the siren  performed by this mortal coil
Recommended by marisofparis [profile]

This plays during a very creepy/hot sex scene, go figure, from David Lynch's "Lost Highway". The song isn't on the soundtrack and I had to hunt it down seperately.

The mixture of the female singer's flowing voice with the slow guitar, following a step behind, is soothing and gorgeous.

It is a love song but one of sitting lost and alone "at the breakers" waiting for either love to return or to "lie with death, my bride"




Bob  performed by The Dodos
Recommended by Starr [profile]

Excellent duo from San Francisco, CA. I saw them live at the Troubadour and they were great. They delivered a high-energy and atmospheric performance.

from Beware of the Maniacs


Speeding Cars  performed by Imogen Heap
Recommended by melpomenex [profile]

This is such a beautiful song. Imogen Heap has an angelic voice, especially when she hits high notes.




The Very Best Of Neil Diamond  performed by Super Furry Animals
Recommended by komodo [profile]

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

Genius. SFA OK.


available on CD - Dark Days/Light Years (Rough Trade)


debaser  performed by pixies
Recommended by danielismagic [profile]

good pixies song
it's simple and energetic




Lovelier than you  performed by Bobby ray
Recommended by KidCudiMod [profile]

Acoustic recording from bobby ray, a highly talented muscian. accomplished on both piano and guitar. this song uses his guitar and singing skills. However he is equally adept at rapping and producing




Disco 2000  performed by Pulp
Recommended by daniela_por [profile]

Happy dance-pop song about a high school love.




Middle of the Day  performed by B.o.B
Recommended by jde10 [profile]

B.o.B is rap/rock. This song is very calm, it is good for being high and chilling out.




Summer, Highland Falls  performed by Billy Joel
Recommended by mklinsao [profile]

from Turnstiles


Tim McGraw  performed by Taylor Swift
Recommended by mklinsao [profile]

A song that Taylor Swift wrote as a freshman in high school about her senior boyfriend. She knew that when he left for college, they would have to break up, so the song talks about all the memories she wants him to keep.

from Taylor Swift


Flowers Bloom  performed by High Highs
Recommended by DeathandHarmony [profile]




Kill My Boyfriend  performed by Natalia Kills
Recommended by MiaMockingjay [profile]

This song starts off sounding like High School Musical but don't be alarmed, as it goes on it develops a deliciously psychotic feel. This song is quite different to other songs by Natalia Kills, but it is just as good if not better. I love this song because when I first heard it I didn't know what it was called and when I heard the lyrics "I'm rolling the dice, got the wind in my hair" I thought it was another ridiculously cheesy love song but then it went "I'm gonna kill my boyfriend" which intrigued me and I am so glad I kept listening because it just gets better and better.

from Perfectionist, available on CD


High and Dry  performed by Radiohead
Recommended by lhirsch92 [profile]




She’s So High  performed by Tal Bachman
Recommended by lhirsch92 [profile]




Was That The Human Thing To Do? (Rejected "Take A")  performed by Boswell Sisters  1932
Recommended by tapler [profile]

Anytime I see old records that were initially rejected by the record company, I know something cool must be going on. This song is no exception. Highlighted by a slow, sultry, minor key bridge (that was later sped up in the commercial version), this is probably my favorite recording of the 20th century.


available on CD - Okay America (Jass)



I Got Rhythm  performed by Ethel Merman  1940
Recommended by Melms [profile]

NO ONE ELSE could belt it out like that. When she finishes the first chorus,instead of reprising the melody for a second time through, she simply belts a single note (a high C) for an entire 32-bar chorus. Her voice COMMANDED audiences the world over to applaud that song. Celine Dion's got nothing on Ethel. Nothing!

from There's No Business Like Show Business: The Collection, available on CD ()


That Chick's Too Young to Fry  performed by The Deep River Boys  1943
Recommended by tinks [profile]

Talk about double entendre! Quite possibly the best song ever to use fried chicken as a euphemism for sex with an underage girl. An excellent example of mid-40s rhythm & blues...the entire compilation is highly recommended.


available on CD - The Jive is Jumpin': RCA & Bluebird Vocal Groups (Westside)




  delicado: hey, that's the year my parents were born! Nice eclectic selection you're recommending...
How High The Moon  performed by June Christy  1959
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

Got a haircut today (short, choppy, fab). Getting a haircut often makes me think of June because she did have the greatest barnet ever - that fringe!

So I've pulled out my June collection - a paltry 4 LPs but growing - and am lovin' a bit of this tonight. The instrumentation here reminds me a lot of Ella Mae Morse's corner of the market, someone I should really get around to recommending on this site.

How High The Moon opens gentle as duck down, moving into a light finger snappin' mood then onto a heavy big band scat rhythm. Christy's technique is superlative and you can almost hear her intuitively measuring the band, taking each note perfectly.

This LP is a set of re-interpretations of songs June originally sang with the Stan Kenton Orchestra. Being a June novice, I'm not aware of the original version but I doubt I could like it more.

from June Christy Recalls Those Kenton Days (Capitol ST 1202)



Market Place  performed by Eden Ahbez  1960
Recommended by delicado [profile]

This exquisite instrumental really takes me to another place. The exotic instrumentation, with vibes and great percussion, gives it an incredible atmosphere. To quote the CD's liner notes, 'it's as if you've walked into a grandiose movie setting'. Perhaps this dates me, but in fact when I hear this I find myself picturing some of the desert scenes in the movie Star Wars. I highly recommend the album.

from Eden's Island, available on CD ()



There�ll be another spring  performed by Monica Zetterlund  1960
Recommended by Mike [profile]

A superb version. A very purely beautiful, very expressively controlled vocal. A perfectly stylish trio backing. The rest of the album also holds to a very high standard indeed - a real pleasure. I've never enjoyed vocal jazz more!

from The Lost Tapes at Bell Sound Studios NYC, available on CD ()


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)


Egyptian Shumba  performed by The Tammys  1963
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

A wild ride down the Nile. If anyone ever accuses the girl group sound of being all innocent or only about boys then just shove this riot in their ears.

Resplendent with one of the greatest nonsense refrains in popular music ("shimmy-shimmy-shimmy-shi-mi-mis-pe-dis") and screams aplenty, this track is a winner on every conceivable level. The instrumentation is clearly designed to sound Egyptian, but instead resembles the soundtrack to a campy exploitation flick about girl gangs among the pyramids (or something).

A highly unusual platter, and deservedly enjoying a greater cult reputation as the years go by.

from the single Egyptian Shumba (United Artists UA 678)
available on CD - Egyptian Shumba: The Singles And Rare Recordings (RPM)




  unathanthium: Yes,most songs that have Egyptian in the title are fabulously stupid.Egyptian Reggae,Walk Like an Egyptian for instance.Egyptian Shumba is better than the pyramids and should outlast them.Also available on Girls Go Zonk.Shimmy,shimmy,shimmy,shy-yi,meece-e-deece according to their sleeve notes.
  jeanette: That Girls Go Zonk CD is cool, esp. that vocal version of Mission: Impossible. But you know when you have your own version of lyrics in your head and are reluctant to change them? Their sleevenotes are probably accurate but I'll never think of the song that way. An example: until embarrasingly recently I thought the the lyrics to Fame by Irene Cara were "take your pants down, and make it happen". It is of course "passion" and lord only knows what relatives thought of a four-year old me singing those lyrics at the top of my kiddy voice.
  unathanthium: Are you sure you misheard the lyrics of Fame?Your version makes more sense to me.
Come Rain or Come Shine  performed by Judy Garland  1963
Recommended by robert[o] [profile]

For those of you out there who are still perplexed by the cult of Judy, may I suggest hardily this amazing DVD? Culled from her now legendary CBS TV series in the early 1960�s, this collection features a selection of solo performances, and �Come Rain or Come Shine� sums up things here perfectly. It is a frenzied, riveting, almost frightening reading of the song. Nick Cave or Polly Harvey wish they were this intense � or perhaps (wisely) they don�t. Judy at this point is a woman ravaged by both her life - alcohol, pills, suicide attempts, catastrophic illness and innumerable career failures and comebacks - and to a certain extent her own astonishing, almost vampryric talent. To see this frail little creature � she was in her early 40�s, but looks about 60 � totter onto this empty stage and become possessed by a song - her voice soaring, her talent surging through her like high voltage electricity - is almost too much to watch. But one has to watch her � even if only to see whether see she spontaneously combusts during the performance. (And those old time Judy-queens still amongst us � God bless them � swear this footage only hints at what it was like to see her live.) Must be seen/heard to be believed.

from The Judy Garland Show: Just Judy DVD (Pioneer Artists PA-11577)


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

Lots of Cilla's earlier material was top quality, this Lennon/McCartney song (never actually recorded by the Fabs) knocked me out when I first heard it on my cousin's Dansette in 1964. Spooky melody which almost strays into jazz territory in the instrumental break. Sophisticated pop of the highest order.




Run Mascara  performed by The Exciters  1965
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

Now THAT'S a title. Honestly, I so wish I was a teen in the sixties. You got to gloom along to the highest-quality pop-soul instead of the early 90's alt.rock that was de riguer in my tender years.

The Exciters are one of the most enduring of the 60's "girl" groups (there's one boy in there). No matter how polished the production was, they remained overwhelmingly vital thanks to the harsh vocal power of Brenda Reid, their main singer. They found mucho favour on the Northern Soul circuit, but I think their stuff is substantially more individual than a lot of the platters on offer in that scene.

"Run Mascara" is about a boy who knows how to hurt and make the tears flow, but gives just enough sweetness to keep Brenda in love. Your classic emotionally-abusive relationship. You would think with a voice like hers Brenda would just wallop him. Or shout at him. That'd shut him up.

Musically it races fast, with the other group members yelling to keep up with the breakneck speed. An outstanding few minutes.

from the single Run Mascara (Columbia DB 7606)
available on CD - Something To Shout About! (Sequel)



Se telefonando  performed by Mina  1966
Recommended by delicado [profile]

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


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




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



midsummer night's scene  performed by john's children  1966
Recommended by shaka_klaus [profile]

ever heard of marc bolan? check this out! toured with the who and got thrown off due to a havoc in germany. a psychedelic pop song of highest class.

from the single midsummer night's scene
available on CD - smashed blocked (get back)




  n-jeff: Its not my favourite of their songs, but one of the few where you can hear Bolan, I don't think he actually did that much with them. They play a funny part in Simon Napier-Bells autobiography "you don't have to say you love me". Recommended for its high trash content and infallible ego.
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.
I Put A Spell On You  performed by Alan Price  1966
Recommended by Swinging London [profile]

Alan Price left The Animals in 1965 and began his career as as the lead singer of The Alan Price Set in 1966.

Their first single was a flop. This, their second, made the Top Ten, in England.

It's my personal favourite rendition of this much covered, Screamin' Jay Hawkins song. The most famous version is probably by Nina Simone, which I also rate very highly.

Alan's version is tremendously powerful, helped by his skilful, echoey use of the Hammond Organ.

Price never 'made it' in the USA as a solo performer. He was terrified of flying, so the necessary promotion of his work, stateside, suffered. He also gave this as his reason for leaving the Animals, who needed to spend a lot of time in the USA, as they had a huge following there.

He's one of my favourite British artists, solo & otherwise, of the '60's & I think this is my favourite of his songs.

from The Price To Play (Repetoire)
available on CD - yes



Wake and Kill  performed by Ennio Morricone  1966
Recommended by texjernigan [profile]

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





Diamond Bossa Nova  performed by Francesco De Masi  1967
Recommended by PappaWheelie [profile]

Italian film score Bossa Nova featuring lyric-less female vocal.

from The "Troppo per Vivere, Poco per Morire" soundtrack (Edizioni Beat Records/REIA)
available on CD - Easy Tempo (Eighteenth Street Lounge)



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.
Alone Again Or  performed by Love  1967
Recommended by sinister [profile]

the words "i could be in love with almost every one/ and i will be alone again tonight with you" are sung in a very intimate high-register, backed by glorious acoustic guitar plucking and horn bursts. two minutes in, the song erupts into an extended horn solo! probably the most perfectly orchestrated pop song.

from Forever Changes, available on CD



  plasticsun: I agree - unfortunately so did Miller beer, which used the horn part in a commericial aimed at the "Cinco de mayo" crowd. Still an incredible song.
This Afternoon  performed by Chad Mitchell  1967
Recommended by konsu [profile]

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

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

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

from Love, A Feeling Of (Warner Brothers WS 1706)




  b. toklas: The album "Chad" on Bell records is the one to get. Great songs (by Jake Holmes, Joni Mitchell and others) and fantastic arrangements. Hal Blaine and a couple of other wrecking crew members and great musicians are on it, too. In places it also reminds me of the group H.P. Lovecraft. So it might even be interesting for lovers of psychedelic music (not for those who hate strings, of course). I wonder if I should call it a masterpiece.
  artlongjr: I second that on the "Chad" album...it's terrific. There's a 7-minute plus cover of Tim Buckley's "Goodbye and Hello" on there that rather stunned me, since it seems like a very challenging song to sing. The H.P.Lovecraft connection comes through Chicago producer Bill Traut, who owned Dunwich Records (the album is a Dunwich production). Traut was involved with H.P. Lovecraft, and of course the Shadows of Knight.
Foolin' Around  performed by Chris Montez  1967
Recommended by Swinging London [profile]

'We won't do anything that shouldn't be done, only the groovy things like having fun'...& there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, in my book.

This is the title track to Chris Montez's third album with A&M, produced by Herb Alpert & it's very, very sweet, but, for some reason not sickly so. That's the magic of mid-'sixties Chris Montez.

This song was almost a hit in Britain. It was released just as the pirate radio stations were about to be banned. It was 'Record Of The Week' on Radio London the week it was shut down and sadly never grabbed it's deserved foothold after that.

A lot of people are taken aback by how high Chris's voice was when he sang, but once you get over that, his music from the A&M era (1966-8) is strangely addictive. Very warm and melodic.

He did mostly cover songs, mostly 'hits of the day', but also generous helpings of classics from the 1940's & '50's. Always giving them a brand new very mid-'sixties treatment.

from Foolin' Around (A & M)



The Dis-Advantages of You  performed by The Brass Ring  1967
Recommended by artlongjr [profile]

This song has become known as one of the quintessential "Now Sound" numbers, and I go a LONG way back with it as far as memories go! As a kid in the sixties I used to love the Benson and Hedges cigarette commercials-although I was very much anti-smoking even then! But the cool theme music and humorous content of these commercials was a hit with us kids. Well, flash forward to the mid-1980's...I was doing my usual record collector thing in a local thrift store and came across an album called "The Dis-Advantages of You" by the Brass Ring, a group that I had several 45s by already. It looked interesting, so I picked it up...and was blown away by the first track, which was that wonderful Benson and Hedges theme that I remembered from childhood. I
couldn't believe my luck in stumbling across it, and
it immediately became one of my all time favorite tracks. The cool, wordless female vocals, whimsical melody, and smooth saxophone playing never fail to transport me back to the 1960's of my youth! I did some research on the song at the time and was surprised to find that it had been a chart hit in the spring of 1967. I was listening to the radio a lot back then and didn't recall hearing it. But rediscovering this recording really was a highlight of my musical development.

from The Dis-Advantages of You (Dunhill 50017)


Tiao bra�o forte  performed by Marcos Valle  1968
Recommended by delicado [profile]

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

from Viola Enluarada (Odeon)
available on CD - The Essential Marcos Valle, Vol 2 (Mr Bongo)



Feelings  performed by the Grassroots  1968
Recommended by tinks [profile]

Given the recent reevaluation of "mainstream" 60s pop acts such as the Association, the Monkees & Free Design, it seems a shame that more people aren't aware of how great the Grassroots were. Best known for their oldies-radio staples "Midnight Confessions" and "Let's Live for Today", they were purveyors of great well-crafted, country-rock-tinged pop music. This track is a perfect example, deftly combining vibes, mandolin, handclaps, fuzz guitar and terrific lyrics into an inimitable 60s L.A. sound. Check them out, it's high time that they got their due. And a special note for all you trainspotters out there...you can see the band perform this song in the 1968 Doris Day vehicle "With Six You Get Egg Roll".

from Feelings (Dunhill)
available on CD - Anthology: 1965-1975 (Rhino)



  adam12: Right! I can remember most local bands covering this tune in the mid-late 60's. Sounds good coming out of a garage. Kinda like "Nobody But Me" by the Human Beings.
You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling  performed by Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra  1968
Recommended by delicado [profile]

I put this record on again yesterday for the first time in a while, and was reminded of how utterly astounding this track is. Lee's voice is incredibly low. Both Nancy and Lee add little variations to the tune, and are accompanied by some simple instrumentation: a catchy strummed guitar, drums, bass and occasional piano and strings. At various points, the song just stops as Lee sings 'Woah Woah Woooe'. Very highly recommended.

from Nancy and Lee (Reprise)
available on CD - Fairytales and Fantasies




  Liv: Lee's voice is a bit of an acquired taste(-but too,uh,rusty for me anyway-),but as for Nancy,her best recordings from this period(the 60's)are top quality..she became something of a cult heroine for die-hard 60's collectors..and went into pop history..
  ronin: I'll always remember them for "Some Velvet Morning When I'm Straight," which I never understood, but liked anyway--his rather drawling delivery opposite her more conventional one.
  n-jeff: Post Top Gun this song is remarkably popular in its Righteous Brothers version amongst the local rugby and hockey playing types, so when doing sports parties its always good fun to play the nancy and Lee version for its disturbing "Slowed down" feeling. But at home, its always just good to play it.
Georgy Girl  performed by Alan Tew Sound  1968
Recommended by n-jeff [profile]

It starts the LP with a blast of horns and a wail of Harry Stoneham on Organ, with a big intro that makes you check the LP sleeve - Is this really that folky ballad?

A drop down to a cowbell latin beat, and then back into the song proper. The main rendition is pretty good, but theres just something about that introduction that just turns it into a cheeseball, high kicking masterpiece. I start grinning every time I hear it, never fails to lift my spirits.

from Latin Style..plys the hits of Tom Springfield (Contour)


We Must Be Doing Something Right  performed by Gordian Knot  1968
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

This track is pure, unadulterated soft rock/sunshine pop heaven. This could easily be mistaken for a lost Association gem with beautifully arranged vocal harmonies by Hi-Los'Clark Burroughs, who, in fact, also produced "Never My Love" and "Windy" (and the rest of the "Insight Out" album for The Association). Combined with a slightly baroque sounding harpsicord, organ, xylophone embellishments and highly idealistic lyrics it makes a lovely piece of sunhsine pop.

from Tones (Verve V6-5062)



Always You (Single Version)  performed by The Sundowners  1968
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

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

from Captain Nemo (Decca)
available on CD - The Get Easy! Sunshine Pop Collection (Universal)




  delicado: I have to agree. What a beautiful track! Very similar to the Small Circle of Friends record, but perhaps even better! I just have the version from the compilation; I'll try and track down the single.
  eftimihn: Delicado, you have the single version already, it's the one on my Roger Nichols compilation, i just somehow forgot to mark it as the single version. The single is clocking in at 2:18, the album version runs 3 minutes.
  delicado: Cool; I'll listen again. This track is sure to make it onto one of my comps; surely it could make a soft pop fan out of anyone!
  tinks: great album, and a horrendously overlooked group..."dear undecided" is the best beatles song that the beatles never recorded.
  Major Minor: I agree this is the best version... I think it's the same one that's on the "Sunshine days" compilation.... The one on Captain Nemo isn't awful or anything, but the orchestral intro does go on a bit...
Chinon / Eleanor�s Arrival  performed by John Barry  1968
Recommended by nighteye [profile]

I didn't know anything about 'The Lion In Winter' from 1968 until a few days ago. I had the TV on in the background when my attention was grabbed by one particular song in the movie. "That must be John Barry's work", I thought to my self. His use of strings and trumpets are unmisstakable -- and surely I was correct!

'Chinon / Eleanor's Arrival' has the same type of sound as Barry's later soundtracks such as 'Moonraker', 'High Road to China' and 'Out of Africa'. In fact, I first thought I was listening to a passage from 'Moonraker' when I heard this song the first time. The arrangement is brilliant, the lush rich strings, trumpet and female- male choir really makes this song stand out. It has a very majestic, grand feeling to it and it really fits the scene it is used for in the movie.

from The Lion In Winter
available on CD - The Lion In Winter OST (Silva)



I don't intend to spend Christmas without you  performed by Claudine Longet  1968
Recommended by jezandliz1 [profile]

Really cheering to find so many other Longet recommendations on the site. This festive gift seems only to be available on the Japanese "Best of" but repays handsomely the effort in seeking it out. Highly melodic and atmospheric it begs you to curl up in front of a real fire with a loved one in a cottage miles from anywhere...

Claudine recorded a number of Margo Guryan songs which are all impossibly fey, seductive and bewitching and I couldn't get through a week without them. (BTW I would also recommend all of the tracks (not one duffer) on Margo Guryan's album Take a Picture)


available on CD - A & M Digitally Remastered Best (A & M Japan)


"Midnight Circus"  performed by Aluminum Dream  1968
Recommended by Frumious [profile]

Wow, I thought I was the only person alive who remembered them. A girl Cynthia I knew raved about them, and I saw them several times, once opening for Janis Joplin at the Village Theater. "Midnight Circus" was the highlight of the sets I remember, lots of swirling Farfisa organ (I seem to remember a very atractive girl playing it), and a very carchy chorus - of which I only remember "It's a Midnight circus"... I don't know if the song was ever recorded, either as part of a set or demo, but it was that good it should bew noted....





  billybarth: hi frumious I am the ex-guitarist of Aluminum Dream and Midnight Circus was written by Allen Landon, the other guitarist. We never recorded it as a band. I don't know if he recorded it later with anyone else. In fact, we never released a recording. There are two demos...I have one, an acetate. The girl keyboardist was Joan Silver. Cynthia was my girlfriend at the time...if Cynthia Hoge is who you are thinking of. How is it possible to remember a song played live in 1968 at the Anderson Theatre and never recorded? Is there a bootleg version floating around out there. Let me know.. thanks, stay high Billy Barth
Ninna Nanna per Adulti  performed by Ennio Morricone  1968
Recommended by texjernigan [profile]

There's already an entry for this album, but I felt like I had to note it with an mp3. Ditto to everything that m_thom said, this song is what pushed me over the edge, that perfect heroine high that no other piece of music has given in me since, but it created in me a desire for beautiful music, and that's what brings me here today. If anybody has a copy of the film, I'd pretty much do anything for it.





Eque  performed by Duke Ellington  1968
Recommended by delicado [profile]

Taken from his exquisite Latin American Suite, this is an unusual sounding track to me. Mid-tempo, with an unrelenting bossa nova style beat, the action is shared between the piano and various horns and saxophones. I guess it's the strange discordant tones that take this track higher for me. They remind me of some chords I've heard in the more adventurous Brazilian pop music of the late 1960s - basically taking what is fundamentally a sweet sounding, warm chord, and overlaying notes that provide a darker, more forboding feel.

Adding to this, the punctuating horns and reeds give the whole thing a gently groovy feel that's reminiscent of quirky 60s soundtrack music. Really cool stuff, and I recommend the whole album.

from Latin American Suite, available on CD


Ten Miles High  performed by David and the Giants   1968
Recommended by geezer [profile]

That rarest of anomalys, psychedelic Northern soul,a strange land where a late sixties slice of psyche pop can run amok with soul legends and funk obscurities in some dingy cellar club in the middle of Blackpool.Innocent and as catchy as hell ,some de riguer flanging and Who style backing vocals cannot deter this song from its righteous melodic path.

from single CAPITOL 1968
available on CD - Talcum Soul 2


Rosemary  performed by Scott Walker  1969
Recommended by delicado [profile]

It's another doomy orchestral vocal masterpiece! A devastating piece, this would be a depressing song if it weren't for the incredible string arrangement, which is like warm sunlight. I can't recommend this (and the album it's taken from) highly enough.

from Scott 3, available on CD




  nighteye: I feel like making a movie just based on this song alone. This is a great piece of music and probably one of Scott Walkers best achivements. I love the gloomy, rainy feeling you get listening to it, Walker's voice is incredible.
Trop's  performed by Alberto Baldan Bembo  1969
Recommended by delicado [profile]

A super cool instrumental track which for me is one of the highlights of the Italian 'Easy Tempo' series of film music compilations. A laid back funky beat drives the song forward. Strings seep in and out, twangy guitars play on. I guess if you're reading this you are getting the picture of the kind of stuff I like by now...


available on CD - Easy Tempo Volume 8 (Right Tempo)



By the time I get to Phoenix  performed by Dorothy Ashby  1969
Recommended by delicado [profile]

The idea of a funky jazz harp rendition of this classic Jim Webb song is probably cheesy to some people, but trust me, this one works brilliantly. The opening shimmers delightfully with fender rhodes piano, strings, and a huge breakbeat. Dorothy's harp then takes over, and we move into a nice pop/funk/jazz take on the song. The relentless beat is pretty funny when you compare this version to others (e.g. the Glen Campbell hit version, also Nick Cave's classic stripped down version from 'Kicking against the pricks'), but it is really very charming, happy stuff. A similar funk/pop hybrid occurs on her version of 'Windmills of your mind' - highly recommended.

from Dorothy's Harp (Cadet)



Julia  performed by Ramsey Lewis  1969
Recommended by delicado [profile]

This one really has everything, to me. I'm not a connoisseur of the Beatles's 'White album', but I'm completely crazy about Ramsey Lewis's superb LP in tribute to it. The entire album has a delicious balance of crisp beats, electric piano, strings, and subtle touches of moog, played by the album's producer, Charles Stepney. I've chosen 'Julia' to recommend because I enjoy the way it changes mood - opening mournful and slow, and then getting very funky. But the entire album is really packed with winners; other highlights are a wacky and extremely funky 'back in the USSR', a superb 'Dear Prudence', and a great 'cry baby cry'.

from Mother Nature's Son (Cadet)




  vince: Is there any way to get the whole album Mother Nature's Son on CD?
  delicado: yes, there's a Japanese CD, which you could probably get via www.dustygroove.com. It really is a wonderful album (for those that like this kind of thing!)
Do it again  performed by Ronnie Aldrich  1969
Recommended by delicado [profile]

This is pure fun, a track with that 'easy cheesy' sound which many people love to hate. But wait, this is brilliant! Although rather clunky and an extremely 'square' take on 'hip', this is quite magnificent, honestly. Backed by a relentless beat, Ronnie plays the tune on 2 pianos, while for the bridge section the superb harmonies in the Beach Boys original are played out beautifully by the London Festival Orchestra. Although it's something of a guilty pleasure, I have to recommend this track very highly. Listening to it now on headphones, I notice that it even has that stereo effect having each piano come out of a different channel, an effect used to great effect on his version of 'soulful strut'.

from This Way (London/Phase 4 SP 44116)




  tinks: and here i was convinced that i was the only person in the world that liked this album! the cover of "mas que nada" on here is great!
The day the earth stood still  performed by David Essex  1969
Recommended by Ron1967-1970 [profile]

THE perfect popsong ? Not sure, but it comes close to it. The tune has that typical late 60s "sound". Bombastically orchestrated in the "Barry Ryan style"... it's a melodrama with lots of
catchy hooks... IF you can find it, you will love it ... I usually rate a song not higher than
8/10, but this one... well, what can I say... 11/10 !!!




Fumemos Un Cigarrillo  performed by Piero  1969
Recommended by konsu [profile]

Piero sings in a soothing, breath-y tenor... More italian in tone than latin, although,the best comparison i've found is Luiz Henrique.His phrasing reminds me of Luiz as well,but there is no real relation.The backing has a nice spaghetti -western kind of vibe ala' Moriccone,which gives the whole thing a kind of high planes drifter setting,with plucked electric bass, strummed acoustic guitar,and occasional female chorus with a light string arrangement,Very cool.The whole record is really good,and a lot of the songs have a distinctly latin ballad feel.

from Piero, available on CD




  modette: choose the italian compositers but choose them better: isn't "luiz henrique" , is LUIS ENRIQUEZ. other marvellous song of his: lo scatenato. sorry for my english!!!
  klatu: Pretty sure "Luiz Henrique" is the correct spelling, and that he is Brazilian. Must be a different guy than the similarly named Italian.
  Betto_Colombia: Piero is from Argentina.
Ninna nanna per adulti  performed by Ennio Morricone  1969
Recommended by m_thom [profile]

This track, heck, make that soundtrack, is fast becoming an all-time Morricone favourite for me (that's saying a lot-I would hate to have to count the # of soundtracks I have collected by him). It describes, quite evocatively and soulfully, exactly what it feels like to be in a dream. No synthesizers, either (well, obvious synthesizers), just celeste, strings and Edda doing this descending scale thing. And the drums and rhythm pick up and we are off to the races in some kind of cosmic heaven. It's a jangly melody that keeps spiralling higher and higher. I don't think Edda has ever hit any higher notes! The whole "Vergogna Schifosi" soundtrack is glorious, really. I know that sounds stupid, but it's so short and sweet and filled with beautiful, mysterious and lush instrumentation. Worth seeking out the CD. I found mine thru Lionel, the fello at Hillside in the UK. Thanks Lionel!

from Vergogna Schifosi



  eftimihn: Yes, wonderfully dream-like track indeed. It's also featured on the last entry in the excellent "Mondo Morricone" trilogy, "Molto Mondo Morricone". But i think Edda managed to sing even higher notes, just check out "Una spiaggia a mezzogiorno", also on the "Vergogna schifosi" soundtrack.
  m_thom: Yes, "Una spiaggia..." is indeed really good. I heard that one first on the "L'Orchestra La Voce" compilation (I found it in Paris years ago when the vinyl was quite rare). And let's not forget "Un Altro Mare", which ranks right up there (also on "L'Orchestra...", but in an edited version).
your hidden dreams  performed by white noise  1969
Recommended by olli [profile]

great electronic effects-laden psychedelia from their 1969 album "an electric storm". a spooky and beautiful track with lots of echo and spacy non-melodic digressions. oddly, it stays quite coherent despite all the insane stuff going on in the background. Female singer, beautyful breathy voice, kind of a "nico light-" thing going on.
the track "firebird" from the same album is also highly recommended.

by the way, i�m pretty sure each member of broadcast have their own copy of this album. The song "marooned" on wire's 1978 album "chairs missing" shares some melodic qualities with this track. would probably sound great if mixed together..

(if you're interested in aquiring the whole album, it�s pretty hard to come by, at least in vinyl form. i think it's been reissued on cd by some obscure label, but as i only have a cd-r copy, i'm not sure. side a is very good, but from what i heard they ran out of studio time, forcing them to make side b a bit more...shall we say, "experimental" in order to make it lp lenghth...)

from an electric storm




  standish: My dad's prog-rock friend brought this album over when my dad got his first proper stereo in 1972 and played us the scary side... These days, I love "Firebird" and "Here Come The Fleas". Quirky UK electronica by (BBC Radiophonic Workshop) Delia Derbyshire and David Vorhaus.
Les Girls  performed by Dan Terry Orchestra & Chorus  1969
Recommended by konsu [profile]

Man! You really have to get up early in the morning to find tracks like this. LA big band funk, banks of brass, electric bass throbbing away, and the hard hitting Jimmy Gordon on drums! But the best part is the vocals, done it a way that makes it sound like an Odeon recording from late 60's Brazil!... Stunning. The rest of the LP is no slouch either though, and reminds me a lot of Quincy's late 60's work and the Project 3 era Enoch Light stuff.

Highly recommended to lounge DJ's and fans of mod rarities.


from Lonely Place (Happy Tiger MT 1005)



donne-moi ton amour  performed by sylvie vartan  196?
Recommended by daidai [profile]

a french reworking of 'gimmie some loving' by the spencer davis group. lush strings and pounding horns make this song a stormer. i personally like this version better than the original. highly recommended.





Run for Your Life  performed by Lara & the Trailers  196?
Recommended by tinks [profile]

A note-for-note cover of the Nancy Sinatra's version of the Beatles' classic...sung in a very high-pitched Cantonese. Beautiful stuff.


available on CD - Girls in the Garage, Volume 9 (Romulan)




  mpanzera: AY RUVV!
  Swinging London: That one's a lot of fun!
Lookin� At A Baby  performed by The Collage  196?
Recommended by konsu [profile]

Another awsome but forgotten vocal group from 60's California that deserves a proper re-issue!The Collage were a vocal quartet(2 boys & 2 girls)with a very cool sound.Not enough to set them apart from the pack,but very groovy out of their context.The sound is as good as re-discovered groups like Free Design, or Millenium.In fact,Curt Boettcher wrote one of the songs on the LP,as well as Roger Nichols!
This song has a kind of"love awareness" message that seems just as relevant in today's troubled world: "...Look at a baby,what do you see?What do you see,lookin' at a baby?/I can see the world the way that I would like the world to be!..."This song,as the opener on the LP,has a lot of power, with that great 8th note stomp and a big,boomy,bass line with harpsichord.The arrangements are by the great Perry Botkin Jr.,and he gives the whole record a nice swirling,magical quality.And the rest of the album is just as impressive, and should be worth the high price for any lover of the genre.

from The Collage (Smash SRS 7101/MGS 27101)



  kwan_dk: Great song! I was lucky enough to find their album for 1 (!) dollar at a garage sale and loved that great opening track...
  rum: I heard a version of this track on that excellent rhino handmade 'Hallucinations' compilation. It was by the Collectors. I'm not sure whether it was the original or not, but it's really good. I remember looking at a picture of the band and thinking that if these 'collectors' started peering over into my baby's pram, I'd be wheeling him away to the nearest bobby. Ah such was the carefree innocence of the 60s that shabby young men could spend balmy afternoons in the park staring at young children.
  maya: I love this album! I may post some recs once I've listened to it a few times more...and since the year has a question mark, it's from 1967! they've got such a soft, sweet sound, that it's hard to resist.
  artlongjr: This song and band are great, no doubt. They were Canadian and later evolved into Chilliwack (who I haven't heard). I have their first LP which contains this song, and is excellent, it's a classic of West Coast psychedelia. I had a chance to hear their second album from a friend of mine who works in a record store, it's terrific! I think I heard that the name "Collectors" was given to them by a manager or record executive...but please, overlook the dorkiness of the name! This song is getting around, I now have it on two comps.
bonnie and clyde  performed by serge gainsbourg  196?
Recommended by olli [profile]

Come on! how come nobody's recommended this yet?
great repetitive, driving string backing, fantastic hiccup-monkey-like vocal hooks, faboulous performance.
essential.
(stereolab has an absolutely fantastic slow twangy version of this on the album spacey double spiral. very, very highly recommended.)


available on CD - comic strip



  ronin: Relentless violin beat, depressing song, memorable, moves toward its inescapable conclusion...makes me think of a well loved coworker who died in '01.
  sonore: the "stereolab version" wouldn't happen to be the Luna (feat. Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab)'s hidden track from the Penthouse LP would it? Anyway, the Luna f. Laetitia version of Bonnie & Clyde is absolutely fantastic. : )
Guitarras Em Fogo  performed by Waltel Branco  196?
Recommended by sodapop650 [profile]

Waltel Branco is the guitarist on a lot of classic early and mid-sixties Bossa LPs with outfits with Wilson Das Neves, Eumir Deodato and I think Ed Lincoln. There is also the classic and highly prized "Mancini Tamem e Samba" LP under his leadership that is available once again on the whatmusic label. Branco is like a Brazilian Les Paul but a little less quirky and a lot more hip. You can't help being more hip with that latin beat backing you up. Lots of deep lumbering compelling beats allow Branco to highlight his fretwork, thus the title - as far as I can translate becasue the cover is a picture of a flame - "Guitars on Fire." Similar to Heraldo Dos Monte "Batida Diferente".

from Guitarra Em Fogo (Musidisc HiFi 2.056)


Pula Yetla  performed by Letta Mbulu  196?
Recommended by konsu [profile]

Great stuff from a young Letta Mbulu. Her first recording, and with the good company of H.B. Barnum & David Axelrod, is a stunner. This is my favorite track from the LP. It's almost in a Mystic Moods kind of mode, with a thunderstorm recording used for effect, it may have something to do with the lyrics, but since she sings in Xhosa, I have no idea. Her voice is strong and smooth, at times she sounds influenced by Nina Simone, but on this one she is more in a traditional mode. The backing is great Axlerod, with his strong soul-jazz-rock crossover, much like he did for Lou Rawls during this period. Highly recommended for fans of heavier african grooves.

from Letta Mbulu Sings (Capitol ST 2874)


The Letter  performed by The Arbors  196?
Recommended by konsu [profile]

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

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

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

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

from The Arbors (Date TES 4017)



  delicado: yeah, this one has been on my list to recommend for a while. Superb stuff!
  artlongjr: I used to hear this song back in the early 70's, I didn't know who it was back then but it did get airplay. This group's first hit I really like and recommend, it's called "Symphony for Susan" and came out in 1966.
La Foresta Incantata  performed by Piero Umiliani  1970
Recommended by delicado [profile]

Although I'm very interested in the batch of cool Italian soundtracks from the 60s and 70s which have recently been reissued, I often feel pretty overwhelmed by the volume of stuff out there. So I was pleased to find a used copy of Piero Umiliani's 'Angeli Bianchi...Angeli Neri'. It really is an intoxicatingly brilliant record, and this track is one of the highlights. The musical setting moves around a lot over four minutes - the opening sounds almost like fairy tale music; this then fades out, and some spooky and very cool sounding wordless vocals come in, accompanied by a slick, hip easy listening-style sequence with strings, bass and drums. As this builds, the wordless vocals continue, backed by increasingly beautiful and unexpected chord changes. I'm not doing a great job of describing this record, but happily in this case you can hear the whole song (streamed, real audio) at the excellent 'atrecordings.com' site. Anyway, it's a wonderful track, up there with my absolute favorite soundtrack pieces.

from Angeli Bianchi...Angeli Neri, available on CD




  bobbyspacetroup: Magical track. It's can also be found on Easy Tempo, Vol. 9. Too bad atrecordings has shut down.
  leonthedog: Magical indeed! Morricone, Piccioni, Umiliani, and Trovaioli are like Sirens... I am sure there are others - God grant me the time and good fortune to find them!
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough  performed by Diana Ross  1970
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

Proving once and for all that she could carry herself as a solo artist and sing a dramatic love song, Ms. Ross slowed down the tempo and sank her emotions into this wonderful tale of unending love and devotion. The original full-length version clocks in at 6:16 but was brutally chopped down to around 3:30 for radio airplay and some of the song's most intimate words are removed. Sadly, the shorter version was featured on her box set a few years back. (what were they thinking???!!!) Get your hands on the 6 minute version and enjoy a true classic american song by a great american artist!

from Diana Ross, available on CD



  Mister C: I agree with you, the full length version of this is wonderful, as is her full length version of Reach Out I'll Be There recorded in 1971.
Cavaleiro Andante  performed by Abilio Manoel  1970
Recommended by gregcaz [profile]

This song is simply unreal. It starts out in a kind of 4/4 samba groove with a highly prominent cuica and a funky strummed acoustic guitar chord progression before the super-catchy pizzicato-violins riff comes in, and Abilio's mellow voice singing the melody. It's sunshiney and catchy, with a bit of a haunting aftertaste, very Brazilian. I can never hear this song enough times!! Abilio Manoel is a Sao Paulo-based singer-songwriter from the late-60s-70s (still active) who wrote a few moderate hits without attaining even a Marcos Valle level of popularity. Good for Marcos, since Abilio's work would have caused me a few sleepless nights if I were him. And both on the same label, too! Abilio's stuff is hard to find, but very worth the effort.....I've already given Dusty Groove the heads-up about the CD....

from Pena Verde (Odeon)
available on CD - 20 Sucessos (EMI Brazil)




  delicado: sounds great; I look forward to checking it out!
Fresh Air  performed by Cal Tjader  1970
Recommended by gregcaz [profile]

I could go on at length about this awesome track, but I'll just restrain myself. Let's just say that rate this song very highly in my personal Tjader pantheon, and I have around 65 Cal albums.

from Tjader (Fantasy)



  jarjar: Uncredited backing vocals on this track are by Wendy and Bonnie, who also sang on Tjader's Auga Dulce.
Natural To Be Gone  performed by Anita Kerr Singers  1970
Recommended by konsu [profile]

A real up-beat number for a very cerebral tune! All AK's records are full of wierd moments and odd delights, this is the one from the set that aim's to please! It starts out with the groups signature harmonies in a acapella almost swingle-like mode, and then kicks in to a hybrid pop groove from heaven, with castanets clacking away ... And the lyrics are wild ! :..." What's the difference being different when it's difference now that looks alike, you say i'm changing and i'm not so sure it's wrong..." " It's just that centerline on this highway runs up my banjo neck, and I feel somehow that it's natural to be gone..."

Written by John Hartford. A name i've seen before, but i'm not familiar with his work. I'd like to know more if anyone knows his definitive recordings!

from It's Anita Kerr Country (Dot DLP 25976)




  rio: John Hartford was a regular on The Glen Campbell television showof the late 60s, he wrote "Gentle on my mind" among other pop hits done by other artists.. talented writer and musician..
  artlongjr: Hartford was a favorite of mine as a kid, I used to see him on the Smothers Brothers and Glen Campbell shows, where he was somewhat of a regular. He was a celebrity back then for writing "Gentle on My Mind" which became a 60s standard. I do recall that he was a riverboat captain as well as a musician. He died a few years ago, which I was sorry to hear, but I've seen a number of his CDs that were on the market. I love his 60's stuff, he had a great laconic style.
Lay Me Down (Wake Me Up)  performed by Four Seasons  1970
Recommended by fost\'r [profile]

I have never seen this on a Greatest Hits album or heard it on the radio. It never made the US top 100 (although at this time the Seasons were apparently more popular in the UK).

It's surprisingly long for a Four Seasons song (6:11), and takes its time moving from the slower, "Lay Me Down" sections (with the more typical harmonies) to the more rock-oriented "Wake Me Up" sections. The closing refrains feature the types of harmonies you'd expect from early-80s Chicago. Frankie Valli handles the lead vocals, but stays away from the high-pitched stuff.

If you liked GENUINE IMITATION LIFE GAZETTE, this should be right up your alley. For those most familiar with the early-60s stuff ("Sherry") and their disco hits ("Who Loves You," "December 1963"), the 1969-1970 recordings might make a lot of sense as a bridge between the Four Seasons as a group of singers fronted by Valli in 1962 to a vehicle for some great compositions by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio in the mid-1970s.

from single (Philips 40688)


The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin� Groovy)  performed by Bobby Byrne  1970
Recommended by delicado [profile]

I recently found this LP in a stack that I had bought years ago and stored somewhere without having listened to them. It's on Evolution, which is the Command/Project 3-inspired label that was set up by former Command arranger Bobby Byrne. Many of the standard Command session players are featured, including Dick Hyman. Indeed, it's Hyman's moog playing that is the highlight of the album for me.

This song has never been a particular favorite of mine, but there's something in the mix of brassy, beaty late 60s pop and Hyman's delightful moog sounds that is very catchy in this version. The album also features a cover of 'Barbarella', along with a great 'Respect' and the best version of 'Delilah' that I've ever heard.

from Shades of Brass (Evolution 3003)



Roses and Revolvers  performed by Janko Nilovic  1970
Recommended by delicado [profile]

Janko Nilovic deserves attention. He composed a huge volume of library music in the 1960s and 70s, and what I've heard of his work has all been excellent. Some of it has recently been made available on CD by the Cosmic Sounds label, who are also releasing new work by him. It's hard to sum up his work, because it was quite diverse. From what I've heard, Nilovic was like a jazzier, more wild version of other contemporary library composers like Roger Roger and Nino Nardini.

This is a wonderful instrumental that opens with a bare breakbeat. This is soon joined by bass and electric guitar, which then give way to a Morricone-style harpsichord, which riffs over a descending minor chord sequence. The whole thing remains funky and slightly menacing as different parts drop in and out. The whole piece is really just a simple jam, but the impeccable arrangement takes it to a higher level.

from Supra Pop Impressions (Montparnasse 2000 MP16)



Soldier  performed by Spirit  1970
Recommended by rassy23 [profile]

From The 12 Dreams Of Dr Sardonicus, this final track on side 2 has got to be one of the most beautiful songs with its full organ sound underpinning fragile high register vocals that develop into harmonies that send shivers all over. Recorded at a studio picked for it's resident organ, the quality of the recording is crystal!

from The 12 Dreams of Dr Sardonicus (Epic 30267)


Exaltacao e Lamento do ultimo rei  performed by José Mauro  1970
Recommended by moondog [profile]

The soundtrack to november. This or any other year. Brazilian Jose Mauro only made one album before the brazilian military or drugs (info anyone ?)pulled him in but me oh my how beautful that record is.
If there could be such a thing as bossanova-blues than Jose Mauros "obnoxius" is the blueprint. Joses songs which comes along like a blend of early milton nascimento with doses of Marcos Valle and Edu Lobo. The album was arranged by gaya and is filled with wonderful string arrangements. One modern reference would be another Jose,namely,the swedish indietroubadour Jose Gonzales. The highlight of the album comes at the end, Excaltacao e lamento..,which sends shivers down my spine everytime i hear it.

from Obnoxius, available on CD


waiting around to die heartworn highway  performed by townes van zandt  1970
Recommended by flange1515 [profile]

from the documentary




Garra  performed by Marcos Valle  1971
Recommended by delicado [profile]

Another wonderful, genre-defying track by Marcos Valle, Garra is a bouncy mix of scat vocals and funky, soulful pop. The arrangement somehow manages to remain very tasteful and tight. The entire album is highly recommended.

from Garra (Odeon)



Baoba  performed by Claudia  1971
Recommended by gregcaz [profile]

Great track. Entirely scat-sung, steady midtempo funky groove, with that distinctive Odeon Studios sound, and the bridge breaks into a waltz-time section, with Claudia's high-pitched vocal effects strongly reminiscent of something off the Vampyros Lesbos soundtrack album. Claudia's a big collector's favorite among Brazilian femme singers, since her stuff's consistently strong, she's got this great strong expressive voice, cool material choices including a number of exclusive Marcos Valle songs, and NONE of her early 70s Odeon sides have been issued on CD.

from Jesus Cristo (Odeon MOFB 3668)




  delicado: Yes! I picked up a Claudia compilation LP recently in Brazil. It was all great stuff, but this was really the standout track.
16 Toneladas (Sixteen Tons)  performed by Noriel Vilela  1971
Recommended by gregcaz [profile]

This, friends, is the swingingest and most bizarre version of this chestnut you will ever hear. Having recently left the Cantores De Ebano (Ebony Singers), sort of a 60s Brazilian version of Sounds Of Blackness, Noriel Vilela, possessor of an impossibly deep, rumbling basso profundo capable of blowing your speakers, embarked on a brief yet fondly-remembered solo career. This witty reworking of the Tennessee Ernie Ford original replaces the country-western-pop of the original with a rollicking samba-rock rhythm and Portuguese lyrics extolling how much fun samba is, sung by a voice from deep in the crypt that swings like crazy. It stops everybody who hears it dead in their tracks and is the guaranteed highlight of any party. What Messrs. Ford and Travis would have made of it is anybody's guess, but this version refuses to die, having recently become a hit in Brazil all over again, 30 years after its first release. I've heard many, many versions of "Sixteen Tons," but believe me, this one truly runs away with the prize!!

from 7 (Copacabana)
available on CD - Samba Rock (Compilation)




  konsu: I stand corrected. It's just a matter of getting in line for some of this stuff , ya'know? Soo much music, so little time...sigh...
  Festy: S�o Paulo group "Funk Como Le Gusta" have a wonderful version of this also from their 1999 album "Roda de Funk". It's in the same style that Noriel Vilela did, but tighter.
  sodapop650: If you get a chance - try and track down a copy of Juarez Sant'ana's first LP it has a super-cool version of "Ghost Riders in the Sky" to complete the bizarre brazilian western covers.
Bring the Boys Home  performed by Freda Payne  1971
Recommended by scrubbles [profile]

An antiwar anthem that has even more relevance today than back then. Payne often sounded too girlish to pull off the sophisticated soul Invictus produced for her, but here she's fully in command. Maybe it's the gospel-esque fervor of the arrangement and the backing singers, but this is an awfully passionate song - to a heart-breaking degree. The highlight of Freda's funky, underrated album Contact.

from Contact (Invictus)
available on CD - Unhooked Generation: The Complete Invictus Sessions (Castle Music)


Long Way Down  performed by Jimmie Spheeris  1971
Recommended by konsu [profile]

Found this sealed copy at a local thriftery, an artist i've never heard from a good period at Columbia. Most of the LP meanders in a poetic way, highlighting Spheeris's moody lyrics, sometimes getting a little too "drippy" at times. This track stands out like a champ from the rest, and was penned by a sideman on the LP, Lee Calvin Nicoli. It has such a great pop appeal, in a sort of Cat Stevens way, with a brilliant arrangement (by the author no doubt), that moves along bouncing and resting... A perfect song for a rainy sunday afternoon!

Seems this fellow died very young, and has quite a cult following from what i've read. Should be a nice discovery for fans of 70's folk. And singer-songwriter stuff.

from Isle of View, available on CD


Fantasia tragica  performed by Stelvio Cipriani  1971
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

This is one of these sensationally sensual, wonderful instrumental tracks only the italians could pull off in late sixties/early seventies. This is the title theme to "La morte cammina con i tacchi alti/Death walks on High Heels", one of the numerous gialli (thriller movies with that special italian touch) to come out of italy in heavy doses from the late sixties up to the mid seventies. Wonderful scores have been one of the constitutive elements of these films and while the scores that Ennio Morricone did for these movies (e.g. "L'ucello dalle piume di cristallo/Bird with the crystal plumage, "Cosa avete fatto a Solange/What have they done to Solange", Una lucertola con la pelle di donna/Lizard on a womans skin" or "Le foto proibite di una signora per bene/ Forbidden fotos of a lady above suspicion") have been long released, a lot of excellent music is still locked up in the vaults of CAM, Cinevox and other italian soundtrack labels. Thanks to the hard work of the guys at DigitMovies a lot of these scores now successively get a proper, remastered release (often for the first time ever), music otherwise would have been lost in oblivion forever. Stelvio Cipriani may not be remotely as well known as Morricone (who, naturally, overshines just every other italian composer), but he was very prolific in the heyday of italian cinema, scoring an equally wide range of different genres from westerns to gialli and from romantic movies to italain police (so called "poliziotteschi") and crime movies. This title track of "La morte cammina con i tacchi alti" doesn't have to hide behind the best of themes Morricone did, in fact the orchestration does sound very Morricone itself with an uptempo-ish bossa nova beat, lush strings, wonderful harpsicord and a female voice carrying the main melody with a bitterweet tone. The voice is delivered by Nora Orlandi, one of the very few female soundtrack composers and she could easily be mixed up with Edda Dell'Orso here. Wonderful stuff, recommended for anyone who enjoys the "Mondo Morricone" comps.

from La morte cammina con i tacchi alti, available on CD



Quando o carnaval chegar  performed by Quarteto em Cy  1972
Recommended by delicado [profile]

The opening track on the 1972 album 'Quarteto em Cy,' this is an interpretation of a Chico Buarque song, written for the film of the same name by Cac� Diegues. I find this recording very affecting. It helps that the spectrum of sound is that kind of superb blend of strings, piano, bossa nova guitars, and female vocals that I find so perfect. But I think it's also just the fragile, melancholic atmosphere of the song that gets me. After the introduction, featuring a flowing string arrangement that reminds me of the work Claus Ogerman did with Jobim, the song gets going, and the mood becomes a little lighter. This album has just been reissued on CD in Brazil, and is highly recommended.

from Quarteto em Cy, available on CD




  konsu: Yes! I've been hooked on their version of "Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser" lately, from the same 72' LP. That year was great for brazillian recordings in general. Also check out Marcos Valle's "Vento Sul".
Metti Una Sera A Cena  performed by Milva  1972
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

While "Metti una sera a cena" has always been amongst my favourite Ennio Morricone themes this interpretation by Milva lifts the quality of the song to an even higher sphere. In fact, its hard to describe the intensity of this version : Milvas voice is perfectly suited for this piece, the arrangement is even crisper and more dynamic than the original Morricone recording, the full blown crescendo of strings and voice at the end is simply overwhelming. My only complaint is the song seems to fade out a bit too early.

from Dedicato A Milva Da Ennio Morricone (Ricordi)
available on CD - Canto Morricone Vol.3 - The 70s (Bear Family Records)




  scrubbles: I love this song. Very chi-chi sixties sounding, refreshing as a glass of lemonade.
  dominb: There are several versions of "Metti",besides the original s/track lp,there is an entire lp of other versions available...the live Piero Piccioni conducted version feat. Edda Dell'Orso is fantastic.
  eftimihn: Yeah, the Piccioni version is a crescending epic, makes the hair on my neck raise when i'm in the right mood. What is that "entire LP of other versions" you were referring to ? Is it coincidentally called "Metti una sera a cena grande" ? And where did you get it ?
  dominb: Yeah,that's the lp I meant,I search blogger and other places for music,I got the Piccioni vers. off Limewire (useful for finding obscure stuff and things you might not buy) but I found a link to the entire lp,here it is:http://community.livejournal.com/relaxmusic/792781.html just right click on each song to d/load as the "vip link" doesn't work."Blogger" is a v.good place to search for morricone,if you are a fan and want anymore links to d/loads,feel free to email me at [email protected]. and I'll steer you in the right direction.
  eftimihn: Thanks for offering some advice and help, i find this trend in posting interesting stuff on highly specialized blogs very nice, also the possibility of searching for this stuff via Blogger. As for "Metti una sera a cena grande", it's very interesting for me where this album pops up on the net, because this was, in fact, compiled by me a year ago or so :-D
  dominb: You compiled it?Wow,that's amazing!I guess you work for a record company?Yes,if the internet is great for one thing alone it's the access to music you would otherwise not hear.I don't really agree with people posting full albums they have just ripped from a new cd (an odd track or clip is fine) but for out of print or obscure vinyl these blogs are ideal.It keeps the music alive for the future which is what the composers would want most I think.
  eftimihn: No, i don't work for a record company, i just enjoy doing compilations of stuff i really love and spread it if i find others might like it too, like with this one. I fully agree with you that blogs should be limited too out-of-print or vinyl stuff. But i sincerly hope that one day record companies open their vaults and put their entire catalogue online so people don't have to search the web for rare gems that otherwise would completely vanish, i have the feeling though that this won't ever happen...
  dominb: I came across a samba record morricone did with the singer chico buarque,maybe you've heard it,there are a few very unusual songs on it,here is the link:http://balacobaco2.blogspot.com/2006/03/chico-buarque-de-hollanda-discografia.html
  dominb: other morricone i discovered,2 great scores for "roma come chicago" and "una breve stagione",not great sound quality but both feature some great tracks that I had not heard before. http://bedazzled.blogs.com/bedazzled/2006/04/roma_come_chica.html
Mandato  performed by Osmar Milito e Quarteto Forma  1972
Recommended by delicado [profile]

A very cool sunshine pop style number from the soundtrack to the Brazilian soap opera 'selva de pedra'. This two-minute track has an irresistable groove and some nice harmonized group vocals. The vocals are mostly gentle and smooth, like strings, but there are also some jazzier scat phrases thrown in. The entire soundtrack is highly recommended.

from Selva de Pedra, available on CD



Touching You  performed by Astrud Gilberto  1972
Recommended by konsu [profile]

Oh, my... I know that she gets played to death, and has her lion's share of recommendations on these pages, but I have to mention this one.

For an artist considered sexy in any context this really takes it high. The track just makes you wanna light the candles, pour the cava, burn the buddah, and get freaky-sticky all over the couch! I mean come on! A total love down... Reminds me of the best stuff from the Moments/Sylvia Robinson camp... Smooth smooth soul. And with one of the most sultry voices in recorded history, it's just insane.

from Now (Perception PLP 29)




  scrubbles: Wow ... Astrud got a little fun-KAY there. I didn't know she recorded anything like this. Gotta check out that album!
Mia Madre Si Chiama Francesca  performed by Milva  1972
Recommended by robert[o] [profile]

Stunning, Italian, auburn chanteuse Milva sings a set of Ennio Morricone, produced and arranged by the maestro himself in 1972.
Need I "say" anything else?
Utterly brilliant, and this song is a highlight amongst highlights!
La diva Milva sings the daylights out of this swooning ballad - soaked in a downpour of strings, acoustic guitars and sci-fi background vocals.
I guarantee your heart will break in twenty-nine places as you listen.
(But I do have to ask - does anybody out there know from what soundtrack this songs originates?)

from Dedicato A Milva Da Ennio Morricone, available on CD



  eftimihn: I absolutely agree, Robert! This is one amazing album, check out the maestros collaboration with Mireille Mathieu (Mireille Mathieu chante Ennio Morricone from 1974) as well if you haven't done that already, it's equally impressive emotionally. To clear things up, this track originates from the "La moglie piu bella" soundtrack from 1970.
  robert[o]: Tanx for the info - and Ms. Mathieu's LP is really great likewise - as is Milva's collaboration w/Francis Lai from 1973
Road ode  performed by The Carpenters  1972
Recommended by delicado [profile]

The Carpenters have become like Abba were for me about 15 years ago - I can lose hours at a time just listening to their best songs with the volume up high. I actually never really dared to venture beyond my favorites from Abba's hits, but with the Carpenters I have a few LPs and recently picked up a 5-CD reader's digest set, allowing me to hear some less famous tracks by them.

This track is a bit of a revelation for me. Highly produced, early 70s. Piano-led, with strings, guitar, bass etc, and Richard providing some backing vocals. Karen's singing is beautiful as ever, although her voice sounds a bit funny - she over-pronounces words like 'goes'. The verse is plaintive and moody, while the brief chorus is funky in that glorious way tracks from the early 70s can be funky. This section is reprised with pretty sick flute playing!

In all, a really beautiful track that for me showcases all the best things the Carpenters have to offer. The band are still stigmatized by many, for reasons I'm not exactly clear on. I understand that this kind of highly produced, clean sounding music might not be for everyone, but if you've just been put off listening to them because they're not very cool, maybe give this track a try!

from A song for you (A song for you)
available on CD - Magical Memories of the Carpenters (Reader's Digest)



  FlyingDutchman1971: You are not alone in you love of the Carpenters! I am proud to say that I have every studio album produced by Richard and Karen and still play them all the time. I need to pull them off the shelves and post a few songs on here... thanks for bringing it to my attention!
  callgirlscene: I like the Carpenters too. They have a pristine flawless and happy quality that is slightly unreal. It's fascinating and yet there's a kind of tragic undercurrent in some of their music too.
Don�t Want To Know  performed by John Martyn  1973
Recommended by gregcaz [profile]

Starts out quietly, acoustic guitar playing the theme, joined quickly by discreet electric piano and stand-up bass, then Martyn's low, growly-yet-soulful voice starts repeating the chorus ("I don't wanna know about evil/Only want to know about love") like a mantra. Halfway through, the rhythm section kicks in, and you find yourself singing along to said mantra. Highly effective and very memorable.

from Solid Air, available on CD



la planete sauvage  performed by alain goraguer  1973
Recommended by olli [profile]

this entire soundtrack to the film la planete sauvage comes highly recommended. never seen the film, but it can�t possibly be as good as the soundtrack suggests.
chilly, funky instrumental orchestral music. there�s a really haunting recurring theme through the album, nice use of choirs and twangy guitar too.


available on CD - la planete sauvage (soundtrack)



  HoboTech: Actually, the film La Planete Sauvage is quite good. There are lots of really great visuals that go perfectly with the music. It can be a bit slow at times, and the music is fantastic on its own, but I urge anyone towards viewing of this masterpiece of French cinema.
Take Me With You  performed by Lyn Christopher  1973
Recommended by mr_klenster [profile]

Sinister and spacy, slightly discordant, gospel-inflected soul groove, with a murderous, high-powered bassline. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of Kiss apparently sing background vocals on this artist self-titled album, and strangely enough it's their backing that makes this sound sort of reminiscent of a gospel session, but in space maybe. Begging lyrics and tripped out reverb enhance the strange, infectious hold of this song. This is a very heavy, mournful, and unique sound experience. Recommended.





Girl In A Sportscar  performed by Alan Hawkshaw  1973
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

This track by british session musician and library composer Alan Hawkshaw is the just the perfect soundtrack to cruise along a coast highway and, as the title suggests, you might want to do this in a sportscar (if available) for maximum enjoyment. Featuring incredibly lush strings and an Alpert-esque trumpet playing the melody it's not unlike "Pacific Coast Highway" by Burt Bacharach in mood and feel.

from The Sound Gallery Vol. 1, available on CD



Fiesta In Belo Horizonte  performed by Martin B�ttcher  1974
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

Incredibly breezy, silky smooth and gentle sounding tune this one. With a laid back samba rhythm, male/female wordless vocals some soft strings in the backround and some electric and acoustic guitars thrown in, this track is a great example for Martin B�ttchers superior talents as arranger and orchestrator. The whole compilation "Sound Kaleidoscope" is very well done, featuring 25 tracks from the mid 60s to the mid 70s. Highly recommended.

from Sound Kaleidoscope, available on CD



As Strong As Samson  performed by Procol Harum  1974
Recommended by john_l [profile]

Best known for their organ-drenched debut 1967 hit "A Whiter Shade Of Pale", Procol Harum continued for quite a long while and in fact have re-formed in recent years. A lot of their 1970s songs seem to have an odd jerkiness about them, but "As Strong As Samson" is the one in which they put it all together properly, 'cause it's smooth, heavy, and it swings! With organ, piano, and pedal steel guitar all pitching in, surely this is high up somewhere in the 1970s top ten songs.

Produced by Chris Thomas, who later did "Back On The Chain Gang" for the Pretenders and the "Different Class" LP for Pulp, so that's quite a line of quality there.

from Exotic Birds and Fruit (Chrysalis)
available on CD - The Chrysalis Years (Chrysalis)


Hermes tri  performed by Jorge Ben  1974
Recommended by Vinyldream [profile]

It's a marvelous song coming from a perfect album : " A t�bua de esmeralda" . Represents the highest level this artist achieved. It's an example of crossover mixing Samba - Soul - Psichodelia. A must for good music lovers.
A song for sophisticated ears.

from A Tabua de esmeralda (Universal Music)




  pleasepleaseme: I agree! "A Tabua de Esmeralda" & "Africa Brasil" are Jorge Ben at the peak of his powers! "O Bid�" from 1967 is a very nice groover as well.
Life on Mars  performed by Barbara Streisand  1974
Recommended by robert[o] [profile]

This is so wrong; it ends up being right somehow. On paper, this cover is a car wreck. Barbara takes on Bowie�s brilliant, epic ballad of camp surrealism � his homage to big, theatrical female belters like Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey and�Streisand, herself � and the song escapes her utterly. Her delivery sound like she learned the lyrics phonetically. (She might as well be singing in Cantonese.) And Jon Peters� production/Tom Scott�s arrangements bring to mind the cool, �L.A.-sound� of Joni Mitchell�s �Court and Spark� LP � minus all the clever bits Joni brought to the table. Yet it spite of all of these faults � this version works. The song is just too good, and Babs� charisma is just too powerful. It�s a [Space] oddity you�ve got to hear to believe.

from Butterfly (Columbia)


clair  performed by Singers Unlimited  1975
Recommended by klatu [profile]

A nice a capella version of my favorite Gilbert O'Sullivan song, in a very full arrangement reminiscent of the Swingle Singers, with whom they share a member. Lyrically, the song is an antidote to the sleazy feeling I get from Rod Stewart's "tonight's the night". I used to think they shared a theme of pedophilia until I listened closer. I got this on a Japanese collection put together by Toru Hashimoto, probably the greatest compiler ever. He puts together all the Cafe Apres Midi (perfect!) and Free Soul (quite nice) collections. They can be had for $25 a pop from the Dusty Groove site, which seems high for a single disc, but they are all close to eighty minutes and packed with great songs which have lead me to several thousands of dollars worth of related purchases in the last few years. Gilbert O'Sullivan's stuff is worth looking into if you have an ear for it, and there is a nice cheap two disc collection on JVC Japan.

from A Capella II (MPS)
available on CD - MPS for Apres-midi Grand Cru (MPS/Jasrac (Japan))


The Body Clap  performed by Sharron Lucky  1975
Recommended by mr_klenster [profile]

This is a children's song, giving instructions to a game, the catch is that the rhyme is spilled over a great drum backing. Yes, it's a bit corny and high on kitsch-value, but the pairing of such funky, stiff drumming with a children's rhyme makes it a real gem. The brevity of this track insures that it won't grate on anyone too heavily. It's a 7-inch Stones Throw release, with three other songs. Of other note is her husband's Pease Porridge Hot rhyme, sampled by De La Soul.




Kinky Love  performed by Nancy Sinatra  1976
Recommended by delicado [profile]

A highly enjoyable song on many levels. Firstly, the words are ridiculous. 'Don't you know I understand you're a man, and you've got to have your kinky love' is pretty funny, but that's nothing compared to 'baby take me inside, and let the honey slide'. Musically, it's really rather charming as well, opening with just Nancy's voice and a cool watery guitar sound, building beautifully with some great strings. Even though I find myself laughing at the lyrics, she sounds very vulnerable and serious; her voice seems to break at certain points. All in all, this is really every bit as enjoyable as her superb 60s material.

from the single Kinky Love
available on CD - Sheet Music




  tempted: The British art pop group The Pale Saints recorded a terrific version of Kinky Love around 1990. Beautiful homage to this exceptional song!
  delicado: yeah, I'm a huge fan of the pale saints, and I actually heard their version first. I think a few of their songs are truly incredible; I'll have to recommend some here soon.
  bobbyspacetroup: Wow. This is a cool track. I played it for my girlfriend, and the lyrics really cracked her up. Anyone know who produced or arranged this track? I'd definitely be interested in other material along these lines, Nancy Sinatra or otherwise.
  joakimbo: !!! im desperate to get hold of the pale saints version of kinky love but cant find it anywhere!! can anyone help? i may have to call my boyfriend of 10 years ago to ask for a copy of his, tho i think his now wife may not approve!
  delicado: A belated response for bobbyspacetroup: the track was from a single, produced by Snuff Garrett and arranged by Al Capps. Yes, let's find some more stuff with this sound!
  Johnny Wonny: To Joakimbo .... hey Stupid ... why don't you do what I did about 14 years ago when I first heard Kinky Love by the Palesaints ... go to your Record Store and ORDER the 4 song EP ... duhhhh ... pretend there's no Kaaza and support this fabulous band that has disbanded .... Spend some MONEY for a change.
  Johnny Wonny: Delicado ... Kinky Love was originally written by Dave Ellington, for Nancy Sinatra. Once again "Bimbo" .. borrow some cash and order this EP ... you'll be glad you did. KL was the first song I heard by the palesaints, and now have everything they published. They disbanded in the late Nineties.
  Johnny Wonny: To all ... the palesaints was one of the most creative 90's British Alternative bands to ever exist, along with My Bloody Valentine, The Cocteau Twins etc etc ....
  Johnny Wonny: Just one more thing, Delicado .. you say these lyrics are "stupid" .. sung by Nancy S yes .. the palesaints version, with the gorgeous and subtle guitarwork of Graeme Nesmith, along with Mariel Barham's sultry and
  Johnny Wonny: dark voice make up the whole recipe to make this song work ... a woman and a man are in love ... they have a perhaps twisted but beautiful sexual relationship as well ... it's a love song .. NS's version is eww.
  delicado: to my namesake mr. wonny: I'm a huge fan of pale saints; bought the 12" on the day it came out. Also rather like the Nancy version; let's live and let live, eh!
  Johnny Wonny: Well .. hello ... here's some dumb Johnny/Palesaints trivia .. the first cd I ordered lasted about 2 weeks ... I was drunk, and a few cds were on the floor by my bed .. I thought one was the ashtray and ruined it. Ordered another the nest day. First heard it on CJSW (University FM).
  Johnny Wonny: By the way Kimbo, if you ever come back here, I found a site where you can order Flesh Balloon, along with anything else they did ... http://www.gemm.com/q.cgi?rb=ANDYBURNETT&wild=Pale+Saints
  Johnny Wonny: Course you can try Ebay .... I may have spoken in haste ... perhaps these cds are no longer in print ... I bought them all up till about 1994 or 5 ... since then the band has died ...
Cough/ Cool  performed by The Misfits  1976
Recommended by Kriswell [profile]

This is by no means a new release, but I've recently gotten back in to it. Most people have a misconception about The Misfits. Yes they have recorded some very 'crap' songs, and the newly re-vised band and almost everything Danzig has done lately is complete garbage in my eyes, however the original Misfits early recordings, circa 1975-77 are simply amazing. 'Cough/ Cool' is a Hammond/ Fender Rhodes driven, atmospheric masterpiece. Danzig croons like Jim Morrison in this emotionally charged ballad(?). Granted, the lyrics are kind of dark, "scent of blood when you cough, cool, cool, cool, cough, cool ", and most of the other words are relatively indeciphrable, yet shockingly 'pretty'...at least in their tonal quality. The song is very scaled-down and under produced (organ, electric piano, bass and drums), but this is a good thing, it's part of its charm. The amount of reverb and slap-back echo on Glenn's voice is brilliant. So, I urge anyone who has never listened to The Misfits due to the forementioned reasons to get off their collective 'high horses' and give it a listen, they have some really great songs. Other good tracks from the same era include; "Return of The Fly", "She", "Hybrid Moments", "Come Back", "American Nightmare", etc...

from the single Cough/ Cool (Caroline)
available on CD - Coffin Box Set (Caroline)




  yoakamae: Ya I'd have to say, the Misfits were an amazing band during the 70's. Their old work was all so original, I can't get a feel for Danzig's new material with his current band. Last Caress is a great old track as well, one of my favourites with that awesome guitar riff, circa '79?
Europe Endless  performed by Kraftwerk  1977
Recommended by phil [profile]

This song is absolutely full of class and confidence - over 8 minutes long, and over a minute at the start is without drums or bass, just to get you into the groove. Then, they don't pull out the best tunes straight away - instead, they build up to them gradually with variations on the theme before building into a bigger and bigger climax. The tunes are as simple as you expect from Kraftwerk - the confidence to just hold a single note for 8 beats without changing is just fantastic - but the cumulative effect is brilliant.

The song is both hypnotic and euphoric and I can't recommend it too highly. When I looked at the iTunes stats as to what songs I had listened to the most, it turned out I had listened to this a heroic four times as much as any other song.

This song has clearly been hugely influential on groups like depeche mode and new order, and yet it somehow sounds quite separate from the things it has influenced. For example, just can't get enough by Depeche Mode is clearly influenced by this, but Europe Endless is much less poppy and commercial.

This whole album is fantastic - there is a kind of sister song to this one later on the album called Franz Schubert.

from Trans-Europe Express, available on CD


Something Better Change  performed by The Stranglers  1977
Recommended by dsalmones [profile]

�Something Better Change� was released in July of 1977 as the first single from The Stranglers upcoming second album No More Heroes which would appear in mid September. Along with the albums title track, �Something Better Change� would signal a move in a more overtly pop direction that was only hinted at on the group�s first album and would manage to peak at #9 on the U.K. singles chart. This is not to say that The Stranglers abandon their reputation as caustic agitators as No More Heroes was littered with politically contentious tracks such as �I Feel Like A Wog�, �Bring On The Nubiles� and �Bitching�, but the song�s infectious guitar riff and winning melody suggests a tenuous party rock atmosphere. It�s left to singer J.J. Burnel�s particularly gruff vocal performance to keep thing in the punk zone as he alternates between a gnarly throated delivery and a melodic toned timbre. Pumping organ and a buoyant mid-tempo rhythmic romp keep the energy high as he confronts the status quo with a tirade against stifling apathy, flaunting the punk new order with the taunting second verse, �Don�t you like the way I dance? / Does it bug you? / Don�t you like the cut of my clothes? / Don�t you like the way I seem to enjoy it? / Stick my finger right up your nose!� The bridge becomes a jubilant anthem where Burnel voices a punk battle cry to a flurry of organ runs and a growling bass line, �Something�s happening and it�s happening right now / You�re too blind to see it / Something�s happening and it�s happening right now / Ain�t got time to wait�. The chorus is a simple statement, Burnel demanding �Something better change!� with support from the boys in the band who join in for a group shout. Ironically, the arrangement also shows signs of classic rock moves, including a stinging guitar solo and an old school build up of the chorus late in the track.
(AMG)

from No More Heroes, available on CD


Mister Love  performed by Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band  1978
Recommended by PappaWheelie [profile]

Cosmopolitan Disco with a warm orchestration igniting the perfect melody, Cory Daye's vocal performance can't go wrong. Dr. Buzzard's music is unlike any other music with the battered "Disco" tag. As with most of their discography, this is highly recommended! Also try "The Gigolo and I" and "Transistor Madness-Future DJ" from their wrongly criticized "Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band Meets King Pennett" album.

from Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band Meets King Penett (RCA)
available on CD - Very Best of Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band (RCA)




  ryder0059: I JUST WANTED TO SAY MISS CORY DAYE VOICE IS ONE OF A KIND,IT IS ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING,SASSY WITTY,STYLISH.I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD GET HER BACK INTO THE STUDIO AS SOMEONE WOULD MAKE LOTS OF MONEY.I DONT GET IT AS HER CORY AND ME RECORD IS OUT OF PRINT BUT SELLS FOR THIRTY DOLLARS ON EBAY AND OTHER OUT OF THE COUNTRY SELLERS LIKE ROCK HOUSE MUSIC. I REALLY BELIEVE THAT IF THEY PLAYED SOME OF HER MUSIC ON THE RADIO NOW IT WOULD SELL LIKE GOLD COME ONE SOMEONE PLEASE GET HER BACK INTO THE STUDIO THANKS FOR YOUR TIME JOHN KARVASALES
  Lemluv: Thank you for posting this. I have been enchanted by the works of August Darnell, Stony Brower and Co. in all it's manifestations. Seductive yet sophisticated, concealing a rapier and wit all the time dressed to impress (from Tropical Gangsters to Zoot Suits, y mas). They were pegged as a "disco" group, but were much more. What gets me the most is how visual their music could be. Nostalgic, contemporary, and ahead of it's time simultaneously.
Just Lust  performed by Buzzcocks  1978
Recommended by dsalmones [profile]

"Just Lust" was the B-side to the Buzzcocks' highest-charting single, the Pete Shelley punk-pop classic "Ever Fallen in Love?," eventually reaching number 12 on the U.K. singles chart in September of 1978. The mysterious co-author " Dial" is, in fact, a pseudonym for the band's early manager, Richard Boon, who also shared songwriting credits on "What Ever Happened?," the B-side to the Buzzcocks' infamously banned first single "Orgasm Addict." However, the effect of his involvement in not apparent here, as the music is classic Buzzcocks � masters of the punk-fueled power pop nugget. The rhythm is springy, the track's nervous tension as wired as the melody is infectious. Punchy verses with quick-hit vocals are alternated with short dreamy sections of woozy flanged guitar and chopped up-tempo shifts, the band expertly maneuvering in tight spaces. Shelley follows the twists and turns with clipped phrases followed by drawn-out melodies in sync with the compact arrangement: "Your dream to possess/It hurts/It's so unjust/Just lust, just lust/If nothing mattered less/Then I wouldn't make a fuss/Just lust, just lust/I was slow to catch on and that just makes it worse/If passion is a fashion then emotion is just a curse." Though the track was also included on the Buzzcocks' second album, Love Bites, the group had yet to make an impact in the United States. Thankfully, this little gem was not left to languish in obscurity as it was included in the influential collected singles package Singles Going Steady, compiled as the band's introduction to American audiences and released in the states in 1979.
(AMG)

from Love Bites, available on CD


Bring on the Love   performed by Gloria Jones  1978
Recommended by geezer [profile]

From a time when soul was shaking hands with disco,on this beautiful midtempo ballad the two genres are happy to live in a harmony.This is a track that is allowed to build upon a soft disco beat layer by layer ,a deceptive melody allows optimism to drip drip then flood your senses,leaving you feeling good about life and for once a song that is as long as you want it to be.A song that somehow takes you high without leaving its musical ground .

from Windstorm, available on CD


Open Door  performed by Genesis  1980
Recommended by Mike [profile]

It is hard to imagine a more musically wistful verse than that of this song. The swelling chorus augments it perfectly and very dramatically. This B side from the "Duke" era is surely one of Mike Rutherford's best songs, and one of the highlights of the post-Gabriel Genesis for those who appreciate the band's slower numbers.


available on CD - Genesis Archive Vol 2



  makebusy7: Um, that song was a throwaway no matter how you slice it
  Mike: It's all about musical taste, really, although even if it was not to my taste, I would find it hard to put together an argument for it as a throwaway.
  mrtanner: I think this is an absolutely beautiful track!
  Mike: Oh yes, it's quite special...glad someone else appreciates it!
Ghost on the Highway  performed by The Gun Club  1981
Recommended by popgoestheculture [profile]

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

from Fire of Love, available on CD



  TippyCanoe: Fyi---Long Gone John at Sympathy For the Record Industry is a fool for the Gun Club, too. He is about to re-release two or three of their early records.
Heaven Up Here  performed by Echo & the Bunnymen  1981
Recommended by Fig Alert [profile]

I'm glad that I get the opportunity to be the first to recommend a Bunnymen track, especially since their early work, which I feel is far stronger than anything after "Porcupine," is unknown, primarily Stateside, to many.

"Heaven Up Here" is a car losing it's wheels at full speed while cornering on a high mountain pass. Will Sargeant's opening chick-chick-chicking on guitar gives way to a straight bassdrop, headlong into Pete DeFreitas' insistent pounding on drums, while Ian McColluch's yelps sound utterly desperate, claustrophobic, pleading and angry simultaneously. There's a pause in the careening during the bridge, just long enough for Ian to remind us that "We're all groovy, groovy people...we're okay, we're okay," before it all plunges straight down the cliffside, banging, exploding, scraping and finally, ending succinctly.

I don't ever recall hearing back then, and rarely today, such a beautifully cacophonic melding of swirling psychedelia and assaultive punk/pop. The guitars are cascades of shimmering shards of sound. Les Pattinson's coy, but effective bassline floats beneath the furious energy DeFreitas unleashes on his drumkit. "Mac the Mouth" may be the frontman, but I think this gem is DeFreitas' piece all the way.

After 20+ years of living with this album, and this song in particular, the pump, pump, pump of the bass drum still sends shivers up my spine. Don't overlook this album as a whole either!

from Heaven Up Here (Sire/Warner 3569-2)



peace  performed by plastics  1981
Recommended by olli [profile]

lovely feelgood song from the borderline brilliant japanese new wave band plastics. a break from their often minimalistic intrumentation. oddball lyrics, nice guitar, harmonica and extremely enthusiastic singing.
i love the way the male vocalist seems to be holding his nose while singing in the beginning of the song.


waiting for the taxi
standing in the snow white
newspapers falling on the ground
it's cold and cold and cold

new york is frozen steak
teddy bear and kitty cat
fireplace and candles
all you need is weapon

this is peace
this is funny fairy tale

green green green peace
high high high heel
inside is outside
world is nonsense

dream of the tide wave
my peace is your peace
peace by the people
peace for the peace

this is peace
this is funny fairy tale

all i see is green green
grave yard of lily white
sleeping beauty laying there
with dots and symbols

marmalade evening
fur coats and venus
venus and mighty dragon said
all you need is weapon

this is peace
this is funny fairy tale

from welcome back plastics (island)



She's hit  performed by The Birthday Party  1982
Recommended by phil [profile]

Ah - yet another classic about killing women. Cave is excelling himself here - it opens with the immortal line 'there is woman-pie in here.' This one breaks from the standard Birthday Party template - first drums, then bass, then nick, then guitars - by doing all the above, but with the mental leap of playing it at a quarter of the normal speed. The highlight is the inevitable moment when Nick says 'And all the girls across the world.....
.........
...........
are........
hit. '
MAGNIFICENT. Why didn't the sugarhill gang sing it that way?
�
As far as I know, this the only song bassist Tracy Pew is credited with writing. His part is pretty obvious. It's the bass line.

from Live 1981-82 (4AD CAD9005)
available on CD - Junkyard (Mute)



High Hopes  performed by Pink Floyd  1982
Recommended by Vagina Man [profile]

Pink Floyd is very well established so I won't go into how amazing they are, but what I will do is tell you that all the songs you hear on the radio don't compare to this one. Okay I might have jumped the gun, but all this song takes is one time and bang you will find yourself singing it for days. I would just sit have a drink and put this song on repeat. It sooths the soul and quenches the mind. It is so relaxing that I farted while listen to it. In all honesty the first time I heard it it gave me goos bumps it was that powerful. So if you like Floyd and don't know this song, go get it.

from Division Bells



  Mike: One of the things I am always concerned about when deciding what music to listen to is how much it will tend to make me fart (and then of course there is the issue of the precise type of fart which will tend to result).
  Mike: Oh, and it's from The Division Bell, released in 1994. I just sold my copy...made me fart too much
Love Theme  performed by Vangelis  1982
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

A classic, congenial, groundbreaking electronica score to Ridley Scott's movie "Blade Runner". While the most significant cues like "Love Theme" and "Memories of Green" were included on numerous compilations before, it took 12 years for the soundtrack to get released officially. Since Vangelis "recompiled" the music for the soundtrack, adding new music, reworked cues and left out parts of it, it's the best sounding but far from complete version of the soundtrack. Due to this fact there have been a huge amount of unofficial bootleg releases over the years, mostly private releases put out in small quantities. Even after over 20 years since the soundtrack has been recorded it still sounds fresh and highly evocative as ever before. The feeling throughout the soundtrack is a neo-retro, future-noir mood with grand soundscapes created with a mass array of various analogue synths. Especially the wonderful use of the Yamaha CS-80, with it's somewhat organic, sweeping, harmonica-style polyphonic sound gives the music such a remarkable feel. On "Love Theme" though Vangelis prominently features pretty much the only "real" instrument on the whole soundtrack, a saxophone played by Dick Morrisey.

from Blade Runner, available on CD




  nighteye: This is one of the best instrumental synth soundtrack track ever made, Vangelis is a genius! The pads / strings and the saxophone are so incredibly relaxed it feels like you are floating in space. My other favourite song from the Blade Runner soundtrack is 'Blade Runner Blues', it's also amazing!
  nighteye: Forgot to mention there is a variation of this song on the Blade Runner Bootleg by Esper called 'Thinking of Rachel', which is a muffled warm analog synth piece.
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.
Love’s A Lonely Place To Be  performed by Virginia Astley  1982
Recommended by thefamilycat [profile]

This is my favorite song and is very close to a Christmas carol,especially "Walking in the air"
It appeared on the Indie charts in early 1983 peaking at No.5,sharing the chart with no end of punks.
Virginia Astley had little to do with Rock,never mind Punk

from Promise Nothing (Crepsescule)



  shakeahand: Yes quite beautiful, and then so easy to forget how dark and uncomfortable the lyrics are - being in a loveless relationship with, it seems, no way out. See also Some Small Hope, a duet with David Sylvian, another etherial mix of beauty and sadness.
  thefamilycat: Only a few of Virginia Astley's songs related to her own life.Her pet subjects were "having someone" or "almost having someone",tales of childhood or ideas from World War 1 poetry. "Tree Top Club" is actually set in thre village where her family lived at the time":Stanmore North London.The "ruined church" referred to can be seen in the churchyard where it was left after burning down. Her 90s songs continued the poetic and religious imagery she was so fond of and scenes from Alice in Wonderland are quite obvious
Destination Unknown  performed by Missing Persons  1982
Recommended by dsalmones [profile]

"Destination Unknown" sounds the least dated of all of Missing Persons' hits, most likely because it was their most melodically satisfying song. The fact that it's also Dale Bozzio's least mannered vocal performance, with none of her trademark hiccups, helps considerably as well. Her helium-pitched voice ? Dale Bozzio sang like a new wave Betty Boop ? keeps this song firmly in the Missing Persons tradition, but the low-key backing vocals by her male bandmates on the chorus are a nice touch. The lyrics are typically lightweight, your basic high school-level musings on alienation by someone who has just learned the word "existential" but is unclear about what it actually means, but Ken Scott's light-handed production and nice touches like the staccato programmed drum fills on the chorus make it pleasant on the ear regardless.
(AMG)

from Spring Session M, 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


Tinseltown In The Rain  performed by The Blue Nile  1983
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

The Blue Nile must be one of the most enigmatic and fascinating bands of all time. Formed in Glasgow in 1981 they released just 4 albums in 23 years with 6 years between the debut "A Walk Across The Rooftops" (1983) and their sophomore effort "Hats" (1989), 7 years between this and their third album "Peace At Last" (1996) and an 8 year break until their latest record "High" was released in 2004. That sums up to a mere 33 album tracks in almost a quarter of a decade, but what they lack in quantity they make up in quality. While "Hats" is undoubtedly their masterpiece, "Tinseltown In The Rain" may be their strongest single track. Backed by a strong, funky bassline combined with jazz-like piano chords and incredibly lush strings the track shines with a wonderfully clear, sophisticated arrangement and production. Paul Buchanan delivers wonderfully emotional, heartfelt vocals to it that tinges the song in a melancholic and uplifting mood at the same time.

from A Walk Across The Rooftops, available on CD




  ronin: "Tinseltown in the Rain" brought BN to the DC airwaves, as also did "Stay." A band not based on 3 guitars, and I actually liked it! "Easter Parade," also on lp, is a very slow, detailed description of an event, loaded w/haunting atmospherics, coming to an understated climax. (To me "Hats" is their least exciting work.) "Peace at Last" and "A Walk Across.." are the most exhilarating... electronics/Linn drum machines aside, it's the magic of Paul Buchanan's incredibly moving voice. His heart's on his sleeve... a big sleeve. Emotion drips from every syllable. These get constant airplay at home.
Surrender  performed by U2  1983
Recommended by garibaldireturnobot [profile]

There is much that U2 did in their first three albums (Boy, October, War) that have been forgotten by the clout caused by their next three (The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree, Rattle and Hum). When people say they don't much like U2, it's largely based off of only the singles from War up through Achtung Baby. This song is representative of songs, for even some sincere U2 fans, that have been forgotten injustly. Brilliant structure and chords, somewhat cheesy but ultimately highly forgivable middle section.

from War, available on CD


It's My Life  performed by Talk Talk  1984
Recommended by Mike [profile]

This song is one I remember enjoying greatly as soon as I heard it shortly after its release as a single. To me it encapsulated perfectly the angst and frustration I often felt at that time. It did this as much through its sophisticated musical content and texture as through the lyrics. Listening to it now, it's as good an example as any of how different synth sounds go in and out of fashion. Hollis gives a typically intense vocal performance, and there are subtle hints in some of the instrumental lines of the more jazzy direction the band would later take. Highly recommended - don't miss this one. Oh, sorry - wrong site. Thought I saw the word Ebay somewhere.

from It's My Life (EMI)


Jesus Calling  performed by The Triffids  1984
Recommended by n-jeff [profile]

For a start we need more in the Australia section than Nick Cave and his assorted Combo's. Although I think the bass player from the Triffids now plays with him. And then I can't believe I've not recommended the Triffids before. This is quite an early one from when they were still playing London pubs. I don't know what its about (blood on my thighs and milk on my knees the sign outside says vacancies), theres lots of violin without it being folky or too countrified, and the chorus is insanely catchy with lines alternated between the late David McComb and Jill Birt the keybboard player. They were a big part of my musical life in the eighties, and 'In the pines' is still a great LP 15 years on.

from Raining Pleasure



"it hurts (there must be a taste of murder in it)"  performed by the lotus eaters  1984
Recommended by kohl [profile]

vocals this high should annoying, but they work for this song. i love the intro, and the lyrics are quite nice...in that yearning, melancholic way--actually, the guitar playing and the way lyrics are sung fit this mood quite well.

this band only made two records, this one from the 80s and a more recent one which i have not heard.


available on CD - no sense of sin


Julia  performed by Eurythmics  1984
Recommended by Mike [profile]

This is my favourite Eurythmics track by some considerable margin, though I also rate some others on the album quite highly. I consider "Julia" to be a classic of 80's electronica, with a rather haunting chord sequence underpinning an effective vocal line with extensive use of vocoder on Annie Lennox's voice. There is a bridge section (heard twice) which is rather derivatve of Vangelis's "Chariots of Fire" theme, but as the track progresses and builds up texturally, there is an undeniable emotional impact, and I always enjoy the various instrumental melodies and counter-melodies that appear.

from 1984, available on CD



  delicado: A fantastic track. It definitely rises above a lot of other songs of the period, even though it does feature an extremely cheesy guitar solo. And I still have the 12 inch of it that you sold me in 1987!
  Mike: Hold onto that 12"... a lot of great work was done in rock and pop during the 1980s. Rather like 1960s British housing, much of it has yet to reach classic status, but for some of it at least, its time will surely come!
Love Vigilantes  performed by New Order  1985
Recommended by delicado [profile]

I heard this track again recently and it had an almost chemical effect on me. Why? It's hard to say. I can't claim to be especially moved by the lyrics, but the song captures a certain mood which makes me want to shake around. The track has a nice balance of instrumentation - New Order trademarks like strong, crisp drums and prominent bass, and a melody played on the melodica.

The other highlight of the song for me is the manically strummed guitar break near the end - a great moment. Maybe it's just nostalgia, but this track still has a lot of power for me.

from Low Life, available on CD



Are you happy ?  performed by Microdisney  1985
Recommended by whoops [profile]

During the summer of 1985 Microdisney had already lost all illusions about their potential commercially speaking. This second album was not what people would called a long awaited one. Recorded in a chaotic way (the drum part was the last thing to be put on the tape), this is a true masterpiece from track 1 to track 10 and "Are you happy ?" is its epicenter.
Cathal Coughlan (who at the time renamed himself Blah Blah and claimed to play keyboards and plastic pubis)is now a solo artist and still one of the most beautiful voice in england. Sean O'Hagan have finally achieved success through the High Llamas and Stereolab.

from The clock comes down the stairs, available on CD



  felonius: I have to agree. This is one of the most poignant, plaintive tracks I have ever heard, O'Hagan's soaring Telecaster solo launching it into orbit far above the mire of other 80's indie rock. (I think it might have been influenced by Stephen Stills' solo on 'Bound to Lose' from the Manassas album - another guitar solo to make you weep).
Moonchild  performed by Rick James  1985
Recommended by Nickfresh [profile]

Rick James rocks. but he also can croon. His 1985 LP, "Glow," was highly underrated, and because of this fact, many folks passed up this gem of an album. "Moonchild," with its lush bassline - dreamy keyboards - and somewhat inspired lyrics, is one of the many tracks should've made RJ a bigger star than he was. Motown really dropped the ball on not releasing this ballad as a single or promoting the album, PERIOD. Mary J. Blige brought this song back to life (without butchering it) with 1997's "Love is All We Need."

from Glow (Gordy (Motown) 6135 GL)



Best Adventures  performed by THINKMAN aka RUPERT HINE  1986
Recommended by beautifulmutant [profile]

From the 1986 concept album "The Formula" by Rupert Hine, this is an excellent mid-eighties dnace number which received no radio or MTV rotataion but deserved to. Highly dancable, cool, European and memorable. Rupert Hine is famous as a producer for badns such as The Fixx, Howard Jones, Tina Turner, Eight Seconds, Rush, Stevie Nicks and more...
Don;t let that throw you off though. His solo material is ofetntimes very dark, futuristic, apocolyptic and just plain catchy.

from The Formula (Island)



  ntrembat: I loved the song production (if not the lyrics) and, after watching the video over and over on MTV in '86 (black, paramilitary vans racing around for some forgotten reason), raced out to buy the tape. The rest of the album was really bad. Can't find it on iTunes.
nimrod`s son  performed by pixies  1987
Recommended by olli [profile]

i`m on a pixies high now. thank your favourite fictional deity that they`ve still got it:) it`s always a relief when reunions actually work..
this track from their debut ep is freaky and wonderful, like most pixies tracks. the lyrics are among their best (and most coherent!)
you-are-the-son of incestuous union!


available on CD - come on pilgrim


Mary�s Prayer  performed by Danny Wilson  1987
Recommended by MoeShinola [profile]

I saw a video of this a couple times on MTV and never forgot it. I finally caught up with the album "Meet Danny Wilson" years later, in a used bin. None of the three members are named Danny Wilson; it's named after a Frank Sinatra movie. They dress like Sinatra fans as well, and the music's influenced by that era, but it's pure new-wavy piano pop. Reminds me of Joe Jackson, but softer, more romantic. "Lorraine Parade", "Nothing Ever Goes To Plan", and "Steamtrains To The Milky Way" are also album highlights.

from Meet Danny Wilson (Virgin)


Where is my mind?  performed by Pixies  1988
Recommended by delicado [profile]

I still find this song as compelling as I did ten years ago. It's simple, crisp, and beautiful, opening with an other-worldly high-pitched vocal hum which is soon joined by a picked electric guitar sound and some tight drums. It's really nothing like anything else I like, but somehow the shouted vocals and indie-rock setting really appeal to me on this track. One of 20 or 30 songs which transport me back to my late teens amazingly vividly.

from Surfer Rosa, available on CD



Inside a Dream  performed by Jane Wiedlin  1988
Recommended by Genza [profile]

I never liked the Go-Gos. And I think Belinda Carlise's music is naff. But Jane Wiedlin has a certain something.

I remember first seeing the video to 'Rush Hour' on UK TV as a teenager. I thought that song was bloody great. My parents bought me her debut album 'Fur' for Christmas and we used to listen to it in the car. Listening to this always brings the memories flooding back.

Some of 'Fur' is a bit dodgy - but I can forgive Wiedlin. The high points still seem very high today. And 'Inside a Dream' is a beautifully crafted, Stephen Hague produced pop song. This three minute stunner moves and warps around a simple spine. Dubstar sounded a lot like this half a decade later.

from Fur (EMI CDP-7-48683-2)



  Mike: I too was bowled over by the catchiness of "Rush Hour" and also ended up acquiring the album "Fur" at the time. It wasn't her first album, but I don't think she'd previously had any solo exposure in the UK. About half the songs are simple but undoubtably effective, but several others I have always found to be very ineffective! I agree that Dubstar (who I also liked) sounded a bit like this at times - Stephen Hague's production style is quite distinctive. Did any of the members of Dubstar release anything since the band split up?
The Fog  performed by Kate Bush  1989
Recommended by Steenie [profile]

Hands down, this ballad by Kate Bush has THE BEST violin solo of any non-classical song. The song itself, though a bit of a downer, is really very beautiful.

"The Fog"

You see, I'm all grown up now.
He said,
Just put your feet down child,
'Cause you're all grown up now.

Just like a photograph,
I pick you up.
Just like a station on the radio,
I pick you up.
Just like a face in the crowd,
I pick you up.
Just like a feeling that you're sending out,
I pick it up.

But I can't let you go.
If I let you go,
You slip into the fog...

This love was big enough for the both of us.
This love of yours was big enough to be frightened of.
It's deep and dark, like the water was,
The day I learned to swim.

He said,
Just put your feet down, child.
Just put your feet down child,
The water is only waist high.
I'll let go of you gently,
Then you can swim to me.

Is this love big enough to watch over me?
Big enough to let go of me
Without hurting me,
Like the day I learned to swim?

'Cause you're all grown up now.

Just put your feet down, child,
The water is only waist high.
I'll let go of you gently,
Then you can swim to me.

from The Sensual World



  mrtanner: I agree. This song is stunning.
Hot Little Hopes  performed by The Band of Holy Joy  1990
Recommended by LateBirdsInMay [profile]

Ha! Good luck finding this one. Hot little hopes is a storm in a teacup about going out on a night with high expectations by a band who never got the sucess they deserved. The music is sublime; a string and brass waltz that builds to a delirious gallop, but it's the lyrics and their delivery that make it special, and confirm BHJ as a lost treasure. Johnny Brown is a songwriter whose lyrics are great writing in their own right; much of his work reads like documentary, the man has a spectacular talent for transcribing the ordinary while maintaining strict disciplines of structure and story to catch your heart in your throat. Here as elsewhere the story almost doesn't deserve to be told- it's ordinary people with ordinary hopes and fears, but the music and the telling turn it into a modern fairytale.

from Positively Spooked (Rough Trade)




  LateBirdsInMay: Keeping it in the family by responding to my own posting here. Aside from wanting to comment on just what a fantastic piece of journalism the above is - it's worth mentioning that BHJ have reformed, and a new album comes out next week - 'love never fails'. Aces.
  delicado: Good news. Do you reckon they've gone electro?
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


Madrugada Eterna  performed by The KLF  1990
Recommended by Synthetrix [profile]

From The KLF's brilliant ambient album CHILL OUT. I highly recommend this entire album. Buy it now. You won't be disapponted.


available on CD - Chill Out (Wax Trax)


Ripple  performed by The Church  1990
Recommended by dsalmones [profile]

The lead single from one of the Church's all time highs, the dark, powerful Priest Aura, "Ripple" was much like the album it came from - lengthy, with an emphasis on artistic impact rather than radio-friendly ease, charged with a feeling of impending, unnerving threat. The initial guitar chime and Steve Kilbey's singing may provide a familiar feeling for long-time listeners, but the edge of spite and conflict in the words carries through in the performance - Kilbey's not so much blending into the mix as suddenly slicing through it. The full arrangement almost has a touch of film noir threat to it, but not as much as the amazing chorus. Starting with a soft, almost sighed overdubbed vocal part like a mysterious signal, it literally does ripple up in the mix, sneaking up on the listener instead of turning into any kind of a singalong. It's the same approach as with "Under the Milky Way," but the air here is less elegant melancholia and more unsettling electric charge, extra guitar feedback carving arcs through the arrangement, instrumental breaks providing only short, temporary relief.
(AMG)

from Priest=Aura, available on CD


Dem No Worry We  performed by Super Cat  1991
Recommended by lionson76 [profile]

Arguably one of the best reggae albums of all time, Super Cat's Don Dada is a fun, FUN, "get on de dance flo', mon!" fiasco of bass and high hats. Super Cat's soft and clear voice complements the music where some other rastas and their gritty voice would detract from it. You really can't lose with this album; every track is spectacular and irresistable. If you've never listened to reggae or just could never get into it, you might be able to appreciate Super Cat.

from Don Dada, available on CD


Albatross  performed by Slowdive  1991
Recommended by Genza [profile]

Hell, I could have picked almost anything from the back catalogue of this band. Albatross is the stand-out track of an outstanding 4 track EP (entitled Holding our Breath) from early ’90s shoegazers Slowdive. Bemoaned, decried and hated by Britain’s Britpop-loving press, Slowdive’s beautiful multi-layered sound has latterly found a kindred spirit in much lauded post-rockers Sigur Ros. So maybe they were right after all…

Back to Reading – and there is no stronger example of the Thames Valley sound than Albatross. Layer upon layer of minor chords – almost symphonic in their beauty – Albatross swells to a powerful crescendo of highly processed guitars. Non-believers should check out double A-sides Catch the Breeze and Shine. The fourth track on the rather grand EP is a cover of Syd Barrett's (former lead singer of Pink Floyd) Golden Hair. Utterly remarkable.

from Holding our Breath EP (Creation CRE 112)



Elevate My Mind  performed by Stereo MC’S  1991
Recommended by FlyingDutchman1971 [profile]

Knowledge is power and Stereo MC'S know how to preach it! Rob B turns out a great groove and a positive message reminding you to take the high road or get burned by your bad choices. I find it easy to get the memorable refrain "I wanna go higher" stuck in my head...

from Supernatural, 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.
Upside Down  performed by Tori Amos  1991
Recommended by snoodlededoogans [profile]

plaintive introspective personal rumblings. her lyrics, at least on the first disc Little Earthquakes, were like stumbling across someone's open diary. from the B-Side of the Silent All These Years cassette single that i wore out on the bus rides to junior high and high school. many other tori songs are incredible. this one cemented her in my psyche long before Under The Pink ever came out.

from Little Earthquakes (Atlantic)



  FlyingDutchman1971: Indeed a great track... I would have worn out a cassette single listening to it, luckily it was a b-side on the CD single for 'Winter'.
Heliosphan  performed by Aphex Twin  1992
Recommended by Genza [profile]

In my humble opinion, the great Aphex Twin has never again hit the highs of 1992's Selected Ambient Works 85-92. In fits and starts he's got close - but he's never managed to compete with the work here. And Heliosphan is his masterpiece. With a rumbling bass acompaniment and trademark break-beats, Aphex sleighs the listener with 4 plus minutes of choral beauty. Get in!

from Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (R&S Belgium)



Nitro  performed by Dick Dale  1993
Recommended by nuthings [profile]

Killer surf guitar from the undisputed King of the Surf Guitar.


available on CD - Tribal Thunder (Hightone)


Soma  performed by Smashing Pumpkins  1993
Recommended by Gwendolyn [profile]

I just love this song. The first time I heard was while I was in high school... My english class was studying A Brave New World and my teacher played this song. It's so peaceful at the beginning and takes a lovely turn at the end when the peace is shattered.

from Siamese Dream


High and Dry  performed by Radiohead  1995
Recommended by acidburn [profile]

from The Bends



  FlyingDutchman1971: One of the best ballads of the 1990's!
  trixlation: that's the best song ever from radiohead!!
Mommie's Drunk  performed by MAOW  1996
Recommended by Aquatown [profile]

From one of the great rock'n'roll albums. The lyrics make this track a standout with the closing denouement of "your mommie's on one scary ride.... and it's all because your daddy lied". Trash culture of the highest level.

from The Unforgiving Sounds Of..., available on CD


Jumping Fences  performed by The Olivia Tremor Control  1996
Recommended by PappaWheelie [profile]

From the "Dusk at Cubist Castle" album, there're two indie-pop highlights that shine above all; "Jumping Fences" and "Courtyard". Whereas Courtyard is more of a complete song than "Jumping Fences", it also is the most blissfully guilty of being overly "Beatle-esque". Jumping Fences, however, is even lower-fi, more harmonius, and equally as blissful without sounding completely unoriginal.

from Dusk at Cubist Castle, available on CD



Strange Noices  performed by Anja Garbarek  1996
Recommended by Stian______ [profile]

Anja , the daughter of the highly respected Jan Garbarek ,one of the big jazz-dudes in Norway , Anja started to do music after she found that acting was too restricted. On this tune\album she uses her freedom to create dream-like atmospheres.

U can hear her that she is inspired by Laurie Anderson on this tune ,in the way she tells the story. Instrument-wise the tune is very multi-layered and intruiging. I highly recommend it if u like the music of for example Bj�rk,Kate Bush etc.

from Balloon Mood, available on CD



Sequoia  performed by Fay Lovsky  1997
Recommended by mojoto [profile]

The consistent high quality of the ever expanding oeuvre of Fay Lovsky doesn't make it easy to pick one song to examplify her work, so I'll just go by the moment and will choose my present favorite Sequoia, a humorous ode to a wooden californian characterised by a laid back bluesy pizzicato groove and tremelo glissandi especially towards the end, where they tickle the tree to a dramatic finale. All instruments on this track are acoustic (drums, bass, guitar, violins) and the sound is warm and direct as usual.

from Numbers (Basta 30-9069-2)



The Incredible He-Woman  performed by Stereolab  1997
Recommended by PappaWheelie [profile]

Electronic percolations are the bed for a blissful looping melody.

from Iron Man 7'' (Vinyl Rouge)
available on CD - Aluminum Tunes (Duophonic Ultra High Frequency Disks)



High  performed by Lighthouse Family  1997
Recommended by acidburn [profile]

from Postcards from Heaven


River Deep Mountain High  performed by Celine Dion  1997
Recommended by ajhorse21 [profile]

Powerful vocals... the verses have a strange and different tune- they sound almost like Celine's making it up as she goes along, but in a good way. Even if this isn't her most heartfelt song, it is very good and fun to listen to.


available on CD - VH1 Divas Live



  delicado: Celine Dion recommendations are like buses - you wait 5 years and then two come along at once!
  n-jeff: You should listen to the Ike and Tina Turner version, produced by Mr Spector P himself.
Mighty doesn't do it justice: it sounds like it's sung from the top of a mountain with the forcefulness to carry it clean across the ocean.

  konsu: I'm a digger of Harry Nilsson's version myself... But I agree with n-jeff, the Ike & Tina version is definative. I haven't heard the Celine version, but I imagine it being housed-up... ick.
  n-jeff: Harry Nilsson, eh? Interesting choice of cover for him, being something of a non-bombast type. I'll have to find that. Thanks konsu!
  konsu: Well... I wouldn't call his version bombastic, but it picks up nicely on the energy of the original without leaving it in their court. It appears on his debut "Pandemonium Shadow Show".I would have to say his earlier work just contains more verve in general. I would also recommend his "A Little Schmilsson in the Night" LP to any Celine fan. His range as a vocalist cannot be underestimated.
Breathe Out  performed by Nothingface  1998
Recommended by Vagina Man [profile]

Breathe Out is one of those songs that no matter how many times you listen to it it still rocks. If you a metal head then you will appreciate the quality of music Nothingface throws at you. They are very heavy but melodic. The lead singer has a unique talent in which he can reach high notes as well as growl so deep he will make you shit yourself. Every time I hear this song all I can do is bang my head and scream along to the insanity that flows within my head.

from An Audio Guide to Everday Atrocity (Mayhem Records)


Restons Group�s  performed by Alexandre Desplat  1998
Recommended by nighteye [profile]

Does it get any more happier and sunnier than this? This is a true sunshine pop / jet-set lounge piece with a fast paced beat, lush strings, woodwinds and a catchy melody. The style reminds me of Bacherat's 'Pacific Coast Highway' and Alan Hawkshaw's 'Girl in a Sportscar'. Just imagine your self beeing on the French riviera, crusing around in your sportscar with a beautiful girl at your side and you are the king of the world as you drive into the sunset.

I can be very wrong here, but it seams that this is the title song for the movie with the same name, made in 1998. I could have sworn that this was a piece from the 1960s, the sound, the arrangement, the instruments, sound incredibly accurate and realistic. I found this song on the excellent 'Jet Set Society' compilation from our own eftimihn on this site, a brilliant pick.


available on CD - Mondo Lounge Vol.1 - Jet Set Society




  eftimihn: Excellent description, for me the track evokes similar scenes when listening to it. And you're not wrong, the track really is from 1998, but sounds absolutely late 60s/early 70s. Well, the whole compilation ain't that bad either i guess :-) If anyone is interested: http://www.artofthemix.org/FindAMix/getcontents.asp?strMixID=84985
  nighteye: This song alone almost makes me want to see the movie! I wonder if the whole soundtrack is like this? Btw. I almost got a eargasm at 2:15 minutes into the track. :)
Guitar in Orbit, PT. 37  performed by Deke Dickerson and the Ecco-Fonics  1998
Recommended by Solo [profile]

cool high speed clean guitar instrumental with a 1950s tonalizer sound. I feel like I'm watching Sputnik in orbit while hearing a jet break the sound barrier when I listen to this. Deke and the Ecco-Fonics are noted for a phenomenal period-style production on albums, retro but never wistfully nostalgic songwriting, and exceptional virtuosity at live performances. The rest of this CD is loaded with great vocals and hip tunes.

from Number One Hit Record! (HighTone (HMG) HMG 3005)


You Get What you Give  performed by New Radicals  1998
Recommended by Mike [profile]

Probably the only anthemic pop song I will ever choose to listen to. Was drawn to it the first time I heard it, as a piece of chart music at the end of the 1990s.

The first two chords of the verse are audacious, most unusual in pop music, and are what makes the song for me. Without them, or with conventional choices, the song would lose its tension and power. The lyric can be considered cheesy, but it kind of aims high in searching out some kind of universal truth, and it works. When in the right mood, it is even elevating. The last part is lyrically very pathetic, a lame series of insulting name drops. But it probably got the record heard - this was their first single.

I recently read that this song was much admired by U2, and I'm not surprised as I can hear them striving for something like this. But they never get anywhere even slightly close.





  Mike: An opera singer included this in her \"Desert Island Discs\" selection last week.
Corazon  performed by Titan  1999
Recommended by n-jeff [profile]

Its a delightful track, modern big beat sensibility with a great tune, a groover of the highest quality, sounds great in a car, in a club or at home. Full of hooks, vocal, guitar and rhythmic. One of the things I love about the band as well are the crappy pictures of themselves they use on their covers. Theres a promo 12 with a remix on it that is all Bongo's and Organ that didn't make it to release thats pretty good too.

from Elevator, available on CD



The Holy Filament  performed by Mr. Bungle  1999
Recommended by Tangento [profile]

This is a truly unique song, from a beyond unique band. Mr. Bungle has a rabid, almost cult-like following, and songs like this are the reason why.
This band has always drawn on many different, widely varying influences, including ska, grindcore, jazz, and funky beats, to name just a few.
This track displays a whole new direction for the band, with dreamy, ethereal bass and piano interplay, retro-vocal harmonies, and an almost rapturous climactic sequence, followed by a melancholy fade-out.
This is a work composed by Bassist Trevor Dunn, (a true talent) and I feel it is more than worthy of a place on this list.
The album is a classic, I highly recommend it for people with just about any kind of musical taste.
I am providing a review/ option to purchase:
HERE

from California, available on CD


midnight radio  performed by hedwig & the angry inch  1999
Recommended by angelica [profile]

ooh, this is the kind of song that makes me want to simultaneously cry and break stuff... in a good way, if at all possible. starting off pretty and introspective, this song slowly evolves into a stirring anthem for every kid that ever found solace in music.

"you're spinning / your new 45s / all the misfits / and the losers / yeah you know you're rock'n'rollers / spinning to / your rock'n'roll"

this version is off the original cast recording, however the film version is equally excellent, and i would highly recommend the film to everyone. i gotta say, though, i was privileged to have seen the original off-broadway staging and... well, it was a pivotal night for me. hearing this song brings it all back, including [sappy moment ahead, brace yourself] the incredible rush of emotions that came over me when the play ended.

from Hedwig And The Angry Inch: Original Cast Recording, available on CD



  malpt: Everything on that album rules! The movie rules! You rule! You saw the original show?! I swell with envy.
  angelica: i'm blushing! keep your eyes and ears open, 'cause there are people putting on productions of hedwig in the unlikeliest of places... one day, i hope to produce one in my city.
Vem Vet  performed by Lisa Ekdahl  199?
Recommended by secularus [profile]

One of those songs that I liked upon first listen. Lisa Ekdahl is a chanteuse from Sweden who had an apparent hit with this track sometime in the 1990s. I don't recall what the words "Vem Vet" mean but according to a few Scandinavian friends, it's something silly. Listening to it now, the opening could be something from the Tijuana Brass. My favorite aspect of this track is her inflection of Vem Vet and the words preceding it. In her native Sweden she comes from a traditional jazz standards background. A few years back she released a record in English titled Lisa Ekdahl sings Salvador Poe (her boyfriend/husband) which I can't rate highly. It is just ok. She probably doesn't have cred like Nina Persson (of Cardigans fame) in the hipster scene but who cares! I see potential in this lady (who has looks to boot) and any Phil Spectors out there who have visions of "pure pop" should get their hands on her now.






  manikin: "Vem Vet" means simply "Who Knows"
The Wiggely Cat Walk!  performed by Montparnasse  2000
Recommended by tinks [profile]

One of the coolest-sounding things from the past couple of years! A very funky breakbeat, odd sound effects, wordless vocals and an organ sample come together in this very chic (and very Japanese) melting pot. This comes to us from Masanori Ikeda, who was a longtime resident DJ at Blow-Up in London (DJ Nori) and also records under the guises of Mansfield and the High Yummies.

from Escalator Records, Tokyo, available on CD



Kim  performed by Bertrand Burgalat  2000
Recommended by dedismo [profile]

style: pop, downbeat. Smooth, easy, just the right amound of bossa, drums, synthesizers. Kim is just a great song all around and only 7 some minutes long. But you don't ever want it to end. Keeps your head nodding. Burgalat is the master of instrumentation as much as Sean O'Hagen is to the High Llamas. He can produce a mellow, warm, lush sound like no one else at the moment.

from The Genius of... (Bungalow bung 079)



  tempted: Ah, mon dieu! I hate comparisons in general but I must say to everyone who's just bought 10 000 Hz legend by Air: get rid of it and get hold of The Sssound of Mmmusic by Bertrand Burgalat instead. He's special.
  delicado: yeah, I must pick it up. I have 'the genius of' and I love most of it.
  autopilot: One of the best things that Burgalat has ever created, and considering his incredible body of work as producer/performer, is no mean feat! It's this tune that turned me on to the whole Tricatel sound that he singularly seems to be the master of.
The Way that I Found You  performed by Ladytron  2000
Recommended by tempted [profile]

It's no matter what you do but how you do it! This is a darker song in the Ladytron repertoire and electro disco pop at its very best. Very synth bass heavy yet melodic thanks to these people who understand the recipe of making me happy! Ladytron succeed in making their highly synthetic music sound very organic. Just like Kraftwerk have always done. Apart from Kraftwerk this reminds me of... The Human League. But with a modern touch, leaving the trademark 8t's echoes out. Get up on the dancefloor!

from 604, available on CD



Good Fruit  performed by Hefner  2000
Recommended by delicado [profile]

I've come to really like this band, but when I first heard them, I wasn't so keen. Like many great bands, Hefner feature a highly distinctive singer, who can take some time to grow on you. This simple 3 and a half minute pop song has an engaging arrangement, in which the piano, drums and guitar are superbly complemented in the chorus by synth, brass, and some great backing vocals. The chorus is quite glorious, with a chord sequence that somehow reminds me of the group Mercury Rev's very best songs. The words go very well with the emotional music as well: 'Lost feelings of love come flooding back/Every time you cry/ you give me little heart attacks/Love seems strongest when it's new/but that's something I can't prove/I can't prove that I love you...'

The only other reference point that occurs to me is Pulp - as the song builds, lead singer Darren Hayman's delivery becomes ever more exhuberant, like that of Jarvis Cocker in the best Pulp songs. Looking at the CD, I notice that the excellent backing vocals are by Amelia Fletcher, who if I remember correctly did some Wedding Present backing vocals, and was the singer in the Sarah records band 'Heavenly'. Anyway, this is a really infectious track, highly recommended.

from We Love the City, available on CD




  kkkerplunkkk: Good taste my friend! That is one of my favourite Hefner songs. Should have been a huge hit, it only made number 50 in the UK charts for 1 week. It did go straight in at 1 in the indie charts though!
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.
Unprepared  performed by Superdrag  2000
Recommended by popgoestheculture [profile]

A wonderful song you will be unprepared to handle. A peice of pure glam rock meets Beatle like madness, from one of the last (if not the very last) true rock n' roll bands still alive and kicking. *note: 1:39, how beautiful yes?*


Would recommend from this entire album! Other highlighted selections "Gimmie Animosity", "Baby's Waiting", "Bright Pavillions".

from In the Valley of Dying Stars, available on CD


Intensify  performed by !!!  2000
Recommended by pandaexplosion [profile]

One of the highlights off of their 200 self-titled album, !!!'s "Intensify" delivers upon the promise of its title by being really, well, intense. The band stick pretty close to their typical dancepunk sound, but there's a kick-ass breakdown halfway through where all the music drops out to make way for a chorus of people clapping and shouting "can u feel it intensify!"

Hott.

from !!! (GSL)



  Open Book: I'm glad other people are digging this band also. I love their debut album in its entirety, and their latest ep is also pretty freakin' amazing. I can't wait until their new album drops!
Radio #1  performed by Air  2001
Recommended by tinks [profile]

I think that it is rather telling that the first words you hear on Air's new album are "we are the synchronizers". I have owned this CD for less than 24 hours and am currently on my seventh listen...to some people, that's natural, but not to me. I have to admit, this is quite the anomaly for me in general. It's much, uh, "proggier" than their first record, a fact well-evidenced by the cover art. In fact, it's quite a bit proggier than anything else in my record collection, but I can't seem to get enough of it. I'm having a very difficult time picking a particular song to recommend, so I'm arbitrarily choosing this one. I was a bit worried that I would be disappointed by this, considering how much I love "Premier Symptomes", "Moon Safari" and the "Virgin Suicides" score, but that was not the case. Get this album, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

from 10,000 Hz Legend, available on CD




  delicado: I've had a remarkably similar experience with this album; dig the sing along at the end of 'radio #1' as well!
Wake Up  performed by Kitbuilders  2001
Recommended by PappaWheelie [profile]

Excellently arranged, male fronted vocal Electro Pop.

from Wake Up, available on CD



The Vogue  performed by Antonelli Electr feat. Miss Kittin  2001
Recommended by PappaWheelie [profile]

Minimal, yet melodic, 'high-fashion' Electro.





What Does it Feel Like  performed by Felix Da Housecat  2001
Recommended by PappaWheelie [profile]

Neo-New Wave Electro gets elevated to new hights with a sampled looping punk bassline, understated breakbeat work, and new girl of the moment, Melistar on dry-detached vocals.

from Kittenz and thee Glitz, available on CD



Slowly Surely (Theo Parrish Remix)  performed by Jill Scott + Theo Parrish  2001
Recommended by lil_ze [profile]

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

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

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

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

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

from not available, available on CD


Mon Amie La Rose  performed by Natacha Atlas  2001
Recommended by Mike [profile]

I am not familiar with the original by Francoise Hardy, but consider this version to be very hauntingly expressive. The artist's interesting and highly effective fusion of the middle eastern and western is as prominent as in her other recordings.

from Gedida, available on CD


Sunday Morning  performed by Acid House Kings  2002
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

The opening track from Acid House Kings' latest record "Mondays Are Like Tuesdays and Tuesdays Are Like Wednesdays". For me the song captures perfectly what a sunday morning should feel like : it�s gentle, light, clear blue sky, sun-drenched yet with a light breeze, a certain freshness. The song represents all that with a very light, transparent, mostly accoustic arrangement, enriched with some synth strings and guitar and with the charming voice of Julia Lannerheim including some nice ba-ba-ba's. The whole album is excellent and highly recommended.

from Mondays Are Like Tuesdays and Tuesdays Are Like Wednesdays, available on CD



Altogether  performed by Styrofoam  2002
Recommended by Genza [profile]

I really love Slowdive. I guess it's fair to say they're the most under-rated band of all time (yeah, I know you all have your own opinions but you're wrong and I'm right - okay? ).

So imagine my surprise when electronica masters Morr Music decided to compile a Slowdive tribute record last year, featuring luminraies such as Icelandic beauties Mum.

The album is a sheer joy - and highlights the quality of Halstead's original song-writing (before the layers of reverb and delay were added).
The stand-out track is Altogether, taken from Slowdive's second Creation release 'Souvlaki'. An astonishingly pretty but achingly mournful track is turned, by Morr's Styrofoam, into a trippy work of blissed-out happiness. Cool.

from Blue Skied 'an Clear (Morr Music)



Machine Vibes  performed by Metro Area  2002
Recommended by heinmukk [profile]

metro area brings a lot of things together. there is the oldskool discovibe. there is retro-electro. there is detroit. and there is always organic stuff within like in this track, the nice flute-riff which appears only once or twice.
the whole album is highly recommandable. all tracks are arranged in a deep disco mood, as i would describe it. but you can't compare it to real disco from the 70s as there are a lot of other ingredients. for example a 909 fourtofloorbeat in many tracks and synthiepads sweeping in and out. nice mixture.
i think some tunes should be familiar to club-goers (miura, athmosphrique) but this one is more for your home-audio-experience...=)

from Metro Area


Obstacle #1  performed by Interpol  2002
Recommended by umbrellasfollowrain [profile]

It's manic. Snapped wires. Screaming at the boxcars as they go by. Kid listened to too many Joy Division records in high school and not only did he pick up an attraction to crazy, but he learned how to freak out to that crazy in melody as well. And freak out he does. But he'll tell you why he's freaking out, he'll make you feel it too. And turns out, he has good reason to freak out. Dude's in deep with a bad chick who's, well, she's pretty bad. He waits until the chorus before shrieking for help, "She can't read!" There are those intimate little details that make you realize he's caught in this relationship, he's in love, he loves crazy, he's not getting out any time soon. "It's in the way she pulls it." and the amazing line, "Her stories are boring and stuff /she's always calling my bluff." Sears my frickin' heart.





  executiveslacks: I wanted to hate Interpol, but simply couldn't after hearing this song.
Unas the Slayer of the Gods  performed by Nile  2002
Recommended by King Charles [profile]

If you are looking for an epic, detailed, scriptured text, infused with the basal roots of death metal, this song is it. Standing at a whopping 11:43 (minutes and seconds), this is one of the longest songs I've ever heard, apart from Dream Theater. Listen to the lyrics here, we don't have a bunch of nihilistic meatheads preaching about death and lost love, it rather contains text from the Pyramid of Unas (known as the Pyramid Texts). These texts are dated in Unas's reign, who was the last ruler of the 5th dynasty- most agree he was alive from 2375 to 2345 B.C., but as is seen on elyrics.net, some date him back to 5330 B.C. This date, combined with it's deific juggernaut of sound (perpetrated in the beginning with an echoed 'vena' intro compimented by an all mighty gong, and again in the bridge which sounds like the intro to the Dark Army from LOTR: Return of the King, with it's French horns and marcato kettle drum foundation), make for a truly musical masterpiece. This is the first death metal band I encountered whose lyrics had real meaning, origin, and context (much like DJ Cheb i Sabah's portrayal of texts from the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita). Listen to this the whole way through, the instrumentation is incredible, with a massive orchestrated sound about as subtle as a tidal wave. The bass drums constantly set up the rhythm for the entire work (hold the beginning, and about 8:20 through, as well as the conclusion), and the instinctive deep-throat, albeit gut lyrics add for the dark yet impressive overtone of this piece. I believe I can hear sitar, vena, and even 12-string guitar in this piece. Also, it is critical to acknowledge the chorus in the background- this really highlights the sovereign, godly quality of the song's tone. The arrangement is tight, constantly in rhythm, never behind, and well meshed together, indicating well thought-out composing. Great to listen to before a game of hockey, going to the gym, or if you are feeling weak and helpless- this piece will give you power. Enjoy it for what it is- a new, comforting taste in death metal. Listen to this piece, buy the album, and do research on Unas himself- you'll find a quite interesting history behind this ancient Egyptian ruler, which is the embodiment of Nile- their obsession with the ancient kingdom. 5 out of 5 starts for its genre.

from In Their Darkened Shrines



the empty page  performed by sonic youth  2002
Recommended by complacentbasement [profile]

very grassrootsy sound, simple, melodic beautiful guitar, great bass, expertly recorded drums, sincere vocals, it's just an all-around beautiful track.
the points in the song where they are just "jamming," in that trademark sonic youth style, are some of the high points for me personally (that's not at all to say that the vocals aren't elegantly done).

from murray street (geffen, (dgc))


you were the last high  performed by the dandy warhols  2003
Recommended by angelica [profile]

the dandy warhols are particularly skilled at making songs that are simultaneously moody and dance-y, so you can listen to most of their output no matter what direction your mood is swinging in. this song is a perfect example of just this skill, being both tinged with melancholy and yet resolutely upbeat. in my mind, this is the best song off their last album (which was produced by nick rhodes of duran duran). like the other tracks, it has more of a synth-y electro feel than much of their previous output, but unlike the rest of the album, this is a strong song very much in character.

from Welcome to the Monkey House, available on CD




  olli: i really like the dandy warhols. too bad only about 1/3 of the songs on each of their albums are worth paying attention to. An eventual "best of" album released in about ten years time is going to be absolutely essential.
Telescope Eyes  performed by Eisley  2003
Recommended by malpt [profile]

This is an awesome song all around. I dig the lyrics and I especially love soft voice with the contrasting guitar sound.

Now, this here is a young, local band consisting four siblings and a friend. I highly recommend that you check them out. You will not be disappointed.


available on CD - Laughing City-EP (Warner Brothers)



Wordy Rappinghood  performed by Chicks On Speed  2003
Recommended by barrythejackal [profile]

Great great cover of the Tom Tom Club song, and the highlight from Chicks On Speeds recent 99c album. Weighing in at almost 7 minutes, this is a great slab of electronica. Yes, ironic, yes, self referential, but here they totally excell their art school roots. Plinky plonky melody makes me think of the song 'Popcorn', and the nonsense chorus is like the poppier end of 60's girls with a dose of the Actionettes. Way too cool!

from 99 Cents



Danger! High Voltage!  performed by Electric Six  2003
Recommended by xfanatic50 [profile]

This song is great! "Fire in the Disco/Fire in the Taco Bell" It's so cheesy, but so perfect. Plus, Jack White's vocals are always slightly off-kilter. A great, great track.

from Fire




  spinner303: Haha, this song rocks. Its a really, really fun song. Bass lines are great. Check out the video, its free on their site: http://www.electric6.com/media_video.html
So Stylistic  performed by Fannypack  2003
Recommended by jeanette [profile]

Looking at these three girls on the cover of their album (and the two shadowy, deadly-dull string-pulling guys on the inside) you'd never think that something so chock-full of bubblegum Brooklyn attitood could produce the smart, sexy sound that is this marvellous track.

It's class in a glass. Sidestepping the cuteness factor and packaged cool (both of which, to their credit, they also do very well) of other tracks on the album, So Stylistic bombs along with a real old-skool hip-hop feel. This is balanced nicely by more than a smattering of electropop and gratuitous use of the vocoder, making it seem relentlessly contemporary. This is a band so up-to-date that they don't bother sampling any of that old jazz or funk nonsense, but go straight for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (on Things, another album highlight).

A rare example of a band manufactured down to the last pendant and all the better for it.

from So Stylistic, available on CD



"Calloway"  performed by The High Llamas  2003
Recommended by pleasepleaseme [profile]

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

from Beet, Maize & Corn, available on CD


Hold Me in Your Arms  performed by The Black Keys  2003
Recommended by bluemas [profile]

Dan Auerbach plays slide guitar in this raw and emotional song. Simple yet moving. The Blues comes out in all of us in one point in time.

from Thickfreakness (Fat Possum)


Fly High  performed by Cotton Casino  2004
Recommended by n-jeff [profile]

A solo single from a member of Japanese space rock collective Acid Mothers Temple. For them she plays Synthesiser (a nice old Roland) Cigarettes and Beer. On this she also sings.
Its a strange sounding thing, theres no bass or even much lower mid range. Echo'd synthesiser, a very old sounding drum box, and vocals all occupying the same accoustic space to very psychedelic effect. But yet, very poppy, the vocals stay with you for ages.
Lovely stuff.

from its a single
available on CD - we love cotton (silly boy)


guns of brixton  performed by nouvelle vague  2004
Recommended by olli [profile]

bossa nova version! superb cover of the clash classic. highly recommended.

from nouvelle vague (peacefrog)



  Ricard: Love this version... it's all slowed down, and it makes it sound so menacing!
Side By Side  performed by Labrador  2004
Recommended by eftimihn [profile]

This is how indie pop music should sound, at least for me: bittersweet, light'n' fluffy, airy, harmonic and late 60s oriented. Or as the band describes it: The music makes you think of the time when Herb Alpert and Burt Bacharach was young, Brigitte Bardot looked good, and Serge Gainsbourg was alive! Their whole second album, Instamatic Lovelife, is very consistent in quality and thus highly recommended.

from Instamatic Lovelife, available on CD



To the shore  performed by Pet Shop Boys  2005
Recommended by Mike [profile]

Dark, majestic, tender, subtle instrumental music which is of immense quality and beauty. There are several other high points on this...it's very worthy of investigation!

Unfortunately the British CD has nasty copy control technology on it which I'm pretty certain is going to stop me listening to it on an mp3 player. Oh well...

from Battleship Potemkin, 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)


Lying is the most fun  performed by Panic at the Disco  2005
Recommended by sparkling.inferno [profile]

it's not the most beautifully written song -or the most appropriate, for that matter- but i love it for the way it was performed, the way Brendon's sometimes high-pitched vocals harmonize so well with the instruments, and its memorability. this song stuck with me for a very long time, however i am also very attached to it on account of more personal reasons.
the intellectual aspects are also what struck me as being meaningful- how often do you hear the word 'harlequin' or 'testosterone' in a song? i enjoy listening to tunes with at least some signs of intellect, rather than hearing a string of curses or slang in an entire three minutes. although there are some profanities in Lying, it's not as bad as many other songs out there, that's for sure.

however, there is a sad aspect to the song as well. apparently, it was inspired by guitarist Ryan Ross' recent breakup with his girlfriend on account of her cheating. he stated:
"At the time it felt like the world had ended. I hated everything. It affected that whole album. I guess it's good that I wrote it down. I might have stabbed somebody."

overall, i think it's a great composition, with an enjoyable melody and a catchy chorus, despite its melancholy roots.

from A Fever You Can't Sweat Out


Leaving So Soon  performed by Keane  2006
Recommended by callgirlscene [profile]

This is a song about a tragic break-up. Keane seem to be masters at the tear-jerker that rocks. It starts with piano, bass, & drums, and guitar comes in for the climax. But my favorite thing about it is the singing. Keane's singer at times has an improbaby high voice, yet you know it's a guy. They're like Queen in the vocals, but they sort of out-Queen Queen with the highness. That's part of their appeal for me. Anyway the song goes from annoyance to anger to grief in a rocking climax.


available on CD - Under the Iron Sea (Island)


The Unwanted  performed by Simon Boswell  2007
Recommended by Nori [profile]

This is from the mini-series 'Tin Man', a re-imagining of 'The Wizard of Oz'. It mixes techno with traditional instruments, and conveys a sense of danger, pursuit and high stakes.


available on CD - Tin Man Original Television Soundtrack


The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)  performed by Flight of the Conchords  2008
Recommended by Festy [profile]

Fans of Flight of the Conchords, who bill themselves as "New Zealand's 4th most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo", will know this track already as it is one of their most popular. Although lyrically clever and funny, I think their music writing is saved a lot by the production, to the point where the songs are very listenable and enjoyable (I wouldn't be recommending other wise, I guess). From their first widely available album (self-titled), this track is a highlight, as is 'Ladies of the World' (especially the shortvocal reprise - hard to believe it's them at times), and 'Business Time'. The second album has some great tracks also. The TV show's worth catching also.

from Flight of the Conchords, available on CD



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