A few months ago, I received a package in the mail that contained a lovely gift. A CD by a band called [url=http://www.azureraymusic.com/...]Azure Ray.[/url] Of course, I listened to them right away, and although I knew they were something special at the time, life intervened, and I found myself setting them aside for a time. Days, weeks, months went by before I finally felt ready to visit them again and now that I have, I can’t seem to stop listening to this wonderful band from Georgia. Their style is not entirely unique, but they seem to possess the wisdom to recognize what they do well and stick to it, without the constant forayws into uncharted territory. Indeed, each song on each album, in some ways, feels very much like the next step on the journey towards perfecting that sound. Anyway, I won’t go on and on ad nauseam about them. If you’re at all interested, click the link, (above or to the side). They have some samples and descriptions on their relatively well put together site that might be of interest. I'll end simply with a thank you to the person who showed me the way.
However, if I might jump subjects for a moment, or "birdwalk" as my 8th grade science teacher, Mr. Heinz, used to say, this constant rotation of one band in my CD player, coupled with a recent conversation with my good friend [url=http://www.geocities.com/dhou...]shadowmusic[/url] about what he was listening to, made me realize that it’s been a little while since something new landed on my doorstep. So… with that in mind, I ask you two questions:
I have a friend who is obsessed with Stevie Nicks. Although he has not yet tattooed her likeness on his backside (don't give him any ideas) he goes to every concert, buys every product, writes for her website... the list goes on and on. And I adore him for his quirky fixation with all things Nicks ~ among other things.
Last night, we were hanging out for a bit and he put on the Rumors LP. It had been a long time since I had heard it, but not only did I know every word to every song, but I instantly felt transported to a different place and time. My mother must have worn grooves in that album when I was a kid and listening to it made me think of her in the most tender way possible. Just listening to those songs made me feel 10 years old again, begging my mom to play “Second Hand News” just one more time. Growing up, my mom always put music before television and there were many times when we went without TV (and food and/or clothes for that matter) but we always had music. What is it they say about apples not falling far from the tree? :)
Then I just got to thinking about how that… the ability of a song to take you back to a specific place and time… is really the essence of what makes music so powerful. This coupled with a recent post by my pal [url=http://surrogate.tblog.com]surrogate [/url] about a similar experience helped to reassure me that I am not the only one who has such strong connections to music. Even now, as I look out over the wall of titles that make up my music collection, I can associate a quiet but treasured memory with every album title… and I’m sure those recollections would become even more specific and pointed were I to look at individual tracks.
Anyway, if you happen to be ancient (like me) or you just happen to have good taste (ahem, like me) and actually have a copy of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors, I encourage you to dust if off and listen. It’s good stuff. And even if you don’t, well then, just listen to another album that carries you off to another snapshot in the scrapbook of your life. And enjoy the ride.
PS: I’d love to hear about some of those snapshots and the music that makes up their soundtrack.
I hate television. I watch little to no television. I once, by choice, went several years without a television. I hate the way it sucks me in and allows me to spend a portion of my day using few, if any, portions of my brain. I hate television.
And yet... now I find myself in a very awkward position.
I am totally addicted to Bravo's [url=http://www.bravotv.com/Projec...]Project Runway.[/url] I love it. I cannot get enough. Tonight is the two hour finale and I am about to wet my pants.
What's this got to do with music? Admittedly, not much, but for you purists out there who expect me to live, breathe, and sleep music. Far be it from me to let you down. So... here's a link [url=http://www.bravotv.com/Projec...]to the ending "you're out" music.[/url]
[b]UPDATE![/b] As predicted, my boy Jay took home the top prize! I suppose now that I don't get to watch Heidi Klum humiliate people on national television anymore, it's time for me to crawl back into my hole. :)
I know some of you were a little distressed earlier in the week when you didn't have a chance to bid on the famed "Dogs Playing Poker" painting that [url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6...]sold for a whopping $590,000 as part of Doyle’s annual [i]Dogs in Art[/i] auction[/url]. (I'm soooo there next year!) To that end, I saw recently where jazz legend [url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/en...]Charlie Parker's sax sold [/url] at auction for a very respectable $260,000. Ok. I realize Parker's coveted alto sax didn't fetch (har!) quite as much as the "Dogs Playing Poker" painting, (c'mon! It's [i][u]dogs...[/u] playing poker![/i]) but its recent sale, coupled with that of the card playing puppies, got me thinking about what music related memorabilia I might bid on, if given the opportunity, and money was no object.
So... here's my question:
[b]If you had unlimited resources and the sky was the limit in terms of what you could spend, what music related item would make you rush to Sotheby's to *ahem* blow your wad? [/b]
Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, there was a blogger named Lloyd. He of the double L's called his blog "The Llunch Counter" and basically, it was filled with a lot of Canadian jokes that I didn't understand, but every once in awhile Lloyd liked to play the mp3 shuffle game. Never heard of it? Well, it goes a little like this:
Hit shuffle on your mp3 player.
List the first 15 songs that come up, [b][i]no matter how embarrassing they are.[/i][/b]
Laugh at everyone else's list -or-
Quickly add new "cooler" mp3s to your collection.
To be honest, I don't know where Lloyd went. He was here one day, then he hit the road for greener pastures over at mblog - which not shortly thereafter - went belly up. (Coincidence?? I think not!)
Anyway, Lloyd ~ wherever you are ~ this one's for you:
[b]juniperflux's first 15[/b]
"Tishbite" by The Cocteau Twins
"The Golden Age" by Beck
"Sea of Doubts" by Azure Ray
"Just Like Cockatoos" by The Cure (Yeah Cmaze!)
"Hangman" by Led Zeppelin
"Wanderlust" by Claire Voyant
"Belong" by REM
"Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode
"Sweet Talking Woman" by ELO (Yikes! How did *that* get in there???)
"Poses" by Rufus Wainwright
"Sweet Lemonade" by Monster Movie
"Betting on Trains" by Hem
"Particle Man" by They Might Be Giants
"In My Heart" by Moby
"Make A Circuit With Me" by The Polecats
[b]Ok. I've shown you mine. Now you show me yours...
To follow or observe (a person) persistently, especially out of obsession or derangement.
This post has been interesting for a number or reasons, not the least of which being that since posting it, I’ve received several hits from people searching for S&M bondage sites. Go figure. But primarily, I found this particular post to be remarkable because it’s gotten me thinking about times in my own life when a relationship has somehow crossed the line between love and something far less healthy. I can recall instances, sitting around with a bunch of girlfriends chatting, with one in particular revealing perhaps a bit too much about her feeling regarding some boy. We’d all secretly glance at one another as if to say, “ok. She’s lost it.” I can’t help but wonder how many times that very look has been exchanged without *me* knowing it. (The correct answer, of course, is none).
C’mon people. Admit it! We’ve all “accidentally” bumped into someone by walking the long way to our given destination or by stopping off somewhere that wasn’t *really* on our to do list. How many times have you been invited somewhere and accepted only after you knew a certain someone was on the guest list? I think most people feel like love is just far too essential to leave all of it to chance. And certainly people can become quite desperate when they think that love is slipping away.
Maybe, deep down, there’s a little stalker in all of us….
Which is what makes songs like the ones you’ve listed so popular. These are some of the guilty pleasures we don’t often admit to enjoying, but that we secretly relish. As Kate pointed out, people play “Every Breath You Take” at their weddings. Surely, at least a few of them have actually listened to the lyrics. Anyway, I’m rambling, but the bottom line is I’ve enjoyed this list. Keep the suggestions coming… but in the meantime, here’s what you picked as the greatest stalker songs of all time!
[url=http://shadowmusic.tblog.com][u][b]Shadowmusic’s Picks:[/b][/u][/url] My good pal shadowmusic kicked off Kate’s suggestion with Billie Holiday’s “You’re Gonna See A Lot of Me.” He left the lyrics in the comments below, which are really fun. My favorite verse: “I'll be the spoon in your coffee / The knife that butters your bread / If I sound a little bit off it / That's because, because, because / you've gone to my head.” Now that’s some good stuff. Later, SM stopped back by and suggested "Run for Your Life" by The Beatles and Blondie's "One Way or Another.” Thanks, pal!
[url=http://almshvn.tblog.com][u][b]Almshvn’s Picks:[/b][/u][/url] Alms took the stalker issue from the flipside, as though someone, (specifically Rockwell) was watching her. Her fave stalker song is: “I Always Feel Like Somebody’s Watching Me!” (And I got no privacy ~ Oh-eeeh-oh!)
[url=http://rinna.tblog.com][u][b]Rinna’s Picks.[/b][/u][/url] Rinna offered a classic that I adore: Morrissey’s “The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get.” Fantastic! She provided the following lyrics as evidence of this song’s incredibly strong creepy factor: “'beware! i bear more grudges / than lonely high court judges / when you sleep / i will creep into your thoughts / like a bad debt that you can't pay / take the easy way and give in / yeah, and let me in...” Now, as if that wasn’t sinister enough, Rinna provided a visual image to keep you up at night as well: “when i hear this song, i think of Morrissey dancing with a corpse or mannequin with smeared lipstick in an old prom frock.” Rinna, if I do say so myself, you’ve got a darkside, girl ~ but I love it! :)
[url=http://cmaze.tblog.com][u][b]Cmaze’s Picks:[/b][/u][/url] In typical maze fashion our (resident closet goth) friend contributed the following: “ok, maybe it doesn't sound like a love song at all in any way shape or form, but its FREAKY like a STALKER....Subway Song...by none other than - you guessed it - The Cure!” (I’m convinced that Maze secretly wishes he was Robert Smith ~ but then again, who wouldn’t??) Thanks, Maze!
[url=http://chicalookate.tblog.com...][u][b]Chicalookate’s Picks:[/b][/u][/url] Kate, who started us down this path of madness and mayhem came back to make some further suggestions which included: “Possession” by Sarah McLachlan ”Run For Your Life” by The Beatles (This song, according to Kate, creeps her out like no other!) ”Obsession” by Animotion (Note: This song creeps me out for a whole lot of reasons!) "Baby It's Cold Outside” To be honest, I have no idea who sang this one, but it certainly has a high ewwwww factor.
[u][b]Juniperflux’s Picks:[/b][/u] Quite awhile back I did a review of an album by an artist named Bleu. In general, I really hated the album, but one song stood out among the rest: “Watchin’ You Sleep.” Here are some of the lyrics: “so I’m watchin’ you sleep / right outside your window / inches away from sleepin’ with you / and you don’t even know it / I’m watchin’ you sleeping / All night long.” Another somewhat distressing song, that I actually really quite like is “Back to Me” by Kathleen Edwards. I'm having trouble locating some of the lyrics, but this song is also featured on the sampler in the new issue of [url=www.pastemusic.com]Paste Magazine.[/url] It’s kind of an alt-country kick ass song with a relentless drum line that mimics the fiercesome manner in which the narrator of this story just won’t take no for an answer. Again, good stuff.
As always, thanks to everyone who made comments. This was fun. Maybe our next list can generate some even more disturbing visitors to my blog. :)
There's a fine line between love and obsession, and I know I'm not the only one who has felt their toes uneasily dangle over that edge at one time or another. Luckily, for *most* of us, we wise up before going too far ... but for those who still need a little fix for their inner stalker, there are always songs that cross the line for you ~ allowing you to satisfy your urge to get a little crazy without having to also get a little incarcerated in the process.
To be honest, I was planning to do a 'worst of' love song list after our trip down candycane lane, but the ever lovely [url=http://chicalookate.tblog.com...]chicalookate[/url] suggested we talk about songs that seem like love songs at the onset but that eventually cross the line, slowly transforming into full fledged stalker music. In response, [url=http://www.geocities.com/dhou...]shadowmusic[/url] jumped right on that bandwagon and quickly offered Billie Holiday's "You're Gonna See a Lot of Me" while Kate chimed in with The Police classic "Every Breath You Take." Personally, I LOVE this topic and cannot wait to see what other songs slowly skulk their way out of the shadows and reveal themselves as the greatest stalker music of all time. Note: providing lyrics (even partial) as [url=http://www.geocities.com/dhou...]shadowmusic [/url] did would be a great addition to this list!
If I were ever to write a novel ~ the kind that keeps you awake long after the book is closed and forces you to sleep with the lights on ~ I'd write about a creature that existed only in shadows: a gently shimmering wisp of a thing that would surprise its victims with its subtlety and delicate hypnotism. Its movements controlled and precise, my characters would find the thing upon them, its perfume intoxicating, its hand reaching quietly through them ~ past the skin, beyond the ribs. Taking their hearts in its hand, as though plucking apples from a basket, it would squeeze until thick, sticky pulp leaked through its long thin fingers. I would call my creature lovesong.
A bit too gruesome? Perhaps. But for me a good love song is something of a dichotomy… as is the subject matter it immortalizes. Beautiful and terrifying at once, love has been (and will likely continue to be) the subject of more music and poetry and literature penned than probably all other subjects combined. As many of you who commented suggested, what makes a good love song often has less to do with its lyrics or melody than it does with the memories sewn into the lining of each song or the sometimes forgotten feelings that relentlessly cling to its edges.
I suppose that’s why so many of my favorite love songs are also deeply mournful. For me, there’s always been a thin line between joy and sorrow and there’s just something about the combination of those two very powerful emotions that I find exceptionally beautiful.
But I digress…
I promised a list. And a list you shall have.
[u][b] [url=http://brogonzo.tblog.com]Brogonzo’s Picks:[/url] [/b][/u] Ian started things off with "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds, a song that received further support by both cmaze and surrogate. According to Ian “It just skips the regular bullshit and stays completely real. It's a bit on the sad side, though.” With a description like that, it’s tough to go wrong.
[u][b][url=http://cmaze.tblog.com]Cmaze’s Picks:[/url] [/b][/u] In addition to Ben Folds Maze offered The Cure’s “Lovesong,” which just happens to be one of my personal faves as well. Maze presented the following defense of his pick: “only because I love the Cure so much and it was written for his wife as a wedding present since he didn't want to get her diamonds.” Hmmmm. Personally, I just think that there are few people in the world who know how to weave extreme sorrow and pure bliss together the way Robert Smith does. Say what you want about the last couple of albums, lyrically, that man is a genius.
[u][b][url=http://childish.tblog.com]Childish’s Picks: [/url] [/b][/u] Childish weighed in with “Georgia On My Mind” by Ray Charles stating that this was the first song that she and her love ever danced to. I think we can all remember a similar song that the minute it comes on the radio, we’re transported back to a high school gymnasium complete with paper decorations and awkward feet and hands flailing just about everywhere. For me that song is “True” by Spandau Ballet.
[u][b][url=http://almshvn.tblog.com]Almshvn’s Picks:[/url] [/b][/u] It took a little coercion, but Alms finally offered “My Girl” by The Temptations. A classic. While I think this song is just lovely, I have to admit I might have chosen “Twilight Time” instead (or is that The Platters?)
[u][b][url=http://JT.tblog.com]JT’s Picks[/url] :[/b][/u] JT offered quite a long list with some great picks including although some offered no artists… “Time and Tide” by Basia ”More Than You Know” by Theloneus Monk? Out of Eden? Frank Sinatra? Billie Holiday? Christina Aguielera? Anita Baker? ”Sea of Love” by The Honeydrippers? (Personally, I dig the Robert Plant version) ”English Rose” by The Jam ”Something” by George Harrison ”Something in the Way She Moves” by James Taylor (Hmmmm… could it be that this is the George Harrison song?) ”Refugio de Amor” by Vanessa Williams & Cheyenne Since I Fell For You by Lenny Welch??
[u][b][url=http://surrogate.tblog.com]Surrogate’s Picks: [/url] [/b][/u] In addition to his initial offering of “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel (a song that I love, by the way) he also suggested the following: “Memmories of Old Days” by Gentle Giant... love it cuz she loved it. ”Recovery” by Eyestrings... personal reasons ”I Will” The Beatles just pretty ”The Luckiest” by Ben Folds good choice for actually making love? Jade Warrior... any album Good Stuff… I am looking forward to exploring some of these in the near future.
[u][b][url=http://www.geocities.com/dhou...]Shadowmusic's Picks: [/url] [/b][/u] My dear friend shadowmusic suggested “It’s Love” by The Softies, a band that is near and dear to my heart. Then in true shadowmusic style, not only did he provide the lyrics for all you softies impaired folks, he also offered this tiny qualifier: “Short acoustic song with twee sweet vocals. Many thanks to Juniperflux for introducing me to that band!” Hey! I do what I can. :) (Oh and a post script to shadowmusic’s comment: [url=http://www.tblog.com/template...]If you’re interested in The Softies, I did a more extensive post on them some time ago that you’re welcome to check it out [/url]).
[u][b][url=www.arrogants.com]Newbie’s Picks: [/url] [/b][/u] (who I suspect is really not new at all, but who I am so glad stopped by to end a long suffering silence). “Nothing Good Will Ever Come of This" by The Arrogants. This song is near the top for me too.
[u][b]Juniperflux’s Picks:[/b][/u] This is always the hardest part for me. I have such a hard time picking favorites… but this is what immediately comes to mind:
[url=http://www.trespasserswilliam...]“Lie In The Sound”[/url] by Trespassers William “Never Let You Down” by The Arrogants “Nothing Good Will Ever Come of This” by The Arrogants “Hard To Find” by Lori Carson “Northern Sky” by Nick Drake “Wish You Were Her” by Billy Bragg “Will The Night” by Low “Follow Me” by The Innocence Mission “Love You More” by The Softies
The list quite literally goes on and on… but that’s all for now. Thanks to everyone who commented.
PS: I'm currently in the market for a muse. Any takers?
Ok. I know it's been awhile, but let's make a list, shall we?
The other night I was in the car with someone who turned on the radio to a program I had never heard before. The host was named [url=http://www.radiodelilah.com/h...]Delilah[/url] and, as far as I could tell, she spent her four hours on air playing nothing but easy listening love songs attached to various sappy love stories. Some of the callers were genuinely touching and I'm sure all were sincere. The music, of course, wasn't my particular brand of tea, but it got me thinking about love songs and what makes a good one. And with Valentine's Day just around the corner, I figured why not!
So...
What are your favorite love songs? As *was* the custom on this blog when I was posting more regularly, I'll complile a master list once we're all finished, but in the meantime I'd like to know two things?
What is/are your favorite love song(s)? Why do you love it (them)?
A few months ago, I received a package in the mail that contained a lovely gift. A CD by a band called [url
I am totally addicted to Bravo's [url
I know some of you were a little distressed earlier in the week when you didn't have a chance to bid on the famed "Dogs Playing Poker" painting that [url
Does anyone besides me remember Lloyd?
There's a fine line between love and obsession, and I know I'm not the only one who has felt their toes uneasily dangle over that edge at one time or another. Luckily, for *most* of us, we wise up before going too far ... but for those who still need a little fix for their inner stalker, there are always songs that cross the line for you ~ allowing you to satisfy your urge to get a little crazy without having to also get a little incarcerated in the process.
Ok. I know it's been awhile, but let's make a list, shall we?