Best Songs - 1979 - Smashing Pumpkins

I'm not sure I understand all the lyrics to this song, but I understand that the sound of the song captures the nostalgic feel of the lyrics perfectly. I was never a big Smashing Pumpkins fan, but this song is a great alternative pop tune.


1979 - Smashing Pumpkins
Lyrics from sing365.com

Shakedown 1979
Cool kids never have the time
On a live wire right up off the street
You and I should meet
Junebug skipping like a stone
With the headlights pointed at the dawn
We were sure we'd never see an end to it all

And I don't even care to shake these zipper blues
And we don't know
Just where our bones will rest
To dust I guess
Forgotten and absorbed into the earth below

Double cross the vacant and the bored
They're not sure just what we have in store
Morphine city slippin' dues down to see

That we don't even care as restless as we are
We feel the pull in the land of a thousand guilts
And poured cement, lamented and assured
To the lights and towns below
Faster than the speed of sound
Faster than we thought we'd go
Beneath the sound of hope

Justine never knew the rules,
Hung down with the freaks and the ghouls
No apologies ever need be made
I know you better than you fake it to see

That we don't even care to shake these zipper blues
And we don't know just where our bones will rest
To dust I guess
Forgotten and absorbed into the earth below
The street heats the urgency of now
As you see there's no one around

Best Albums - Fear of a Black Planet - Public Enemy

This record jumps out at the listener with an amazing amount of energy and soul. Musically and lyrically this is the best hip hop record ever made. It is 20 tracks of social commentary and sound experimentation. The pop grooves on this album are non stop as well which to me separates this album from It Takes a Nation of Millions which is labeled by many critics as their best album.



Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet (1990)
1. Contract on the World Love Jam
2. Brothers Gonna Work It Out
3. 911 is a Joke
4. Incident at 66.6FM
5. Welcome to the Terrordome
6. Meet the G That Killed Me
7. Pollywanacraka
8. Anti-Nigger Machine
9. Burn Hollywood Burn
10. Power to the People
11. Who Stole the Soul?
12. Fear of a Black Planet
13. Revolutionary Generation
14. Can't Do Nuttin' for Ya Man
15. Reggie Jax
16. Leave This Off Your Fu*kin Charts
17. B Side Wins Again
18. War at 33 1/3
19. Final Count of the Collision Between Us and the Damned
20. Fight the Power

Discover Public Enemy!

Best Albums - Beautifully Human - Jill Scott

The first time I heard this album I loved it. It's full of so much life and energy, it's just a joy to listen to. Lyrically this album is really smart, the sound is good, everything is there, but this album is all about Jill Scott. The album drips with her personality. As good as her voice is, it's her essence that sells these songs. I've heard a lot of neo-soul music, and to me this is the best album of the bunch.

Of course like I said it helps that she has good content to sell. She's all over the place with her songs. From sensual love songs, to political, to silly, to social. All along she's smart, witty, and reflective. If you want to pick up and listen to one of the best albums of the decade grab this one and you won't be sorry.

Jill Scott - Beautifully Human (2004)
1. Warm Up
2. I'm Not Afraid
3. Golden
4. The Fact Is
5. Spring Summer Feeling
6. Cross My Mind
7. Bedda At Home
8. Talk to Me
9. Family Reunion
10. Can't Explain
11. Whatever
12. Not Like Crazy
13. Nothing
14. Rasool
15. My Petition
16. I Keep/Still Here

Best Songs - Fascination - Everything But the Girl

To support their 1991 album Worldwide Everything But the Girl did an acoustic tour. Their set was made up of refreshed older songs and covers of some of their favorites. In 1992 they came out with an album called Acoustic based on this tour. One side of the album was covers, one side were their songs redone for this tour. A couple of the tracks on this album were taken from live recordings. The album is in essence soft and quiet and good background music. It is pretty much a mediocre album up to the very last song. It is a live version of "Fascination" and it is brilliant. "Fascination" comes off of EBTG's first album Eden which came out in 1984. The thing is the song was originally an acoustic song, so what really changed from album to performance to make me like it so much more.

First they slowed the song down. The album version of the song has a bit of a rushed feel to it, and the live version really steps the pace down and gives Tracey the opportunity to put a lot more emotion into the lyrics. Secondly her voice has never sounded better than it does on this live recording. You can really hear in this song, just how much better a singer she had become over those eight years. Thirdly they replace the sax with a flute and that makes a huge difference, softening the feel of the song and fitting in much better with the slower tempo.

I obviously have a romantic bone or two as this list is revealing. I can certainly understand people, like my wife, not being so keen on this song, but for me it's almost perfect. The lyrics are brilliant, the presentation is flawless, it's just a wonderful experience to hear this song. Throw it on while driving alone at night sometime and you can really get lost in the sound and the emotional feel of the song.


Lyrics

I won't try to stop you when you speak of the past
Doubt is over now, and I can join in when you laugh.
Fascination makes us ask for more than we'd like to know,
But I needn't explain, I bet you know.

Reassure me when my heart's not bold enough to bear her name.
If you were in my shoes and scared, I would do the same.
And though I may ask, there's no need for past details
for though I may laugh along,
My courage fails

Did you know?

See how I've changed now, how my head's so clear
Still there are some things that I don't want to hear
And there must be so much I know
That you cannot forget
And I musn't wish your life began
The day we met

Places we go remind you of when you were here before
So you talk and tell me you don't think about it any more
There is something I know that hasn't quite been left behind
So I'll ask you once again
To prove that I don't mind
To prove that I don't mind


I can't find a video of them doing this song, but here is a video someone made of the original album version.




Here is a video of them performing an acoustic set with a song off of their first album Eden and their brilliant eighth album Amplified Heart.

Best Albums - White Shoes & the Couples Company

This album was released in 2005, but didn't hit the US until 2007. I discovered it on Yahoo music and fell in love with it. It really takes me back to earlier sounds. The band I immediately thought of was The Weekend, but I've read where others compare them to early Everything But the Girl, another favorite of mine. The beauty of this album is that they have the same experimental jazz, minimalist sound, but with all the pop sensibility that those albums are missing. In one swoop this small band out of Jakarta accomplished what no one in the 80s trying to create this sound could do. If you want to put a smile on your face give a listen to this album and definitely check out the video below.


White Shoes & the Couples Company - White Shoes & the Couples Company (2005)
1. Simple Overture
2. Nothing to Fear
3. Tentang Cita
4. Windu & Defrina
5. Runaway Song
6. Sunday Memory Lane
7. Brother John
8. Senandung Maaf
9. Senja
10. Nothing to Fear (woodwind version)
11. Topstar
12. Kapiten Dan Gadis Desa
13. Sabda Alam

Discover White Shoes & The Couples Company!

Best Albums - Steeltown - Big Country

I was in a Kroger grocery store in Paducah KY some 24 years ago when I found this album in a $1 bin. From the opening track "Flame of the West" I was hooked on this album. I hear the album differently now than when I was younger. Now the album almost has a concept feel to it. The songs flow together telling a story. The story of a young man in a small town.

He sees the corruption of power, "It's just how it's always been, One man with a ruling dream, And everyone falls for him . . ."

He feels the trap of being stuck in a small town, "Some days will stay a thousand years, Some pass like the flash of spark, Who knows where all our days go ?"

He feels anger and loss at what he and his family have sacrificed for capitalism, "Here I stand with my own kin, At the end of everything, Finaly the dream has gone, I've nothing left to hang upon"

He feels the sacrifice of giving oneself for country, "i wait here in this hole, playing poker with my soul, i hold the rifle close to me, it lights the way to keep me free"

He feels the loss of someone he loves, "You never should have gone, I was so young and full of pride, And you were wild and strong, I never knew how weak I was"

He feels the loss of who he wanted to be when he was younger, "I hear your voice, And it keeps me from sleeping, Why must it always be dreams, When your voice comes to me"

He finds love, "I look at you and you will turn and smile, For a little while be happy, I want you with all that loving brings, Like a church bell rings for the morning"

He faces the adventure of sharing his life with another, "We are not dust we are not stone, Just as the wild seed is sown, No one knows how we bring it home, We only take as we have grown"

He discovers the important things in life, "And suddenly I find the truth…and all it is is sighs and youth"

He then reflects back on his life and what it's been, "Did we ever have it good, While we lived in Eldorado did we find the gold we should, If it really was the truth, Why are faces filled with anger that should only shine with youth"

Now I may be reading too much into these songs, but I don't think so. Some reviewers say the lyrics are pretentious, but I think it is what it is the voice of a 25 year old man growing up and beginning to look a the world with different eyes. His voice isn't quite a mature as his thoughts.

Their most critically acclaimed album would come out 15 years later called Driving to Damascus. It was also their last album sadly. I have listened to this album, but I miss the youthful energy that is so a part of Steeltown.


Big Country - Steeltown (1984)
1. Flame of the West
2. East of Eden
3. Steeltown
4. Where the Rose is Sown
5. Come Back to Me
6. Tall Ships Go
7. Girl With Grey Eyes
8. Rain Dance
9. Great Divide
10. Just a Shadow

Discover Big Country!

The Most Wanted Art

OK I heard this story on This American Life and thought it was really funny. These two artists hired a polling firm to find out what people wanted most in art. They did this for a number of countries and then made paintings for each country both the most wanted and the most unwanted. You can see the paintings and the poll results by visiting their web site.

This was followed by doing the same thing for music. Then they produced two songs, the most wanted and the most unwanted. You can read about it here. You can actually here the most unwanted song here, and the most wanted song here.

Best Songs - Here's Where the Story Ends - The Sundays

From the first moment I heard this song I loved it. Absolutely loved it. This song got me to purchase the album which I love, but nothing on their matches this song. It is such a straightforward song. The music is so simple and layered so perfectly over her singing in this very soft and effortless way. It's funny but the simplicity of the song is in some ways what makes it so complex and wonderful. I'm a big Smiths fan and this album and this song are built off of the pop sound made popular by The Smiths. But they never approached a song that reached this level. In fact I don't think many people have reached this level on a song. It is quite possibly in my top five songs of all time, it could even be number one.

Here are the lyrics from Lyricsfreak.com

People I know, places I go
Make me feel tongue-tied
I can see how people look down
They're on the inside
Here's where the story ends

People I see, weary of me
Showing my good side
I can see how people look down
I'm on the outside
Here's where the story ends
Ooh, here's where the story ends

It's that little souvenir of a terrible year
Which makes my eyes feel sore
Oh, I never should have said, the books that you read
Were all I loved you for

It's that little souvenir of a terrible year
Which makes me wonder why
And it's the memories of your shed that make me turn red
Surprise, surprise, surprise

Crazy I know, places I go
Make me feel so tired
I can see how people look down
I'm on the outside
Oh, here's where the story ends
Ooh, here's where the story ends

It's that little souvenir of a terrible year
Which makes my eyes feel sore
And who ever would've thought the books that you brought
Were all I loved you for

Oh, the devil in me said, go down to the shed
I know where I belong
But the only thing I ever really wanted to say
Was wrong, was wrong, was wrong

It's that little souvenir of a colorful year
Which makes me smile inside
So I cynically, cynically say, the world is that way
Surprise, surprise, surprise, surprise, surprise

Here's where the story ends
Ooh here's where the story ends

Best Albums - Reading, Writing and Arithmetic - The Sundays

Similar to the Cranberries these guys are basing a lot of their sound off of the jangle pop made so popular by The Smiths. But it's a stripped down approach with a much simpler sound. That all aside it's a brilliant album from start to finish with not a bad song out of the ten. On top of that you get probably the best jangle pop single ever produced in "Here's Where the Story Ends." It never hurts to have a great single and it's surrounded by catchy, fun songs that create an infectious vibe. It's hard not to put this album on and fall into a good mood.

Like so many other bands their first album was their best. Their other two albums were both successful and quite good, but did not approach the brilliance of their first effort. This could be in part because their record label collapsed and they had to go through a big transition for their second album and because Harriet Wheeler and David Gavurin both of the band married and had a child and lost interest in being musicians. They openly talked about their third album being the result of a contract requirement and not because they wanted to continue to be The Sundays.

The Sundays - Reading, Writing and Arithmetic (1990)
1. Skin & Bones
2. Here's Where the Story Ends
3. Can't Be Sure
4. I Won
5. Hideous Towns
6. You're Not the Only One I Know
7. A Certain Someone
8. I Kicked a Boy
9. My Finest Hour
10. Joy

Best Albums - Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? - The Cranberries

I stumbled back upon this album some time last year and was surprised that it had held up so well. I'm not saying this album would be in my top 100 all time, but I would think it would fit somewhere in the top 500. Like the Femmes did on their debut album these guys managed to create a unique sound. They are a bit Smiths, a bit Waterboys, a bit 10,000 Maniacs, a bit Church, a bit Echo and the Bunnymen, etc. The odd thing is that they pull it off so well on a debut record. This album has a softness that is missing in their later stuff, and that is I think the key to this record working so well. It creates a mood that lies across the entire album and so you never want the album to stop once you start it. That is one of the keys to a good album.

Unlike a lot of the other stuff coming out in the early 90's that was tearing down the music of the 80's, like Nirvana for instance, these guys were building a new sound off of the best components. It has in an odd way given this album a bit of a timeless feel.

The Cranberries - Everybody Else is Doing It, So Why Can't We? (1993)
1. I Still do
2. Dreams
3. Sunday
4. Pretty
5. Waltzing Back
6. Not Sorry
7. Linger
8. Wanted
9. Still Can't
10. I Will Always
11. How
12. Put Me Down

The Cranberries - New Music - More Music Videos

Best Songs - The Sweetest Taboo - Sade

Over 16 years Sade released five albums. With each album her lyrics and melodies and the band's sound and production got tighter. She is one of the few artist who's last work was much better than her first. But her best single came off of her second album Promise. "The Sweetest Taboo" is infectious with it's beat and rhythm and her smooth voice flows over this background with a hypnotic effect. I don't believe I have ever heard this song and not found myself moving to the sound and getting lost in her voice. That's saying a lot for a 23 year old song which sounds just as good today as it did back in 1985.

One other thing I love about this song is it works for any mood. If you're sad, the song is sad. If your happy the song is happy. If your angry, well you get it. There aren't many songs that work like that.


Here are the lyrics from Seeklyrics.com

If I tell you
If I tell you now
Will you keep on
Will you keep on loving me

If I tell you
If I tell you how I feel
Will you keep bringing out the best in me

You give me, you give me the sweetest taboo
You give me, you're giving me the sweetest taboo
Too good for me

There's a quiet storm
And it never felt like this before
There's a quiet storm
That is you

There's a quiet storm
And it never felt this hot before
Giving me something that's taboo
(Sometimes I think you're just too good for me)

You give me the sweetest taboo
That's why I'm in love with you (with you)
You give me the sweetest taboo
Too good for me
(Sometimes I think you're just too good for me)

I'd do anything for you, I'd stand out in the rain
Anything you want me to do, don't let it slip away

There's a quiet storm
And it never felt like this before
There's a quiet storm
I think it's you

There's a quiet storm
And I never felt this hot before
Giving me something that's taboo

You give me the (you give me, you give me the)
Sweetest taboo
That's why I'm in love with you (with you)
You give me, keep giving me the sweetest taboo
Too good for me

You've got the biggest heart
Sometimes I think you're just too good for me
Every day is Christmas, and every night is new year's Eve

Will you keep on loving me
Will you keep on, will you keep on
Bringing out the best in me

Sade - New Music - More Music Videos

Best Albums - Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes

It strikes me listening to this album now, some 22 years since I first heard it, that it has aged incredibly well. It sounds just as fresh and distinctive now as it did then. These guys hit on a formula that worked perfectly. Read the review on allmusic, I think this review gets it pretty right.

Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes (1983)
1. Blister in the Sun
2. Kiss Off
3. Please Do Not Go
4. Add It Up
5. Confessions
6. Prove My Love
7. Promise
8. To the Kill
9. Gone Daddy Gone
10. Good Feeling

Best Songs - Smile - Olive

I have a thing for catchy pop tunes and for trip hop. I also love sappy songs that you can throw on as a soundtrack to any sad moment in time. Well this song hits all of those points. It may not be the smartest song out there, but it is a very solid pop tune. It was my top song of 2008, and I think it deserves to be thought of as one of the best songs.

Here are the lyrics from VH1

Smile, you'll steal away my soul
Smile, I'll hide away and cry
My mind's made up
I will shudder to see your eyes
Smile, no doubt I'll keep my pride
But it may be hard to find

There's nothing left, handed down your legacy
But more regret painted on with empathy

Smile, don't complicate my time
Smile, don't ask me if I'm fine
My world blown down
There is nothing that words can say
Smile, no doubt I'll keep my pride
But it may be hard to find

There's nothing left, handed down your legacy
But more regret, painted on with empathy

There's nothing left, there's nothing left

Smile, you'll steal away my soul
Smile, I'll hide away and cry
There's nothing left handed down your legacy
Smile, no doubt I'll keep my pride
But it may be hard to find, if only you had tried
Gonna leave it far behind
It may be hard to find, if only you had tried
Gonna leave it far behind

Top 10 Songs of 2008

These were my favorite songs of the year. Again these are not songs released in 2008, just my favorites to listen to this past year. Three of the top 5 songs are very spiritual in nature. Between Baptism & Burial, Glory to the World, and I Heard it Sound are all odd little spiritual tunes. Not Christian spirituality, more of a modern earthly spirituality is present in all of these songs. Antarctica is one of the prettiest pop tunes I've heard. I hear it and I just want the sound to go on and on. Smile is simple electronic pop that is corny but wonderful. I have played this song to death this year.

10. Back to This - The Helio Sequence
9. Iceage Babeland - Natalie Portman's Shaved Head
8. Silver and Fire - M. Craft
7. Vienna - Matt Costa
6. Plus Profound - Hooverphonic
5. Between Baptism & Burial - Trips and Falls
4. Glory to the World - El Perro Del Mar
3. Antartica - The Weepies
2. I Heard it Sound - Bodies of Water
1. Smile - Olive


Of the albums released in 2008 I would say The Weepies' Hideaway was my favorite.

Best Songs - So Like Candy - Elvis Costello

I heard this song today and I thought to myself, you know I think this is one of the best songs of all time. It has great lyrics, it's very catchy, and he does a great job singing it. It also ahs a certain emotionally grab for me personally, and so I would put it down on my list of top songs of all time.

Here are the lyrics pulled off of Elvis Costello's web site.

Here lies the powder and perfume
The pretty clothes are scattered 'round the room
And it's so like Candy
Here lies the lipstick and the face
The coloured tablets keep it all in place
And it's so like Candy
So like Candy

CHORUS
What did I do to make her go
Why must she be the one
That I have to love
So like Candy

Here lies a picture of a girl
Her arms are tight around that lucky guy
And it's so like Candy
And in her eyes a certain look
I thought I'd seen the last of long ago
And it's so like Candy
So like Candy

CHORUS
I remember the day that picture was taken
We were so happy then
But that's so like Candy
She seemed so sweet to me I was mistaken
Oh no not that again
But that's so like Candy

She just can't face the day
So she turns and melts away
Here lie the records that she scratched
And on the sleeve I find a note attached
And it's so like Candy

"My Darling Dear it's such a waste"
She couldn't say "goodbye", but "I admire your taste"
And it's so like Candy
So like Candy

Elvis Costello - New Music - More Music Videos