Really? I knew the song as it was played on Australian radio all the time.
Well, I've never been to Australia, so I'd no idea. I guess it might be because the Moodies had 6 of the first 7 gold discs issued there, I guess the nation has good taste!
Really? I knew the song as it was played on Australian radio all the time.
Well, I've never been to Australia, so I'd no idea. I guess it might be because the Moodies had 6 of the first 7 gold discs issued there, I guess the nation has good taste!
Display MoreMy favourite band, the Moody Blues, here are some you have likely never heard, totals about 45 minutes:
The Day We Meet Again
Lovely To See You
Bless the Wings (That Bring You Back)
Are You Sitting Comfortably
The Swallow
The Actor
Deep
Out & In
Don't You Feel Small
Lost In A Lost World
Melancholy Man (“This Is The Moody Blues” version)
Zip file of the above, Melancholy Man is the original version, not the "This Is" version, as I don't have it to hand. Only difference is it's a remix.
Display MoreMy second favourite band, Cock Robin. Led by principle songwriter Peter Kingsbery (only about 5 of their songs are not solely by him), from Pheonix, Arizona, who studies classical music at uni, and was briefly Brenda Lee's piano player, the band has included Lou Molino III (Tubes/Yes), Brit Clive Wright (frequent collaborator with Harold Budd) and Pat Mastelotto. I shall include tracks from his solo albums, as, being also written by him, they differ only in that he varies the instruments used more, with accordian, oud, and the like, turning up, which wouldn't happen with band albums.
His writing is out of the ordinary, often written from the point of view of others, and rarely fails to be interesting. I will include descriptions with some:
After here Through Midland (CR) (A different take on a Mexican crossing the border to “Illegal Alien”)
Manzanar (CR) (from the viewpoint of Japanese Americans interred during WW2, Manzanar was one such camp.)
Sorry For Myself (PK)
There's No Magic To It (PK)
Bishop Gaillot (PK) (About the controversial French cleric)
The Long Last Second (PK)
A Natural Affair (CR) (A newborn baby's thoughts on it's mother and situation)
Caught In Your Stream (CR) (Your PC's view of it's relationship with you)
Connected (CR) (The hopes of someone about to be cryogenically frozen until a cure is found)
Lasso (CR) (who's more important, the person holding the rope, or the rope?)
Zip file of the above, I've put "The Long Last Second at the end", as there's a roughly 3 minute gap of silence in it which will drive you mad if it's in the middle. (It's the closing track on the album it is from!)
Display MoreVan Morrison is among my favourite artists, and yet likely the one I would least want to meet in person.
His output of the last 20 years could justifiably be described as spotty, but for a long-time devotee I find there are usually at least one or two tracks per album that really stand out and make it worthwhile for me.
Here would be my compilation of Van’s best songs from 2000 to the present. It would be just a little more than 70 minutes long.
Down The Road
Going Down To Monte Carlo
Dark Night Of The Soul
Little Village
Caledonia Swing
Duper's Delight
Magic Time
They Sold Me Out
Celtic New Year
Only A Dream
Steal My Heart Away
That's Entrainment
Somerset
Behind The Ritual
Ooo, I was also thinking about Van Morrison, but you beat me to it. And you've covered his last 2 decades, which I don't know that well. This list is a great starting point for more exploration.
Display MoreI wanted to make a list of Prince gems, but were too famous.
The Morning Papers
Money Don't Matter Tonight
Joy in Repetition
Still Would Stand All Time
Anna Stesia
Strange Relationship
Anotherloverholenyohead
Condition of the Heart
Free
Do Me, Baby
Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?
Another artist I was thinking of. Some great picks here, including some early ones. Here is another album's worth:
Thunder
New Position
Le Grind
Endorphinmachine
It's Going to Be Lonely
Irresistible Bitch
Tamborine
Housequake
Release It (I know The Time is the main performer, but Prince wrote it, it's on a Prince album, and he sings back-up)
Erotic City
DMSR
Display MoreMy favourite band, the Moody Blues, here are some you have likely never heard, totals about 45 minutes:
The Day We Meet Again
Lovely To See You
Bless the Wings (That Bring You Back)
Are You Sitting Comfortably
The Swallow
The Actor
Deep
Out & In
Don't You Feel Small
Lost In A Lost World
Melancholy Man (“This Is The Moody Blues” version)
Being a fan of "classic 7"-era Moody Blues, I guess I should come up with my own list. I'm not including anything that (1) was a single; (2) was included on THIS IS THE MOODY BLUES; or (3) came after SEVENTH SOJOURN.
In no particular order:
Twilight Time
Dr. Livingston I Presume
To Share Our Love
Eternity Road
Sun is Still Shining
Don't You Feel Small (BTW, I'm glad to see someone else likes this one.)
It's Up to You
Nice to Be Here
You and Me
I Really Haven't Got the Time
King & Queen
BTW, I'm surprised to see "Lost in a Lost World" on someone's list, as I've always considered that to be the worst track from a "classic 7" Moodies album that's not a spoken word piece!
I will attempt a Van Morrison list which isn't from more recent times, as I'm afraid for me he has become repetitious in the extreme (without taking into account his anti-lockdown stance). I will try & make this flow like an album.
Star of the County Down (with the Chieftains)
Real Real Gone
Higher Than The World
Come Running
Thanks For The Information
Alan Watts Blues
Too Long In Exile (while this is a title track, I don't think it's that well known)
Redwood Tree
Dweller On The Threshold
These Are The Days
Irish Heartbeat (with Mark Knopfler)
BTW, I'm surprised to see "Lost in a Lost World" on someone's list, as I've always considered that to be the worst track from a "classic 7" Moodies album that's not a spoken word piece!
WHAT!!!!!!!
Um... (mumbles something about different people having different tastes)
Um... (mumbles something about different people having different tastes)
'Tis funny though, you included To Share Our Love, the middle of their weakest run of songs, IMO. OTTOAD starts well, and side 2 is brilliant, but Send Me No Wine/To Share Our Love/So Deep Within You as a bit of a sagging moment on the album, though it is the last one in the core 7, the next 4 albums are flawless really. Rest of your list is a winner though.
'Tis funny though, you included To Share Our Love, the middle of their weakest run of songs, IMO. OTTOAD starts well, and side 2 is brilliant, but Send Me No Wine/To Share Our Love/So Deep Within You as a bit of a sagging moment on the album
Well, the first album I ever owned was THIS IS THE MOODY BLUES, on which OTTOAD is (in my opinion) a bit too heavily represented in comparison to other albums. When I heard all of OTTOAD much later, I think I got to be particularly fond of "To Share Our Love" and "So Deep Within You" (along with "Are You Sitting Comfortably") partly because I hadn't already heard them a million times on THIS IS!
I know that some people perceive The B-52s as novelty band, with quirky hits like Rock Lobster and Love Shack. I actually really like them a lot and think there is more to discover with them:
Girl From Ipanema Goes to Greenland
Dry County
52 Girls
Housework
Juliet of the Spirits
Legal Tender
Give Me Back My Man
Revolution Earth
Private Idaho
Deadbeat Club
Elton John:
Bitter Fingers
Grimsby
Ball & Chain
Town Of Plenty
Elderberry Wine
Indian Sunset
American Triangle
I've Seen That Movie Too
Blues For Baby And Me
Oscar Wilde Gets Out
Postcards From Richard Nixon
As with Knopfler you could do that many times and you'd have different songs every time, still leaving out the famous songs.
The line between a Gem and a Weak Song is very thin.
Display MoreI know that some people perceive The B-52s as novelty band, with quirky hits like Rock Lobster and Love Shack. I actually really like them a lot and think there is more to discover with them:
Girl From Ipanema Goes to Greenland
Dry County
52 Girls
Housework
Juliet of the Spirits
Legal Tender
Give Me Back My Man
Revolution Earth
Private Idaho
Deadbeat Club
I might have to investigate your list as this is a band I've never liked. But I should say that most of my problem lies with the (to my ears) monotonous nasal voices of the two women and the strangulated utterances of that Fred bloke, rather than the "look, aren't we kooky and fun?" nature of their hits. So hearing more obscure stuff might not save them, but I'll give it a go.
EDIT - I'd never have liked Love Shack anyway but after hearing it played at countless student parties I went to, I loathed it.
Display MoreAnother artist I was thinking of. Some great picks here, including some early ones. Here is another album's worth:
Thunder
New Position
Le Grind
Endorphinmachine
It's Going to Be Lonely
Irresistible Bitch
Tamborine
Housequake
Release It (I know The Time is the main performer, but Prince wrote it, it's on a Prince album, and he sings back-up)
Erotic City
DMSR
I'm hoping to add a 3rd album. I wanted to include the brilliant Endorphinmachine so on the basis I inadvertently duplicated She Said from your Beatles list, I'll still include it under a rule I've just invented which is that you can have one duplicate track. It'll be like a tag relay type of thing, sort of.
I might have to investigate your list as this is a band I've never liked. But I should say that most of my problem lies with the (to my ears) monotonous nasal voices of the two women and the strangulated utterances of that Fred bloke, rather than the "look, aren't we kooky and fun?" nature of their hits. So hearing more obscure stuff might not save them, but I'll give it a go.
EDIT - I'd never have liked Love Shack anyway but after hearing it played at countless student parties I went to, I loathed it.
Fred Schneider's non-singing is an acquired taste. It is very mannered and you either like it or hate it.
Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson are fantastic singers in my opinion. They can be kooky and avant-garde, making all kinds of weird and abrasive noises. They can also be joyous or poignant, with a fantastic sense of harmonies. How monotonous they sound can depend more on the song. Legal Tender is more on the monotonous side. But Deadbeat Club has a wonderful melody and their signing captures the nostalgia and tenderness of the lyrics.
Display MoreElton John:
Bitter Fingers
Grimsby
Ball & Chain
Town Of Plenty
Elderberry Wine
Indian Sunset
American Triangle
I've Seen That Movie Too
Blues For Baby And Me
Oscar Wilde Gets Out
Postcards From Richard Nixon
As with Knopfler you could do that many times and you'd have different songs every time, still leaving out the famous songs.
Another artist I was hoping to get to. Will try my own list soon.
The line between a Gem and a Weak Song is very thin.
I think it is more a case of one person's gem is another person's weak song. Something I think is an underappreciated masterpiece may make someone else just roll their eyes.
The line between a Gem and a Weak Song is very thin.
Can you give examples from the lists so far of songs you regard as weak rather than gems? This is all personal preference which also happens to be about highlighting lesser known songs.