Welcome message

Welcome, friends old and new, to my blog. This is the place where I can share my scribblings and thoughts on loving life. I hope you enjoy them, make suggestions and come back to read more.

Friday 11 January 2013

Friday Five- Five songs on my ultimate playlist

What's your favourite song? How I dread that question... I change my mind on a more than daily basis, depending on my mood, the weather, recent events or even something I've seen that's sparked off a random lyric recollection. Because of this, I was amazed and inspired by a series of tweets from @welshboy69 where he attempted to list his top 50 albums. Albums? I'd struggle to settle on my top 50 songs, let alone actual full albums with all their accumulated gems and the occasional filler. I could probably narrow it down to a top ten at best.


I tried compiling a top ten of my favourite songs and it changed six times over the course of four drafts. I gave up. These songs, however, were always up there somewhere on my Desert Island Disc list, and I will never get bored of them. Here they are, and here are the reasons why I adore them.


1. Mr Jones by Counting Crows


 
An ex-boyfriend introduced me to August and Everything After in the late 90s, and it's remained a firm favourite. This song in particular stands out for me because it is full of passion for living and hope for the future "...we're gonna be big, BIG stars..." Every time I hear it, I'm 18 again and the world is my oyster. I was lucky enough to see Counting Crows perform this live a couple of years ago and, scaled-down, simplified and soulful, the live version seemed more grown-up and wistful than the original recording, an effect which moved me to tears. This song is timeless and beautiful.
 

You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon



This is one of the first music videos I ever saw (back in the days when I was more excited about Chevy Chase than Paul Simon) and my six-year-old self loved the fact that "Betty" is my mum's name. I sang this endlessly with my best friend, walking to school, and was over the moon that my dad had it on record (that's what we called vinyl before it was retro). So far, I have had Graceland on vinyl, tape and finally CD. This song, though maybe not the best on the album, will always be my favourite. It is never far from my reach, and always in my heart. A classic.
 

I Heard It Through The Grapevine by Creedence Clearwater Revival



Oooooh, WOW! How do you top a classic? By making it ROCK with a dirty great long jam in the middle! I literally clapped with excitement when I discovered this (thanks again, daddy). I saw an amazing duo play this in a Chichester pub many years ago and my knees actually went weak. It is simply awesome. People don't believe me when I say that I consider this version better than Marvin Gaye's original but, when they hear it, if not won over completely, they can definitely appreciate how it captures the groove of the original but funks it up and makes it something tangibly different. The perfect cover-version.
 

Mondo Bongo by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros



 
Yes, I admit it... I first heard this song on "Mr and Mrs Smith"... you know, the scene where they drink and dance in the square? That's the one. I loved it as soon as I heard it. It's hypnotic, sexy and has a whiff of liquor and late nights. When I hear this, I feel so relaxed and happy; it's like Zen on a silver disc. Plus, I'm a sucker for strings and bongos. Just gorgeous.


Teardrops by Womack and Womack



 
A superb dance-floor filler, smooth, with a cracking melody and masterful use of a drum machine. I dare you not to tap your foot to this! It was a friend who made me love this so: we had a drunken night out where this was played and, in a sozzled epiphany, I was filled with the sure and certain knowledge that this was truly one of the greatest soul/pop songs ever recorded. Now this reminds me of her and, though I don't see her as much as I'd like (damn geography) this will always make me think of her and smile. And sing, of course!
 

So, that was my definite top 5 out of a possible 10 favourite songs ever. What would yours be? Do we have any in common? Let me know x


10 comments:

  1. Just like you I would struggle , but somewhere in my five would have to be Dancing in the moonlight and baby give it up love "Betty"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Those were in some of my top tens! This was sooooo hard because every song links to a memory and my favourites change depending on the memory I want to recapture. I guess this week I wanted to be young and free and cool again ; )

      Delete
    2. Mybe you should try top five of each year since the first song you remember .what a fantastic journey down memory lane that would be

      Delete
    3. That's a great idea! A top 5 for every year I've been alive... Awesome!

      Delete
  2. How did you manage to whittle the list down to just 5? I struggled to get down to 12!:

    You Were Meant For Me (Jewel)
    Winds of Change (Scorpions)
    As Tears Go By (The Rolling Stones)
    English Civil War (The Levellers or The Clash)
    Steady, As She Goes (The Raconteurs)
    Strange Little Girl (The Stranglers)
    So Cold in Ireland (The Cranberries)
    Ever Fallen in Love (Buzzcocks)
    Sunny Afternoon (The Kinks)
    Theme From Harry's Game (Clannad)
    This Is The Life (Amy Macdonald)
    Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Those are awesome! I had such a hard time choosing... I've changed my mind already... Paint It Black should have been there, No One Knows, Magic Dance, American Woman... ahhhh! So much depends on mood. Recently, I have been rocking out to Billy Joel. I like to call my taste "eclectic" rather than "strange"!

      I basically wrote my top ten every day for a week and found that some songs appeared in every version. Yet I still want to change them today!

      Your turn! I'm throwing down the gauntlet- can you get it down to five?

      Delete
    2. In that case I'd have to choose the five I identify with most :-) Have a great weekend...

      You Were Meant For Me (Jewel)
      Winds of Change (Scorpions)
      As Tears Go By (The Rolling Stones)
      Sunny Afternoon (The Kinks)
      Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison)

      Delete
    3. Bravo! Solid choices. I especially like "As Tears Go By". Have you ever seen a ballet called Rooster? It's set to Rolling Stones songs... amazing. It might be on YouTube somewhere but I have the DVD.

      Delete
  3. Afternoon delight
    Arm of Mary
    Kiss from a rose
    Mad world
    Lying eyes
    Sweet dreams
    House of the rising sun
    More than five but could not get it any less

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know- it's too hard! I bet every song has a story too. It's interesting that they're all quite mellow- very like you!

      Delete

This is the part where you get to join in! What did you think of today's post? Leave me a message and let me know what you think. I love reading your comments!