I stumbled across Paul Zollo’s music site bluerailroad.com, which features lists of 5 Favorite Songs by Bob Newhart, John Doe, Diana Krall, and others. Before I knew it I’d written my own and was trying to submit it - only to find the form is broken. So, rather than let it go entirely to waste…
Angel, Jimi Hendrix
Many people think of Jimi Hendrix as a lead guitarist, but he was also a brilliant rhythm player, with a style that grew out of his work backing R&B bands, including the early Isley Brothers. “Angel” is a beautiful ballad with a rhythm guitar accompaniment that transforms “licks” into orchestration.
I Can’t Make You Love Me, (sung by) Bonnie Raitt
Just a beautifully written song that captures a deep emotion - a favorite “I wish I’d written that” of many songwriters. The actual writers were Allen Shamblin and Mike Reid. I understand they started out writing an uptempo bluegrass song - if you sing it fast in your head you can hear what they were up to.
Darn That Dream, (played by) Thelonious Monk
A strange, angular melody that is still singable and moving. Recorded by who knows how many people - listen to a vocalist doing it (Tony Bennett? Billie Holiday? Dinah Washington?) to get the lyrics in your head, then enjoy the “genius of modern music” as he explores its intricate musical underpinnings. Written by Eddie De Lange and by Jimmy Van Heusen, a Frank Sinatra favorite, who named himself after the shirt.
Hearts and Bones, Paul Simon
The title song from an under-appreciated album. Paul Simon manages to be a literate intellectual, a great pop tunesmith and a heart-breaking poet. For just one example: “The arc of a love affair/His hands rolling down her hair…” And he knows how rare this balance is - in “Think Too Much” he asks, “Did you ever experience a state of grace/When your mind just takes a seat behind your face?”
Pancho and Lefty, Townes Van Zandt
Another one that’s on a lot of songwriters’ lists. And they always mention these lines: “Now you wear your skin like iron/Your breath as hard as kerosene.” Who knows just what “breath as hard as kerosene” means - in words, anyway? Except that it seems exactly right. And how’s this for a summary of the aftermath of betrayal: “Lefty he can’t sing the blues/All night long like he used to/The dust that Pancho bit down south/Ended up in Lefty’s mouth.”
posted by spencer at 2:07 am
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