The late spring rainy gloom of May helped me develop this list, only its going to be harder to remember what I originally wanted to put on this list in the bright sparkle of summery June. I'll do my best because nothing makes a heart beat a little harder than some sweet melancholy, perfect for swaying on the beach at twilight.
Just My Imagination, The Temptations - The history of the Temps should be enough drama (drugs! death! fighting! Diana Ross!), but we can ignore that for a second and wallow in the sweet falsetto of Eddie Kendricks imagining the girl of his dreams and Paul Williams punctuating his prayers, only to discover the girl doesn't even know he exists.
At Seventeen, Janis Ian - pretty for the unpretty girls, a rather radical song for the 70s. I've known girls like the ones Ian portrayed in her song, and at times, felt like one too.
Choices, Bettye Lavette - I know this was on the playlist for February, but who cares, this is my blog and my playlist. Lavette's wail of regret colors a story of someone owning up to living a life full of mistakes and "if only I had listened, I wouldn't be here today."
Tender Years, Eddie and the Cruisers (John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band) - some things don't age well, like soft cheese and cheesy 80s movies. But this ode to wistful rememberances of what young love feels like felt nostalgic brand new (a movie from the 80s about a band in the 60s that sounded like it was from the 70s), and the years that have gone by only reinforces that time-gone-by ache.
After the Love Has Gone, Earth, Wind and Fire - I first remembered hearing this as the love song for Bailey and Dr. Johnny Fever on WKRP. That the affair didn't work out was not lost on me either, a kind of coulda/shoulda situation, sweet Bailey as the cute-behind-the-glasses muse to the maniac genius disco-hating Fever. I don't even remember how it fell apart, but I was all of ten years old and screaming "nooooooooo!" at the TV.
All I Ever Wanted and Stand By My Woman, Lenny Kravitz - I could realistically put the whole Mama Said album on this list and be done but choose these for two different reasons. All I Ever Wanted *sigh* was written by Sean Lennon and delivered with sexy sadness by Kravitz. "Remember dancing in the moonlight, where we held each other all night?" *sigh* Stand By My Woman is a plea by a man who effed up and is begging for another chance. *sigh*
All I Want is You, U2 - The gem of the Rattle and Hum soundtrack with a bizarre little music video is definitely one of my favorite all-time U2 songs. The lyrics are sparse and lovelorn, the score builds from a simple guitar chord to a sweeping sonic symphony.
Don't Dream It's Over, Crowded House - This is their most iconic song here in the United States, an often-used graduation song that has endured since the spring of '87. Why? CH mastered Beatlesque harmonies and pop hooks, while adding a bit of New Zealand quirk. "you'll never see the end of the road while you're travelling with me."
Thinking About You, Norah Jones - The video, adorable, as one scene collapses into another, all connected by her heart. The song is a smoky country blues ballad teeming with wistful yearning. Makes you want to fall in love.
Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time?, The Delfonics - 70s ballad with the Philly soul vibe.
Don't Toss Us Away, Lone Justice - indie country folkie pop band from the 80s. Maria McKee is soft and torchy in her deliverance of a song saying no one thought we'd last yet we have so far, so don't give up on us now.
El Paso, Marty Robbins - "down in the west Texas town of El Paso, I fell in love with a Mexican girl." It ends bedly, but at least with a kiss. Cowboy tales.
Evergreen, Barbra Striesand - Surprisingly, huge fan of this song, esp. when she did it singing to Kris Kristofferson in the movie. Super sexy, and very bold lyrics from a woman when ballads were typically coy. Babs didn't just want sex, she wanted each time to be a first, a beginning. Don't we all.
Maybe I'm Amazed, Paul McCartney - Mac's first post-Beatles hit is a gorgeous vignette that starts with him on piano and the band joins in for the chorus. This song is better than any of his work on Let It Be, but maybe than could be blamed on Phil Spector...
I've Been Loving You, Otis Redding - Most anything done by Otis sounds like it's been steeped in tears overnight.
In Your Eyes, Peter Gabriel - there are different types of girls, those that wanted to blow out candles with Jake (16 Candles), wanted to be serenaded to by some Flyboy (Top Gun) or those of us that wanted John Cusack to blast a boombox outside our bedroom window (Say Anything). I was a Cusack girl.
Jai Ho!, Pussycat Dolls - from the movie Slumdog Millionaire, the song is desperately romantic, and the Bollywood sound so exotic.
Jolene, Dolly Parton - how could it be that the poster girl of femininity could lose a man? Dolly's desperate lyrics speak of pain and loss - of all the men you could have, why mine?
Killing Me Softly, Roberta Flack - the subject of this song is pretty much what this blog entry is all about. Flack wrote this to Don McClean for writing American Pie, and how the song made her feel.
Kiss and Say Goodbye, The Manhattans - The end of a messy affair, when there's not much more to do or say. Longing and regret.
Kiss From a Rose, Seal - our wedding song. We had a hard time choosing one, but when this song came out, suddenly it became easy. Strong visuals with Seal's signature vocals.
Leather and Lace, Stevie Nicks and Don Henley - rock's Lady and the Tramp/Romeo and Juliet, beautiful lyrics "you in the moonlight/with your sleepy eyes/ how could you ever love a man like me."
Love Walks In, Van Halen - this may be when Van Hagar lost their hardcare partyboy fans, but this may be where they got a few female fans. Hard rock power ballad at its best.
Lovin' You, Minnie Riperton - she of seven octaves, singing a pretty song about her baby daughter, the future comedian/star Maya Rudolph.
Whew! I think I will tackle M - Z some other day. Go load the 'pod and cry a little.
No comments:
Post a Comment