Songs You Love

[Lisnaholic]

Two short pop songs that I have really enjoyed, but from very different eras:-

Bouncy, but wistful too, this 1965 song has such a clean, simple start and gets bonus points for a title that catches the attention of anyone who likes urban landscapes:-

Lyrics to love:
All around
I see the purple shades of evening
And on the ground
The shadows fall and once again you're in my arms...


Whatever happened to MB's Neapolitan ?! I have you  to thank for introducing me to this song from 2011:-

Lyrics to love:
But you are an artist
And your mind don't work the way you want it to
One day, you'll be washing yourself with hand soap in a public bathroom

[Nimbly9]

I know a lot of people don't think much of the Westcoast-AOR / yacht rock aesthetic 'round here, but if you like a touch of Steely Dan meets New Wave influence into that style, Pages are quite good. They did three great albums before breaking up...and then eventually reformed as Mr. Mister with some massive success in the later part of the 80's.

[Guybrush]

I know Mr. Mister, but not Pages. Being a Steely Dan fan, I'll check them out. Thanks for the tip, @Nimbly9 🙂

[ribbons]

Speaking of Steely Dan, one of my favorite songs of all time is "Doctor Wu" - the opaque narrative ("Katy" is emblematic of Vietnamese heroin, I believe), the sophisticated arrangement and melody, and Phil Woods's superb saxophone lines make for a haunting concoction.

[ribbons]

Another song I love is Marvin Gaye's noirish "Trouble Man".  The jazzy drums are played by Marvin himself here.  I just love the whole atmosphere of this track - his heavenly falsetto that breaks here and there, the dissonant horns, how it all manages to sound gritty and delicate at the same time. 

[Lisnaholic]

@Nimbly9 : I've never heard of Pages, but blindfolded, I would've sworn that was a Steely Dan song. Good one! Best line: "Dee...'sco nights"

@ribbons: So nice to see you here again ribbons! I hope life has been treating you well during your absence. Thanks for the insight into the otherwise puzzling "Katy lied".
I don't listen to much Marvin Gaye, but Trouble Man is a nice track too.

Sorry to break the mood of smoking sax/horn sounds, which I am also partial to, but the thread does say "Songs You Love", so this one with beautiful multi-tracked Jon Anderson vocals deserves a place:-

[ribbons]

I've always loved "Your Move" as well, Lisna.  I don't know why I've failed to get into Yes's discography in depth - time to remedy that.

Thank you, and always good to see you too!     All is well here now - family/medical/work balance became mega-unbalanced for a time, but I've found equilibrium again (or am as *balanced* as I'm ever going to get). 

[Guybrush]

Ooo, who doesn't love Your Move? That's a great album. Starship Trooper is my favorite from that one, though I think that's the typical pick.

And @ribbons , I just wanted to let you know I'm super stoked to see you back 🙂 you're a wonderful person and I always enjoy your posts ❤️

[ribbons]

Thanks for your kindness as always, Tore. You're pretty wonderful yourself, and I appreciate this haven you've created for us more than you could know.    Never seen you say an uninviting or unkind word to anyone here or on MB, and I think that's so admirable.  Thanks for everything you do! ❤️

[Lisnaholic]

Thanks, ribbons.
I'm glad you've found a better balance in your life. By coincidence, here's something I read, hand-painted on the front of someone's house: "My greatest achievement is to be myself." I like that - that just getting through life as your own person is something to be proud of.

Also, absolutely times two on what you say about Guybrush; he was the first, and friendliest, guy I came across on MB. 

[Guybrush]

Oh you guys

Lisna, I really like you too! You're always friendly and put a lot of thought into what you write. Although I don't necessarily participate in everything that goes on, I do read stuff like the discussion going on on american politics. Even when there's a lot of disagreement, you don't resort to ad hominems, focusing instead on the arguments. You've always been exemplary in the way you treat others and conduct yourself. You're like a balm to every thread you're in, so thank you for that

Before this gets any weirder, I'll post a song I love. It's one I find a little mysterious. Maybe @jadis would like it?

You probably all know I'm a huge Kate Bush fan and she has many songs I love. I thought I'd post this one because I suspect that across her discography, this one doesn't stick out for most people (if they're even aware of it). It's from her later period when she'd removed herself from pop and the music became more abstract.

To me, this song has a delicate beauty. It's probably not gonna impress anyone listening to laptop speakers in a crowded room as it needs attention to be properly heard. But really listening to it, it can make my heart swell and bring tears to my eyes and I don't even understand completely why. It just has this weird magic that, for me, makes it bigger than the sum of its parts.

I should mention it's the first song of A Sky of Honey and the rest is nice too.

[ribbons]

Thanks, ribbons.
I'm glad you've found a better balance in your life. By coincidence, here's something I read, hand-painted on the front of someone's house: "My greatest achievement is to be myself." I like that - that just getting through life as your own person is something to be proud of.

That's a great quote, Lisna - especially as you found it hand-painted on someone's house, which is somehow fitting.   

And I think Waldo would agree:

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

As would E.E., who was a bit more zealous about it:

"To be nobody but
yourself in a world
which is doing its best day and night to make you like
everybody else means to fight the hardest battle
which any human being can fight and never stop fighting."
― E.E. Cummings

[Lisnaholic]

^ Yes, ribbons, you're right about "somehow fitting": it was in rather scroll-y lettering, like someone's declaration to the street, "Herein lives a thoughtful person."

I like your quotes too, especially the e.e.cummings - one of my sister's favourite poets.
_______________________________________________________
That's very kind of you, Guybrush. I appreciate your words.

...and quite right, best to get back to the music. That Kate Bush song is a quiet gem, with some lovely piano playing and I like the gentle tension or pulse behind it all.

Yeah, me and Nimbly9 argue about politics, but have never come to blows yet! In fact, he helped me discover the song below, back when you were running the MB Prog Album Club:-

Lyrics to love: Don't put on your galoshes boy!

I just love the slinky menace of the guitar on this track. The lyrics are telling a sinister story, but I've never worked out exactly what, and actually, I prefer not to know.

[ribbons]

Oh you guys

Lisna, I really like you too! You're always friendly and put a lot of thought into what you write. Although I don't necessarily participate in everything that goes on, I do read stuff like the discussion going on on american politics. Even when there's a lot of disagreement, you don't resort to ad hominems, focusing instead on the arguments. You've always been exemplary in the way you treat others and conduct yourself. You're like a balm to every thread you're in, so thank you for that

Before this gets any weirder, I'll post a song I love. It's one I find a little mysterious. Maybe @jadis would like it?

You probably all know I'm a huge Kate Bush fan and she has many songs I love. I thought I'd post this one because I suspect that across her discography, this one doesn't stick out for most people (if they're even aware of it). It's from her later period when she'd removed herself from pop and the music became more abstract.

To me, this song has a delicate beauty. It's probably not gonna impress anyone listening to laptop speakers in a crowded room as it needs attention to be properly heard. But really listening to it, it can make my heart swell and bring tears to my eyes and I don't even understand completely why. It just has this weird magic that, for me, makes it bigger than the sum of its parts.

I should mention it's the first song of A Sky of Honey and the rest is nice too.

Couldn't agree more with your thoughts on Lisna, Tore.  Not only is he one of the nicest people I've come across, but he's also one of the most interesting and intelligent.  And yes, he's balm-y in the best possible way.   

I'm going to listen to that beautiful Kate Bush track properly on headphones when I get home later.  I bought Aerial upon release and loved it, despite a friend cautioning that Kate had "lost her melodies and passion".  Like Kate had softened too much because she was singing about her child.  Maybe I identified because I had my own little "Bertie" at home then too.   

[ribbons]

I like your quotes too, especially the e.e.cummings - one of my sister's favourite poets.

He's one of my favorite poets, as well. 

"my father moved through dooms of love
through sames of am through haves of give"

He's brilliant.