You know how some songs just hit you in the exact right way to make your eyes lose focus and send you somewhere else? Mick (Jagger) belts out some of his most raw, heartfelt lyrics ('Ain't laying tears out on the dusty ground / for all my friends left on the burial ground / can't stand the feeling, getting so brought down'), and Mick (Taylor) does something incredible with a guitar. Each note is held almost an instant too long before soaring away. The Rolling Stones - Sway. I was tempted to put Shine a Light here, but the final solo of Sway is just too good. Also, maybe one day I'd like to wake up next to a girl who could break me up, with a corner of her smile. Even if they'd never done anything else, I'd love Guns 'N' Roses for this song alone. I read something once which said scratch a cynic and you'll find a disappointed idealist, and I think Axl nails that feeling here. ('Nothing lasts forever, in the cold November rain' is depressingly cynical, but it's followed up by 'never mind the darkness, we still can find a way'. Beautiful sentiment.) And Slash's guitar work. Jesus Christ. Probably the most evocative guitar playing I've ever heard (with honorable mentions to Clapton's cover of Little Wing and Stevie Ray Vaughan's Tin Pan Alley). Guns 'N' Roses - November Rain. And something slightly different. Lou Reed is hit and miss for me, but when he hits, he makes something amazing. The older I get, and the more perspective I have, the less I like some of the things I did back in the day. 'When you're all alone and lonely / in your midnight hour / And you find that your soul / has been up for sale' is a pretty good summary. And, 'remember the princess who lived on the hill? / Who loved you, even though she knew you was wrong?' takes me back. (Also, I love the last lines of this song. After decades of stardom, and drug abuse, and failed relationships, and chaos, talking to a memory of a couple of kids hanging out at Coney Island 'I swear I'd give the whole thing up for you' is an exceptional bit of songwriting. Lou Reed - Coney Island Baby. Spoiler Honorable mention for one of the finest songs ever written. I don't listen to it very often because it's linked to some shit from decades ago, but it's fantastic. Bob Marley, No Woman No Cry.
There was only one song I KNEW I would post - X Japan's Art of Life. The lyrics (inasmuch as he can sing english) are depressing as fuck, but I guess I ascribe more to them knowing that Yoshiki was pretty much mentally destroyed at the time and it wasn't just a "OH MY GIRLFRIEND LEFT ME" type deal that so many somewhat angsty songs can be. Oh and the fact its a 34 minute song with some fucking amazing guitar work certainly helps Keeping in touch with the OMG ANGST, Brand New's Limousine has always been huge for me. I just love the way it's laid out, the way it builds, and the story it tells is all kinds of fucked up / true. Had a lot of trouble deciding on a third - with Junesong Provision by Coheed and Cambria or Pink by Boris probably being my closest fourth, but I'm going to go with Holland 1945 by Neutral Milk Hotel. It sounds awesome what can I say.
I can't pick a top 3 but here's an example of sounds I love. One thing that attracts me to songs is basslines. I play guitar but any song with a sick bassline has me hooked right away. There's something about that, and also some kind of horn section that makes a song sound so good to me. Two of the best things in music for me.
Same. I'm pretty sure it was Blue Dog who "introduced" me to Ryan Bingham, which basically changed my life. So, uh, thanks. I have only a handful of songs that I consider very important to me, and the thing about them is they always hit me out of nowhere. My taste in music strays across a pretty different group of genres. I may stumble across a band I've never heard of before, playing in a style I've never heard before, and it'll just take me in. For instance, my favorite song of all time - then, now, and forever - is sung by a German woman whose voice most would not exactly describe as 'pretty.' But this song mesmerizes me every time I hear it. It's perfect: Like I said earlier, Ryan Bingham. Never been much of a country fan - although I realize this is above and beyond any of the country music played on the radio today. Ryan Bingham doesn't play country music, he plays human music. Thankfully my favorite song of his is on youtube (his songs are pretty tough to find on there). "Bettin' on another long shot 'cause the sure shot's done passed": Finally, I remember hearing this song for the first time as I was pulling into my driveway back home. First time I had ever heard it, and something wouldn't let me turn off the car:
These may not be my favorite overall, but given where I am in life they resonate quite a lot with me. I'm getting ready to move and potentially shift careers either in a big way or a small way and these songs are definitely ones that have come to mean a lot to me. First some Bowie Obviously, Rush And some Talking Heads
Ok, I give in but it's almost impossible to just pick three songs. No matter what I pick I'm going to regret something in about 12 hours from now but what the hell. First off is Tom Waits' Cold Cold Ground. You either love Tom Waits or you hate him, there isn't much middle ground. I had a hell of a time choosing between this song and Tom Traubert's Blues (Waltzing Matilda) Next is Hope by the Decendents. I'm not sure this should be in my top 3 list but I've listened to punk longer than any other genre of music and pretty much this is the first song that came to mind, although I considered using Pay To Cum by Bad Brains. Finally I have to put Sleepwalk by Santo and Johnny on my list. I just flat out love this song and every version of it. Brian Setzer covers this song better than most, IMO.
The Avett Brothers have inspired two of my tattoos. It is hard for me to pick one song of theirs that I love more than all the others. Frank Turner is the shit. Modest Mouse has stuck with me over the years as well.