Nice. Guns of Brixton is one of my fave tracks from the Clash. Novelle Vague does an awesome cover of it, too.
Right, Ruby Tuesday was a bit slow for the hoppin' gems.
I was trying not to repeat an artist and I wanted to start with London Calling. It was a toss up between Jam's A Bomb in Wardour Street and Carnaby Street
TRACK 5 Comanche (The Brave Horse) by Johnny Horton emusic link
When I was very little, my sister and I would play my dad's old vinyl of Johnny Horton's greatest hits. We loved it then, and I love it still.
TRACK 6 Ticonderoga by Isla St. Clair emusic link
This song is the soundtrack CD of the award-winning final part of the 'Instrument of War trilogy DVD which aired on international television including PBS and the History Channel. It is considered the definitive history of the great Highland bagpipe and its music. "This compelling film combines inspiring songs with stunning footage, bringing to the screen a unique insight into the bagpipe both in peace and war. Narrated by Tom Conti and songs by Isla St Clair, the film features Phil Collins, Capercaillie and some of the world's finest pipers. There are two DVD Bonus Features: the first narrated by Charlton Heston is the story of the war pipes in North America from Fort Ticonderoga to the Alamo. The second features unseen footage of the world's top pipers. This 90 minute DVD also features the award winning song 'When the Pipers Play' filmed in Scotland and featuring 100 pipers from all the Scottish Regiments." -- (from Filmbaby.com).
I don't play the entire CD often, but 2 of the songs stay in my ipod playlist - one is "Ticonderoga", and the other (my favorite) is "When the Pipers Play," which is pretty thrilling when the 100 pipers come in towards the end.
The New York Times printed an entertaining and interesting article of the ghost story about Donald Campbell, a Black Watch officer from Scotland who died at Ticonderoga. The lyrics of the song refer to the 'ghostly vision' Campbell saw. This is right up my alley since one of my great hobbies is genealogy and I just happen to have Campbells from Scotland in my family tree - and who doesn't like a good ghost story? New York Times article
TRACK 2 Serpentine Cycle of Money by Danny Schmidt.
This is my favorite Danny Schmidt song - the "hey, hey's" are completely infectious.
You can download the full song (along with 2 other full songs off this album) from Danny Schmidt's website HERE - in fact, you can download 3 full songs from all his albums there.
(This lurches across genres, progressing roughly from quiet to noisy. I am not vouching for the quality of all of these songs - the theme was the thing that made it fun. Greg knows what the theme is - though others should be able to figure it out also. The last song is suitably climactic. All links - emusic. There were way to many songs called March and Esperanza Spalding seemed like cheating :-))
@Bad Thoughts - ah, dissipating youth. Very clever. So it's even more a 'different' take on the color red than what I had first noted. (Why is it I seem to be the only regular poster -both here and on emu - that always has to have things explained??)
@kez: it's not like I made it obvious. That was merely my original theme, but then decided to overlap 'red' on top, at least once I knew I wanted the Crismo intrumental.
TRACK 2 Whiskey Tango by Tanya Donnelly. Amazon link. (Gosh, this used to be on emusic, but looks like it's gone now. It was one of my best emusic downloads - one of those albums that sneaks up on you and gets under your skin.)
TRACK 6 Tennesse Waltz by Holly Cole Trio
Absolute best version hands-down of this song ever. (From the 1993 album "Don't Smoke in Bed" - not the same album of the same title that emusic shows.)
TRACK 7 We Won't Dance by Greg Trooper
(from the CD "Noises in the Hallway." This is my favorite Greg Trooper song.)
Every one of these songs is an extraordinary winner for me (and they sound great played back to back as listed here ).
IT'S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE
1. Lovely Man by Lost Dogs. emusic link
This was included on the very first Paste sampler. I found it really catchy then, and still do. Its country sound has the slightest bit of almost a smooth doo-wop sound that keeps it out of the corny country bin.
2. Jolene by Mindy Smith. emusic link
Another song I found through Paste. It was actually the first track on Mindy Smith's 'One Moment More' album that I heard on a Paste sampler and made me buy the CD. That first track totally rocks in the best of Appalachian ways. The rest of the album is so-so, in my opinion, except for the bonus track, Jolene, which is hands-down better than Dolly Parton's original. But Dolly takes a back seat on this cover, singing backup, and the two make this song really, really shine. Just superbly done.
3. Walk Away Renee by Jimmy LaFave emusic link
You won't believe this version of the old so-so top-40 song. Jimmy takes it to the next level. Has a beautifully done guitar break in the middle.
4. Another Man in the Old Arcade by Jackie Leven emusic link
Leven has one of the best singing voices around. This is an overall great song with a very clever ending which mimics the sound of an arcade game.
5. Imaginary Friends by Ron Sexsmith emusic link
I found this song really catchy from the first time I heard it. It's very Beatlesque, I think.
7. Fast Eddy by David Olney "a panoply of country, folk, classical and New Orleans jazz arrayed with imaginative grace..."
I couldn't create a hyperlink to the sound sample. If you're curious what it sounds like, you can hear a soundclip on CD Universe
Shoot pool, Fast Eddy, the fat man said, and save the talk for later...
Everytime I hear this song, it's stuck in my head for the rest of the day.
1. Duke of Earl by Last Forever linky
Very unusual and hard to categorize. Has a great ending with some 'doo-wop' sounding horns which only kicks in just when you think the song is over.
2. Mary Ann by Poncho Sanchez emusic link
Lots of congo (?) drums paired with the distinctive voice of Ray Charles make for a winning combination.
3. Little Boy Sad by The Gants emusic link
I discovered this one on a Southern Sampler CD from Oxford American magazine quite a few years ago. It's 100% early American garage rock-n-roll from the '60s and is unique in that it includes some experimenting with an early wah-wah tube device later made famous by Joe Walsh and Peter Frampton.
4. Fuller Brush Man by James McMurtry emusic link
A more recent use of the wah-wah guitar. It's on one of McMurtry's best albums, IMO.
5. Table Top Dancer by Kevin Welch & Kieran Kane Amazon link
From the album 11/12/13, recorded live in Melbourne. Fantastic acoustic guitar picking in this one.
1. Burning Up The Night from "Homecoming" by Griffin House. By the way, Griffin House is funding a new album on Kickstarter. Looking forward to hearing something new from him.
2. A Single Spark from "Mantras for Madmen" by Harry Manx. A master of the 6-string and lap steel guitar, as well as the 20-string Indian mohan veena, Manxs bluesy style consists of a unique blending of eastern and western sounds. Hear A Single Spark in its entirety here.
3. Smoked from "More Storms Comin" by Mark Selby. A great blues rocker. Scroll down the page here to hear "Smoked" in its entirety.
4. Light My Fire from "The Journey" by Grant Taylor. A very clever take on the classic Doors hit that is different than anything else out there. Very nice! (emusic link)
5. The Greatest Flame from "Amazing Things" by the great Scottish folk-rock band, Runrig. Heres a love song that sounds downright anthemic.
6. I Desire Fire from "A Night of Reckoning" by The Dead Reckoners. The Dead Reckoners are made up of Kevin Welch, Kieran Kane, Fats Kaplin, Mike Henderson, Harry Stinson, and Tammy Rogers, all superb artists who have recorded independently. When they all come together, its pure dynamite. "A Night of Reckoning" is one of the best CDs I ever purchased. Emusic link.
7. Mercy of the Flame from "Dry Bones Dance" by the late, great Mark Heard. An infectious love song Heard wrote about his love for his wife. Emusic link (noticed in reviewer comments that this track (#13) was messed up, so this song may or may not be a good download from emusic.)
8. Fire also from "Dry Bones Dance" by Mark Heard. This 7+ minute song steadily builds as it goes. It rocks. It is an exceptionally deep and meaningful song. Oh to find loves hiding place / We are beggars and bootleggers / Fading embers caught out in the rain / Wondering whats it take to burst into flames.
I'm not fond of rap music (to say the least), so I'm quite surprised when I come across a few songs here and there in my personal music library that I really, really like, despite the fact that they contain some "rappiness" - some more than others - but they all feature a monotonous (either sung or spoken) vocal lead with a good beat, while still retaining an undeniable tunefulness and real musicality to the song (IMO). Here's a few of them:
3. The Resistance from Love & War & the Sea In Between by Josh Garrels
4. Look Around You from Strings of the Storm by Elliott Murphy
5. What Makes the Monkey Dance from No Other Love by Chuck Prophet. (Somebody on emusic posted a link to this video a long time ago. Had to download the song after hearing it. Pretty catchy.)
6. Monsoon from Between the Mountain and the Moon by Luka Bloom
Comments
Right, Ruby Tuesday was a bit slow for the hoppin' gems.
BATTLES & WARS
TRACK 1
Cannonball by Jessie Torresi & the Please, Please Me emusic link
TRACK 2
Ye Jacobites by Eddi Reader[/url] Amazon link
TRACK 3
The Battle is Over, But the War Goes On by The Levon Helm Band emusic link
TRACK 4
Soldier, Soldier by Natalie Merchant emusic link
TRACK 5
Comanche (The Brave Horse) by Johnny Horton emusic link
When I was very little, my sister and I would play my dad's old vinyl of Johnny Horton's greatest hits. We loved it then, and I love it still.
TRACK 6
Ticonderoga by Isla St. Clair emusic link
This song is the soundtrack CD of the award-winning final part of the 'Instrument of War trilogy DVD which aired on international television including PBS and the History Channel. It is considered the definitive history of the great Highland bagpipe and its music.
"This compelling film combines inspiring songs with stunning footage, bringing to the screen a unique insight into the bagpipe both in peace and war. Narrated by Tom Conti and songs by Isla St Clair, the film features Phil Collins, Capercaillie and some of the world's finest pipers. There are two DVD Bonus Features: the first narrated by Charlton Heston is the story of the war pipes in North America from Fort Ticonderoga to the Alamo. The second features unseen footage of the world's top pipers. This 90 minute DVD also features the award winning song 'When the Pipers Play' filmed in Scotland and featuring 100 pipers from all the Scottish Regiments." -- (from Filmbaby.com).
I don't play the entire CD often, but 2 of the songs stay in my ipod playlist - one is "Ticonderoga", and the other (my favorite) is "When the Pipers Play," which is pretty thrilling when the 100 pipers come in towards the end.
The New York Times printed an entertaining and interesting article of the ghost story about Donald Campbell, a Black Watch officer from Scotland who died at Ticonderoga. The lyrics of the song refer to the 'ghostly vision' Campbell saw. This is right up my alley since one of my great hobbies is genealogy and I just happen to have Campbells from Scotland in my family tree - and who doesn't like a good ghost story?
New York Times article
TRACK 7
War Photographer by Jason Forrest. emusic link
Some very clever BS&T music samplings.
TRACK 1
Poor Black Mattie by David Jacobs-Strain emusic link
TRACK 2
Serpentine Cycle of Money by Danny Schmidt.
This is my favorite Danny Schmidt song - the "hey, hey's" are completely infectious.
You can download the full song (along with 2 other full songs off this album) from Danny Schmidt's website HERE - in fact, you can download 3 full songs from all his albums there.
TRACK 3
I Dug Up a Diamond by Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris emusic link
TRACK 4
Poor Side of Town by Nick Lowe Amazon link
TRACK 5
Rich Woman by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss emusic link
TRACK 6
The Beggar by Steeleye Span emusic link
Ely by William Ackerman
What is Chatteris by Half Man Half Biscuit
Peterborough by the Long Blondes
King's Lynn by Wagon Christ.
Wisbech & Other Such Galaxies by Double Handsome Dragons
(This lurches across genres, progressing roughly from quiet to noisy. I am not vouching for the quality of all of these songs - the theme was the thing that made it fun. Greg knows what the theme is - though others should be able to figure it out also. The last song is suitably climactic. All links - emusic. There were way to many songs called March and Esperanza Spalding seemed like cheating :-))
La butte rouge by Yves Montand
recorded version
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? by Dr. John and ODetta
recorded version
The Ballad of Ira Hayes by Johnny Cash
live performance
The Sands of Mexico by The Chieftains and Ry Cooder
recorded version
Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen
Solo, blues version for television
And the Band Played Waltzing Mathilda by June Tabor
recorded version
Camouflage by Stan Ridgeway
performed live
@kez: the theme of my last list was only peripherally the color red--it was dissipating youth.
TRACK 1
Dance With Me by Griffin House emusic link
TRACK 2
Whiskey Tango by Tanya Donnelly.
Amazon link. (Gosh, this used to be on emusic, but looks like it's gone now. It was one of my best emusic downloads - one of those albums that sneaks up on you and gets under your skin.)
TRACK 3
Dance Me to the End of Love by Perla Batalla emusic link
TRACK 4
Razor Dance by Richard Thompson Band emusic link
TRACK 5
Dancing Queen by Luka Bloom emusic link
TRACK 6
Tennesse Waltz by Holly Cole Trio
Absolute best version hands-down of this song ever. (From the 1993 album "Don't Smoke in Bed" - not the same album of the same title that emusic shows.)
TRACK 7
We Won't Dance by Greg Trooper
(from the CD "Noises in the Hallway." This is my favorite Greg Trooper song.)
TRACK 8
The Dancing by June Tabor
BONUS
Take This Waltz by Leonard Cohen.
The two female vocalists are simply mesmerizing in this video. Beautiful.
IT'S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE
1. Lovely Man by Lost Dogs. emusic link
This was included on the very first Paste sampler. I found it really catchy then, and still do. Its country sound has the slightest bit of almost a smooth doo-wop sound that keeps it out of the corny country bin.
2. Jolene by Mindy Smith. emusic link
Another song I found through Paste. It was actually the first track on Mindy Smith's 'One Moment More' album that I heard on a Paste sampler and made me buy the CD. That first track totally rocks in the best of Appalachian ways. The rest of the album is so-so, in my opinion, except for the bonus track, Jolene, which is hands-down better than Dolly Parton's original. But Dolly takes a back seat on this cover, singing backup, and the two make this song really, really shine. Just superbly done.
3. Walk Away Renee by Jimmy LaFave emusic link
You won't believe this version of the old so-so top-40 song. Jimmy takes it to the next level. Has a beautifully done guitar break in the middle.
4. Another Man in the Old Arcade by Jackie Leven emusic link
Leven has one of the best singing voices around. This is an overall great song with a very clever ending which mimics the sound of an arcade game.
5. Imaginary Friends by Ron Sexsmith emusic link
I found this song really catchy from the first time I heard it. It's very Beatlesque, I think.
6. Jennie by Richard Thompson Band emusic link
Just stunning.
7. Fast Eddy by David Olney
"a panoply of country, folk, classical and New Orleans jazz arrayed with imaginative grace..."
I couldn't create a hyperlink to the sound sample. If you're curious what it sounds like, you can hear a soundclip on CD Universe
Shoot pool, Fast Eddy, the fat man said, and save the talk for later...
Everytime I hear this song, it's stuck in my head for the rest of the day.
1. Duke of Earl by Last Forever linky
Very unusual and hard to categorize. Has a great ending with some 'doo-wop' sounding horns which only kicks in just when you think the song is over.
2. Mary Ann by Poncho Sanchez emusic link
Lots of congo (?) drums paired with the distinctive voice of Ray Charles make for a winning combination.
3. Little Boy Sad by The Gants emusic link
I discovered this one on a Southern Sampler CD from Oxford American magazine quite a few years ago. It's 100% early American garage rock-n-roll from the '60s and is unique in that it includes some experimenting with an early wah-wah tube device later made famous by Joe Walsh and Peter Frampton.
4. Fuller Brush Man by James McMurtry emusic link
A more recent use of the wah-wah guitar. It's on one of McMurtry's best albums, IMO.
5. Table Top Dancer by Kevin Welch & Kieran Kane Amazon link
From the album 11/12/13, recorded live in Melbourne. Fantastic acoustic guitar picking in this one.
1. Burning Up The Night from "Homecoming" by Griffin House. By the way, Griffin House is funding a new album on Kickstarter. Looking forward to hearing something new from him.
2. A Single Spark from "Mantras for Madmen" by Harry Manx. A master of the 6-string and lap steel guitar, as well as the 20-string Indian mohan veena, Manxs bluesy style consists of a unique blending of eastern and western sounds. Hear A Single Spark in its entirety here.
3. Smoked from "More Storms Comin" by Mark Selby. A great blues rocker. Scroll down the page here to hear "Smoked" in its entirety.
4. Light My Fire from "The Journey" by Grant Taylor. A very clever take on the classic Doors hit that is different than anything else out there. Very nice! (emusic link)
5. The Greatest Flame from "Amazing Things" by the great Scottish folk-rock band, Runrig. Heres a love song that sounds downright anthemic.
6. I Desire Fire from "A Night of Reckoning" by The Dead Reckoners. The Dead Reckoners are made up of Kevin Welch, Kieran Kane, Fats Kaplin, Mike Henderson, Harry Stinson, and Tammy Rogers, all superb artists who have recorded independently. When they all come together, its pure dynamite. "A Night of Reckoning" is one of the best CDs I ever purchased. Emusic link.
7. Mercy of the Flame from "Dry Bones Dance" by the late, great Mark Heard. An infectious love song Heard wrote about his love for his wife. Emusic link (noticed in reviewer comments that this track (#13) was messed up, so this song may or may not be a good download from emusic.)
8. Fire also from "Dry Bones Dance" by Mark Heard. This 7+ minute song steadily builds as it goes. It rocks. It is an exceptionally deep and meaningful song. Oh to find loves hiding place / We are beggars and bootleggers / Fading embers caught out in the rain / Wondering whats it take to burst into flames.
I'm not fond of rap music (to say the least), so I'm quite surprised when I come across a few songs here and there in my personal music library that I really, really like, despite the fact that they contain some "rappiness" - some more than others - but they all feature a monotonous (either sung or spoken) vocal lead with a good beat, while still retaining an undeniable tunefulness and real musicality to the song (IMO). Here's a few of them:
1. My Wild Youth from Omars Blues by David Olney
2. Nobody Number One from Ohio by Over the Rhine
3. The Resistance from Love & War & the Sea In Between by Josh Garrels
4. Look Around You from Strings of the Storm by Elliott Murphy
5. What Makes the Monkey Dance from No Other Love by Chuck Prophet. (Somebody on emusic posted a link to this video a long time ago. Had to download the song after hearing it. Pretty catchy.)
6. Monsoon from Between the Mountain and the Moon by Luka Bloom
7. Marriage Chant from Covenant by Greg Brown
8. What You Make It (da da da da) from The Sharon Shannon Collection (1990-2005) by Sharon Shannon