As a fan of a wide variety of popular (and not-so-popular) music from the 1950s (and sometimes even earlier) up through the present, one of my bucket list projects for years has been to put together a list of my 100 favorite songs of all time. At some point I decided that, once I got around to figuring that out, I could put it out on a blog, for the infinitesimally small proportion of the Internet world that might be interested. So, here we are. While the Top 100 will be a major focus, I also plan to post on a variety of other musical (and occasionally non-musical) topics, in which you may or may not be interested. (If a particular posting doesn’t ring your bell, you’re only a few clicks away from a dancing cat video on YouTube.)
Thursday, April 30, 2020
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Shuffle #131 (April 29, 2020)
It’s All In The Game – Tommy Edwards
Boot-Leg – Booker T. & The MG’s
That Same Mistake – Clive Gregson & Christine Collister
If I Ever Lose My Faith In You – Sting
I’m A Man – The Spencer Davis Group
Home Is Where The Hatred Is – Gil Scott-Heron
Understand – Swing Out Sister
Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes – Paul Simon
Bring Back The Time – B.J. Thomas
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Lyric Of The Day #11 (April 28, 2020)
Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away
Great suggestion from a friend of mine, and another song that’s taken
on a new meaning recently.
Monday, April 27, 2020
Shuffle #130 (April 27, 2020)
Slim Jenkin’s Place – Booker T. & The MG’s
ABC – The Jackson 5
Anna – Iain Matthews
Jailhouse Rock – Elvis Presley
Why Can’t We Be Friends – Smash Mouth
I Wanna Be With You – The Raspberries
Only A Fool Would Say That – Steely Dan
Trust In Me – Etta James
The Perfect Crime #2 – The Decemberists
My Hero – Foo Fighters
Sunday, April 26, 2020
Lyric Of The Day #10 (April 26, 2020)
If they don't give me no consolation
I'm gonna take it to the United Nations
One of my favorite Chuck Berry couplets.
Friday, April 24, 2020
Lyric Of The Day #9 (April 24, 2020)
Tryin' times, what the world is talkin' about
You got confusion all over the land
Co-written by Howard University roommates Donny Hathaway and Leroy
Hutson, this one’s 50 years old but still packs a punch today.
Thursday, April 23, 2020
Lyric Of The Day #8 (April 23, 2020)
I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die
This wound up being one of my favorite songs from last year. It came
out early in 2019; I’d love to borrow the crystal ball from whoever came up
with the last line of the chorus.
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Lyric Of The Day #7 (April 18, 2020)
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You get what you need
Mick and crew provided one of the highlights of Saturday’s “One World:
Together At Home” show, with a song that’s perfect for supermarket shoppers in
the Coronavirus Era.
Some other show highlights:
Stevie Wonder starting with “Lean On Me” and then segueing into “Love’s
In Need Of Love Today”
The Roots leading a clever remake of “Safety Dance”
Kacey Musgraves performing “Rainbow” (another great song for the times)
Jennifer Lopez channeling her inner Streisand on “People”
Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello doing “What A Wonderful World” (also winning
the unofficial award for cutest couple)
Lizzo’s heartfelt take on “A Change Is Gonna Come”
Billie Joe Armstrong’s understated version of “Wake Me Up When
September Ends”
The program featured appearances by the Secretary-General of the UN,
the head of the WHO, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama. It also included thanks to
health care workers and many others, including Michael Bloomberg. But there was
no sign of Our Greatest President Of All Time, or even a word of thanks for his
heroic efforts. Sad!
Saturday, April 18, 2020
LP #31 Dar Williams – The Beauty Of The Rain (2003)
The first time I saw Dar Williams live was at Wolf Trap on June 12,
1998, a triple-header with David Wilcox and Richard Thompson. Most recently, I
caught her in July of 2011, on the Marina Stage at XPNFest. However, the show that made the biggest impression on me was October 26, 2003, at the Lincoln
Theatre in Washington, where she appeared as part of a singer-songwriter tour
with Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shawn Colvin, and Patty Griffin. The four of them
were side by side, each with a guitar, taking turns on their songs, with the
others adding harmonies, and plenty of chatting in between.
Her performance of “Mercy Of The Fallen” really pulled me in, and I
purchased this album shortly thereafter. There’s not really a weak song in the
bunch, with a great mix of ballads and more uptempo tunes. I didn’t enjoy the
material in her next two studio albums nearly as much, but can highly recommend
both 2001’s Out There Live and the
the 2010 two-disk compilation Many Great
Companions.
Favorite tracks:
Your Fire Your Soul
The One Who Knows
Closer To Me
Whispering Pines
The Beauty Of The Rain
Friday, April 17, 2020
A few songs that don’t work so well right now
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