Fave 5 and Reasons Why (with a dash of those that almost made it)

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Zoots

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1. The Beatles – A Day In The Life

The perfect balance of Lennon/McCartney. A song that drifts through a psychedelic drug-induced haze before changing over into bouncy English pop and then back into the aural equivalent of a cavalry charge, amidst a myriad of studio sounds like a very timely ringing alarm clock and a distant counting down of numbers; could very well be the greatest rock song ever composed in history. It is the grand finale to an album which laid down the footprint that several countless psychedelic, progressive and straight-ahead rock bands would follow.

2. U2 – One

The song that saved U2 from breaking up during the tumultuous Achtung Baby sessions at Hansa studios Berlin, is widely considered in rock circles as one of the greatest songs ever written. Lyrics as openly revealing as "it's too late tonight to drag the past out into the light, we're one but we're not the same, we get to carry each other...", hide the complexity buried underneath; making it open to various interpretations including a relationship gone sour, a conversation between a heterosexual man and his gay son or simply a tete-a-tete with god. Either way, I think it is a brilliant and timeless composition.

3. R.E.M. – Man On The Moon

The intertwined melody of Mike Mills' bass and Peter Buck's guitar lays the foundation for what I consider a classic rock masterpiece from the early 90s. The country-ish tones were new for R.E.M. at the time, a band that grew out of the alternative/indie/college rock scene in Athens, Georgia in the 80's and exploded into Grammy territory and worldwide acclaim in the 90's. This beautifully warm ditty in which Stipe rambles on about Andy Kaufman, Charles Darwin and Moses is from their seminal 1992 album Automatic For The People, arguably their best album according to critics and fans everywhere.

4. The Who – Won’t Get Fooled Again

Bookending what is probably The Who's most popular album, about leaving everything and starting over, this song has it all: acrobatic rock riffs, extended electronic keyboard jams, portentous lyrics like "we'll be fighting in the street with our children at our feet and the morals that we worship will be gone"; and last but not least, the single greatest scream in rock history! The exhilaration that I feel every single time I hear Roger Daltrey's voice exploding into Keith Moon's stunning drum solo kicking off a crashing epic finale, is hard to describe in mere words.

5. Tori Amos – Cornflake Girl

Quite possibly the only singer-songwriter who can make an instrument as melodiously tame as the piano, sound so full of fury and passion; Tori Amos truly delivered a masterpiece with Cornflake Girl from her second album Under The Pink. It has her trademark Kate Bush inspired weirdness with lyrics like "peel out the watchword" and "rabbit where'd you put the keys, girl?", not to mention the most breathtaking piano solo this side of Elton John. Though it is not on Little Earthquakes, my favorite Tori album, I cannot get enough of this beautifully odd song about hangin' with the raisin girls and god knows what.


Those that almost made it:

6. Led Zeppelin – Stairway To Heaven

7. Pink Floyd – High Hopes

8. Radiohead – Paranoid Android

9. Madonna – Live To Tell

10. Pearl Jam – Nothingman

11. Metallica – Master Of Puppets

12. Kraftwerk – The Robots

13. Depeche Mode – Walking In My Shoes

14. George Michael – Cowboys And Angels

15. Guns 'n' Roses – Estranged
 
:up::up:

Love the little paragraph descriptions. You should have written one for all 15 songs, though. :drool:
 
1. The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever

John Lennon's songwriting peak and The Beatles' peak as studio wizards made for a perfect storm with this track. Lennon's ode to happier, more innocent times already makes for an engaging listen, but it's the whirlwind surrounding it that truly makes this a classic. Honestly, if nothing else, this is one of the most exciting sonic experiences ever put to tape, and the production is masterful; dense, layered, yet thoroughly complimentary, it's always fun to dissect this song, and, for me, doing so has yet to become tiresome after hundreds of listens.

2. Led Zeppelin - Black Dog

Sometimes even I wonder why I consider this the finest moment of Zeppelin's career. It's repetitive, lyrically obnoxious, and the sort of thing that inspired countless crappy macho rock bands. Just the same, everything is here: arguably Page's coolest guitar riff (and, by extension, one of the coolest ever written), inspired vocal acrobatics from Plant, and a kickass beat from Bonham. I'm sure John Paul Jones does something awesome too, it's pretty much a given. Still don't know why this is here, but what the hell, I seldom have more fun listening to music than I do when Black Dog is playing, which counts for something.

3. U2 - Zooropa

With this track, context is important. Without knowing what was going on in the world of U2 circa 1993, it's easy to peg this as a pompous, sterile studio creation with no soul. But when you take ZooTV into consideration, the meaning and purpose of the song clicks in and you realize just how brilliant this track is. U2 challenges themselves here, taking on numerous tempos and moods, yet it's structured in such a way that it never feels unnatural, and the song sprints to the finish just before it starts to drag. Easily one of U2's most thrilling and exhilarating tracks, and a truly unique sonic experience.

4. Joni Mitchell - Help Me

Joni has always been known for writing heartbreaking, heart-on-sleeve narratives, but never has she been more direct about the risks of falling in love than here. It's one of her loveliest tracks musically, slick and swooning, very appropriate for the subject matter, and even though she doesn't exactly pull of the Blue trick of sounding like she's crooning into your ear, the song does feel extremely personal and never calculated, a very uncommon feat for such an obvious hit single.

5. Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run

If Joni's "Help Me" is a contemplation of commitment, Born To Run, Bruce's 4 minute magnum opus, is the heady rush of lust and escapism that precedes it. Before BTR, Bruce searched for a sound, and occasionally came across it on tracks like Blinded By The Light, For You, and Rosalita, but on this track (and the rest of its accompanying album) it all came together. Surf rock guitar, a driving beat, and squealing horns are the soundtrack to a romantic tale of freedom and redemption. Embodying everything that makes the E Street Band a motherfucking institution and everything that makes Born To Run (the album) an all-time classic, this song IS Bruce. He can't escape it, and I doubt he has any desire to.

Highly honorable mentions:

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Arcade Fire - Wake Up
David Bowie - Golden Years
Pulp - Babies
Beck - Debra
Big Star - Thirteen
Prince - Purple Rain
Joy Division - Disorder
Blur - Beetlebum
Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay
 
1. The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever

John Lennon's songwriting peak and The Beatles' peak as studio wizards made for a perfect storm with this track. Lennon's ode to happier, more innocent times already makes for an engaging listen, but it's the whirlwind surrounding it that truly makes this a classic. Honestly, if nothing else, this is one of the most exciting sonic experiences ever put to tape, and the production is masterful; dense, layered, yet thoroughly complimentary, it's always fun to dissect this song, and, for me, doing so has yet to become tiresome after hundreds of listens.

This. It should also be added that amidst the happy childhood recollections, there's a creepy, more menacing tone that I detect, especially in the low strings that follow Lennon's utterance of "Strawberry Fields" in the choruses, as well as the horns that follow "nothing is real". To me it helps to complete a very complex, "Alice in Wonderland" feel to the song, a jumble of moods and emotions, memories and fantasies.

Lennon himself never got over the song either; didn't he continue to work on the piece during rest of his life? I have a disc of like 15 different versions of it somewhere.

I still think Sgt. Peppers suffers because of the omission of this song. Certainly better than fucking Good Morning, or Lovely Rita for that matter.

Anyone ever have the nerve to make a revision of Peppers including some of the MMT tracks, at least the ones that were recorded during the Pepper's sessions? Seems ridiculous to mess with the "Greatest Album of All Time", but it could have been even better.
 
Anyone ever have the nerve to make a revision of Peppers including some of the MMT tracks, at least the ones that were recorded during the Pepper's sessions? Seems ridiculous to mess with the "Greatest Album of All Time", but it could have been even better.

I don't have either album on this laptop, so I don't have the means to sequence it right now, but any album boasting the following tracks:

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band
With A Little Help From My Friends
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
Fixing A Hole
Getting Better
A Day In The Life
The Fool On The Hill
I Am The Walrus
Hello Goodbye
Strawberry Fields Forever
Penny Lane
All You Need Is Love

WOULD be the greatest album of all time.
 
I gave it a quick try:

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band
With A Little Help From My Friends
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
I Am The Walrus
Within You Without You
Strawberry Fields Forever
Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite
Lovely Rita
Penny Lane
Hello Goodbye
All You Need Is Love
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band(Reprise)
A Day In The Life

I like Lovely Rita better than Getting Better, and I think Within You Without You is brilliant.
 
OK, here is my PERSONAL IMHO NOT SIRIUS BIZNESS WHATSOEVER hybrid of the two albums I dub................Sgt. Pepper's Magical Mystery Tour:

1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
2. With A Little Help From My Friends
3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
4. Fixing A Hole
5. Getting Better
6. Fool On The Hill
7. Flying
8. Strawberry Fields Forever
9. I Am The Walrus
10. Baby You're A Rich Man
11. Penny Lane
12. Hello Goodbye
13. All You Need Is Love
14. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
15. A Day In The Life

Yeah, yeah, I know everyone hates Flying and Baby You're A Rich Man. If you don't think that Flying--->Strawberry Fields Forever segue is awesome, donate your ears to science.
 
Okay... I could try to do this, but it'll hurt. :(
 

4. Joni Mitchell - Help Me

Joni has always been known for writing heartbreaking, heart-on-sleeve narratives, but never has she been more direct about the risks of falling in love than here. It's one of her loveliest tracks musically, slick and swooning, very appropriate for the subject matter, and even though she doesn't exactly pull of the Blue trick of sounding like she's crooning into your ear, the song does feel extremely personal and never calculated, a very uncommon feat for such an obvious hit single.


Very nice (and unexpected) choice. :up:


I don't know if I could do this. It would be hard.
 
OK, here is my PERSONAL IMHO NOT SIRIUS BIZNESS WHATSOEVER hybrid of the two albums I dub................Sgt. Pepper's Magical Mystery Tour:

1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
2. With A Little Help From My Friends
3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
4. Fixing A Hole
5. Getting Better
6. Fool On The Hill
7. Flying
8. Strawberry Fields Forever
9. I Am The Walrus
10. Baby You're A Rich Man
11. Penny Lane
12. Hello Goodbye
13. All You Need Is Love
14. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
15. A Day In The Life

Yeah, yeah, I know everyone hates Flying and Baby You're A Rich Man. If you don't think that Flying--->Strawberry Fields Forever segue is awesome, donate your ears to science.

I don't have a problem with your additions, but you can't get rid of Harrison's only contribution. I do think it's funny that both of you got rid of She's Leaving Home, a song I have a bit of respect for but it's definitely boring.

Also, I was trying to keep it somewhat pure, and apparently Penny Lane & Strawberry Fields were the only two songs from MMT recorded during the Peppers sessions. There's also the option of including Harrison's Only A Northern Song, also from that period. Obviously this makes the assignment less fun, but still enough to make it a much more solid contender for Best Album Ever.

My proposed track listing, attempting to hew as close as possible to the original, with no omissions:

SIDE ONE
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
With A Little Help From My Friends
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
Getting Better
Fixing A Hole
She's Leaving Home
Only a Northern Song
Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!

SIDE TWO
Strawberry Fields Forever
Within You Without You
When I'm Sixty-Four
Lovely Rita
Good Morning Good Morning
Penny Lane
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (reprise)
A Day In The Life

On the original album side one is about 5 minutes longer than side two, so there's already some space to fill. I think Northern Song and Mr. Kite have some sonic similarities, and work well together. Strawberry Fields deserves a notable spot, and I think it's a wild way to open side two, and prepares one for the mystic Within You Without You.

The problem with Sgt. Peppers in general is the lightweight nature (musically and lyrically) of the songs between WIWY and Day in the Life, and the insertion of Penny Lane (I've put it as a nice finale before the "encore" of the Reprise and ADITL) probably doesn't do much to help that, but it does make side two stronger in terms of song quality. It also doesn't put much more Lennon material into the mix (something including the rest of the MMT/singles songs would alleviate), but the project was more Paul's baby anyway, and John's compositions still remain among the strongest of the bunch.
 
Great thread Zoots, :up: Missed you in EYKIW.

4. The Who – Won’t Get Fooled Again

Bookending what is probably The Who's most popular album, about leaving everything and starting over, this song has it all: acrobatic rock riffs, extended electronic keyboard jams, portentous lyrics like "we'll be fighting in the street with our children at our feet and the morals that we worship will be gone"; and last but not least, the single greatest scream in rock history! The exhilaration that I feel every single time I hear Roger Daltrey's voice exploding into Keith Moon's stunning drum solo kicking off a crashing epic finale, is hard to describe in mere words.

.

I still think Sgt. Peppers suffers because of the omission of this song. Certainly better than fucking Good Morning, or Lovely Rita for that matter.

It's certainly better, but you could have picked two suckier tracks! :lol: I love those two songs.
 
Nothing on Peppers "sucks", but those two songs are rather slight from a lyrical perspective, and aren't very interesting musically, either (unless you're really impressed by John's food chain animal sounds).
 
My turn. :D

No particular order here, and I wouldn't have a fucking clue about a top five.

David Bowie - A New Career in a New Town
My favourite Bowie song, hands down. That in itself should tell you enough about this song, as Bowie is the fucking man, who has done basically everything in his career. I took a while to warm up to Low, but when I did, this was the track that did it. A simple instrumental, have you ever heard one that lives completely up to its title. Beginning all slow and contemplative, the guitar wistfully rocks away while the harmonicas come out. Inspirational and incredible.

U2 - Running to Stand Still
Gets closer and closer to being my favourite U2 song with every single listen. After the assault of Bullet, the boys take it back down again, in remarkable fashion. A few casual plucks of the guitar, and then Larry quietly begins tapping away in some of his finest work in their catalogue. I've written a short story based on the premise of this song, "if you don't like the world you're living in, see it through different eyes. Heroin gives you heroin eyes to see the world through." Begins to soar as Bono heads into the devastating final verse, and then pulls at the heartstrings as it fades out. And we all know how it translated live.

Nick Drake - Northern Sky
Absolutely astonishing song from perhaps the most maligned man in music. A very shy, introverted man, Drake refused any real promotion or touring, sometimes playing with his back turned to an audience. But this song is far too beautiful to have been written by a man who was supposedly despondent about life. Everything about it, from the lush soundscapes to the heartfelt lyrics, are perfect. Listen now if you haven't before.

Paul Kelly - How to Make Gravy
Australia's 'answer' to Bob Dylan, I guess. Writes stories more than songs. He played at Sound Relief, the benefit concert for the bushfire victims, and I sat there, hoping but knowing he probably wouldn't play this song. When he struck up the familiar acoustic opening, I almost exploded. A song about a man who's pining for times gone by, when the family was exactly that, and wondering, perhaps childishly, who is going to make the gravy at the next get together when the family's fallen apart. Tragic, but one of his absolute best.

Radiohead - Weird Fishes
I was fond of Radiohead. This was the song that made me love them. Drifts along effortlessly, with strings, guitar and electronics all coming in to play and meshing perfectly. Builds magnificently towards its stunning climax, with Thom's epitaph, "I hit the bottom and escape". People often get images in their heads when reading books, but this is the first song that I've ever listened to that has created movies, images, dreams in my head. Hard to ever see it being replaced as my favourite Radiohead song.
 
Nothing on Peppers "sucks", but those two songs are rather slight from a lyrical perspective, and aren't very interesting musically, either (unless you're really impressed by John's food chain animal sounds).

Good Morning's lyrics are brilliant I reckon, and I think Lovely Rita has some of the more interesting music on the record, but I do see where you're coming from. There's nothing that polarises opinion quite so much as Sgt Peppers.
 
1. Bruce - Thunder Road

It's a town full of losers and I'm pullin outta here to win.

2. Be Your Own Pet - Becky

If only what you wrote in my yearbook was true, I wouldn't be stuck in fuckin cell-block 2.

3. Pearl Jam - Alive


It is overplayed, and I've actually (sadly enough) started to grow tired of it the last year or so. But fuck it...no song gets me to rock out as hard as this motherfucker. The guitar solo, the chorus, everything. Just, yeah.

4. Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone

Greatest song ever written?

5. R.E.M. - Begin the Begin


Let's begin again.

Others:

U2 - New Year's Day
Lennon - Instant Karma!
The Beatles - I Want To Hold Your Hand
Radiohead - Reckoner
Zeppelin - Thank You
Girls Aloud - Biology
Britney - ...Baby One More Time
Arctic Monkeys - A Certain Romance
Rolling Stones - Rocks Off
Oasis - Live Forever

This is an incredibly shambolic list. I'm stoned and it's 5:40 in the morning and I'll probably want to change it when I wake up. Such is life.
 
Uh, ah, shit, yeah.

Beach Boys - Surf's Up

My brother used to play this a lot on a shoddy quality mixtape, and I was in awe every time it was on. I still am. Probably the only song I've ever known that won't fail to give me goosebumps all over whenever I'm listening to it.

Husker Du - In A Free Land

It's fast, brutal and anarchic, and certainly not as polished as their later stuff - but Bob Mould's chainsaw guitar, Grant Hart's tortured backing vocals and thundering drums, and Greg Norton's moustache just really fucking pound the whole song home.

Gene Krupa - Sing, Sing, Sing

I pretty much attributed this song just to ads for American prime time comedies for most of my life, until I heard a particular recording of it by Krupa and his orchestra from 1939. It's crazy, rampant and never boring. The kinda song that you can put on at any time.

Chapterhouse - Pearl

I had other introductions to shoegaze, but the extended mix of this song probably pulled me in better than anything else. It's glorious, upbeat and colourful.

Isaac Hayes - Joy

Ike's music has been a big part of my life's soundtrack, and when he died last year, I put this on and just became overwhelmed. Legend.

Also notable:

Love - You Set the Scene
Pixies - All Over The World
Curtis Mayfield - Freddie's Dead
De La Soul - Eye Know
Happy Mondays - Kinky Afro
Nico - Chelsea Girls
U2 - Boomerang II
Joy Division - Dead Souls

This is a pretty shambolic list, because I'm sober.
 
I don't have a problem with your additions, but you can't get rid of Harrison's only contribution. I do think it's funny that both of you got rid of She's Leaving Home, a song I have a bit of respect for but it's definitely boring.

Also, I was trying to keep it somewhat pure, and apparently Penny Lane & Strawberry Fields were the only two songs from MMT recorded during the Peppers sessions. There's also the option of including Harrison's Only A Northern Song, also from that period. Obviously this makes the assignment less fun, but still enough to make it a much more solid contender for Best Album Ever.

My proposed track listing, attempting to hew as close as possible to the original, with no omissions:

SIDE ONE
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
With A Little Help From My Friends
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
Getting Better
Fixing A Hole
She's Leaving Home
Only a Northern Song
Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!

SIDE TWO
Strawberry Fields Forever
Within You Without You
When I'm Sixty-Four
Lovely Rita
Good Morning Good Morning
Penny Lane
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (reprise)
A Day In The Life

On the original album side one is about 5 minutes longer than side two, so there's already some space to fill. I think Northern Song and Mr. Kite have some sonic similarities, and work well together. Strawberry Fields deserves a notable spot, and I think it's a wild way to open side two, and prepares one for the mystic Within You Without You.

The problem with Sgt. Peppers in general is the lightweight nature (musically and lyrically) of the songs between WIWY and Day in the Life, and the insertion of Penny Lane (I've put it as a nice finale before the "encore" of the Reprise and ADITL) probably doesn't do much to help that, but it does make side two stronger in terms of song quality. It also doesn't put much more Lennon material into the mix (something including the rest of the MMT/singles songs would alleviate), but the project was more Paul's baby anyway, and John's compositions still remain among the strongest of the bunch.


Nice. :up:

SFF into WYWY is an intriguing move. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

And good to see some recognition for Only A Northern Song. George was ahead of his time. Would It's All Too Much have come into consideration here? As far as I know it's from the same recording period, but necessarily he same sessions.

I could never get rid of Lovely Rita personally. It's probably my favourite song on Pepper, up there with ADITL. Just got something magic about it.
 
Nice. :up:

SFF into WYWY is an intriguing move. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

And good to see some recognition for Only A Northern Song. George was ahead of his time. Would It's All Too Much have come into consideration here? As far as I know it's from the same recording period, but necessarily he same sessions.

Yes, It's All Too Much was recorded during the same period as some of the MMT songs, and while this stuff was begun less than a month after the final Sgt. Pepper sessions, sources indicate that this was material recorded for a separate enterprise. So I guess if one wants to be really pure about it, it's best to keep it to those three.

I'm not sure if Only a Northern Song would have made it anyway, but as you said it certainly is innovative and in line with what the band was exploring at the time. The lyrics are a little bitter and it may have been left off for that reason (perhaps the same fate of his Not Guilty from the White Album sessions, another brilliant song), but I'm giving it a nod here.

What we do know is that Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane were DEFINITELY meant to be on the album, and had Brian Epstein not demanded a single and b-side, they would have been. George Martin was right to regret this choice.
 
Feel like I've hijacked this a bit with all the Beatles talk. Here's my list:

Stevie Wonder, Sir Duke
This song never fails to make me happy. It's a tribute to musicians past from a man who would become a legend himself. Such a catchy, joyful chorus.

YouTube - Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke

Steely Dan, My Old School
From SD's earlier "rock" phase, two of American music's greatest songwriters take a cynical but humorous look back at their days at Bard College. What really put this over the top for me is the Chicago-esque horn section that drives the final section of the song, and of course the harmonies, the backup singers, nice lead piano work, and some sweet guitar playing from Jeff "Skunk" Baxter.

YouTube - Steely Dan, "My Old School"

The Doobie Brothers, What a Fool Believes
Another band featuring Jeff Baxter, but his contribution rendered rather invisible with the presence of Michael McDonald on vocals and keyboards. Appreciated by many these days in a somewhat ironic fashion, there's no denying the pop majesty of this song, written by McDonald along with Kenny Loggins.

YouTube - Doobie Brothers - what a fool believes

The Beatles, Revolution
Not the most impressive example of John Lennon's songwriting or the band's studio wizardry, but to me it's still an innovative blast in the face of music, and clearly disputes the notion that The Beatles were just a pop band who weren't capable of rocking out alongside the loudest and brashest of their contemporaries. And despite the rawness of the delivery, the instruments are still arranged with an attention to detail the band is known for--Nicky Hopkins' tickling piano part certainly isn't necessary, but it makes the recording that much better. And not to content to just deliver some meaningless rocker (like Helter Skelter), this song reveals loud and clear Lennon's activism, with a lyrical content more political than anything they had recorded up to that point, or since.

YouTube - Revolution Beatles

The Replacements, Can't Hardly Wait
Perhaps my favorite Paul Westerberg lyric, and one of the first songs of the band to be given a real "grown-up", Rolling Stones treatment with strings and an appearance by the Memphis Horns, and production by the esteemed Jim Dickinson. As an added bonus, Alex Chilton of Big Star (who has another song on the album named after him) contributes guitar. A great finale to a great album.

YouTube - "Can't Hardly Wait" by The Replacements [Demo Version]
 
Nice choices, everyone. :up: I've been wracking my brain for the past two days trying to think of mine. I came up with three quite easily, but after that, I'm stumped. It's so hard, choosing from every song, ever. :(
 
Zoots has posed a difficult assignment here. The only song that I am able to rank definitively is "Comfortably Numb," which has been my absolute favorite song for quite a long time and continues to be so. Both Gilmour and Waters interpret the dialogue of the lyrics perfectly in their vocals, and the atmospherics of the chorus encapsulate the yearning of the lyrics perfectly. Only Roger Waters could combine trauma and nostalgia into something reminiscent of a pleasant dream, and Gilmour's pair of solos speak for themselves - especially in the extended live versions. In my opinion, the song is the crowing achievement of modern popular music.

After that I cannot isolate four others. Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks," which is what I imagine the apocalypse must sound like, and Radiohead's "Nude," a masterfully atmospheric piece bolestered by what I see as the finest rock vocal ever, would probably be on the list, but The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me," The Beatles' "A Day in the Life," or even something like Antony and the Johnsons' "Hope There's Someone" are also contenders.
 
:up::up:

Love the little paragraph descriptions. You should have written one for all 15 songs, though. :drool:

Thanks, bud! I didn't have that much steam in me though. :wink:

1. The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever

John Lennon's songwriting peak and The Beatles' peak as studio wizards made for a perfect storm with this track. Lennon's ode to happier, more innocent times already makes for an engaging listen, but it's the whirlwind surrounding it that truly makes this a classic. Honestly, if nothing else, this is one of the most exciting sonic experiences ever put to tape, and the production is masterful; dense, layered, yet thoroughly complimentary, it's always fun to dissect this song, and, for me, doing so has yet to become tiresome after hundreds of listens.

Awesome! My #2 Beatles choice... probably followed by Walrus.

Great thread Zoots, :up: Missed you in EYKIW.

Thanks! You mean in general? I've been silently voting in that crazy survivor over there. ;)

3. Pearl Jam - Alive [/B]

It is overplayed, and I've actually (sadly enough) started to grow tired of it the last year or so. But fuck it...no song gets me to rock out as hard as this motherfucker. The guitar solo, the chorus, everything. Just, yeah.

5. R.E.M. - Begin the Begin [/B]

:drool::drool:
 
Great thread, Zoots! I love the song discussion. :up:

I'm veering off target slightly, and listing my favourite five on my brain at the moment. This is to guard against Neil Young tracking me down and turning me into a guitar.

1. John Lennon – Imagine

Understated brilliance. Poignant, thoughtful, sometimes overplayed by careless deejays who bookend it with ZZ Top. In the right moment, actually in most moments, this song is pure perfection. It makes war seem utterly useless, and calls for the greater good in us all. Imagine? It's easy if you try...

YouTube - Imagine

2. U2 – New Year's Day

I just love everything about this song: Edge's piano, how it resonates and intertwines with that maddeningly beautiful solo...Adam's bass gluing it together, Larry's steady restraint at just the right tempo. I'll save Bono's vocal for last. It's brilliant, no question. But it all comes back to that piano and melody for me...chillingly powerful. Every time I hear it, I feel like waving my arms in the air and finding a patch of snow to honour its greatness.

YouTube - U2 - New Years Day

3. Pearl Jam – Nothingman

I’ll never forget the day I first heard this song. It was the late fall of ’94, the morning of Vitalogy’s release. The cars and sidewalks were caked with freshly fallen white snow. After walking down to my favourite record store, I ventured in, quickly snapped the book-like album from the shelf, brought it to the cash. I remember gaining some measure of satisfaction in being told that I was likely the first person in North America to buy Pearl Jam’s latest release, given my time zone. All of this buildup, and I still haven’t mentioned a word about the actual song! Okay, so after all of those 'new album' feelings of anticipation, I ran home, threw it in the CD player, and prepared for the power chords. They were there all right, but it was the intense quietness of Nothingman that truly shook me to the core. In light of Kurt Cobain’s passing earlier that year, this was like a heartfelt letter from a comrade who was still very much around.

YouTube - "Nothingman" - Pearl Jam

4. U2 – Zooropa

I agree with LemonMelon on this one…simply outstanding and ahead of its time. It’s like the theme of Imagine, only fast-forwarded to a nuclear fallout/age of terror. The ‘chatter’ and haunting piano into are truly spellbinding, how they ramp up and give way to Edge’s swampy-sounding guitar mix...which itself then ramps up to what must surely be the Big Bang...or a great planetary formation, at the very least.

And I have no compass and I have no map
And I have no reasons, no resons to get back
And I have no religion and I don't know what's what
And I don't know the limit, the limit of what we got

Yessss.

YouTube - U2 - Zooropa

5. Robbie Robertson – Showdown at Big Sky

I recently found my mom’s original cassette recording of Robbie Robertson’s self-titled solo debut. I’d forgotten just how much I loved this when I was a kid. Produced by Daniel Lanois, it’s a beautifully big-sounding song from an album that’s peppered with great guest stars…some of the U2 variety.

I couldn't find a single YouTube version by itself, so this comes fused with a bonus track (the equally beautiful Fallen Angel) at the beginning. Showdown at Big Sky is at the 5:59 mark. Listen with a good set of headphones. I dare you not to be moved! :D

YouTube - Native American Robbie Robertson - Fallen Angel
 
I'll try to get the reasons why to make sense to anyone other than myself, but...don't count on it :lol:

1. The Unforgettable Fire - U2

From the moment I first heard this song, I knew there was something about it that was different than anything else I'd ever heard before. I spent the following 9 years finding out all the different reasons why that is. I always get such an uplifting emotional feeling when I hear this and I don't know exactly why that is.

2. Can't Help Falling in Love - Elvis Presley

There's no specific reason for this, I just think it's one of the greatest love songs ever written, and I have a new reason for loving it these days, which makes it even better. I have yet to hear a bad cover of it, as well, which I enjoy because I get to keep hearing all these different spins people put on the song, and for me, it never gets old.

3. Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones

This was one of my first favorite songs, and it is one of the only ones that has lasted with me all these years, and for that, I just can't quite let it go, even if it is rather over played. It's just a whole lot of nostalgia for me (like I'm old enough to be nostalgic :lol: )

4. I'm on Fire - Bruce Springsteen


My love of Springsteen is fairly recent, it's only been about a year and a half, and I've always had a favorite song by him throughout the years (Born to Run, like Gimme Shelter, was one of my first favorite songs as a small child), but the first time I heard I'm on Fire, I went back to it, again, and again, and again. I have yet to stop loving it, and it just keeps getting better to me.

5. Baba O'Riley - The Who

I can't think of too much to say about this one, except that I'm probably one day going to get hit by a car listening to it. I almost have two or three times now, it's bound to happen sooner or later.


6. Just Like Heaven - The Cure = If not CHFIL, then this is the greatest love song ever.
7. Read my Mind - The Killers
8. Crash Into Me - Dave Matthews Band
9. Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers
10. Okkervil River - Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe
 
This is in no particular order...

1. Rudie Can't Fail - The Clash
This was the first song I got stuck in my head after I gave London Calling its first spin. I wanted to know what inspired Green Day, and I found out in a huge way. An epic song on a classic album.

2. Holiday - Green Day
"This song is not anti-American. It's anti-war!"
My favourite song, hands-down. Studio, live, :drool: The lyrics are bitingly hilarious and the melody drives it home.

3. Bullet The Blue Sky - U2
Edge famously sending a war through his amplifier, Adam playing in a different key to give the song an uneasy tension, some of Larry's best drumming and Bono's scathing lyrics. What's not to love?

4. All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
Bob Dylan wrote it and countless others have covered it, but Jimi's is the absolute best. And the intro is unmistakable.

5. Sympathy For The Devil - Rolling Stones
"Please allow me to introduce myself..."
One of Mick's slickest performances, fun lyrics, fun beat, and I love Keef's solo.

Honourable Mentions:
The Who - Behind Blue Eyes (Even though I don't have blue eyes, I identify with what Daltrey and Townshend are putting into this song, and it's absolutely beautiful.)

The Last Shadow Puppets - My Mistakes Were Made For You (Alex's voice, need I say more?)

Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks (There were many songs I considered, but in the end, this one is practically a religious experience)

Johnny Cash - Man In Black (An interesting statement on the state of the nation that still rings true today)

Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall, Pts I, II, and III (Bassline of DOOOOOOOOM! and the best anthem for those fed up with school I've ever heard next to Alice Cooper's School's Out For Summer)

The Beatles - Let It Be (The best song Paul McCartney ever wrote)

Sex Pistols - Bodies (The story behind this song [and the lyrics themselves] are kind of gross, and I'm pretty much sure that that's the appeal of it to me)

Bruce Springsteen - Born In The USA (One of my favourite songs from The Boss and the 80's. He sings from his gut and his heart and that's why I love Broooce)

Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone (Of all his songs, this one resonates with me the most)

Samiam - Capsized (Non-emo, non-punk "emo-punk" from the East Bay. One of the best non-major-label-bands I've ever heard)

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (Do I really need a reason?)
 
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