Five Favorite Songs Our Friends' Top Five Favorite Current Songs From Around The Globe. May 2007 Page 1 The following lists of songs have been submitted by friends around the world, a testament to the recognition that although our world is increasingly a Tower of Babel, teeming with so many disparate cultures and so many different languages that it's often hard for people to understand each other and to be understood (hell, even here in Los Angeles, there are so many cultures forever clashing and such a deluge of languages spoken that meaningful communication frequently isn't even attempted), that one of the few unifying forces forever at play is music. Great songs unite us. From Jakarta to Jamaica, from Indianapolis to Israel, from Beijing to Baltimore and beyond, songs connect our fragmented, disconnected lives. They bring joy, revelation and a breadth of meaning to our lives. They touch our hearts and our minds at the same time. They remain consequential and significant in a world of increasing inconsequence and insignificance. While so much information is daily disseminated on such a vast level every day, and so much of it is rapidly transformed into disposable trivia, great songs remain great, they exist beyond the perpetual gray static of everyday, and provide genuine inspiration that permeates even the most formidably grim fabric of existence. They remain timeless in the timely context of our briskly passing lives. So what you have here, submitted by fellow artists, musicians, teachers, students, scientists, humanitarians and roustabouts from every corner of our world, is a list not of five all-time, ultimate favorite songs, but five songs that are currently at play in the soundtrack of their lives, lives led across vast oceans and expanses of land, but connected by this miracle that is the Internet, and this force that forever flows through all of us, the power of song. Click here to submit YOUR Favorite 5. Back    |   Archives Bob Newhart Beverly Hills, California, U.S.A. Actor-comedian-author. 1. Hoagy Carmichael, "Stardust." The best song ever sung by the man who wrote it. 2. Maurice Chevalier, "Walkin' My Baby Back Home." Just makes me happy and brings me back to when I was a kid. Which makes this one old song. 3. Lorenzo Music, "Coming Home To Emily." It was composed by my friend Lorenzo Music and was the theme song to my first show, and I think it might be one of the best TV themes ever written. It's jazzy and urbane and happy. Just what we needed. 4. Frank Sinatra, "My Way." I think he was our greatest singer, and I love his music. It was his way or the highway. I really don't like rock, and I don't like country music. But I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who do like country music, denigrate means "put down." 5. Zoe Deschanel, "Baby, It's Cold Outside." My favorite part of Elf is when Zoe sings this song. I like it even better than my scenes. Basically, I stammer through all my scenes. In an elf outfit. I'm not denigrating my stammer. It got me a house in Beverly Hills, so I'm not complaining. But when Zoe sings this song, it's Christmas all year round. Top    |   Back Debbie Kruger Byron Bay, NSW, Australia. Author, Journalist, PR consultant. 1. Silverchair, "Straight Lines." This song is everywhere in Australia right now and deservedly so; a brilliant first single from the brilliant and epic new Silverchair album, Young Modern. 2. Sara Tindley, "True Believer." A gorgeous ballad from a Byron Bay singer-songwriter channeling part Carole King, part Lucinda Williams, and plenty of her own original style. 3. The Spinners, "Rubberband Man." This one always lifts me up. One of the best '70s soul-funk songs ever recorded. 4. Paul Costa, "A Lover's Question." Aussie country singer's take on the Brook Benton/Jerry Williams soul-pop hit from long ago. 5. Chicago, "Wake Up Sunshine." From their second album, the song I used to open my weekly radio breakfast program with. In the context of the album, it's a bright poppy precursor to the epic "Ballad For A Girl In Buchannon;" featuring "Make Me Smile" and "Color My World." Great to listen to if you despair of what the band has been recording lately. Top    |   Back Ras Jahmark Tafari Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies. Singer / Songwriter / Bandleader of Jahmark & The Soulshakers. 1. Richie Havens, "Freedom." Unrestrained, honest, passionate, and joyous ode to freedom...truly soulshakin' in a time where there was an urgent need of soulshakers. 2. The Wailin' Wailers, "Get Up, Stand Up." Straight out tells it like it is, sick and tired of the ism-schism game dying and going to heaven inna Jesus name, we know and we overstand Almighty God is a Living Man. 3. Bob Marley, "Selassie Is The Chapel." Explains one very courageous soul's alternative to 'dying and going to heaven inna Jesus name.' 4. John Lennon, "Imagine." Moving, spiritual, and beautifully simple anti-religious song, "Imagine all the people living life in peace, some may say I'm a dreamer but I'm not the only one." 5. Ziggy Marley, "Love Is My Religion." This is Reggae music's updated "Imagine"of the New Millennium...love it! Top    |   Back Warren Zanes Montclair, New Jersey, U.S.A. Writer-Teacher-Musician. 1. The Faces, "Ooh La La." The lazy feel of this song leads you straight to a pretty universal truth: "I wish that I knew what I know now when I was younger." If you can't identify with that sentiment, you should go right out and fuck a few things up in your life. You'll love the song when you come back from your misadventures. 2. Elvis Costello, "When I was Cruel No. 2." Along with Neil Finn's "Sinner" this is one of the finest uses of a loop as a song's primary building block. I just saw Elvis do it live and was fully transported. Another chilling EC vocal. 3. The Everly Brothers, "The Price of Love." Great Warner Brothers era Everly Brothers. Rather than burden you with clichés about how great these voices are, I'll simply recommend that you get the Warners recordings as quickly as you can. 4. The Kinks, "Love Me Til the Sun Shines." A Dave Davies track. The Lyres, one of the finest bands ever to come out of Boston, Mass. helped me to see the magic in this track by covering it with gusto. Younger brothers need to stick together, right? 5. The Shangri-Las, "Out in the Streets." A Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich song that represents these girls at their best. As usual, the group pushes the possibilities of the three minute epic further than anyone else. Narrative compression at its most glorious. Top    |   Back John Doe Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. Musician-Actor-Poet-Columnist. May I preface this list by saying that I really don't like making list like this due to the pressure it applies. Regardless, here goes, in no particular order (enough disclaimers?) 1. The Mighty Sparrow, "Wanted Dead or Alive." Found an old cassette & can't get over the bouncy beat w/ the dark, dark lyrics. How many other songs have the Shah of Iran, Idi Amin & Samosa as characters? 2. Cracker, "Low." Love the line, "behind a green sheet of glass," gonna cover this one this summer. Lowery's releasing a new solo "on U tube only" record, so look for it. 3. Tom Brosseau, "I Fly Wherever I Go." Helped produce this, his new record, Grand Forks & will also cover this song ala Johnny Cash in the Knitters. This song is a FUCKIN' CLASSIC ! ! 4. Guided By Voices, "Teenage FBI." A hit if ever there was one. No idea, nor do I care what it's about & don't need to w/ a line like "when you're around me, I'm somebody else". Found the older version on a 'best of'; "Human Amusement At Hourly Rates." 5. The Stanley Brothers, "Little Glass of Wine." In the tradition of up tempo death songs; where the "hero" poisons his gal & himself just in case she might cheat on him in the future. Finally, laying in each others' arms, he laments "as they cast their eyes up to the sky/ 'Oh God, oh God ain't it a pity/ that both true lovers are bound to die.' " Top    |   Back Brian Runk Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.A. Social worker & musician. 1. Duke Ellington, "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue." The Ellington band rocked the house at Newport in 1956; simply amazing performances from everyone on that stage. 2. Camel, "Earthrise." This song is just a treat for the senses, lilting, charging, heavy, melodic, just a beautiful piece. 3. Beth Orton, "Shadow of a Doubt." Beth's beautiful, haunting voice just pulls me in and holds me. 4. The Beatles, "The End." Scorching guitars of McCartney, Harrison & Lennon, a reflection of the personalities of each player. 5. Bruce Hornsby, "Western Skyline." This song takes me back to a time when my life seemed less complicated. Top    |   Back Diana Krall New York, New York, U.S.A. Musician. 1. Joni Mitchell, "Amelia." One of the most beautiful songs ever written about travel. The whole album [Hejira] is beautiful. I don't even want to analyze it - the whole record embodies beauty - harmonically, melodically, lyrically. I don't want to say too much. I could listen to "Amelia" over and over again. 2. Ernestine Anderson, "I'm Walkin'." One of the first tunes I learned. Ernestine Anderson was one of my biggest influences as a jazz singer, and because she sang with my favorite jazz trio - Ray Brown, Jeff Hamilton, Monty Alexander - I was able to play along with those records and sing to them, basically in the same key. She's one of the swingiest and most natural jazz singers I've ever heard. 3. Stan Getz with Jimmy Rowles, "I'll Never Be The Same." Jimmy Rowles was my piano teacher; one of the most influential pianists for me - a very complex man who was a great composer, and just as influential as a singer for me. He taught me about beauty in the records. You couldn't put him in a stylistic box, because he had so many interests in so many different kinds of music. "I'll Never Be The Same" shows tremendous simplicity and depth. 4. Carmen McRae, "The Ballad of Thelonious Monk." This shows the other side of Jimmy Rowles, who wrote this song. It's interesting harmonically, and you know, Jimmy always wanted to be a cowboy - he was a cowboy jazz musician. It's about a cowboy who discovers Thelonious Monk: "I used to think that cowboy music was the only thing there was/then I heard Thelonious Monk then I forgot about Gene Autry/and all the things he taught me." It's very funny and bizarre, and it represents the wacky side of Jimmy Rowles. 5. Elvis Costello, "Almost Ideal Eyes." It's very jazzy. I think it's really interesting. If I was going to interpret it, it's almost like a jazz tune because he starts out all scat singing "listen to this different place," and harmonically it's just gorgeous and rhythmic. It's one of my favorite tunes he's done. Top    |   Back Christopher Wofford Trumansburg, New York, U.S.A. Book Publishing Marketing/Editor. 1. David Vandervelde, "Nothin'; No." Big, wonderfully sloppy guitar-slingin' paean to rock's mythological foundation: burning teenage desire. The 22-year-old Vandervelde reinvents the balls-out bravado of Marc Bolan, and plays nearly every instrument on the record. Yep, even that nasty electric sitar. 2. LCD Soundsystem, "Someone Great." In this skittery, buzzing monolithic slab of electro beauty, LCD honcho James Murphy sings of a strange longing and loss over chest-rumbling, synth propulsions. May be one of the first springtime classics this year. Find this song. 3. Ron Sexsmith, "On the Very First Day." The tremendously gifted Canadian songwriter once again picks and croons his way through this innocent ode to new beginnings and new friendships: "On the very first day in my neighborhood, someone said hello." 4. Maria Bethania and Gal Costa, "Sonho Meu." A bright and bold, perfectly orchestrated vocal duet by two of Brazil's most celebrated singers. Check the call and response between Bethania's silky cooing and Costa's brassy acrobatics over dizzying ensemble percussion. Gorgeous. 5. "The Scarecrow,", "If I Only Had a Brain." "Well I wouldn't be such a nothin', my head all full of stuffin', my heart all full of pain." Dammit, is this song perfect. Harold Arlen (music), E.Y Harburg (lyrics). Top    |   Back Lew Holzman Tenafly, New Jersey, U.S.A. Information Specialist. 1. Frank Zappa, "Let's Make the Water Turn Black." Whimsical yet real. 2. The Byrds, "Thoughts and Words." Sensually Psychedelic. 3. Jefferson Airplane, "Hey Frederick." Erotic putdown by Grace Slick. 4. Sufjan Stevens, "They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! Ahhhhh!" ...Need I say more? syncopation and great lyrics. 5. Death Cab for Cutie, "Title and Registration." Very original and poetic lyrics, hypnotic music. Top    |   Back Jerry Maren Hollywood, California, U.S.A. Actor, Munchkin "The Wizard of Oz." 1. Judy Garland, "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." Best damn song ever written from the best movie sung by the best singer ever. I was in this movie almost 70 years ago now and people mention it to me every day, so it must mean something. 2. Ray Bolger, "Once In Love With Amy." Happy and romantic. I just like it a lot, you know. 3. Judy Garland, "Last Night When We Were Young." Because it makes me remember last night when we were young, which seems like yesterday to me. And nobody can sing like her. Nobody, never. 4. Bing Crosby, "I've Got Plenty To Be Thankful For." Because I do. Have plenty to be thankful for. I've got my health, a beautiful wife, and I was in the most beautiful movie ever made. It's like a dream now. A dream I dreamed when I was still a boy. Now I'm 87 and I'm still dreaming. 5. Groucho Marx, "Lydia The Tattoed Lady." Because he sang this for me. Played guitar and sang. I was in At The Circus with the Marx Brothers. Groucho was the funniest. Chico was always on the phone talking to his bookie. Groucho invited me to his home for dinner. I had a wonderful time. There was a Swedish chef and we had chicken and dumplings. I'll always remember that. Top    |   Back Tomasz Szpaderski Lodz, Poland. Philologist. 1. Cornelius, "Fit Song." Taste of Japanese Spring. 2. Tracey Thorn, "It's All True." Say it's trashy, but Tracey has a wonderful voice. I miss Everything But The Girl. 3. The Clientele, "Bookshop Casanova." I'm already in love with the song title, but the music is simply brilliant. The best song of my fav British indie band. 4. Talib Kweli & Madlib, "The Show." Turn play and have fun at the gym. 5. Nightmares On Wax, "Mission Venice." Rediscovering my youth. Top    |   Back Peter Case Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. Musician. 1. Sleepy John Estes, "Broke And Hungry." On the Delmark album of the same name. His singing is so great. The group is a dynamic acoustic quartet, with John on guitar, Yank Rachell on mandolin and Hammy Nixon on harmonica plus Sleepy John and Mike Bloomfield. 2. The Beatles, "Don't Let Me Down." The single version. When I was 15 I went into an all night restaurant in the middle of the night, pumped the jukebox full of somebody else's quarters, and played this about 10 times in a row. I nearly got stomped for it, but it was worth it. A very deeply soulful track. 3. Sam Chatmon, "Big Road Blues." On YouTube, check it out. 4. Little Walter, "Crazy Mixed Up World." A good song to play in the band. 5. Captain Beefheart, "Owed To Alec." On Bat Chain Puller... about a biker riding into Carson City. Majestic... Top    |   Back Tonio K. Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. Songwriter. 1. Howlin' Wolf, "The Red Rooster." Listening to lots of blues these days for an upcoming project. Wolf ... Whoa. Watch out everybody, little red roosters (still) on the prowl. 2. Mississippi John Hurt, "Stagolee." One of the earliest/best/most important. 3. T Bone Walker, "Glamour Girl." So sophisticated and low down at the same time. 4. Elmore James, "Dust My Broom." Major, major riff. Bad-ass recording. 5. Muddy, Bo Diddley, Little Walter, "Long Distance Call." The one from Super Blues, the 1968 sessions produced by Leonard Chess. Great, fun, funny version. (The liner notes to the album claim Muddy, Bo and Walter are going to stop the Vietnam war with their blues.) We need them back. Top    |   Back Alex Vollelunga San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A. Diving Coach / Artist. 1. The Arcade Fire, "Neighborhood # 2 (Laika)" Because they are the Arcade Fire. they are better than everyone else. Also the best live show I have ever seen. call 1-866-Neon-Bible to leave a message for them. 2. Menomena!, "Wet and Rusting." From the album Friend and Foe, this song is one of the best written in the last twenty years. A three piece band from Portland, Menomena! will change the way you have heard music in some time...or if you have ever heard music like this. 3. Explosions in the Sky, "Greet Death." A 4 piece instrumental band from Austin, EITS will massage and then pound your head in with thick melodic builds, kills, and a haunting aftermath followed by peace and light. 4. Hot Chip, "Keep Fallin'." Sometimes music doesn't need to be so serious. although if you listen to Hot Chip you will become very fond of the soul background combined with indie pop electronica. head bobbing and finger pointing at your buddies you will feel like the little bird that sits on top of the water buffalo. "Keep Fallin'" will turn that party pooper into crazy party bloopers. Even your grandparents will be jiving...and everyone will be left humming melodies for months. 5. Ratatat, "Lex." Ratatat is an instumental duo from Brooklyn. Combining retro drum machines with electro guitar and hip hop bass, Ratatat will flow through your veins and lower your cholesterol. Definitely a party favorite and great workout music. Top    |   Back Matt Douglass White Hall, Maryland, U.S.A. Haberdashery. 1. Son Volt, "Methamphetamine." Son Volt at their best, along with Eric Heywood on steel. A strong song that conveys the agony and longing of an addict. 2. Tim O'Reagan, "Black and Blue." Jangly singer-songwriter stuff that is most-excellent. Who says that drummers only know how to keep time(if that!!!) 3. Anders Osborne, "Me and Lola." Good visual imagery to this song puts the listener in a bar in Nola - love Anders' vocals...great subdued organ fills... 4. Wild Man Fischer, "Merry-Go-Round." Truly whacked!!! Back to the days of bizarre records, Zappa, etc. The GTO's - now there's a band that oughta come back!!!! They would put the p-cat dolls to shame..!!! 5. Replacements, "Left Of The Dial." Never fails to get my head shakin' like a bobblehead doll in the back of a tricked up Dodge Neon. Top    |   Back Darryl Purpose Nederlander, Colorado, U.S.A. Singer-songwriter. 1. Neil Young, "Living With War." Hard to pick just one song from this impressive (even for Neil Young) CD, so I picked the title track. 2. Gillian Welch, "The Revalator." A six-minute slow song that keeps you excited the whole way, over and over again. Dave Rawlings Rocks. 3. Wailin Jenny's, "One Voice." A friend put this on a compilation for me. I'd woken up to it dozens of times before I knew who was singing it. This may be The Perfect Song. 4. John Fogerty, "Fortunate One." Timeless, unfortunately. 5. Christine Kane, "Falling in Love With the Wind." I recently settled down in Nederland Colorado. I feel like I have moved in with the wind. I like songs about home and the struggle to find it and this is one of my favorites. And of course, everything by the Weepies, Ellis Paul, Patty Griffin, Jules Shear. Top    |   Back Big Al Davies Wales, UK. Office Worker & Musician. 1. The Divine Comedy, "Absent Friends." A great song with references to Oscar Wilde, Steve McQueen and Woodbine Willie (who used to pass cigarettes around in the trenches of World War 1 -actually in the front line risking his life). 2. Nina Simone, "Nobody's Fault But Mine." "If I die and my soul be lost, nobody's fault but mine" don't drink alone and play this. I warned you. 3. Neil Young, "Old Man." From the just released Live at Massey Hall -when this was a "new song", all about his ranch ("Lucky me" states Neil). 4. Kitty, Daisy and Lewis, "Mean Son of a Gun." All teenagers from London, this sounds like an underage Johnny Cash in Memphis in 1955. 5. Ivor Cutler, "A Wooden Tree." The late Ivor Cutler. "Hey look, there at the back, a wooden tree isn't it a pretty one." Funny and Scottish and strange and it's there at the back. Top    |   Back Kathy Archbold London, England. Artist. 1. Pavement, "Killing Moon." ." I love bands doing covers of other songs and this unlikely combination has become addictive listening for me lately. 2. Wilco, "Sky Blue Sky." From their forthcoming Sky Blue Sky album - can't stop playing this! 3. Dinosaur Jr., "Almost Ready." Original line-up re-united for the new album Beyond; full of great songs, but this is my favourite. 4. Thistle, "Love Not Dead." A fantastic, Blondie-esque cover of Daniel Johnstone's classic. 5. Bob Dylan, "The Man in Me." Because it's this month's Bob! Top    |   Back Noah Stone Studio City, California, U.S.A. Singer-Songwriter. 1. John Vanderslice, "Angela." A song about a dead bunny. Too bad I missed the Easter edition. 2. Johnette Napolitano, "The Scientist." Johnette peels off the top layer of this Coldplay song exposing its dark core. Who knew Coldplay were so deep?! 3. Harry Nilsson, "Good Old Desk." Only Nilsson could write such a lovely ode to a desk. 4. Loney, Dear, "I Am John." The feel-good indie pop ditty of Summer '07. 5. Neko Case, "Margaret vs. Pauline." This track is about a year old, but the southern folk narrative mixed with a vocal swimming in vintage plate reverb sounds right out of the '60s. Top    |   Back Paul Zollo Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. Scarecrow Pinata. 1. Bruce Hornsby, "King Harvest." From Endless Highway, the new tribute to The Band, this is a rendition as powerful as the original; Hornsby is all soul and swagger on this classic chapter of American and rock & roll history. 2. Neil Young, "Love In Mind." From the new Live At Massey Hall, it's a breathtakingly beautiful Neil song - a classic among all the other classics on this album recorded early in his career - but one I'd never heard. It's haunting and romantic. 3. Randy Newman, "Great Nations of Europe." Essential Randy - who else could condense the brutality of 16th century European history down into a hilarious song? History, humor, brilliance. What else do you need? 4. Todd Rundgren, "When I Pray." One of my favorite songs by the great Todd. It's soulful, spiritual, melodic and has a great groove. When I told him this was maybe my favorite of all his songs, he said, "That's a wacky choice." Perhaps, but it's great. 5. Richard Shindell, "Humpback Whale." A delicately rendered and haunting song of Byron Bay whaling days from Shindell's beautiful new record of covers, South of Delia. Top    |   Back Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. New York, New York, USA. Author. 1922 - 2007 Top    |   Back [advertisement] [advertisement] [advertisement] [advertisement] [advertisement] ©2007. All rights reserved. about us    |   privacy    |   credits    |   contact