Greetings ladies, gentlemen, pocket monsters, quiet fowls, geological rock formations, et al.
Under the advice of Supreme Commander AdeyC, I have set up another blog post for people to explain their song selection for the Should Have Been Single theme. In the comments section under this post, you can describe what you like about your nomination, how it compares to any other singles released by the act on the same CD, and why you feel your selection was a stand out.
The same principles apply as before. This is completely non-compulsory; responses can be as long or as short or as non-existent as you choose. As much as possible, try and avoid giving any indication of who you are in your reply; the blog has been set up so it is possible to comment anonymously.
Any replies will be posted on the TF thread for other posters to see
Christina Aguilera - Walk Away
ReplyDeleteThis song is the perfect display of the variety of things Christina can do with her voice. Many people think she can only belt (and she often does) but here, she showcases multiple textures, volumes and emotions with her instrument. She alternates effortlessly between growl and falsetto, whispering and belting, melancholy and angst, etc.
Some might find the song a tad long but I think musically, it needs the time to build up from the sultriness of the verses to the aching in the choruses to the unleashing of emotions in the bridge, and then wind down to the resignation in the last part of the song.
Razorlight – To The Sea
ReplyDeleteThis track always stood out to me within the context of Razorlight’s overall body of work. It has a fun sense of rhythm and urgency, and creates musical interest in a way that I feel their other songs don’t. Some of their other stuff seems a bit affected to me, like they’re trying to sound like an Indie Rock band should but this one has a sense of enthusiasm that I appreciate. Coming a couple of years before “America” which was a big hit in the UK, I feel like this song might have been able to act as a launching pad for the group.
Fleetwood Mac - Monday Morning
ReplyDeleteThis song is immediate. Isn't that what singles are all about? I'm not saying it should've been released ahead of the Stevie songs from this but it's as good if not better than the other non-"Rhiannon" singles from this album quite easily.
I think it may also help this song listening to the whole album (which this song is the opener for). For me this song starts the album with a good burst of energy, getting me in the mood to hear the rest of it, and through heaps of the rest of the songs where the tempo kinda drags and the subdued mood doesn't change a lot, that's when you realize just how well this song does hold up at the end of it.
I chose this song because it’s one of just a tiny number of songs in existence that showcase the wonderful vocal and songwriting abilities of Beverly Martyn. This song is from The Road to Ruin, the second and last collaborative effort between and her more famous husband John. The story goes that Island Studios decided after this album’s release that there was more interest in John as a solo act than in Beverly, and decided to cut her out of subsequent releases. IMO a huge blunder, because although John did indeed make some good music in his solo career, it’s Beverly’s songs on this album that have stood the test of time. Other great “Beverly” tracks on the album are “Sorry to Be So Long”, the slightly trippy “Auntie Aviator”, and the one I would have liked to have nominated if I could have found it on youtube sans the insipid John song “Tree Green”: the irresistibly jazzy “Say What You Can”.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Primrose Hill is seen by most as an ode to domestic bliss makes this a bittersweet choice in the context of their career and relationship. Despite his violent and abusive behavior towards her, she supported him for many years, even contributing to his albums, and only resumed her own solo career many years after their marriage finally hit the rocks, with a vastly inferior solo album in which you could hear that all the life and joy had already been sucked out of her. A huge talent wasted:sad:
Forgot to give the Artist and title:oh:
DeleteJohn and Beverly Martyn - Primrose Hill
Where Hides Sleep - Alison Moyet
ReplyDeleteSimply one of the best songs of all time - a perfect showcase for Alison's voice