These top ten cover a range of moods and the Weather Sep 03 '07    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet The Bottom Line The bottom line will listen to a bit more of "Baby got back". Again I will try to go out of my review comfort zone by writing in a category I have not yet contributed to. Music is a big part of my life. My taste is eclectic and changes with my mood, my activity or the weather. There's nothing better than to listen to Johnny Winter's Mississippi Blues on a rainy day. I don't want to cover just one album. I'd much rather give you an overview of the songs I listen to most. So here's my top ten list. Several of the songs reviewed are in german and spanish. I have translated the song titles and made a (poor) attempt at translating some of the lyrics when necessary. #10: Schandmaul - "Willst Du?" (Would you like to?). This german band has been around for about ten years. Very loosely translated their Name means someone with a malicious tongue. Their musical style is best described as medieval folk rock. The use of bagpipes and other instruments usually not found in Rock music underscores their style. This song is a love song. The lyrics are poetic and use an older form of the german language. While I am able to translate the actual words quite easily, I am certainly not able to bring across the beauty of the language itself. "Hielt mich fortan in Deiner Naehe war stets bei Dir wenn Unheil droht verscheuchte Schatten und Probleme hielt Wacht bis ins Morgenrot" " I was always near you was always with you when disaster threatened kept dark shadows and problems at bay kept watch until the dawn of day." Schandmaul has made several other songs (Walpurgisnacht, Geisterschiff) that are a bit faster, but not less poetic. Their delivery captures me every time I listen and I can easily imagine myself in a castle or out in the Woods having a knight sing these words to me. #9 Steve Earle - "Copperhead Road". This is Southern Rock at it's finest. The toe tapping beat makes me want to get up and dance and the delivery of the lyrics is gritty enough to make it interesting. Earle tells the story of three generations of illegal activities, from making moonshine to growing pot. One of my favorites when driving or cleaning house. Turn up the volume and it's twice as much fun. #8 Jonathan Coulton - "Baby got Back". This song is so hilarious I always end up with a stomach ache from too much laughter. Coulton delivers this flattery of a part of the female anatomy absolutely deadpan. I was already familiar with the song, but then received the video from a friend. I took it as a huge compliment. The lyrics are not always clean, but compared to some of the stuff that's out there it's not too bad. Here's an excerpt: ... 'Cause you notice that butt was stuffed Deep in the jeans she's wearing I'm hooked and I can't stop staring Oh baby, I wanna get wit'cha And take your picture..." #7 Sheryl Crow/Sting - "Always on your side". Who hasn't had that odd feeling of comfort when talking to an old flame that we parted on good terms with. Being friendly with my Ex husband I came close to sending him this song in some of my more sentimental moments. I never did and I probably never will. Yet, despite the fact that this is a song about old flames, it is still a love song of sorts. I like the Video for this song. The chemistry between Crow and Sting is undeniable and especially so when compared to the Crow/Kid Rock "Picture" Video where there is no chemistry at all. The lyrics are beautifully delivered and Stings undeniable brogue makes it one of my favorites to listen to. #6 Fito y los Fitipaldi - "Por la boca vive el pez" (The fish lives by the mouth?). Good things come in small packages. In the case of the lead singer it's a very small package. At only 5'4" and just about 100 lbs, Adolfo "Fito" Cabrales has a voice that belies his small stature. Por la boca vive el pez was only released about a year ago, but immediately made it onto my favorites list. The beat is good old rock 'n'roll and the first few chords remind me of early Dire Straits stuff. The song is the title track of the album and, once I heard it, it simply never really left my head. I find myself singing or humming this song almost every day. My spanish is pretty darn rusty but I can just about make out that it is about a man who lost his woman and now feels like a fish out of water. It is not a sad song by any means and is perfect for driving or whenever I'm in a really good mood. #5 Marea - "Ciudad de los Gitanos" (City of the Gypsys). Another spanish influence brings me to my halfway mark. Marea is much more gritty than Fito y los Fitipaldi and their songs deal more with current issues. The style lies somewhere between rap, rock and punk/grunge. It is unique to this band and that's what makes it so special. I listened to some of their other songs, but could not find one that captured the essence of their style as good as Ciudad de los gitanos. This is a song I listen to most early in the morning or when I have to do something I don't particularly want to do. #4 Falco - "Out of the dark". If the name Falco is familiar to you at all, it's probably because of "Amadeus". Some of you might also have listened to "Jeanny", Falco's song about a serial killer. While Amadeus was a huge commercial success for this austrian singer, I find Out of the dark is easily the better song. The song tells of a man who is so taken by a woman that he will risk his life to be with her. What makes the lyrics so haunting is the fact that they were written just a few short months before Falco's untimely death. #3 Tom Waits - " I wish I was in New Orleans". I have to be in the mood to listen to that one and love it best very late at night or very early in the morning. I have never shared this song with anyone and will probably keep on listening to it by myself for the next few years. Back to familiar english territory, this performer needs no translation. I don't want to call Waits a singer, because he is so much more. His voice has been described as being soaked in a Vat of Whiskey, being hung out in the smokehouse for a while and then being taken outside and run over by a car. I could not have said it better myself. But despite the raspy vocals, Waits manages to convey his love for the City of New Orleans quite nicely. "I wish I was in New Orleans I can see it in my dreams. Arm in Arm down Burgundy a bottle and my friends and me". The song is from the "Small Change" album and sounds much better in the not digitally remastered Vinyl version. Other tracks on the album include "Pasties and a G-string", "The Piano has been drinking" and "Step right up" a song about american advertising. Lyrics are included on the album cover, except the ones for "Step right up". Getting the lyrics for that one requires you to mail in a photo of yourself, two dead creeping charlies and a SASE. You gotta love it, what more is there to say. #2 Janis Joplin - "Summertime". Wow, there really are no words to accurately describe the feeling that comes over me when I listen to Joplin's rendition of this Gershwin tune. The song was almost 30 years old when she re-recorded it in the late 60s and it has lost none of it's feeling and poetry since. Joplin's distinct voice and the combination of old jazz and rock give me butterflies every time this one comes on. Sitting outside late at night, after most of my friends have left another great barbecue and throwing this one in is as close to perfect as it gets. #1 John Lee Hooker and Carlos Santana - "The Healer". I had to make a hard choice between my number 2 pick and this one. I'm still not sure if I made the right one. Taken from the John Lee Hooker album of the same title, "The Healer" is the perfect combination of Santana's guitar and Hooker's Voice. I don't want to call this blues, I can't call it Jazz, yet this song combines the best of both worlds. It's the perfect song for long road trips, to mellow out after a hectic day or to cuddle up with a good (a very good) friend. If neither Hooker or Santana would have ever made another album I still would have been a very happy camper. At only four minutes long it's way too short, but there's nobody telling me I can't press the replay button. Thanks for reading. Since this is a first for me (at least when it comes to categories) please also leave lots of constructive critcism.

Write the first comment on this review!

Write an essay on this topic.