Jump to content

Candidates for Perfect Songs (or near enough)


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 98
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Moderators
The Fifth Dimension, "Bill." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcARWyQjOZc
There's nothing like that. The combination of McCoo's performance, Bones Howe's arrangement / production and Nero's writing all together combine to create a slice of perfect pop. Even as a kid I knew it was special. And now... Filtered through my memories, it is as nostalgic and mysterious as the smell of a 1st day new school book. Amazing.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Out of Joni's later catalogue Night Ride Home - unusually simple and positive for Joni. But all her fabulous technique is there, just right.

 

She does not have many "I'm feeling just great right now" songs, ya know?

 

the album version is great, but just what do I have to do to in order to have a picnic by the river with Joni where she'll sing songs for me??

 

[video=youtube_share;aEK9yi3KS4I]

 

and the beautiful album version

 

[video=youtube_share;GlCVJ1Adewg]

 

nat whilk ii

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
Out of Joni's later catalogue Night Ride Home - unusually simple and positive for Joni. But all her fabulous technique is there, just right.

 

nat whilk ii

 

 

Nice. I love the bass!! (on the album version)!

 

This might be a perfect song:

 

[video=youtube;lIPan-rEQJA]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

One thing this little exercise of tagging songs as "perfect" is that it's becoming very clear to me that most of my personal favorites are not perfect.

 

And a lot of my favorite artists/bands don't have any songs that I feel merit the "perfect" denomination.

 

Part of this I think is due to accommodating my tastes to the inherent amateurism and limited skills sets that are discernible in the great majority of popular music. Or maybe this is better said, that, even 'tho I learned in music lessons what it really means to be a thoroughly trained musician (which I never attained to), my heart had been given to popular music from early on. Listening to a Beethoven symphony is like watching a fantastic movie - an exercise in the wow factor of excellence and "big" art. But listening to Dylan is like sitting around listening to an old friend tell great stories of all sorts. Closer to home, the perfection is not really necessary - in fact it can just be a distraction that takes one away from the point of the thing.

 

But every now and then at the popular level, some sort of perfection is achieved that's not at the expense of the soul of the matter. That in itself is a bit of an anomaly - a very good thing, but still an anomaly.

 

nat whilk ii

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I'm not even sure what the song is about exactly, I've interpreted it many different ways over the years. Even after hearing it hundreds of times, I still have to shelve whatever else I maybe thinking about at the time and pay attention every time it pops up on shuffle.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
I'm not even sure what the song is about exactly, I've interpreted it many different ways over the years. Even after hearing it hundreds of times, I still have to shelve whatever else I maybe thinking about at the time and pay attention every time it pops up on shuffle.

 

 

I HATED that song when it first came on. I'd literally walk out of a supermarket if it came on the muzak station. It wasn't until "Long December" came out that I started appreciating those guys.

 

Actually, now that I mention it....

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I started reading through the thread, thinking of the songs I would offer. I shouldn't have been surprised when most of them were already posted by LCK.

 

This is an early Joni MItchell song, but I have always been partial to this Tom Rush version.

 

 

Then there is 'America' from the vast Paul Simon library. This song has absolutely no rhymes, perfect or otherwise, but I never realized it until it was pointed out to me recently.

 

 

Mark Knopfler is an English balladeer with a groove. From his Dire Straits days through his lengthy solo career his songs have mainly been short stories with colorful characters and situations, highlighted by his distinctive guitar work and a production style that builds songs from understated beginnings to full bore endings.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

And this John Prine song is, for me, the perfect break up song. Nothing overt, no screaming, no moaning, only lines like "...you know she still laughs with me, but she waits just a second too long."

 

[video=youtube;aol-mxBISpY]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
And this John Prine song is, for me, the perfect break up song. Nothing overt, no screaming, no moaning, only lines like "...you know she still laughs with me, but she waits just a second too long."

 

Nice. I hadn't heard that one before.

 

I could probably think of at least half-a-dozen John Prine songs that come very close to being perfect. I've been struggling to think of a single Bob Dylan song that might fit the category!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...