No groups, so acts like the Sam & Dave, the Staple Singers and Sly and the Family Stone, etc. aren't eligible.
Stevie Wonder was excluded as, unlike many below, his musical skill set extends well beyond both his singing and the soul genre itself. Otherwise he probably would have been #2.
A quick word on my #1. Not that it means anything to put a label on it, but to me the plane crash that killed Otis Redding is the most tragic music death of all time. The murders of Cooke and Gaye were terrible, but they got a chance to record their best music. Hendrix and Cobain were talented and had great music ahead of them, but they had a hand in their own demise. No one's career was cut short so early and so tragically, in my mind, as Otis's. He was only 26 and had recorded "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" just three days previously. It is impossible to listen to the live studio sessions from that day (on the album "Remember Me" but not, unfortunately, on Grooveshark) and not wonder what was to come and what was lost over Lake Monona that night.
Otis Redding
Sam Cooke
James Carr
Marvin Gaye
Solomon Burke
Wilson Pickett
Al Green
Aretha Franklin
James Brown
Dusty Springfield
Clarence Carter
Ben E. King (post Drifters)
Bobby Womack
O.V. Wright
William Bell
The Grooveshark playlist includes one of my favortie songs from each artist.
John Darnielle and the Mountain Goats are a personal favorite and one the most interesting groups working today, especially for someone obsessed with lists. I have nearly 400 Mountain Goats songs across dozens of albums, EPs, and unreleased tracks. The list opportunities are endless (top "Going to..." songs, top non-Tallahassee Alpha Couple songs, top Panasonic rx-ft500 songs, top use of song titles that don't appear in the lyrics, etc.) but let's start with something simple: With the release of All Eternals Deck, please find below my personal ranking of the Mountain Goats long players, including The Extra (G)Len(n)s.
The rankings show that I am not firmly in either the pre-2002 or post-2002 camp. My favorite MG albums weight towards the more recent output, but so do the least compelling. I used the All Music Guide definition of his LPs (so Nine Black Poppies counts but Hail and Farewell, Gothenburg does not) and I have included the Shrimper compilations.
The playlist at the bottom has my favorite song from each album. The tracks on the playlist aren't necessarily the source of the quotes, as noted.
Top Mountain Goat Albums
All Hail West Texas (2002)
"900 cc's of raw whining power / no outstanding warrants for my arrest" (Jenny)
Tallahassee (2002)
"I am drowning / there is no sign of land / you are coming down with me / hand in unlovable hand" (No Children)
Heretic Pride (2007)
"And I feel proud to be alive / and I feel so proud when the reckoning arrives" (Heretic Pride)
The Sunset Tree (2005) "On the day my lung collapses / it's not gonna be much different" (Song for Dennis Brown)
We Shall All Be Healed (2004) "Drop your seeds there / let them go / let them all go" (Cotton)
Bitter Melon Farm (1993-1996)
"In the impossibly large office of the death-dealing physician" (The Bad Doctor)
Sweden (1995)
"And you tell me that Hercules died burning consumed by an article of his own clothing / that's something I'd rather not be reminded of" (Deianara Crush)
Martial Arts Weekend (as The Extra Glenns) (2002) "Our love is like Jesus / but worse" (Going to Marrakesh)
All Eternals Deck (2011) "It's so good to learn that from right here the view goes on forever" (Never Quite Free)
Zopliote Machine (1994)
"And I know that you're wearing a wire / but as the sun becomes a blazing orange ball of fire / I lose interest in this and other such inconsequential questions" (Orange Ball of Love)
Undercard (as The Extra Lens) (2010)
"And the last thing / I saw before falling unconscious / was your right hand / tracing a heart on my thigh / and I thought / my God, what an infantile gesture / and I thought / my God, what an indescribable high" (How I Left the Ministry)
Full Force Galesburg (1997)
"We knew we'd hit the mother lode" (Twin Human Highway Flares)
Nine Black Poppies (1995) "Sun flashing red and then orange and then opting for secession" (I Know You've Come to Take My Toys Away)
The Coroner's Gambit (1995) "And you gathered your hair behind your head / like god was gonna catch you by the pony tail" (There Will Be No Divorce)
Ghana (1993-1996)
"There are no pan-Asian supermarkets down in hell" (Golden Boy)
Nothing For Juice (1996)
"Die hard / die kicking / old habit of mine" (Waving at You)
The Life of the World to Come (2009)
"And I am witness / to your life and to its worth" (Matthew 25:21)
Protein Source of the Future ... Now! (1993-1996) "I've got something I need to tell you / I can feel your smile burning through / and I am leaving you, and I am sorry" (Omega Blaster)
Get Lonely (2006) "And I stood there like a businessman waiting for a train / and I got ready for the future to arrive" (Woke Up New)
Continuing the march towards the best of 2011 (in 5 year increments), here are my top 10 songs of 1971. Because it was fun to compare in 1966, here were the Billboard top 5 of 1971:
1) "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night
2) "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart
3) "It's Too Late / I Feel the Earth move" by Carole King
4) "One Bad Apple" by Osmonds
5) "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" by Bee Gees
1971 represented a pretty great mix of music as the original soul and rock sounds of the late 60's were still in full swing while the "classic rock" sound associated with the 70's was underway as well. My list includes one of my 10 favorite songs of all time at #1 (one of the very few Stones songs without Keith) and a ridiculous string of amazing intros at #2 - #7 (from the classic hooks of "Bang a Gong" and "Mr Big Stuff" to the Wes-Anderson-evoking "Queen Bitch"). Also, two of the biggest one-hit soul wonders in King Floyd and Jean Knight.
Grooveshark playlist is at the bottom (without the John Lennon song).
Top 10 Songs of 1971
"Moonlight Mile" / The Rolling Stones / Sticky Fingers
"I am just living to be lying by your side""
"Groove Me" / King Floyd / King Floyd
"Uh / ohhh sookie sookie now"
"Bang a Gong (Get it On)" / T. Rex / Electric Warrior
"Well you're built like a car / you've got a hubcap diamond star halo"
"Baba O'Riley" / The Who / Who's Next
"I don't need to fight / to prove I'm right"
"Mr. Big Stuff" / Jean Knight / Mr. Big Stuff "Who do you think you are?"
"Ace of Spades" / O.V. Wright / A Nickel and a Nail and Ace of Spades
"From the the nine to the ten / you just can't win"
"Sweet Hitch Hiker" / Creedence Clearwater Revival / Hold On, I'm Coming "She was runnin yeah yama heada heah / do you wanna holler thinking would you care"
(or something)
"Oh Yoko" / John Lennon / Imagine
"My love will turn you on"
"Tiny Dancer" / Elton John / Madman Across the Water
"When I say softly / slowly"
A very literal spring-themed playlist for the rainy day here in the Bay Area.
"Spring and a Storm" / Tally Hall
"...many people think that's where you go when you die / do you? / well I think you return to obscure / or wherever you where, before you were / but I won't let you lose yourself in the rain"
"Rain" / Bishop Allen
"cause if its ever gonna get any better / its gotta get worse for a day"
"Rain On" / Woods
"Oh, how the days will rain on you"
"Wet and Rusting" / Menomena
"It's hard to take risks / with a pessimist"
"Sonic Bloom" / The Polyphonic Spree
"When love gets inside of you / it makes me invincible"
"King of Carrot Flowers, Part I" / Neutral Milk Hotel "Each one a little more than he could dare to try"
"3,000 Flowers" / Destroyer
"Scars where its talons used to be"
"Blue Bird" / The Rosebuds
"While natures radio / plays music in our home"
"Dry the Rain" / The Beta Band
"Choking on the vitamin tablet / the doctor gave in the hope of saving me"
"She's A Rainbow" / The Rolling Stones
"Have you seen a lady fairer?"
Over the course of the year, I plan to work towards the best of 2011 by reviewing songs from the past -- in 5 year increments. I was going to start with 1961, since this is the 50th anniversary, but sweet jesus what a brutal year for music that was. When "Runaround Sue" is a legitimate contender for best song of the year it is time to move on.*
* It's not just me, Pitchfork's top 100 songs of the 1960's included just three from 1961.
By 1966, though, the music world looked a whole lot better. It was still a year before Hendrix, Bowie and Creedence would debut, but the biggest bands of all time were already making their mark, blues music was in its golden age, and both the Motown and Stax labels were in full swing. My list is full of the usual suspects, but they are the usual suspects for a reason. And, to be fair, it's not as if the below were the biggest hits of the year back then. Billboard's top 5 in 1966 was:
1) "The Ballad Of The Green Berets" by Sgt. Barry Sadler
2) "Cherish" by Association
3) "(You're My) Soul And Inspiration" by Righteous Brothers
4) "Reach Out I'll Be There" by Four Tops
5) "96 Tears" by ? & The Mysterians
In fact, only two of the songs below were in the Billboard top 100 for 1966. Maybe in 45 years everyone will think Wolf Parade and Deerhunter were huge and forget who the Black Eyed Peas are. One can dream.
Grooveshark playlist (without the Beatles track) is at the bottom.
Top 10 Songs of 1966
"Help Me (A Tribute to Sonny Boy Williamson)" / Junior Wells / Chicago/Blues/Today!
"Lower that nightshade / put on your mourning gown / 'cause you know I ain't sleepy darling / but lord I feel like lying down"
"God Only Knows" / Beach Boys / Pet Sounds
"I may not always love you"
"Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again" / Bob Dylan / Blonde on Blonde
"And here I sit so patiently / waiting to find out what price / you have to pay to get out of / going through all these things twice"
"Mustang Sally" / Wilson Pickett / The Wicked Pickett
"Got to put your flat feet on the ground"
"Paint It, Black" / The Rolling Stones / Aftermath
"I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes / I have to turn my head until my darkness goes"
"It's Growing" / Otis Redding / The Soul Album <Temptations cover>
"For No One" / The Beatles / Revolver
"And in her eyes you see nothing / no sign of love behind the tears / cried for no one"
"Hold On, I'm Coming" / Sam & Dave / Hold On, I'm Coming
"When the day comes and you're down / in a river of trouble and about to drown"
"Uptight (Everything's Alright)" / Stevie Wonder / Uptight
"She says / no one / is better than I / I know / I'm just an average guy"
"I'm a Believer" / The Monkees / More of the Monkees
"Not a trace / of doubt in my mind"
This blog was created solely as a place to post my annual top songs list, with the thought that it would lay dormant during the balance of the year. At least, that was the original intention. Now that the place exists and has some furnishings, it feels cruel to leave the poor thing completely unattended for 11 months.
So there will be the occasional post going forward. The posts won't be of-the-moment or be a particularly good way to discover new releases. There are plenty of better curated sites for that around the web. Instead, I will throw up the odd playlist structured around a single theme or idea. They will -- like the year-end lists -- include a mixture of genres with the added benefit of mixing time periods.
In each post, I will include only a Grooveshark widget (until Apple buys it and shuts it down, at least) to stream the playlist and a list of the tracks themselves, with limited commentary or graphics. In the spirit of that whole brevity thing, below is a playlist of my favorite songs under two minutes in length.
I can't necessarily recommend that you come back often before the December year in review begins again, but if you do there will be music.
Sub 2:00 Playlist (from shortest to longest)
"Die" by Iron & Wine from Dark Was the Night (2009) -- 1:07 "And no matter how hard we try / we are not afraid to die"
"An Accidental Memory" by Eluvim from An Accidental Memory in the Case of Death (2004) -- 1:12
"Before I Knew" by Basia Bulat from Oh, My Darling (2008) -- 1:15 "It was the first time I sang out loud all through the night"
"Inspection Wise 1999" by The Hives from Veni Vidi Vicious (2000) -- 1:38" Check the time / T minus 5 / and you're still looking"
"Final Day " by Young Marble Giants from Final Day EP (1980) -- 1:44 "As the final day falls into the night / there is peace outside in the narrow light "
"Dark Place" by Barton Carroll from The Lost One (2008) -- 1:46 "I've never been here before / kinda digging the experience"
"Travel" by Thao from We Brave Bee Stings and All (2007) -- 1:47 "But I took / a million looks / how they ate me up / made me heavy and for what?"
"Optimist vs. the Silent Alarm (When the Saints go Marching)" by Casiotone for the Painfully Alone from Vs. Childen (2009) -- 1:51 "We've mapped a route with all right turns so lights won't get us caught / We've got a mess of cash in duffel bags and every penny's hot"
"Career Opportunities" by The Clash from The Clash (UK) (1977) -- 1:53 "And I won't open letter bombs for you"
"That's What I Want To Know" by James Carr from You've Got My Mind Messed Up (1967) -- 1:58 "I don't know / I don't know another man's sorrow"
The cream of the 2010 crop, in reverse order this time (for no good reason). The grooveshark widget is at the bottom of the post. Make sure to let me know what I missed.
20. "Kala Djula" byAli Farka Touré & Toumani Diabeté (from Ali and Toumani) <instrumental>
The mere existence of this sequel to my #2 album of the last decade was a wonderful surprise, sinceTouré passed away in 2006.
19. "This is the Remix" byGirl Talk (from All Day) < (Rick Ross * Banarmama) + (Lil' Kim * Jaskson 5) + Toadies * (B.o.B. + Method Man) + (Lil Jon & East Side Boyz * Simon & Garfunkel) + (Fabulous * INXS) >
Greg Gillis's excellent gimmick hasn't gotten old yet.
18. "Run" byVampire Weekend (from Contra) "And I don't think your eyes / have ever looked surprised"
It feels like this album came out way too long ago to still qualify for this list. Contra was the rare sophomore effort that successfully balanced the exploration of new sounds without abandoning what made the debut successful.
17. "Bloodbuzz Ohio" byThe National (from High Violet) "I still owe money / to the money / to the money I owe"
While others will disagree, I found High Violet a step backwards after Boxer (my #5 album of last decade) and Alligator. Lyrically, the band is as strong as ever, but there are at least 4 songs on each album of the prior albums that would have placed higher on this list.
16. "Uh Huh" byWu-Tang vs. The Beatles (from Enter The Magical Mystery Chambers) "Y'all know my occupation / I'm puttin' in the words / So when there's imitation / I put them in the dirt"
Looking for Grey Album-like success, Tom Caruana created a mashup that drew from the entire Wu catalog and combined it with music from the Beatles. The results were mixed, but "Uh Huh" combined an obscure Method Man track with an obscure Beatles B-Side ("You Know My Name") to create a pretty fantastic song.
15. "Dogs of Clinic 17" byThe Extra Lens (from Undercard) "5 of us are left / (that's down from 20) / but the guy in the white coat / he tells me that 5 is plenty"I have more John Darnielle music in my collection than any other artist (because not many other artists have recorded 400 songs), but more is always welcome. As is often the case with the Mountain Goats, the song title provides insight beyond what is in the track itself.
14. "Desire Line" byDeerhunter (from Halcyon Digest) "Forever fades black / and comes up cold"
As interesting as Microcastle but much more lively, Halcyon Digest was one of the year's pleasant surprises.
13. "House of Gold" byBreathe Owl Breathe (from Magic Central) "We will romanticize what we want out of life / you and I will someday die / everyone at the dance was wearing masks / so, so did I"
There is a lot going on in the seemingly simple song, one of the catchiest this year. Oh yes, and there are handclaps.
12. "Wide-Eyed, Legless" byLaura Veirs (from July Flame) "Will we ever more kiss on the boardwalks fading rail? / In the light of the waves and the comet's waning tail / I don't think so"
Ominous and nostalgic, this song immediately surpassed anything else I had previously heard from Veirs.
11. "Tambourine Man" byCloud Cult (from Run With the Wolves EP) <Bob Dylan cover>
A cover of any song probably shouldn't be this high on the list. A cover of a song as iconic (and much covered already) as "Tambourine Man" definitely shouldn't. And yet, something about Cloud Cults reimagining of the song, from Craig Minowa's earnestness to the backing piano, plays in a way that Dylan (and others) never did. Awful, awful album cover.
10. "Zebra" byBeach House (from Teen Dream) "Any way you run, you run before us"
My words can't do this lovely song justice. Beach House crushed it with Teen Dream.
9. "Sweetest Kill" byBroken Social Scene (from Forgiveness Rock Record) "I break you through this world / Let me break you through this world / Can I break you through this world? "
Given their large and rotating membership, BSS has no consistent sound. This makes can make them frequently frustrating and occasionally very great.
8. "Rill Rill" bySleigh Bells (from Treats) "So this is it, then?"
Speaking of Broken Social Scene, this song plays like the narrator from "Anthems For a 17-Year-Old-Girl" stopped sitting in her room waiting for the guy to dream about her and grabbed a baseball bat.
7. "Fuck You" byCee Lo Green (from The Lady Killer) "I pity the fooooooooool"
Smokey Robinson used to write 10 songs each year that were this good. Why do they come around once a decade now?
6. "Crash Years" byThe New Pornographers (from Together) "Tonight will be an open mic"
Neko Case just sounds better with the boys.
5. "Oh You, Old Thing" byWolf Parade (from Expo 86) "Bon soir, bon soir ma ville / I’m gonna leave you now in the arms of babes"
Spencer Krug fails to 3-peat, but posts an 8th top 10 appearance in six years, despite the rule against more than one song per artist. The Wolf Parade breakup would be much more soul crushing if Krug and Boeckner weren't doing great work elsewhere. Choosing between this track and "Cave-o-Sapien" was difficult, but ultimately I went with the love song to Montreal. My favorite album cover of 2010.
4. "I Walked" bySufjan Stevens (from The Age of Adz) "For at least I deserve the respect of a kiss goodbye"
Sufjan ditching the banjo for beeps and blips worked remarkably well on a few tracks and less well on others. But by releasing "I Walked" in advance, the rest of the album couldn't help but disappoint.
3. "Good Intentions Paving Company" byJoanna Newsom (from Have One on Me) "And I know you meant to show the extent / To which you gave a goddang / You ranged real hot and real cold but I'm sold / I am home on that range"
There are critically acclaimed bands that I haven't liked or understood but eventually came to enjoy, but none like Joanna Newsom. I hated, and still don't like, her early work -- viewing it as insufferably precious. But, for this year's triple-album, Newsom stopped singing like an 8-year old and started singing like a 13-year old and it really worked.
2. "Runaway" byKanye West (from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy) "And I don’t know how I’ma manage / If one day you just up and leave"
Kanye manages to create the perfect song to showcase both his ego and insecurities. Even the indulgent closing minutes seem appropriate. Great music shouldn't necessarily require knowing something about the singer himself, but its that element that make "Runaway" such a high point.
1. "Walking Far From Home" byIron & Wine (from Walking Far From Home EP) "I saw sickness / blooming fruit trees / I saw blood and a bit of it was mine"
This was a surprise. First, the full album that this song appears on won't be released for several weeks. Second, while I was sure he would continue to make very good recordings, I feared that Sam Beam's best days may be behind him. But this song has everything I love about music. It is similar in structure to a favorite Iron & Wine song, "The Trapeze Swinger", and yet completely different. Musically, the rumbling feedback of the first 40 seconds gives way to angelic backing vocals before building back and making a triumphant push on top of the "loaded linen tables". Lyrically, the song evokes nostalgia and loss, telling a story without being explicit. Vocally, its Sam Beam. It's less than 5 minutes long, but it is a fully imagined world full of musical sinners, whispering lovers, maritime believers, micturating millionaires, and homesick angels. It's my favorite song of the year.
