Wednesday, September 28, 2011

iPod of my mind: Musical unforgettables part six

Was leaving for work today. All of a sudden, started humming a Pink Floyd song. When I wrote about it on Facebook, an old buddy responded by saying that the song had got stuck inside his head.

Happens. Happens very often. When a truly good composition comes our way, it doesn’t leave us very easily.

Some such songs that you could enjoy…if you already haven’t.

Baby elephant walk, Henry Mancini: This Mancini composition for the film Hatari! is so wonderfully engaging that you are going to stay hooked to it for years. Fun-filled and jazzy, Mancini broke away from his usual style and created a classic which music lovers must hear and enjoy.

Goodbye Charlie, Bobby Darin: Darin was a huge talent. And Goodbye Charlie with its lovely vocals and wonderful lyrics is a superb track indeed. Check this out. It will be a pleasant discovery.

Raindrops keep falling on my head, B J Thomas: Written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach, this song is remembered best for Paul Newman’s bicycle stunts in the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Loads of fun, and distinctly memorable.

Staying alive, Bee Gees: This track from the motion picture Saturday Night Fever rewrote the meaning of universal popularity. Decades after actor John Travolta became synonymous with this one, the song continues to visit our lives one way or the other.

Californication, Red Hot Chilli Peppers: This alternative rock band consists of a bunch of very talented guys. And while they do not get it spot on often – one wonders why – they certainly did so in this particular track. Very well-knit, destined to outlive many of its contemporaries.

Bellbottom blues, Derek and the Dominos: A blues-rock classic written by Eric Clapton and performed by Derek and the Dominos. Clapton is simply fantastic both as a singer and a guitarist. He manages to bring out the emotions in the lyrics most wonderfully.

One night in Bangkok, Murray Head: The lyrics which speak of Bangkok and chess in a satirical tone created quite a furore. But the new wave track is full of energy, and some Oriental instrumentation in the beginning adds to the fun quotient. Good stuff.

More than I can say, Leo Sayer: Written by Jerry Allison and Sonny Curtis, two members of Buddy Holly’s band The Crickets. Also recorded by the band after Holly passed away. But the version I like most is the one by Sayer, which became hugely popular once it was released.

Space oddity, David Bowie: Belongs to the ‘space rock’ genre. Seen as a satire on the British space programme, this track has all those elements that a Bowie fan can ask for: and more.

Lucille, Kenny Rogers: The lyrics are about an extra-marital relationship – almost – but what makes this song actually haunting is Rogers’ out-of-the-world singing. Will stay on as a melodic memory. All you have to do is hear it once.

This list is the most ‘mixed’ among the ones I have uploaded so far. But then, I firmly believe that music knows no boundaries. What is good is good.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Fantastic selection. Carry on B!