Friday, May 16, 2008

Hey Nineteen from the Spider


I know I’m late to the party, but here are my nineteen. Nineteen favorite etched in stone are hard to come up with; these are my nineteen as of now. Not in any particular order.

Kid Charlemagne - Steely Dan. Any talk of the steriod era in baseball and this song pops in my head.

Don’t Take Me Alive - Steely Dan. For the guitar intro alone. News stories of serial killers and child molesters cause this song to pop in my head.

Song For America - Kansas. I have three versions of this song. I love the Ragsdale violin solo on Live at the Whiskey (1992) but the one on Two for the Show (1978) is my favorite in its entirety.

That’s Why I’m Here - Kenny Chesney. Yes, I listen to both types of music. This song is about a guy’s first visit to an A.A. meeting. Any similarities to real persons or events…..

America - Rich Mullins. There is much to criticize about current Christian music. No gravitas, theologically squishy, too many songs where your boyfriend can replace Jesus in the lyrics. If you were to listen to Christian pop, I would recommend this guy and the next.

Jim Morrison’s Grave - Steve Taylor. Meditations on the death of the Lizard King.

The Night the Lights Went Out on Broadway (Miami 2017) - Billy Joel. I’m a sucker for the piano intro.

Didn’t I - Montgomery Gentry. From the We Were Soldiers soundtrack. About returning Vietvets. Eddie Montgomery has a rough voice suitable for this song.
Overture- Handel’s Messiah. Forget Jesus Christ Superstar. This is a rock opera. Every December it’s done live in a big Catholic Church in Tampa (a friend would translate the Latin on the ceilings and walls) and every December I’m there.
Mohammed’s Radio - Warren Zevon. I appreciate the lyrical quirkiness.
Freewill - Rush. I hear that Atlas Shrugged will be filmed soon. Will they get Rush to do the music?
Madman Across the Water - Elton John. The version live with the Melbourne Symphony.
Drink, Swear, Steal & Lie - Michael Peterson. More country music. This song is a parody of C & W stereotypes.
Sometimes By Step - Rich Mullins. (I may falter in my steps/ But never beyond Your reach.) Amen to that.
Freedom’s Child - Hootie & the Blowfish. From the musical The Civil War. Single middle-aged guy who listens to Broadway musicals. Hmmmmmm.
Little Rock - Colin Raye. Both types of music. About a guy who is sobering up and trying to get back with his wife. Any similarities….
Jerusalem - Emerson, Lake & Palmer. I absolutely love singing this.
Miracles out of Nowhere - Kansas. I was asking the same questions Livgren was. And I got the same answer.
Stomp - Kirk Franklin. When I first heard this song I realized that my beef with hip-hop wasn’t the music itself, but the B word, the H word the F word the N word, heck the whole alphabet. Kirk Franklin does it right.
I cheated in one way. I currently do not have a recording of ELP's Jerusalem. I like that tune so I need to buy the CD.






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