This will be a personal weekly Top Ten list of what I consider to be the best songs that I listened to the previous week. Most songs will be current, but there are no boundaries. I’ve already stated on this web site that I am obsessed with music. I am constantly hunting it down whether it’s online, on CD, from my personal collection, from a library (Yes, I think the library is a great source of music–especially for music that you aren’t sure about.), TV, or radio. Since most of these sources mostly emphasize new music, the odds are pretty good that most of the songs on this list will be new. But in my search, I don’t use any boundaries for the other sources. I am just looking for good music that I haven’t heard, or happened to forget about. Everyone, including myself, has forgotten way more great music than they can ever remember-even if they are also music fanatics.
Also, there will be no rules concerning songs on this list. A song can show up or drop off a number of times. This will be the most volatile of my lists. It all depends on how much music I am exposed to during the week and what I find interesting. On really obscure stuff, I will try to include the source, if I know it.
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The sun is shining brightly on Jessica Dayle’s song for a fourth straight week at the top! I hope she brought some of that coconut sunscreen with her…………………..
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Top Ten Songs for the Week of August 19, 2012
1. Summertime—Jessica Dayle
2. (Kissed You) Good Night—Gloriana
3. Over—Blake Shelton
4. Pontoon—Little Big Town
5. Tight Shoes—George Bedard (Original Single Version)
6. Twist & Shout—David Lindley
7. I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party—John Gora
8. The Sun Is Shining—The Fireman (Paul McCartney)
9. Angel Eyes—Love and Theft
10. The Wind—Zac Brown Band
1) “Summertime”—I want to talk about the song structure of “Summertime” this week. Most songs follow a certain pattern:
AB Chorus C Chorus Middle 8 Chorus End, for example.
There are several variations of this, but most songs hinge on the chorus which is usually the part of the song that is catchiest and repeated most often. It usually has a length comparable to one of the verses (A,B, or C) in the song. The chorus is what makes “pop” songs popular. “Summertime” doesn’t really follow that pattern…and I like that a lot! Its chorus is only one line long: “Summertime, my babes, and me.” That’s it. It’s not a lot, but it’s super catchy! The only song of any significance that I can think of that resembles this pattern is The Beatles’ “Paperback Writer.” The song was consciously structured to not have a chorus. The multi-layered vocal break of the interweaving singing of “Paperback writer” is technically the chorus—or the guitar line that follows it which is repeated throughout the song, or both of them together if you want to be picky. But the pattern is unusual and nonconforming—just like “Summertime,” and I think Jessica Dayle is in good company!
2) “(Kissed You)” Good Night”—I’m not quite sure if I’m starting to grow tired of Gloriana’s song or not, but for the moment it moves up to the secondary slot!
3) “Over”—I thought Blake Shelton’s song was “over” for me, too, but a sudden lack of competition allow it to move up another notch!
4) “Pontoon”—Little Big Town have caught a prevailing southern second wind and continue to move up again!
5) “Tight Shoes”—I received a copy of this from a friend of mine and I am absolutely overjoyed to have it! I’m guessing that the single probably came out in the early 80’s and although it has a gloss on it, it’s not as polished as the version that appears on George Bedard’s classic album, “Upside!,” with The Kingpins (Randy Tessier and Rich Dishman). The guitar solos are really sharp and are the highlight on a rockabilly classic about a guy who wore the wrong clothes to a dance! Absolutely terriffic!
6) “Twist & Shout”—David Lindley covers a classic and gives it a ska spin. It makes the song even better! From the opening cheesy Farfisa organ chords to the final cymbal crash, “Twist & Shout” David Lindley style should make any one listening to it feel happier!
7) “I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party”—This has always been one of my least favorite Beatles songs, but Canadian John Gora puts a Polka spin on it and it seems just right!
8) “The Sun Is Shining”—The sun is almost down for Paul McCartney……….
9) “Angel Eyes”—Love and Theft defy gravity and hang on for another week……..
10) “The Wind”—I suppose the Zac Brown Band’s song will hang around until something better blows it off the list……………… QQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ
