Five favs

Dan at Gone Mild has posted his list of the most important songs on his iPod. It's a great list and I wholeheartedly agree with everything he says.

It's one of the only things that we agree upon.

Dan and I are miles apart in terms of our political views, mostly since I prefer a reasoned, moderate and respectful dialog and discussion of day-to-day events rather than Dan's extreme reactionary rants.

Be that as it may, we have very similar taste in music. Leave it to music to bring people together.

So, I've put together my top five of the moment, noting that these change as often as the weather in Kansas (can you believe we had tornadoes in November?)

• Into the Mystic (Van Morrison): As far as I'm concerned, this is one of Van Morrison's best works as it fuses soul and blues with the Celtic-folk of his roots. This one is always at the top of my iPod's most-played list.
• I Shall Be Released (Nina Simone): Pretty much any of Nina Simone's songs could go in my five favs list. I've chosen this one because of the strength of the lyrics (They say everything cannot be replaced. They say every distance is not near. So I remember every face of every man who put me here.) It's also a great vehicle for Simone's haunting vocals. I can feel the palpable pain in her voice, and I can't listen to this song without getting misty-eyed.
  
• Rapper's Delight (Sugarhill Gang): Rap hit the mainstream when I was in junior high, and while Rapper's Delight wasn't the first rap song I heard, it was the most memorable. This song always takes me back to the after school on the playground rap sessions where me and my best friends were transformed into our new hip-hop heroes. It really exposed those small-town white boys to a new culture.
  
• Here Comes the Sun (The Beatles): The list wouldn't be complete without an item from the Beatles and I think this one is my fav. I just really like the positive vibe and "springtime" imagery that Lennon used, proving himself (as if he needed to) a master lyricist.
  
• Walk On (U2): This is a relatively new addition (that is, relative to the other items on the list) but when the World Trade Center was attached on Sept. 11, 2001, this was the album I was listening to at the time. Everyone was really depressed for a few weeks (months?) afterward, but the words in this song have uncanny relevance (And if your glass heart should crack, And for a second you turn back, Oh no, be strong). I've been a huge U2 fan for years and obviously still am.

So there's my five favs. I noticed Tony did the same thing with a bit of a different take. Tony being different? Imagine that.

tagged: iPod, Van Morrison, Nina Simone, The Beatles, U2, Gone Mild