Your Favorite Songs by Singer-Songwriters

jackhammer · 10-14-2011, 07:17 PM

John Martyn (R.I.P) just could not get over the divorce from his wife Beverley (whom he recorded a couple of albums with too in the early 70's) and wrote this for her whilst drunk one night and it remains one of his most heartfelt songs ever.

This is a live version of the track and every single word is etched in his face:

This is a Charles Mingus track that Joni Mitchell added lyrics to whilst working with Mingus in the final months of his death and the original song itself was an elegy to saxophonist Lester Young who Mingus worked with so it works on many levels.

Ian Brown (ex Stone Roses vocalist) wanted to use the power of etymology in a song and used FEAR as an acronym for all the lyrics in the song. What makes this such a fantastic track is not just the fact that he managed this lyrically but he also managed to make an absolute stormer of a track that should go down as one of the best British songs ever. I could listen to this everyday forever (the album version is longer but not available on YT)

Necromancer · 10-14-2011, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jedey

Jackson Browne's first five albums are all great, "Jackson Browne". "For Everyman", "Late For The Sky", "The Pretender" & "Running On Empty".

These Days was written when he was only 16.

Quote:

Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA

Jackson Browne - "In the Shape of a Heart"

This is the only song I can remember by Jackson Browne off the top of my head. What other songs by Jackson Browne do you like (if any)?

I just looked up the song online and learned that "In the Shape of a Heart" may be about Jackson Browne's first wife, Phyllis Major, who killed herself: "Browne was devastated when Phyllis Major committed suicide by consuming an overdose of sleeping pills just a few months after they married, in March 1976, at the age of 30." They had a young son together.

The Load Out is the first song that comes to mind with Jackson Browne. I'm kinda burnt out on the single "Stay" though.

(Browne has a great falsetto)..wow.

Jackson Browne would definitely be one of the top contenders as a singer/songwriter/musician.

There's a lot of other good songs to mention by Jackson Browne, but I'll leave that for someone else.

The Load Out is probably my favorite, if I had to make a choice.

Joe Walsh is another artist that comes to mind, I will mention that deserves notice.

Howard the Duck · 10-14-2011, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA

I love "Morning Has Broken," but my absolute fave Yusuf song (and I haven't heard them all) is "The Wind." I like the sweet, sad, but appreciative sound of the song and also the humility of the lyrics: he recognizes what he feels were errors in his choices, and he is learning from them as he tries to make peace with life and himself:

Yusuf (formerly Cat Stevens) - "The Wind"

it's Yusuf Islam, actually - i dunno why America still has problems with words like that

me, i'm not a fan of John Denver, but the following is one of the first few songs i learnt to play properly and of which I also transposed as my ringtone one my first primitive mobile phoe:-

VEGANGELICA · 10-15-2011, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackhammer

John Martyn (R.I.P) just could not get over the divorce from his wife Beverley (whom he recorded a couple of albums with too in the early 70's) and wrote this for her whilst drunk one night and it remains one of his most heartfelt songs ever.

This is a live version of the track and every single word is etched in his face:

...

Ian Brown (ex Stone Roses vocalist) wanted to use the power of etymology in a song and used FEAR as an acronym for all the lyrics in the song. ... I could listen to this everyday forever (the album version is longer but not available on YT)

Thanks for adding the songs by John Martyn, Charles Mingus/Joni Mitchtell, and Ian Brown, Jackhammer.

Ian Brown's "FEAR" song uses a clever lyrical concept and has a good, strong sound.

John Martyn's song, "Hurt in Your Heart" stays in my mind the most because, like you say, the song is so heartfelt. It reminds me of words about love that I read in a YouTube comment: "The key to love is to love as if you have never been hurt before. Carry that cynicism you hold, and you will never attain that emotion in whole."

^ I think that is very true, and very hard to do.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Necromancer

The Load Out is the first song that comes to mind with Jackson Browne. I'm kinda burnt out on the single "Stay" though.

(Browne has a great falsetto)..wow.
...

Joe Walsh is another artist that comes to mind, I will mention that deserves notice.

Now that I hear "Load Out" and "Stay" by Jackson Browne, I realize I know the songs well...I just didn't fully realize he sang them! Thanks for mentioning them.

I only know a few songs by Joe Walsh (and I had to look him up to learn that I know some of his music). I always liked "Life's Been Good" because of his humor. Whenever the song comes on the radio, I listen with a smile to his story of rock star woe...especially when he says, "My Maserati does 185: I lost my license; now I don't drive." (He says it goes faster in this video, though).

"Life's Been Good" also has one of my favorite sounds in a song. Around 3:06 is some sort of odd plunking that I associate with the song and have heard nowhere else:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Il Duce

it's Yusuf Islam, actually - i dunno why America still has problems with words like that

Yusuf and I are on a first name basis, that's why.

Stephen · 03-07-2012, 07:50 PM

Not sure if these come under the singer-songwriter banner but what the hell.

Opening track from Ease Down the Road by Bonnie Prince Billy - May it Always Be

Second track from Ghosts of the Great Highway by Sun Kil Moon - Carry Me Ohio

From Vashti Bunyan I'd say my favourite is this track Winter is Blue.

Not a favourite singer but I love this song by John Hartford - Gentle On My Mind

For the record my favourite Cat Stevens track is Trouble

SATCHMO · 03-08-2012, 01:18 AM

Ray LaMogntagne - Winter Birds

It was the middle of the afternoon on Christmas Day of 2008 and I was passed out from singlehandedly polishing off a not-so-small bottle of Chivas Regal 12. It was the first Christmas that I'd spent away from my daughter and I was still reeling from the drama and emotion of my separation and impending divorce. I woke up out of my Scotch-induced stupor to hear this song playing on the living room stereo. My immediate thought was "My god, what is this music?". I was borderline incredulous. After spending a short time looking for the culprit who was playing DJ at the moment I found out that it was Ray LaMontagne.

It was such a serendipitous part of my life. I was spending my first winter in a small Northern Maine town and was experiencing in my natural environment the sheer beauty that winter can manifest given the perfect backdrop. I also just happened to be living in the same small Northern Maine town that Ray Lamontagne happened to be born and raised in. I'd spent the first few weeks hearing about this Ray guy and it had been made pretty obvious to me pretty quickly that he was the hometown hero, but in my arrogant mind I picture him as some amateur chump slouched on a stool in a dive bar with a microphone and an acoustic guitar who happened to get some random fleeting recognition.

On top of that, I was a server at the biggest and best of the few restaurants in town and I was privy to all the "Gossip in the Grain" from a lot of of the local townspeople and my coworkers. All during most of this period I was absorbing Ray Lamontagne's music like a sponge right along with the random trivia and rumors from many of the same people who had grown up with him. A few times a week Ray's wife would come into the restaurant for lunch with her two boys and I would often wait on her. It was very surreal. Gossip in the Grain, His new album at the time, was said to be inspired by the remorse that he'd felt as a result of his infidelity to his wife, and indeed, in person there was this pervasive sadness that seemed to emanate from her which was compounded by a sense of beleagueredness by being left alone to take care of two children while daddy was away playing rockstar. I had spent my evenings listening to Gossip in the Grain and connecting with the emotions that he was pouring out to this woman and there was me, in the daytime asking her if she'd like more coffee.

The song itself really is a snapshot of a moment in my life where I was going through the remorse of reviewing a lot of the mistakes that I'd made in my marriage and the process of self-forgiveness that I subsequently had to go through. I love the way that ray paints a picture of both regret and beauty in his lyrics through depicting a winter scene on a rural farm. The guitar work is so bright yet delicate it really brings about the vision of a perfect snowy winter day in rural Maine. Ray has since become my go to favorite for when I choose to deeply wallow in sentimentality, but this song started it all.

Stephen · 03-08-2012, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SATCHMO

It was the middle of the afternoon on Christmas Day of 2008...

I feel rather trivial following a post like that Satchmo. Hope you're in a happier place these days. Ironically I was on the receiving end of a confession while I was listening to the Sun Kil Moon album I posted above and I still can't listen to it because of the pain that is associated with it. I almost hate her more for ruining my favourite album (almost).

On a lighter note from Tom Waits - Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis

ribbons · 03-09-2012, 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fazstp

I feel rather trivial following a post like that Satchmo.

I feel the same. What a beautiful song and story. Best wishes to you and your daughter, Satchmo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fazstp

Ironically I was on the receiving end of a confession while I was listening to the Sun Kil Moon album I posted above and I still can't listen to it because of the pain that is associated with it. I almost hate her more for ruining my favourite album (almost).

Very sorry to hear that. I hope there will soon be easier times ahead for you.

***

Tim Hardin - How Can We Hang On To A Dream

slatesphanboi · 03-10-2012, 08:34 AM

Juliana Hatfield!

Quote:

Other songs have dealt with more serious issues such as body image ("Ugly" and "Feed Me") as well as the failure to connect fully with other people or achieve meaningful and lasting relationships ("How Would You Know" and "Perfection"). Some of her songs deal more or less explicitly with her anger towards people she sees as not taking responsibility for their actions ("Stay Awake ", several of the songs from the album "Total System Failure", notably "The Victim"). A few songs ("Let's Blow it All," "Give Me Some of That") are more lighthearted in tone. Her quieter, more acoustic songs often deal with relationships ("When You Loved Me") and particular places ("Trying Not To Think About It"). Sometimes they have a wistful melancholy, a sense of struggling to carry on, trying to find some meaning in life ("Backseat", "Feelin' Massachusetts").

[...]

Although much of Hatfield's output is exuberant and hard-rocking, Hatfield nonetheless describes herself as very shy and somewhat of a loner, and has said that "happy lyrics don't come naturally to me."

Juliana Hatfield - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hmm same sorts of issues I have, she could be a long lost fraternal twin!

VEGANGELICA · 12-01-2014, 08:27 PM

M.I.A. - Paper Planes

I am intrigued by this song by Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam. It is my current song addiction. I haven't heard many of her other songs yet, but so far this is my favorite.

I love the relaxed beat and I like how she intentionally sings out of tune. I am amused by the humor of the line, "Some I murder, some I let go." The gun shots followed by cash register sound is very catchy, too, and is a satisfying outlet for restrained aggression.

10-14-2011, 07:17 PM	#31 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	John Martyn (R.I.P) just could not get over the divorce from his wife Beverley (whom he recorded a couple of albums with too in the early 70's) and wrote this for her whilst drunk one night and it remains one of his most heartfelt songs ever. This is a live version of the track and every single word is etched in his face: This is a Charles Mingus track that Joni Mitchell added lyrics to whilst working with Mingus in the final months of his death and the original song itself was an elegy to saxophonist Lester Young who Mingus worked with so it works on many levels. Ian Brown (ex Stone Roses vocalist) wanted to use the power of etymology in a song and used FEAR as an acronym for all the lyrics in the song. What makes this such a fantastic track is not just the fact that he managed this lyrically but he also managed to make an absolute stormer of a track that should go down as one of the best British songs ever. I could listen to this everyday forever (the album version is longer but not available on YT) __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”

03-07-2012, 07:50 PM	#35 (permalink)
Stephen I sleep in your hat Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Melbourne, Vic. Aus. Posts: 1,847	Not sure if these come under the singer-songwriter banner but what the hell. Opening track from Ease Down the Road by Bonnie Prince Billy - May it Always Be Second track from Ghosts of the Great Highway by Sun Kil Moon - Carry Me Ohio From Vashti Bunyan I'd say my favourite is this track Winter is Blue. Not a favourite singer but I love this song by John Hartford - Gentle On My Mind For the record my favourite Cat Stevens track is Trouble

03-08-2012, 01:18 AM	#36 (permalink)
SATCHMO Al Dente Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 4,708	Ray LaMogntagne - Winter Birds It was the middle of the afternoon on Christmas Day of 2008 and I was passed out from singlehandedly polishing off a not-so-small bottle of Chivas Regal 12. It was the first Christmas that I'd spent away from my daughter and I was still reeling from the drama and emotion of my separation and impending divorce. I woke up out of my Scotch-induced stupor to hear this song playing on the living room stereo. My immediate thought was "My god, what is this music?". I was borderline incredulous. After spending a short time looking for the culprit who was playing DJ at the moment I found out that it was Ray LaMontagne. It was such a serendipitous part of my life. I was spending my first winter in a small Northern Maine town and was experiencing in my natural environment the sheer beauty that winter can manifest given the perfect backdrop. I also just happened to be living in the same small Northern Maine town that Ray Lamontagne happened to be born and raised in. I'd spent the first few weeks hearing about this Ray guy and it had been made pretty obvious to me pretty quickly that he was the hometown hero, but in my arrogant mind I picture him as some amateur chump slouched on a stool in a dive bar with a microphone and an acoustic guitar who happened to get some random fleeting recognition. On top of that, I was a server at the biggest and best of the few restaurants in town and I was privy to all the "Gossip in the Grain" from a lot of of the local townspeople and my coworkers. All during most of this period I was absorbing Ray Lamontagne's music like a sponge right along with the random trivia and rumors from many of the same people who had grown up with him. A few times a week Ray's wife would come into the restaurant for lunch with her two boys and I would often wait on her. It was very surreal. Gossip in the Grain, His new album at the time, was said to be inspired by the remorse that he'd felt as a result of his infidelity to his wife, and indeed, in person there was this pervasive sadness that seemed to emanate from her which was compounded by a sense of beleagueredness by being left alone to take care of two children while daddy was away playing rockstar. I had spent my evenings listening to Gossip in the Grain and connecting with the emotions that he was pouring out to this woman and there was me, in the daytime asking her if she'd like more coffee. The song itself really is a snapshot of a moment in my life where I was going through the remorse of reviewing a lot of the mistakes that I'd made in my marriage and the process of self-forgiveness that I subsequently had to go through. I love the way that ray paints a picture of both regret and beauty in his lyrics through depicting a winter scene on a rural farm. The guitar work is so bright yet delicate it really brings about the vision of a perfect snowy winter day in rural Maine. Ray has since become my go to favorite for when I choose to deeply wallow in sentimentality, but this song started it all.