I have ditched the sports talk [or how my wife loves to quizzically put it, “sports-ing”] for the day to delve into another entertaining aspect of the life –MUSIC.
Music. It’s what creates us, shapes us, and drives us to seek meaning and enjoyment. We catch ourselves at times pandering with pop music rather than digging deeper and discovering music that raptures our souls with creativity and nuance.
Honestly, I don’t know how to describe the way my ears filter and consume music. This is a topic where everyone varies in the enjoyment and how to categorize; better yet, not categorize. Some just absorb it all and dance to any tune. Some strictly stick to a certain genre and rarely venture out. I like to consider myself…strange and unique, yet systematic?
In my vault, you’ll find everything between Ryan Adams to Billie Holiday to the Yardbirds to Dio and back to The Libertines. It’s a nice, refined range without being too pretentious. If you must ask who I rank above all as the one I infatuate the most, I would ask you to lean in so I could slap you hard enough to get a kinky tune out of it.
As Saturday night arrives. You’re going out. T’was Saturday night–and the feeling was right. And the morning comes–It’s Sunday, and…oh dear…
Now following that visit to the liquor cabinet, you are looking for the bloody mary mix right about now. Well, for the time being…listen to:
Top Five Albums to Enjoy on Sunday Morning.
5. Bright Eyes – I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning. Calming, yet inspiring. Very few songwriters these days are as creative with his/her wording as Conor Oberst. Much of the reason I delved back into my writing and sketching was because of this album.
The album eases in with Conor telling a frightening story about a falling flight experience–no music, just dialogue. As the acoustic guitar subtly works in, he alters the attention to a birthday party. From there he juggles alternate emotions and events, taking us along a rollercoaster ride with his relationship of his Love. The journey is a perfect balance of melancholy, relief, and joy.
Listen to: “Old Soul Song [For the New World Order]” “First Day of My Life”, “Another Travelin’ Song” “Land Locked Blues”
4. Nick Drake – Pink Moon. I love this guy. Nick Drake was extraordinarily talented young man out of the late sixties. He had such a soothing voice and his music was just as peaceful. It’s unfortunate his life ended at such a young age. Pink Moon is Nick Drake’s yearning proclamation to the ears willing to take the time to listen–a notarized farewell to all.
Listen to: “Pink Moon”, “Horn”, “Things Behind the Sun”
3. Bob Dylan – Nashville Skyline. Close your eyes and pretend you are on a road trip, waking up to the dusk light piercing the horizon. The glare from the reflection sucks you into the distance to where you see buffalo rummaging in the wheat fields. To your left, you hear your best friend singing along to Dylan as he/she is smoking a cigarette. You shuffle, just enough to square up and begin the adventure that the day has in store for you.
Listen to: “Girl From the North Country”, “I Threw It All Away”, “Tonight I’ll be Staying Here with You”
2. Miles Davis – Kind of Blue. This is no secret. It’s a masterpiece by a genius and is underappreciated by the youth of today. If someone truly wanted to script a sad movie, they’d articulate my disdain for today’s music and the pop culture surrounding the industry.
Listen to: The whole thing–from beginning to end. Only way to listen to the album.
1. The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground. This album is one of the greatest albums of all-time. There is no rebuttal that is intelligent enough to stand on it’s own. The Velvet Underground were a brilliant, unique sound that boomed out of that Andy Warhol drug-infused renaissance and sparked an alternative vision to rock’n’roll. If Lou Reed was Ludwig Van, this album is his Sonata No. 14 “Moonlight”. It’s so brilliant, so calming. If I could wake up every morning hearing the soothing sounds of Lou and the gang, I would. From the first track to the final few seconds of Nico’s seduction at the end, this album is a sure hit for the early morning sun.
Listen to: the whole damn album. “Candy Says”, “Pale Blue Eyes”, “Jesus”, “The Murder Mystery” yada yada yada…it’s all brilliant.
Notables:
John Coltrane – Coltrane Jazz. Jim Morrison – An American Prayer. Beck – Morning Phase. Van Morrison – Moondance.
- Josh
THESTROKESNERD. 