As always, here’s what I’ve been listening to this past month.
Tag: James Taylor
July Mixtape
Can you believe that it’s July already?! We certainly can’t.
Here’s the July Mixtape – a testament to our love of Pop. Enjoy.
Music Tag
We’ve been nominated again by the lovely Tammy over at https://alittlebitalt.wordpress.com/!
So sorry for the huge delay in posting this, there was no notification informing us of the tag!
These are the rules supplied to us:
- Write ten songs that come on shuffle (no skipping)
- Write your favourite lyric from each song.
- Tag people
So with no further ado, and with some apprehension considering the amount of guilty pleasures in my music collection, here goes… *presses shuffle*
1) Prince – Sometimes it snows in April
Ah, one of my all time favourite songs. Probably one of the most beautiful songs in the world.
Favourite lyric:
“I used to cry for Tracy cause he was my only friend
Those kind of cars don’t pass you every day”
It’s the second line that’s my favourite but the first is needed to show the context. It’s just a beautiful expression. Prince is a bloody nightmare when it comes to sharing his music online! He consistently removes his work from YouTube and Spotify so for now you’ll have to make do with this pleasant but not-as-good-as-the-original live version:
2) John Mayer – Stop This Train
Boy I’m glad this one came up! Probably one of my all time favourite songs lyrically.
Favourite Lyric:
“So scared of getting older
I’m only good at being young”
Captures the fear of adulthood perfectly.
3) Mark Owen – End of Everything
Mark Owen’s solo career is the most underrated thing ever (I like to remind people of this on a regular basis).
Favourite lyric:
“Enter if you can through all the tears of your parade”
Just a lovely poetic lyric which for me emphasises having patience with yourself when times are tough.
4) The 1975 – Chocolate
In my top 3 favourite songs of all time and I never, ever tire of hearing it.
Favourite lyric:
“I think about how to think”
I can relate to over-thinking, to the extent you’re thinking about the way you’re thinking!
5) Robbie Williams – Snowblind
I love the vulnerability this track possesses and it’s just stunning. Robbie knows how to create beautiful ballads aching with sincerity.
Favourite Lyric:
“You stole my heart,
But my madness,
Is taking the man right out of me”
Mr Williams is a genius at playing with phrases and this is a brilliant example.
6) George Michael – White Light
Hmm. Whilst a huge fan of George, there are many songs in his discography better than this, especially lyrically. It’s still brilliant though.
Favourite Lyric:
“And tomorrow is mine”
I like the ‘seize the day’ attitude this line conveys.
7) Michael Jackson – (I like) The Way You Love Me
I LOVE this song. I’m a huge MJ fan although I don’t seem to publicise it as much as I used to. This is a song he recorded in the mid noughties and was remixed for his first posthumous album ‘Michael’. I’m including the original demo version released in his lifetime though because I think it’s better than the remixed version.
Favourite Lyric:
“I was afraid of life and you came in time”
Simple but effective.
8) James Taylor – Something in the way she moves
Lovely song.
Favourite Lyric:
“Every now and then the things I lean on lose their meaning
and I find myself careening in places where I should not let me go.”
I love the way it recognises the more you depend on something, the less meaning it has. Just a beautifully worded lyric.
9) Melanie C & Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes – Never Be The Same Again
What an absolutely brilliant track this was/is.
Favourite Lyric:
“Picturesque is the picture you paint so effortlessly.”
Left Eye’s rap is the best in this song, lyrically. As well as being poetic, it’s just a clever line.
10) Take That – Affirmation
There’s Take That songs I much prefer to this but again, it’s still a great song.
Favourite Lyric:
“We’re not really falling apart, we’re just incomplete.”
It’s a bit like the ‘glass half empty or glass half empty’ analogy. The whole song is lyrically brilliant.
Well I got pretty lucky there considering they were selected through shuffle!
I nominate:
Hannah at https://hannahdonline.wordpress.com/
Phil at http://theperfecttempo.com/
Christmas Crackers – Day 30
1) CHRISTMAS CRACKER: Burt Jansch – In the Bleak Midwinter
2) CINNAMON COVER: James Taylor – In the Bleak Midwinter
3) WINTER WARMER: George Michael – December Song
Check back everyday this month for more festive hits!
Christmas Crackers – Day 24
1) CHRISTMAS CRACKER: Judy Garland – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
2) CINNAMON COVER: Sam Smith – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
3) WINTER WARMER: James Taylor – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
4) BONUS: Mary J Blige – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Check back everyday this month for more festive hits!
Christmas Crackers – Day 14
1) CHRISTMAS CRACKER: Ricardo Montalban & Esther Williams – Baby It’s Cold Outside
2) CINNAMON COVER: James Taylor & Natalie Cole – Baby It’s Cold Outside
3) WINTER WARMER: Zooey Deschanel & Leon Redbone – Baby It’s Cold Outside
Check back everyday this month for more festive hits!
Music Monday – Volume Seventy Five
1) James Taylor – Walking Man
Gorgeous folk/easy listening track with gentle guitar strums.
2) Nothing But Thieves – Graveyard Whistling
Haunting and gorgeous track from one of the best bands currently around. Conor Mason’s vocals are incredible, particularly during the falsetto chorus and the track builds up to a dramatic climax.
3) Nothing But Thieves – Last Orders
Love the unique chords on this haunting track from the band’s ‘Graveyard Whistling’ EP.
4) Nothing But Thieves – Emergency
Another heartfelt and dark track from Nothing But Thieves. The falsetto chorus drowned in reverb in this is stunning.
5) Snow Patrol – How To Be Dead
6) Snow Patrol – Grazed Knees
7) Coldplay – Adventure of a Lifetime
Epic and eclectic disco track with amazing guitar riffs and a mesh of vocal clips. As has been the case on much of Coldplay’s material over the past four years, it’s another change in direction but one which works beautifully. Catchy and upbeat.
8) One Direction – History
Pleasant acoustic-based track from the band’s forthcoming ‘Made in the A.M’ album. A power-house middle eight breaks up the song nicely and it’s a great feel-good pop track.
9) Seal – Love
Stunning piano ballad which closes Seal’s latest album ‘Seal 7’ beautifully. Seal’s trademark raspy vocals soar gorgeously over gentle synths and lovely piano chords.
10) Ellie Goulding – Codes
Catchy track from Ellie’s latest album ‘Delirium’. It’s far more pop based than Goulding’s previous efforts but a track which works brilliantly.
Music Monday – Volume Twenty Two
1) Hot natured – Benediction
Such an awesome club track that I keep hearing on the radio. The bass line is great and the whole song is very 90’s. Absolutely loving this right now.
2) Tom Misch – Memory
Another track I heard on the radio that I am loving. Very chilled with lots of summer vibes through the downtempo beat, gentle strings and steel pan-like sounds. Love its changes in direction too – it changes direction multiple times but keeps its flow. Great guitar solo towards the end.
3) Adam Levine – Lost stars
I saw ‘Begin Again’ at the cinema, hence these next four songs. They’re all written by one of my favourite songwriters, Gregg Alexander, who’s behind some big hits (You get what you give, Life is a rollercoaster, Lovin’ Each Day, Inner Smile). This song is the lead promotional track for the film and it’s a gorgeous song.
4) Adam Levine – A higher place
Another from ‘Begin Again’, in the same vein as writer Gregg Alexander’s previous work for Ronan Keating. So catchy and Adam Levine’s voice is to die for.
5) Keira Knightley – Like a fool
A sweet song also from ‘Begin Again’. It’s simple but it’s beautiful.
6) Keira Knightley – A step you can’t take back
I could have included the whole ‘Begin Again’ soundtrack in this week’s blog but I wanted to keep it diverse plus I have been loving a lot of songs this week. This is played a few times in the film and it’s beautiful. I love the way it develops and builds.
7) 2Pac, Roger Troutman & Dr Dre – California Love
Heard this on the Nixtape last Friday and was reminded of what an absolute tune it is. SO catchy and just an all-round awesome hiphop track.
8) Counting Crows & Vanessa Carlton – Big Yellow Taxi
I know this is going to be controversial but I actually prefer this version to Joni Mitchell’s original. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Joni Mitchell and her version is obviously great but I love this interpretation more. It was fantastically adapted for the 21st Century and I love its pop-rock feel. Vanessa Carlton’s little ad libs and backing vocals make it even sweeter. One of the greatest covers of a song ever.
9) Babyface – Shower the people
I’ve always adored Babyface as a writer and equally, I have loved his solo career. His cover of James Taylor’s ‘Fire and rain’ is one of my favourite songs/covers ever. This is another cover of a James Taylor track off the same album on which Babyface covers his favourite songs. This is a song I managed to miss but it’s so beautiful. The original is just as great but Babyface’s harmonies and interpretation is smooth, sophisticated and fantastic. Can’t get enough of this right now.
10) Rizzle Kicks – Tell her
Love these lads – their energy, charisma and their uniqueness. This song is so catchy, something very 1970’s about it. Awesome song.
31 days of Christmas
Day 21 Mary J. Blige – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
This is the most modern release in my playlist as Mary J Blige’s interpretation of this song was released on her Christmas album, released a couple of months ago. In all honesty I don’t mind who sings this song, it’s just a beautiful, relaxing song. and one that captures the ‘peace’ element of Christmas.
I’ve chosen Mary’s version, however because I’ve heard it a few times this year and have been blown away with how lovely it is. Her version isn’t massively different from previous interpretations by other artists but there are a few extra chord variations and her version has a great R&B vibe to it. She also has a fantastic voice. I’d also massively recommend James Taylor’s version which is featured in one of my favourite movies: ‘The Holiday’. His has an awesome acoustic feel to it.
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