"OYE COMO VA" TITO PUENTE (1962)
Music can connect with us in one of four ways: rhythm, form, instrumentation, and lyrics. Tito Puente reached much of the world with all four in “Oye Como Va”. It beame a thru-way for other Latin Jazz and cha-cha-cha artists to be noticed by larger audiences. But most of all, “Oye Como Va” made our hearts elevate. The organs, percussion, woodwinds, horns and vocal harmonies celebrate music and life in unison.
“Oye como va, mi ritmo.”
"PULLING MUSSELS (FROM THE SHELL)" SQUEEZE (1980)
Growing up, I thought this song was about seafood - and I still loved it. Later, I learned it was about seaside holiday life, not to mention a certain British innuendo phrase - and then I liked it even more. I’ve always found it surprising how Squeeze flew under the radar in the States all those years. For a new wave band, Squeeze played it very straight for much of their catalog, but “Pulling Mussels” had just enough melodic ingenuity and edge.
“But behind the chalet, my holiday's complete. And I feel like William Tell. Maid Marian on her tiptoed feet.”
"ROSE QUARTZ" TORO Y MOI (2013)
Toro y Moi has always surprised me with what he’s able to accomplish with a synthesizer, extracting sounds and arrangements I’ve never heard before. “Rose Quartz” is maybe one of the best examples of his experimental side. It explores. It grooves. The synth orchestration washes over you in one instance and delicately brushes past you in another. It’s one of those tracks that defies genre labeling because there’s simply nothing like it.
“And if I fall into the sea, don't let me go.”
"KASHMIR" LED ZEPPELIN (1975)
A band like Zeppelin only comes around once a decade if that. A band loaded with musical chops, sonic power, endless creativity and the confidence to pull off something as epic and unusual as “Kashmir”. This 8-minute song took a different approach for the band, sidestepping hard rock and blues, and exploring sounds they discovered on a trip to Mumbai. Plant, Page, Bonzo and Jones didn’t just write a great song, they took us on a journey.
“Oh, let the sun beat down upon my face. And stars fill my dream. I'm a traveler of both time and space to be where I have been.”
"THERE'S NO OTHER WAY" BLUR (1991)
For a brief moment in time, the Madchester scene was all the rage. While Blur hailed from London, not Manchester, they rode the momentum of the scene and went further than most of the bands associated with that era. The britpop harmonies, 60’s vibes and the rip-roaring guitar riffs of “There’s No Other Way” made it my all-time favorite Blur record.
“You're taking the fun out of everything.”
"MIAMI VICE THEME" JAN HAMMER (1985)
The 80’s soundtrack era wouldn’t be the same without guys like Jan Hammer and Harold Faltermeyer. Their whiz at orchestrating unforgettable sounds on a synthesizer or a guitar are big reasons why the nostalgiac pull of 80’s shows and movies is so strong. On the Miami Vice soundtrack, Jan Hammer captured the essence of three things: the show, the city of Miami and the era in time.
"THE LAUGH OF RECOGNITION" OVER THE RHINE (2011)
I’ve had a special affinity for Over the Rhine” for several years now. A humble, talented couple that’s content playing concerts inside their barn in Ohio. Around the time of The Long Surrender, they started delving into a more bluesy sound. It made their songs richer and wiser. To me “The Laugh of Recognition” is about grinning and bearing it, because we simply must go on. This pandemic we’re living in is a powerful reminder of exactly that.
“It's called the laugh of recognition. When you laugh but you feel like dyin'.”
"MOOD INDIGO" NINA SIMONE (1966)
The summer before I headed off to college, I had a short fling with a girl who had amazing taste in music. She knew about Deelite before the rest of the world. And only listened to the deep cuts from bands like Siouxsie & the Banshees and Depeche Mode. But she also raved about Nina Simone and introduced me to this amazing talent. My girlfriend and I went off to separate colleges in the fall. We drifted apart, lived our own worlds, but Nina never left mine.
“That feelin' goes stealin' down to my shoes.”
"ONLY YOU" YAZ (1982)
Before Vince Clarke went on to Erasure and Alison Moyet launched a highly successful solo career, there was this gem of an album from their short-lived collaboration on Yaz. Upstairs at Eric’s remains one of new wave’s must-listens from beginning to end. And “Only You” was the ballad that broke into new melodic territory for a synth-pop band. It emphasized Moyet’s soulful vocals above all else.
“Looking from a window above, it's like a story of love.”
"TENDERNESS" VITAMIN STRING QUARTET (2012)
For the past 20 years, Vitamin String Quartet has been a culture sponge, throwing back its modern classical interpretations of the songs we love. The John Hughes films album is one of my favorites because those were the movies and the soundtracks that I grew up with. And I think “Tenderness” is the best cover by far, capturing the wide-eyed, euphoric aspect of the original while adding a peppy, rhythmic string arrangement.
"A GIRL LIKE YOU" EDWYN COLLINS (1994)
They call songs like “A Girl Like You” a one hit wonder because they arrive with such an explosion and then almost immediately the artists who made them disappear into obscurity. When “A Girl Like You” made its splash in Empire Records and on airwaves, it straddled two vastly different decades. The song fit perfectly on a soundtrack of some of the best modern rock tracks of the mid-90’s, but its style and soul transported you back to the 60’s.
“Now my hands are bleeding and my knees are raw 'cause now you've got me crawlin', crawlin' on the floor.”
"STARMAN" DAVID BOWIE (1972)
When people say rock & roll songs aren’t as good as they used to be, I think they’re referring to the high bar set by songs like “Starman”. Here was a track that played a perfect role on one of the decade’s most renowned concept albums, but also could stand on its own. “Starman” caught our ears off guard with its opening minor chord strums, which led us into the harmonic explosion of the chorus and one of classic rock’s finest string arrangements.
“There's a starman waiting in the sky. He'd like to come and meet us, but he thinks he'd blow our minds.”
"RABBIT HEART (RAISE IT UP)" FLORENCE + THE MACHINE (2009)
The vocal performance, tempo shifts and slippery meanderings of the harp make “Rabbit Heart” one of my all-time favorite Florence anthems. The band stormed onto the scene in a hurry with one of the best debut albums in years. “Rabbit Heart” was one of many tracks that made Lungs the amazing album it is, but it was the one song that gave us a peek into Florence’s mindset amidst the band’s newfound success.
“The looking glass so shiny and new. How quickly the glamor fades. I start spinning slipping out of time. Was that the wrong pill to take?”
"ENTRE NOUS" RUSH (1980)
Overshadowed by some of the band’s biggest classics, “Entre Nous” is a bit of a hidden gem inside Permanent Waves. And in many ways, it’s a microcosm of all that is Rush. There’s always been a special connection between the band and its fans, and “Entre Nous” recounts the strong connection that Neil Peart felt with their audience. It’s a song that has always resonated with me. And it’s a song that diehard fans hold dear, including Smashing Pumpkins’ frontman Billy Corgan.
“Just between us, I think it's time for us to realize the spaces in between leave room for you and I to grow.”
"YOU KEEP ME HANGIN' ON" THE SUPREMES (1967)
As I took my kids to a Halloween scavenger hunt with some families at Diana Ross Playground in Central Park, a thought occurred to me. It’s about time I paid a little homage to one of the all-time great female trios. Hearing “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” again, I’m reminded of the bravado and sass that was The Supremes. Years later, I wonder why I never drew the connection and spotted the obvious inspiration they forged for later acts, especially the 80’s girl group Bananarama.
“Set me free why don't cha babe.”
"PROTEST SONG" BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE (2017)
One of the steadiest music collectives over the past 15 years, Broken Social Scene continues to thrive on collaboration, passion for the music and good old democracy. Everyone in the band has a say, and everyone has room to create and explore. While a good chunk of the BSS catalog consists of their dreamy, mid-tempo tracks, I always gravitated toward the upbeat stuff. “Protest Song” is one of my favorites, with multiple guitar riffs and textures weaving in and out of the speakers.
“We're just the latest on the longest rank and file that's ever to exist.”
"EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD" TEARS FOR FEARS (1985)
This is TFF’s commentary on power, control and corruption. Penned in 1984, the lyrics resonate even more strongly in our current times and right now on Election Day. As a kid, I didn’t understand the themes, but I could hear them everywhere - on MTV, on the radio, in shopping malls, on my Sony cassette player. TFF belted out numerous great tracks during a powerful three-album stretch, and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” was their signature song.
“Help me to decide. Help me make the most of freedom and of pleasure. Nothing ever lasts forever.”
"EPIC" FAITH NO MORE (1989)
Turn this one up real high. “Epic” kicked our asses and blew our minds. Faith No More had a cult classic in “We Care a Lot”, but “Epic” was the song that put them on the map. And where to pinpoint them on the music map, no one knew. They fused metal, hard rock, rap and funk. In “Epic” we hear elements of the Beastie Boys, of Anthrax, of Primus, of Rage Against the Machine. You can’t say enough about the killer guitar riffs, but my favorite part is the delicate piano finale.
“You want it all but you can't have it. It's in your face but you can't grab it.”
"FIGHT THE POWER (PARTS 1 & 2)" THE ISLEY BROTHERS (1975)
The Isley Brothers may be known more for smooth, soul-induced records. But with “Fight the Power”, they showed they were more than capable of flipping the switch. This was their foray into funk. Power grooves. Power lead vocals, sung in unison by Ron, Rudy and Kelly. And a powerful statement, sent and received. When asked why he uttered “bullshit” in the recording, Ron’s response was this: “because it needed to be said.”
“Time is truly wastin'. There's no guarantee. Smile's in the makin'. You gotta fight the powers that be.”