Song title: Dream Weaver
Artist: Gary Wright
Year: 1975
Why I like this song:
R.I.P. Gary Wright
It may be corny, it may be seventies production at it's best/worst, it may only known to a certain number of people due it's use in Wayne's World. But damn, it is still a snappy tune.
And as an illustration of a night/dream journey, it does it's job and it does it well
Song title: I'm a Believer
Artist: Smash Mouth
Year: 2001
Why I like this song:
R.I.P. Steve Harwell
I am prepared to die on the hill that Walkin' on the Sun was the best song Smash Mouth ever did but I will admit to having a soft spot for this.
Somehow, it has an energy that was missing from the original.
Song title: Everybody Moves
Artist: Died Pretty
Year: 1989
Why I like this song:
R.I.P. Ron S Peno
Much has already been written how Died Pretty was a band that should've gotten huge so i won't reiterate such matters. But what I will say is that this song is indeed a gem and sounds pretty much like itself - as in, completely unrelated to what else was happening at the time.
And is all the better for it.
Song title: I Wonder
Artist: Rodriguez
Year: 1970
Why I like this song:
R.I.P. Sixto Rodriguez
I think it's far to say that the documentary Searching for Sugar Man has done a monumental job of bringing awareness to the music of Rodriguez. Personally, I knew of the story well enough before i heard the man's music. And the story was potent enough to make me see the man when he performed live in Hobart. And there I was won over with his space presence and snappy songs.
I like this one the best due to to the bassline and the witty observations our man Sixto is making
Song title: Jealous
Artist: Sinead O'Connor
Year: 2000
Why I like this song:
R.I.P. Sinead O'Connor.
This is my favourite Sinead O'Connor song. Some might think it maudlin but it's one that resonated with me.
This came out in 2000 - the same year I had my first break-up. As such it was an instance I was VERY ill-prepared for so i played this song a lot.
Of course, in retrospect, it's not a moment to be proud of but I will say this: This song is a stunning display of vulnerability. Particularly in those last two lines which hits like a truck - even when uttered by a provocateur such as Sinead.
As for Sinead, well I hope that wherever she ended up, she found peace.
Song title: Love Will Tear us Apart
Artist: Joy Division
Year: 1980
Why I like this song:
So what makes song so special? I could say I love the intro with each instrument entering one by one. I could say it sounds unique and worlds apart from the hits of the decade. I could say it is effective as a description of someone having a mental crisis. I could say that it hasn't aged a day and still works no matter how many times I've heard it.
But what I will say is something of personal resonance. It was sometime in 1998 that I became aware of this band. I knew of them through reputation but nothing of their music. Needless to say i was curious and went to find out more. Now this was when the internet was slowly becoming commonplace: And to find out about Joy Division, one had to do a search - this was, after all, the days before Spotify, streaming services, and Google's omnipotence.
And as it turns out there was a lot this band. I had come across a gold mine of music and information about this name. Stuff I had never heard of before and never would elsewhere - why, finding out the connection between Joy Division and New Order (who I did know about) blew my sixteen year-old mind.
That being said, what Joy Division represent for me is the awakening to a new world around me: One that existed beyond what i knew growing up and was there waiting to be discovered. Joy Division represent a cavalier approach to my musical tastes: Finding out new stuff beyond what anyone else told me and showing a new side of the decade that wasn't tied to gaudy clothes, worse haircuts and keyboards the size of VW Beetles. Sure the walls had signs of coming down over the twenty four months prior but finding Joy Division was the dam burst.
One last thing: this is one of Anthony Albanese's favourite bands. Seems the man has taste.
Song title: Great Southern Land
Artist: Icehouse
Year: 1982
Why I like this song:
I don't think I will ever tire of this song.
It is well documented that Iva Davies wrote this as an experiment in atmosphere. And it's fair to say that he succeeded more that he could've ever hoped for. To me, this song evokes the heat, the deserts, the wide open spaces that is this continent that is Australia. Also much like Australia, this song sounds like it always existed.
Needless to say, this song has been a continual presence for many summers (recommended listening when walking on a beach at sunset) and, I can imagine, will continue to do so for many summers more.
In fact bugger Advance Australia Fair; give me this any day
