15 Indispensable Songs

DrummerMan · Post by **DrummerMan** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:28 am

On the jazz side, some of it somewhat obvious, but you asked for iconic:

Miles Davis - So What (from Kind of Blue)
The first jazz tune that I, and a lot of people I know, ever learned or studied. Simple and elegant, with beautifully crafted solos. Possibly one of the most ubiquitous jazz recordings in history.

Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - My Man's Gone Now, or Summertime (from Porgy & Bess)
A great example of Gershwin's music and my favorite of Ella Fitzgerald, where she lays down her soloistic virtuosity in favor of just singing. Sends chills up my spine.

Charles Mingus - Playing with Eric (from Town Hall Concert)
A great example of Mingus' extended compositions. Very rich... Yet another example of the greats Eric Dolphy and Danny Richmond at their wild best.

DrummerMan · Post by **DrummerMan** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:43 am

Oh yeah, I know you only said 3, but I'd just like to put a +1 on "God Only Knows" by the Beach Boys. It's greatness is easy to forget when you're not paying attention to it, but (I'll admit it) since my wife and I started watching "Big Love", and I listen to at least part of that song every day, I just can't get enough of it, and crave a listen throughout each day.

Man, the beginning of the 2nd verse, when the Mellotron (I think) strings come in.... Whew! again, CHILLS UP MY SPINE.

mjau · Post by **mjau** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:43 am

DrummerMan wrote:Miles Davis - So What (from Kind of Blue)
The first jazz tune that I, and a lot of people I know, ever learned or studied. Simple and elegant, with beautifully crafted solos. Possibly one of the most ubiquitous jazz recordings in history.

Very true. I probably spent two months listening to nothing but Kind of Blue, and especially So What. Paul Chambers is soooooo damn tasteful on that one.

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 12:48 pm

OK, just thinking of old stuff as it strikes me:

"Brown Sugar" - Stones, because it's so un-PC and so rocking.

Any Zep tune - gotta have a Zep tune.

"30.06" - Because Tom Waits singing about guns is all-American in so many ways.

"Animal" - NIN, because it's a great example of something.

"Hurt" - Johnny Cash version because it's a great example of a great song done by a great artist, greatly differently than its original version, but now definitive. NOTE: must follow the above.

"Down By the River" - Neil Young, because you know how to, and like to, play along.

"Eight Miles High" - Husker Du version, because it's noise and Coltrane in a Byrds tune.

"Rehab" - Amy Winehouse, because it's a great song, well-performed, that shows how overtly subconscious, or subsconciously overt, art can be.

"Welcome to the Jungle" - GNR, because it exemplifies so much of the '80's, and hard rock, and excess, with a damn good performance and arrangement.

"Town Called Malice" - The Jam, because when Weller writes something allegorical, you must listen. And it rocks.

"Train in Vain" - The Clash at their poppiest.

"Okie from Muskogee" - Hags, because it ain't what you hate it for, sung by a guy who didn't believe in what it was used to symbolize, and it's still both poignant, reactionary, and hilarious. (Alternate: "Born in the USA", Springsten, same reasons.)

"Thunder Road" - Springsteen, because of the greatest opening line in rock history.

"Truckin'" - Grateful Dead, because I like it better than "Touch of Grey", and ya gotta have some Dead, even if you don't think so.

"You Really Got Me" - Van Halen, because it's more important than their version of "Pretty Women". Actually, it's their most important song, and like it or not, they were important.

BONUS: "Sweet Jane", Lou Reed Live, for the great guitar interplay of Hunter and Wagner, and because "Heroin" can't be played in some company.

the finger genius · Post by **the finger genius** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 12:59 pm

Uh, dude you're hogging all the songs.

Jimi Hendrix - Manic Depression

The Replacements - I Will Dare

The Flaming Lips - Waitin for Superman

(Or +1 on 8 miles high by Husker)

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 1:04 pm

Ha!

And how could I forget the 'Mats?

I mean, for me, that's rare.

No Bowie, either, what kind of manly he-man rocker am I?

DrummerMan · Post by **DrummerMan** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 7:13 pm

OMFG, I almost forgot...

John Coltrane Quartet with Johnny Hartman - Lush Life.

lyle76 · Post by **lyle76** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 8:12 pm

three legged animals - califone
manowar - eric bachman
elton john - razorface

BenjaminWells · Post by **BenjaminWells** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 8:28 pm

Wow. Thanks everyone! This is great. I'm feeling really good... just came home from a really good gig. I played a small room... so small that I played my Martin D-18 with no pick, un-plugged. People loved it. I'm feeling energized again. I had people dancing, singing, clapping and playing drums on the bar. But, most of all, I played and people listened. I can't remember the last time I had people listen to my songs for more than a few bars. Tonight, people really seemed interested. One kid asked, "was that James Taylor?" I had the pleasure of telling him... no, that song is mine. So people listened even more intently the next time and this just built on itself.

Anyway, damn... thanks for so many great songs. This is turning into an awesome collection. I need a bigger iTunes gift card though. So be it. I can buy about 130 songs with the tips I earned tonight!

SaneMan · Post by **SaneMan** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 10:06 pm

Very hard question, but some ideas off the top of my head. Maybe not iconic in the true sense of the word, but very much so in their own more undergroundish way.

Butthole Surfers - "Who was in my Room Last Night"

Sonic Youth - "100%"

Janes Addiction - "Ain't No Right"

Primus - "Groundhogs Day" - Maybe not their most iconic, but I just F'n love this song.

Kyuss - "Gardenia" - Ditto

And less iconic, but very interesting:

Goon Moon - "An Autumn that Came too Soon"

Latin Playboys - "Crayon Sun"

Battle of Mice - "The Lamb and the Labrador"

BUTCHER - "Black Dahlia"

It's damn near impossible to pick just one song by anyone, but I guess I gotta try

Also,

RE: The Stooges. I'd recommend "Dirt" off Fun House. Some of Ron's(RIP, a sad, sad event) best heroin inspired wah guitar work. Puts me in a trance every time. Really though, any Stooges will do, especially anything of Fun House.

RE: Grateful Dead. Nothing against "Truckin", but if I were to go for something iconic off their greatest hits, I'd go with "Friend of the Devil", which can make an excellent solo acoustic thing, kinda bluegrassy. Or if less iconic's alright, "Dire Wolf"'s a great kinda poppy song and "Estimated Prophet" is pretty interesting, while "Terrapin Station(Medley)" is probably my favorite Dead song ever, if you're up for a more psychadelic epic. Really, I don't think their more famous stuff sums up who they are as a band.

Sorry to go on and on, I just love music

Jay Reynolds · Post by **Jay Reynolds** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 6:58 am

SaneMan wrote:
RE: Grateful Dead. Nothing against "Truckin", but if I were to go for something iconic off their greatest hits, I'd go with "Friend of the Devil", which can make an excellent solo acoustic thing, kinda bluegrassy. Or if less iconic's alright, "Dire Wolf"'s a great kinda poppy song and "Estimated Prophet" is pretty interesting, while "Terrapin Station(Medley)" is probably my favorite Dead song ever, if you're up for a more psychadelic epic. Really, I don't think their more famous stuff sums up who they are as a band.

"Black Peter" from Workingman's Dead is another great one. 100% folksey goodness. I've always wanted to hear Alison Krauss or Emmylou Harris cover this song.

JGriffin · Post by **JGriffin** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 9:07 am

superaction80 wrote: "Black Peter" from Workingman's Dead is another great one. 100% folksey goodness. I've always wanted to hear Alison Krauss or Emmylou Harris cover this song.

Emmylou will pretty much guest on anyone's record lately, it seems. So just ring her up and ask her.

Gebo · Post by **Gebo** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 9:19 am

If we going with Grateful Dead recommendations I would go for Box Of Rain, such a great kick off to a great album.

Jay Reynolds · Post by **Jay Reynolds** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 10:55 am

dwlb wrote:
superaction80 wrote: "Black Peter" from Workingman's Dead is another great one. 100% folksey goodness. I've always wanted to hear Alison Krauss or Emmylou Harris cover this song.

Emmylou will pretty much guest on anyone's record lately, it seems. So just ring her up and ask her.

Maybe she'd like to sing on "Kick Pants"?
http://www.myspace.com/eagletosquirrel

JGriffin · Post by **JGriffin** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 11:11 am

superaction80 wrote:
dwlb wrote:
superaction80 wrote: "Black Peter" from Workingman's Dead is another great one. 100% folksey goodness. I've always wanted to hear Alison Krauss or Emmylou Harris cover this song.

Emmylou will pretty much guest on anyone's record lately, it seems. So just ring her up and ask her.
Maybe she'd like to sing on "Kick Pants"?
http://www.myspace.com/eagletosquirrel

That'd be cool actually. I can hear it.

"it's like, quarter to one-thirty!" nice.

Nice Eagles lift, too.

I say go for it--hell, friend her on myspace and send her a note. I bet she'd drive over.

Jandek, OTOH, doesn't like to collaborate.

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15 Indispensable Songs

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