The Greatest

Introduction

People often ask me what my favourite thing is, be it film, album or song, and usually I say I just like what I like. I do have a favourite film and album and have documented them in Vocal stories which I have included in the conclusion of this playlist.

I thought it would be an idea to list my favourite songs by some of my favourite artists. By the time I have finished this my choices will [probably have changed, but I would not skip one of these songs if they came on the player because they are all excellent.

Also, this is a warning every one of these songs runs for between ten and twenty minutes so if you are to listen to all of them it will take you a very long time.

I expect disagreement with all my choices and observations about things that I have missed, but that is the nature of things, and if we all liked the same things we probably would be unlikely to discover any new music.

Jimi Hendrix Experience - "1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)" from "Electric Ladyland"

As a teenager this is one of the records I would listen to lying on my bed, the sound is a futurist but hopeful dystopian scenario. I love the lyrics and the descending guitar sequences and Mitch Mitchell's drumming and the first comment on the YouTube video chimes with my thoughts.

Genesis - "Supper's Ready" from "Foxtrot"

This is a very English surreal dream sequence partially reflected in the artwork for the album cover. The music contains many parts with some bits that still give me goosebumps when I know they are coming up. Tony Banks's descending keyboard riff and Steve Hackett's guitar attack when Peter says the words "Waiting For Battle" six and a half minutes in, and that is less than a third of the song, and there is much more to enjoy.

Pink Floyd - "Echoes" from "Meddle"

From the single treated Farfisa note intro, there is a spacious aqueous feeling listening to this beauty and this is one of the reasons why I was so disappointed with "Dark Side Of The Moon" because there was nothing, in my opinion, that came close to this. The first verse sets the mood perfectly:

Overhead the albatross

Hangs motionless upon the air

And deep beneath the rolling waves

In labyrinths of coral caves

The echo of a distant time

Comes willowing across the sand

And everything is green and submarine

David Bowie - "The Width Of A Circle" from "The Man Who Sold The World"

The threat that this carries from the first note really hooked me when I first heard it, and I had to have that album in my collection. Ronson's guitar is all over the place in a good way and Trevor Bolders's bass sets off after that monster descending riff lets him and Ronson off the hook.

Van Der Graaf Generator - "A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers" from "Pawn Hearts"

On this album the band had no guitars, unusual for a rock band. This is another twenty minutes of doom-laden music, words and sound from Peter Hamill and company. I saw them play at Preston Guildhall in the seventies and again at The Glasshouse in Gateshead about fifteen years back.

My daughters got me a vinyl copy of the album for Father's Day and you can see my granddaughter Alexis Leia giving it to me in the picture below.

Roxy Music - “The Bogus Man” from “For Your Pleasure”

Brian Eno said this was the direction he wanted for Roxy Music, but Roxy Music was Bryan Ferry’s band. Still, this sees Roxy going into the rhythmic universe pioneered by Can and is relentless but is one of Roxy Music’s greatest musical statements. The brass is almost Brechtian. This opens side two of the “For Your Pleasure album”

Bob Dylan - "Desolation Row" from "Highway 61 Revisited"

I was originally going to choose "Lily, Rosemary and The Jack Of Hearts" from "Blood On The Tracks" but I came back to this set in some obscure almost deserted old western town, so many amazing lines all of which are included in the YouTube video.

They are spoon feeding Casanova to get him to feel more assured

Then they'll kill him with self-confidence after poisoning him with words

And the Phantom's shouting to skinny girls, "Get outta here if you don't know"

Casanova is just being punished for going to Desolation Row"

Conclusion

I will finish this here and leave you with my favourite album and film.

I hope you found something you like and I know you will have something you disagree with me on. Thank you for reading.