Tiesto's remis of the classical piece "Adaggio for Strings" can make most raver candy kids put down the glowsticks and the photon lights because of the sincerity of the emotion in the song and the insincerity of things of rave culture (the culture of glorifying substances).  I was at a nightclub and I was dancing with ravefingers from Spencer's Gifts and two highly voluptuous ladies walked right past me hardly noticing me. 

     I am reminded of a posting on YouTube where a one Mexicanowhupazz -- just about the best male dancer on the planet, next to me of course -- said "don't roll, don't use glowsticks, my body is the illusion."

     Tiesto's purely instrumental work "Traffic" is an electronica piece that makes one's soul giddy with mysterious anticipation and visceral thrill.  It is almost like shoplifting... listening to that techno song.  Not that I've ever shoplifted before.

     "Sweet Dreams" is Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart's magical piece about staying afloat in a world of occasional sin, pollution, and substance abuse.  The best lyric from the song is actually "Hold your head up, keep your head up... moving on."

     "Everybody Knows" by Leonard Cohen is a song of exquisite force and the bleak tones of Cohen's deep voice make this a tone poem that will stand the test of time.  The piece has been used in one film in all of cinematic history, my number ten film of all-time, Exotica.

     "Face to Face" and "Touch It vs. Technologic" by Daft Punk are rhythmically intense.  The former is more emotional than the latter, though the latter would make for a good ringtone.  "Touch It" was originally an ensemble piece arranged by Busta Rhymes with a generous amount of talented rappers.  The song is just hypnotic as can be.  "Technologic" originated as a bracingly bassline-filled song back from 2005 and now has been retouched to achieve maximum visceral exhiliration. 

     "Face to Face" has some of the most urgent lyrics in all of electronica:  "What's going on ?  / Could this be my understanding / It's not your fault I was being too demanding / I must admit it's my pride that made me distant / All because I hoped that you'd be someone different / There's not much I know about you / Fear will always make you blind / But the answer was in clear view / It's amazing what you find face to face.

     I turned away because I thought you were the problem / Tried to forget until I hit the bottom / But when I faced you in my blank confusion / I realized you weren't wrong, it was a mere illusion.

     It really didn't make sense / Just to leave this unresolved / It's not hard to go the distance / when you finally get involved face to face."

     Yet another song by the name of "Face to Face" was well done by the group Siouxsie and the Banshees for the Tim Burton film Batman Returns.  This one haunted me for a good long time as a kid growing up.  The lead vocalist has eloquent tones and reaches all kinds of notes with stunning versatility and bravado.

     "True Faith" urges one to gaze at the clouds in the sky with new found gratitude.  How lucky we are to be alive considering all the things that cost us so much.  This song by New Order keeps the flame of hope and emotion alive.

     "California Dreaming" by the Mammas and the Pappas is classic flower power era music rivaled only by Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit."  The lyric "all the leaves are brown / and the sky is gray" has an awesome poignance to it.  The beautiful piece of music is a dazzling jubilee as much as Jefferson Airplane's lyrics are more poetic and full of allusions.

     "Isaac" is still Madonna's best song ever and will remain as such due to the sheer poetry of her advice in that work and the eloquent singing of her friend Isaac.  Here's a sample:  "Wrestle with your darkness / angels call your name/ do you hear what they are saying / will you ever be the same?"  ...  "See the sky and the angels / how they're sitting over in the light / that's what it is about."

     "Hung Up" is pure pop pleasure that is goosebump-inducing.  "Isaac" is pretty music at its most voluptuous.  "Music" is rhythmic and the whistling beats make one salivate with mysterious anticipation.

     "Paint It Black" by the Rolliing Stones was used to great effect in Devil's Advocate and Full Metal Jacket.  The music is searing and incendiary.

     "Trouble Every Day" by the Tindersticks is an elegant, romantic piece.  Claire Denis, the French filmmaker of Beau Travail (1999) and Chocolat (1989) fame, employs this group for many of her exquisitely beautiful films.  Trouble Every Day is my favorite Claire Denis, a film of gorgeous and searing intensity.  It is a work of poetry about modern day vampires who used to be scientists and have relocated across the globe. 

     The Vincent Gallo character visits the Beatrice Dalle one and Dalle says, in an emotional line, "I'm sick..."  Dalle's character has become a cannibalistic vampire and eats prey that the Alex Descas character finds for her.  She actually tries to prey upon the Gallo character but faints and bursts into flames in the film's most memorable image...  next to that of Dalle smearing blood all over her next to gorey, atrocious wall covered in blood.

     "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand and Modest Mouse's "Float On" are infused with the spirit of existentialism.  What a coincidence that existentialism is taught in just about every senior English class in high school.  Lightning struck twice for me in that these two gorgeous songs were released my senior year in 2004.

     Tom Petty's work is that of a true magician and a true musician.  His multiple talents give way to a farewell ballad of epic proportion in "Last Dance with Mary Jane."

     Lady Gaga's music is exquisitely playful and I love talking about all things Gaga.  My favorite Gaga is "Just Dance" though I can recall many a pleasant and rhythmic song in her ouevre.  To be continued...

     Red Hot Chili Peppers have so much soul in their work.  They have triumphed over substance abuse and contributed to some of the most lasting pieces of pop memorabilia and art imaginable.  Take for instance the melancholy "My Friends," the passionate "Otherside" with its German Expressionist music video, and my favorite...  the visceral "Johnny Kick a Hole in the Sky."

     Metallica's best work is "The Unforgiven."  I was clearly mistaken...  I thought the lyric was "So I took the other pill" but it is really "So I took the unforgiven."  Another of their songs...  "Vagabond" made it onto the soundtrack of Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky's documentary Paradise Lost which condemned capital punishment...  especially in the case of the West Memphis Three.

     Andain is an artist with beautiful vocals.  "Beautiful Things" conjures up so many bracing emotions.

     Masters at Work made a fantastic rave song called "Work" also known as "The Broomstick Song."  The pleasant Jamaican lady sings "So you the man who come to fix me yard / I like the broomstick you're carrying / I like it / I want you take your broom / and sweep my yard / better brush it good / else we could fall apart / don't give me no shortcut thing / you got all day and night."

     Then the song has a brilliant, cathartic climax with:  "Put your back in it / just a little more / sure you wanting it now / till your body hurting / when you finish it / I want your goddamn tongue."

     REM had a smash hit with the tasty tone poem "Orange Crush."

     U2's the Joshua Tree will teach one all one needs to know about life.

     Phil Collins of Genesis fame performed a stellar piece with "In the Air Tonight" which the Patrick Bateman character in American Psycho referenced as being satisfying in a narrow way, more commercial than his work with Genesis, and quite pleasing.  Though the fictional Bateman prefers "Sussudio."

Tags: Music Review

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