I’ll talk about mine, why not
DeBarge — Time Will Reveal
this song is so deceptively simple. a master class in vocal phrasing. the middle 8 breakdown when the horns come, the bass starts slapping before bringing the hook back gets me every time. if youre in the mood for this type of stuff the full album is worth a listen. i can do a pretty good falsetto but i cant really touch that key he hits at the end.
Steely Dan — Your Gold Teeth II
this is my fav s dan song. love how the intro has such little connection to the rest of the song, altho the progression sneaks back in during the solo. starts like a smooth jazz prog ditty searching for a way out, somewhere to go, only to open up the double doors to the outside world of effortless swinging melody. no way to resist doing piano hands when those first stabs come in. perfect chorus, the way his vocals slide into the rrrrooooooOOOOLLLLLLL. underneath it all is the usual time signatures shifts and meandering instruments. i could dissect these lyrics all day. means something different to me every time.
K Michelle — Pay My Bills
thought about removing this one but whatever. this is prob like my 10th favorite k michelle track. couldn’t believe what i was listening to the first time i heard this. she sells this, sells it good. three great albums under her belt and still no one talks about her. probably cos shes tv famous. probably cos people are turned off by her blunt lyrical hammer, and she belts more than sings. im down tho.
Young Buck — Get Buck
long been a shipment personal classic. rap songs that kick like this rarely have a coda but Polow (who created another track on this list) knew he created a classic beat and musta decided to let it ride out in style. tuba stabs for life. those trumpets tho. cant not get up and move to this track. video is exactly what you would expect, in the best way possible.
Donny Hathaway — For All We Know
this song holds so much power over me. stops me in my tracks every time. so many renditions, everyones covered it, but donny’s version reigns supreme. top 5 singer for me.
Gil Evans — Where Flamingos Fly
there’s an underlying tension here that never fully releases. slightly discordant notes float in and out of the mix. the middle passage gets close to release but it cant be trusted, something’s still not right. i love songs like this that toe the line between depressing and uplifting
The Promise Ring — Happiness Is All The Rage pop punk emo at its simplest and best. i made out to this song once on college. one of the first songs i learned to play on guitar. not much to it!
Devin Townsend — Funeral
the things he can do with his voice, man alive. if you have some time to spare then dive into this insane three-song live run https://youtu.be/1oJEBGHCdBQ. Funeral is probably my 4th fav song on ocean machine but if i feel like ascending into the clouds then this is a solid choice.
Rich Boy — Throw Some D’s
hey its the other polow da don production from 2007. intro is so good. one of the more memorable rap hooks of the mid oughts.
Kiss Daniel — Mama
was obsessed w this song last year. so danceable. so smooth. my wife and i usually have one song we latch onto every year and dub as ‘our song’, this was that last year.
