If I had you here, I'd clip your wings
Snap you up and leave you sprawling on my pin
This plan of mine is oh so very lame
Can't you see the grass is greener where it rains
"Gutters Full of Rain" and "It’s Not Easy Being Me" by David Gray – Gray is from Sale of Greater Manchester, Great Britain. Here, in “Gutters Full of Rain” you can really hear his accent. He goes to no end to hide it at all which is what really, I think, makes this song.
Gray has been around for a while, but wasn’t really noticed until the release of his album White Ladder. Songs like “This Year’s Love” and “Babylon” have made the charts in both the U.K. and the U.S. with “Babylon” being Gray’s most popular song in the States. Still, as much as I like all of those songs, I like the underrated "Gutters Full of Rain." It’s quiet and understated. itself Perhaps that is it's very appeal.
"It’s Not Easy Being Me" has a greater appeal, and is a melancholy kind of song. It sounds almost as if it were written about a super-hero who is just trying so hard (was this from a soundtrack?). It’s a beautiful song. “I can’t stand to fly… I’m not that naïve.” Perfect.
"His New Look" by Bongwater – The lyrics are enough to crack you up and enough to keep you listening because we’ve all had some ridiculous lover whose “hair is long and styled in a prince valiant hair-do” etc. Maybe it wasn't exactly that, but we get the point. Then, there is the point about the “somewhat pudgy redhead” in the car; it's all at once biting humor and sarcasm mixed in with something bittersweet and is what makes this song work.
Bongwater wrote a song called “His Old Look” but it is nowhere as good as this one. This is the best one; so good it is almost performance art. Trippy stuff, this group was formed in 1985 by Ann Magnuson and Mark Kramer (of Shimmy Disc). The song ends with a terrific howl… if you liked silly but fun trippy music in school or now, you’ll love this song. It’s too funny and too good to miss.
"Meet Me By the Water" by Rachael Yamagata – Here is a yearning and pining question of a song. I discovered Yamagata through one of her harder songs, “Worn Me Down” (also a terrific song). “Meet Me By the Water” is a question here, … Would you? she asks, because this time she is “ready to break all the rules,” but is the other in this equation.
Article comments
1 - Steve
Hmm, what happened to List #26, Sadi?? (wink).
Anyway, I noticed your 'Afterhours' tune by Velvet Underground is featured on their 1969 self-titled album which is #314 on Rolling Stone magazine's Top 500 albums of all-time. I haven't heard it before (to my knowledge anyway). I only have one or two covers of their songs, one a 1993 version by OMD ('Sunday Morning') and one a 1983 version by Japan ('All Tomorrow's Parties'), the original is from VU & Nico's 1966 self-titled album which is #13 on the afore-mentioned Rolling Stone list.
I have David Gray's albums 'White Ladder' & 'New Day At Midnight', the former has live concert video of my fave song of his, 'Please Forgive Me' (a love song), on the enhanced CD version of the album, sounds great live too.
I recall the Elvis Costello video of 'Everyday...' from 1983, I have the song on his 2CD 'Best Of...' from 1999. 'Pump It Up' is a fave of mine by him, well sampled in the dance track 'Voodoo Child' by the Rogue Traders in the last year or two.
Nice List as always, Sadi.
2 - Steve
Hey, Sadi,
Long time no hear! Are you gonna have a new List for March? (Also, see comments above if you haven't already).
3 - sadi ranson-polizzotti
hey Steve --
i'm sorry. It's just that i have about one month to finish this book and i really need to get it done, so i'm working very very very hard on that.... ahhhhh.... but i will get to your comments and i will be doing a next column soon (just for a break from the book) it's just htat today i'm working on the book (hope you'll buy a copy when i'm done!)...
cheers, and i'll def. get to the above comments....right now i'm feeling super harried and terrified, frankly....
4 - Steve
OK, Sadi,
No sweat. Good to hear you are keeping busy.
5 - Steve
Hey, Sadi,
Hope you met your book deadline on time. Let us know when the next List will be out!
6 - Steve
Hey, Sadi!
Any idea when the next List will be?
7 - sadi ranson-polizzotti
hey Steve - i tried to respond ages ago, but Askimet wouldn't let me (!!) but the next list is up. It's called The Grand Central Mix... so cherche-toi...
hope you like it :)
love, etc
s.
8 - Steve
Thanks so much, Sadi. I will check it out!