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I think it's fair to say that I have fairly eclectic tastes in music. The reasons that we love music must be very complex... a mix of brain chemistry, memory association and our chronological age, for example. I tend to be a fan of specific songs, rather than particular artists. Anyway...I'm always SAYING "that's one of my all-time favorites"...but it made sense to actually post my iPod playlist... since that is objective evidence of music I care about enough to have ripped it from my CD collection or bought the track downloads. Initially, I am posting this without comments, but over time, I intend to write a bit about why I love each of these pieces so much. And, of course, I continue to add tunes occasionally...but probably less than you think. I am not on a great hunt to discover new music...although I do love to stumble across something new that really turns me on from time to time. |
SONG TITLE |
ARTIST |
COMMENTS |
| Cabin on the Lake |
John Tesh |
His 'piano with orchestra' stuff is truly amazing. And he's married to Connie Selleca. Does life get any better? LOL... |
| Call Me (Come Back Home) |
Al Green |
Wow. Al Green. Do I need to say more? The voice. The soul. The passion. Song after song...there is no one else like him! |
| Call of the Wild |
Susan Ashton |
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| Can't Stop Runnin' |
Roby Duke |
Blue-eyed soul-jazz-pop. Great voice. Terrific songs. This was a great album. |
| Can I Be With You |
Kenny Pore |
I lost track of this album for many years, but stumbled across it again on my shelf recently. Great sax-driven urban jazz from the Eighties. A real treasure. |
| Cant Keep A Bad Man Up |
Jan Akkermann |
Bluesy and smokin' hot. |
| Cares Chorus |
Kelly Willard |
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| Carolina In My Mind |
James Taylor |
The first of many on here from the ultimate singer/songwriter. |
| Carousel |
Fred Haring |
Yes, I co-wrote it. But it's a great song anyway! Hear it here for free. |
| Carpenter |
Roby Duke |
This is a terrific song. In fact, the only thing about this whole album that didn't work was the front cover. I love this stuff. |
| Carpenter Gone Bad |
Bob Bennett |
One of Bob's very best tunes. Strong acoustic guitar. Beautifully written. |
| Casting Your Cares |
Ira White |
This is just a gorgeous little instrumental. Ira sounds so completely "right at home" on the fingerboard that the listener is immediately at ease. And the song is filled with beautiful little melodic turns and surprises. I just love this one...and, believe it or not, you can download it (legally) for free. |
| Change My Way |
Lindy Freeland |
This beautiful young lady has written two songs that completely slay me. This is one. You'll find the other a bit further down. |
| Change the World |
Eric Clapton |
Written by three successful Christian songwriters based out of Nashburg (including Wayne Kirkpatrick), this charming little ditty turns out to be one of my favorites from Eric's catalog. Nice blend of soul and a little grit with a slick pop track surrounding it. |
| Child of the Father |
Mylon LeFevre & Broken Heart |
This was probably my first "favorite song" by Mylon. There is something so genuine and disarming about his music. |
| Chorino |
Lyle Mays |
Beautiful little electric piano groove from this friend of Pat Metheny. |
| Cinnamon Girl |
Neil Young |
As a fan of great, creative guitar solos, I've always loved to laugh at Neil Young for his incredibly lame guitar solos (including the one in this song), which often seem to consist of one note played over and over again...not to mention his often squeaky and irritating lead vocals, but the truth is...the guy is a heck of a gifted songwriter, and I've sort of rediscovered some of his classic work lately, much of which I'd written off in my youth. |
| Classical Gas |
Mason Williams |
While it could fairly be criticized for over-production, I do really enjoy this song. And, honestly, had it not had such extensive production, I'm not sure it would have survived in the radio-driven era of the late Sixties. I first heard this played when I was probably in junior high school on a church retreat by a guy who did a very passable job. It's been re-recorded over the years many times, but I still think the one with the best energy is Williams' original big production rendition. |
| Clay |
Lamb |
Gorgeous Messianic piece from Joel Chernoff and Levi Coghill back in the Seventies. |
| Cold As Ice |
Foreigner |
Lou Gramm is one of my all-time favorite vocalists...and Foreigner recorded a bunch of hooky rock many moons ago. |
| Come and See |
Bob Bennett |
Another great tune from Bob. His voice is terrific, and like his musical hero, Bruce Cockburn, his lyrics are always beautifully crafted. |
| Comfort Ye My People |
Lamb |
So beautiful, with that stark piano setting the mood. Joel Chernoff practically whispers his way thru this piece. |
| Coming Home |
John Legend |
I'm not familiar with John's music, but I've seen him perform this piece on TV a couple times, and I find it quite stirring. One of the best I've seen of the current generation of songwriters (although, to be honest, songwriting is such a lost art that I'm not sure there'smuch competition). |
| Conquistador |
Procol Harum |
I've only heard two songs from this band, so I don't know what they are all about...but this song is so exo cartonic ("out of the box") that it starts with a degree of charm right there. The lyrical imagery is compelling, and the orchestral backing by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra really adds a lot. |
| Could It Be I'm Falling |
Spnners |
Music just doesn't get much better than the Spinners. I loved just about every hit they ever had. |
| Could It Be Magic |
Barry Manilow |
It's fashionable to beat up on Barry. I don't listen to a lot of his music anymore (although there was no escaping it back it the day). But despite the somewhat cheesy background vocals, this is a beautiful adaptation of a Chopin melody. |
| Country Road |
James Taylor |
The ultimate singer-songwriter? If not, I don't know who's better. James is timeless. Exquisite guitar and production. |
| County Down |
Phil Keaggy |
This is very possibly one of the 10 best instrumental pieces I've ever heard. It's adventurous, melodic, it has a groove, great dynamics, energy. Honestly, I could sit and listen to this a hundred times in a row without tiring of it. I can't say that about many songs. |
| Courts of the Lord |
Alison Kitchen |
A really good worship song written by a friend, and featuring background vocals by other friends, and produced by one of my best friends. A good song from a terrific album. And...lucky you, you can legally grab it for free on this page. |
| Crack The Sky |
Mylon LeFevre & Broken Heart |
Yes, the production is dated. But the song is strong. An energetic plea for the Lord's return. |
| Crush |
Dave Matthews Band |
I *WANT* to like Dave Matthews' music. It seems smart and sophisticated, and his vocals are strange, but kinda cool...but I find almost everything I've heard from him meandering and, frankly, kinda weird...maybe "unfocused" is the best description. But, I heard this song and was hooked immediately. It's a beautiful, smoky, jazzy tune. The live version is interesting as well, but they ruined it with the goofy guitar antics. This studio version is nigh unto perfect. |
| Crazy On You |
Heart |
Early Heart was some wonderful music. Nancy is beautiful and can really play the guitar. Ann has an amazing voice. They were a great indie-style band back in the Seventies just as I was coming of age. This is a really strong song with great jumps back and forth between acoustic and electric accompaniment. Really fun. It just sizzles. |
| Crazy Times |
Jars of Clay |
Interestingly, I don't have their Flood song on my iPod, although I like it. But I love this one. Something about it. Melody...sort of a retro feel to it. Amazing energy. It hit #38 on the Modern Rock charts a number of years back. |
| Cry Of The Heart |
Tom Howard Ensemble |
I don't have anything specific to say about this. Just listen to the whole album if you can find it. Simply amazing. Tom Howard is SCARY good. |
| Curves Ahead (Live) |
Rippingtons |
My all-time favorite Ripps album....and the last great thing I heard from them (sadly). Simply beyond description. |
| Dance With You |
Annie Herring |
More of Annie's child-like faith set to music. There is no one else like her. Over 30 years later, this is still so far outside the box that there's no describing it. But I can hardly sit still when it's playing. |
| Dancin' Fool |
The Guess Who |
Haha! I saw these guys live back in 1975 at the Ohio State Fairgrounds Coliseum. I had NO IDEA who the band was...just liked one radio hit at the time. I heard song after song that I loved. This was truly a band built on great songwriting. |
| Dancing Out of Bounds |
Tom Howard |
A little more contemporary than the stuff on the Hidden Passage album. This one is drum and piano driven with some fun violin lead (or maybe it would better be described as a fiddle, with the style of play here). Jazzy groove. |
| Dark Matter |
Chuck Brown |
This is a very simple little piece one which I've gotten a lot of feedback. People love it. It's very somber, but made really beautiful by Steve Bashaw's orchestral arrangement. |
| Day After Day |
Badfinger |
One of a few great songs from this Beatlesque band. |
| Deacon Blues |
Steely Dan |
Another song I never tire of. I have never cared for Donald Fagen's vocals, and I think I was slow to warm to the band because of it. But when they're good, they are AMAZING. |
| Defying The Odds |
Kenny Pore |
Sweet little sax-driven jazz groove from the Eighties. Sax is not one of my favorite lead instruments, but this guy is quite good, and the composition throughout the album is excellent. |
| Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? |
Chicago |
I must credit my high school band director, Jim Swearingen, for turning me on to Chicago and BS&T when I was in 8th or 9th grade. He didn't hang around our school that long, but he really loved music (especially jazz rock), and some of it leaked out on me. I love Chicago, and this is just one of their many classics. |
| Don't Fear The Reaper |
Blue Oyster Cult |
Ha...eerie rock classic from the Seventies. There's something smooth and seductive about this one. |
| Don't Know Why |
Norah Jones |
To me, this is one of those incredible, timeless songs that standards singers will still be doing in lounges in a hundred years. Just perfect. |
| Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonite |
James Taylor |
Gorgeous. |
| Don't Take Me Alive |
Steely Dan |
Larry Carlton totally makes this song. Scintillating guitar breaks. I saw him in concert one when he did a medley of some of his famous guitar solos. Incredible. And then he went and married Michele Pillar, who is stunning. What a guy! LOL... |
| Down to the Well |
Terry Talbot |
Produced on a shoestring back in the Seventies, I always loved the simplicity of the song about someone who wants to go see Jesus and find out what all the buzz is about. I played this myself scores of times at coffeehouses and small group appearances over the years. |
| Dream Of The Sirens |
Rippingtons |
I guess this is, in my mind, the SIGNATURE Rippingtons song. It's the first one that really made them stand out in my mind...and drove me to buy that first album of theirs I ever owned. Words fail me. |
| Drift Away |
Dobie Gray |
Even though Uncle Cracker came along years later and mangled it, this is still a great song. Really cool guitar work, too. |
| Drinkin Me Lonely |
Chris Young |
I watched Nashville Star the year he won. And was listening the first time he performed this. Blew me away. Terrific song. Great voice. |
| Driving Through the Rain |
Tom Howard |
More Tom Howard magic. |
| Drops of Jupiter |
Train |
Terrific song. Soaring melody and production, but with very bizarre lyrics. |
| Eleanor Rigby |
The Beatles |
I should have more Beatles music on here. Just haven't gotten around to it yet. They aren't on the download services as of this writing. |
| Eternal Flame |
The Bangles |
Beautiful melody. |
| Every Season |
Nichole Nordeman |
First shared with me by Alison Kitchen. Blew me away. Great song. Great voice. Beautiful orchestration. She's a lovely girl, too...which, somehow, doesn't hurt. |
| Fare Thee Well |
Phil Keaggy |
Sweet acoustic guitar. Builds wonderfully, and features some flutes or other woodwinds. |
| Father Figure |
Ace Young |
Great arrangement. Similar to, but better than, the George Michael version. |
| Feels So Good |
Chuck Mangione |
Loved this when it was new. Still love it now that I'm not so new, either. Absolutely wonderful guitar solo by Grant Geissman. |
| Fire And Rain |
James Taylor |
Maybe the best song Sir James has ever done. Pure heart in a perfect package. |
| First Prayer |
Randy Stonehill |
Randy is the James Taylor of Chrisian music. This is a perfect little musical summation of the human heart encountering God. |
| Focus III |
Thijs Van Leer |
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| For My Growing |
Mylon LeFevre & Broken Heart |
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| Free Man |
Mylon LeFevre & Broken Heart |
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| Freedom Run |
Tom Howard Ensemble |
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| From this Old Steeple |
Tom Howard |
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