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Nov. 28, 2005 I have mentioned before that my musical tastes are very eclectic, ranging from Curtis Mayfield, Lamont Dozier, George Duke, Smokey Robinson and James Brown to Boney James, Donald Fagen, James Taylor and Chaka Khan. Last night as I looked through my cassette tape and CD collections I decided to compile a list of my 50 favorite songs. Most of my choices are mid-70s R and B classics, the music of my youth. With that said, here they are: 1. Alphonse Mouzon’s album “By All Means” contains the most beautifully composed tune I’ve ever heard—“The Next Time We Love.” The song features a piano solo by Herbie Hancock and a smooth as butter guitar solo by Lee Ritenour. Complimenting this duo on electric guitar is Paul Jackson, Jr. It really doesn’t get any better than this. I use to sit in my apartment listening to this one while sipping Tanqueray. 2. Donald Fagen’s “On The Dunes” stuck with me from the first time I heard it, as did most of the music from his Grammy-nominated solo album, “Kamikiriad”. 3. When I heard Chaka Khan’s “Through the Fire” for the first time, it gave me goose bumps. Few can handle a ballad with Chaka’s sincerity and vocal range. 4. “Rose” was an obscure tune from Lamont Dozier’s 1974 ABC lp, “Black Bach”. Slow-handed guitar work by Paul Jackson, Jr. compliments Dozier’s laid back vocals to make one of his most memorable tunes, including his legendary collaborations with the Holland Brothers. 5. “Angela”, better known as “The Theme From ‘Taxi’”. Bob James crafts one of the more memorable songs in TV history. 6. “Superbad, Pt. I & II”, is the funkiest groove by the man known as “The Godfather of Soul”—James Brown. The Afro-Caribbean rhythms and James’ unique style of grunts and screams make this a soul classic. As his labels once read, “People, it’s bad”. 7. Barry White’s self-explanatory album “Sings For Someone You Love” allows “The Maestro” to do just that. Every song on this album offers a different take on love, but my favorite from this collection is, “Playing Your Game, Baby”. 8. One day while at the dump I saw a former neighbor about to throw away several jazz albums that were still in the shrinkwrap. He ended up giving the records to me, one of which was The Crusaders’ “Images”. The best cut on the album was a leisurely piece titled “Marcella’s Dream”. Nesbert “Stix” Hooper, Joe Sample, Wilton Felder and David T. Walker combined to make a put-you-to-sleep record—and I mean that in a good way. 9 & 10. Curtis Mayfield’s “The Makings of You”, is one of those records that I played any time I felt the desire to chill. Along those same lines is Brook Benton’s poignant “Rainy Night In Georgia”. My dad played that one so much he nearly burned a hole in it. 11 & 12. I grew up in a household where both my parents loved the blues, and my favorite song from that genre is Johnnie Taylors “I Believe In You (You Believe In Me)”. This was followed by Latimore’s “Let’s Straighten It Out”, which was a song my ex-wife and I danced to many times. (Talk about irony). Coming in at lucky 13 is my favorite artist, Prince, who has penned so many great tunes that it is hard to pick a favorite one. “Kiss” came from the soundtrack lp “Under The cherry Moon”, the follow-up to his multi-platinum classic, “Purple Rain.” The soundtrack was vastly superior to the film, a black and white nightmare that offered a quirky take on Romeo and Juliet. 14. The Spinners’ “Mighty Love” album is one of the top-fifteen albums of the 70s. My favorite song is “He’ll Never Love You (Like I Do)”. No one could ad-lib better than lead vocalist Phillipe Wynn, but there was no need to on this gem. 15. Booker T. & The MG’s are best-known for their upbeat grooves “Soul Limbo” and “Green Onions”. But “Jelly Roll” is an example of a guitar-laden funkfest that is as good as anything the Watts/Stax house band ever came up with. 16 & 17. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker were the driving force behind Steely Dan, one of the first pop groups with strong crossover appeal. SD played reggae and blues-flavored tunes as well, but their signature song in my view is “Hey Nineteen” a catchy number about a man in the midst of a mid-life crisis. On Fagen’s first solo venture (the concept album, “The Night Fly”) you will find this duo serving up impeccable musicianship on “Maxine”. 18. The Isley Brothers’ “Sensuality” is probably the strongest ballad on an album that includes “For The Love of You”. This one conjures up bittersweet memories of a love affair past. 19 & 20. James Taylor’s album “Baby Boom Baby” (from the “Never Die Young” CD) is a song of quiet friendship and the dreams of what might have been. The Stylistics were my favorite group and “First Impressions” left a long-lasting impression on me. Rounding out my list are Jeff Lorber’s “Think Back and Remember”, “The Love Scene” (Joe), Smokey Robinson’s “The Agony and the Ecstasy”, Boney James instrumental cover of Bill Withers’, “Ain’t No Sunshine” and Lamont Dozier’s “You Oughta Be In Pictures.” The second twenty-five in no particular order are: “The Changing Times” Earth Wind and Fire; Lovers Should Always be together --- Roy Ayers & Wayne Henderson; “When I Found You” Patrice Rushen; “Speak To Me” and “Chez Nous”, Michael Franks; “One Wish” Hiroshima; “Don't Take It Personal” Jermaine Jackson; “Cream” Prince; “Cold Sweat” James Brown; “I Belong To You (Every Time I See Your Face)” Rome; “We Go A Long Way Back” Bloodstone; “Nothing Can Come Between Us” Sade; “Love Changes” Mother's Finest; “Everything You Touch” and “Who’s Sad” Smokey Robinson; “Ghetto Life” and “Standing On The Top” Rick James; “Your Body's Calling” and “I Believe I Can Fly” R. Kelly; “Inner City Blues-The Siege of New Orleans” Gil Scott-Heron; “Friends and Strangers” David Oliver; “Misled” Ronnie Laws; “Just Once” Quincy Jones featuring James Ingram and “Winelight”, Grover Washington. If you get the chance to pick up some of this stuff (many times these tapes or records are found in discount bins), treat yourself to something special. ------------ About the author: Timothy Stelly is a 46-year old California native with a wide variety of interests-from fishing to politics, which have a lot in common: Both require you to deal with worms and most of your time is spent idling. He is a former Democrat, believing that Party represents outdated ideas. He is officially registered as an Independent, choosing to keep his options open. Timothy is also the author of more than 80 screenplays and novels, two of which have been "published": "Tempest In The Stone" and "The Malice Of Cain", both available through PublishAmerica. He defines his writing style as "Hip-hop fiction; a cross between Richard Pryor and Richard Wright." His UK columns is written in a hard-edged style, but he is not yet a curmudgeon or a conservative. (Is that redundant?) After all, one of his favorite movies is "The Adventures of Milo and Otis." stellbread0.tripod.com Email: stellbread@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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