From this column I will present, every two weeks, 10 songs, albums, artists, films, books or anything else related to Music, sometimes having a common axis in mind, and sometimes moving just intuitively. Regardless of tags and camps, with only the limitations of my individual taste and knowledge. For our first meeting, here are 10 songs for a good and hopeful start. I wish you a good listening!
(Paul Weller) Borrowig the guitar and bass riffs from George Harrison's Taxman, one of the great songs included on The Beatles' Revolver (1966), Paul Weller wrote this rhythmic piece which was the 11th single of his band and was included in the album Sound Affects (1980). The first verse: "It's not important for you to know my name / Nor I to know yours / If we communicate for two minutes only / It will be enough" , could be the motto of this column.
2. Start All Over - Kula Shaker
(Crispian Mills)
Crispian Mills' love for all things Indian left untouched this excellent piece of work from the debut of Kula Shaker, K (1996). A love song with the keys of Jay Darlington to the top and the wind instruments giving it all towards the finish. The band was unable to repeat the magic recipe discovered here.
3. (Just Like) Starting Over - John Lennon
(John Lennon)
This single did not get much positive reviews when released as a precursor of Lennon's swansong, Double Fantasy (1980), the b-side, Yoko Ono's Kiss Kiss Kiss stealing the show. Everyone expected something more original after the former Beatle's 5 years of absence than an old-fashioned rhythmic piece with a vocal style reminiscent of Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison. With his death it went straight to #1, clearly indicating once again which is the most commercially successful movement for a major star...
4. Start Me Up - The Rolling Stones
(Mick Jagger-Keith Richards)
First recorded in the sessions for Black And Blue in 1975, it took several more years for it to see the light of day when it was chosen as the single of Some Girls (1981), reaching up to #7 in Britain (the last top-10 single for the Stones until today) and #2 in U.S. The riff of Keith Richards is a classic and the song has a constant position in the live performances of the old rock'n'rollers.
5. Wanna Be Startin 'Somethin' - Michael Jackson
(Michael Jackson)
The opening track from Thriller (1982), which still holds the lead in the category of highest sales, its worldwide sales exceeding the 100 million copies, is a 6 minute funky diamond. It was the 4th single from the album, reaching #8 in the UK and #5 in America. It was re-recorded with Akon to mark its 25th anniversary.
6. Something Got Me Started - Simply Red
(Mick Hucknall-Fritz McIntyre)
Mick Hucknall and company appear with a disposition to dance on this single from their most successful album, Stars (1991). Although it didn't do particularly well in the charts, it 's one of their most loved songs and so it was re-recorded for Simplified in 2006.
7. We Can Start All Over Again - Gloria Gaynor
(Joe Beck-George Flame)
For her 4th album, Glorious (1977), Gaynor chose disco-boffin Gregg Diamond and jazz guitarist Joe Beck as producers. The album was not much of a success but contains this disco-soul hybrid with strong rhythm and jazz guitar passages, which by then is included on all the hits collections of the singer.
(Kris Birkin-Paul Butler-Michael Clevett-Warren Hampshire-Aaron Fletcher-Tim Parkin)
A selection from the second album of the Brits from the Isle of Wight, which was titled Free The Bees (2004). With a multitude of influences and a '60s sound, The Bees are singing to the accompaniment of piano and brass: "Oh, that's so not the way / You should look at it / The effort in art / Comes from the heart / A place that's blood red / And hits from the start ". So true!
9. Could We Start Again Please - Various Performers
(Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice)
Many years before deciding to participate in the Eurovision contest, Andrew Lloyd Webber, with the company of his almost permanent partner, Tim Rice, wrote the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar (1970) which came to Broadway, became a film in 1973 and caused controversy with a large part of the public, to be considered a classic today. In this song from the soundtrack of the film, Mary Magdalene (Yvonne Elliman) recollects the beginning of the adventure with the company of Peter (Philip Toubus) and the other Apostles.
10. Brand New Start - Paul Weller
(Paul Weller)
In 1998, Weller released the collection Modern Classics: The Greatest Hits , closing his contractual obligations with Go! Records. Among succesful singles of his solo career, there is this great new song. Acoustic guitars, a nostalgic feel and optimistic lyrics: "I'm gonna clean up my earth / And build a heaven on the ground / Not something distant or unfound / But something real to me" .
* Photos from www.wikipedia.org