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chris cavanagh's avatar

These have been fun. Your choices have sent me time travelling. Bowie and Jethro Tull were the soundtrack of my adolescence. And Tom Waits the soundtrack to several doomed romances as i entered my 20s - great feeling-sad-about-oneself music :-)(As for Steely Dan, i'm afraid it was just a notch above elevator music for me ;-) )

man of aran's avatar

It was fun, and glad to be of service! Matter of taste, of course, but I'll just note that you'll never hear dark and satirical lyrics like Steely Dan's in any elevator! :)

chris cavanagh's avatar

Well, that sounds like my loss. Can't really defend my teenage taste - it was eclectic but hardly edacated ;-) If i'd bothered to listen past my biases I'm sure that "dark and satirical" was exactly what I would have loved. I'm reminded of a debt I owe Richard Linklater for his Dazed and Confused. It's the story of graduation day in a Texas high school in May 1976 which was also Linklater's grad day. Coincidentally, given the odd education system of english schools in Quebec, it also graduated high school in May 1976. I loved the film and recognized all the stereotypes of nerds and jocks and so on. Weird similarity of Quebec and Texas, for sure. But what astonished me was the soundtrack which i only learned after watching the film that Linklater had painstakingly researched to be exactly what was playing in May 1976. All i knew watching the film was that i recognized - with surprised delight - every single song. Quite the time capsule for me.

man of aran's avatar

Well, I graduated in 1977 in British Columbia. I think I will have to go watch that film. I was pretty tuned in to popular music at the time, so it should be fun..

Writer Pilgrim by So Elite's avatar

I picked up Steely Dan's music recently. Heard their song at a NYE party and I was like... that song is really good how come I've not paid attention before? A friend got me one of their albums and the lyrics are poetry right through I thought. They've been in the soundtrack of every day life, but for some reason, I only paid attention now. I understand the elevator comment, but once you pay attention to the words, it's a totally different experience.

Steven Vickers's avatar

There are some decent covers of Tom Waits' stuff, but I can't take his vocals.

man of aran's avatar

Ah yes, his voice. For me, it's a package. His voice, his material and his musical stylings are of a piece, which includes a range from the very listenable to the barely. So yeah, I get it.

Paul Wittenberger's avatar

Listen to Waits’ version of Somewhere and his song Kentucky Avenue, if you haven’t heard either.

man of aran's avatar

Love his rendition of Somewhere, probably more than any other, and what a magnificent song Kentucky Avenue is, especially lyrically. Who else could sing that song? Thanks Paul.

Fotini Masika's avatar

One more time, clap hands!

man of aran's avatar

Thanks, Fotini! It was you who reminded me of the song, prompting me to make use of it!

Fotini Masika's avatar

Glad to be of service!

Weston Parker's avatar

Nice. Have you heard Jerry Jeff Walker's version? He's got a great voice.

man of aran's avatar

Hadn't heard that version, just found it on YouTube. Pretty nice. I'd pretty much forgotten that I liked Jerry Jeff Walker! Thanks for the reminder!

Weston Parker's avatar

He covered Dylan’s “One Too Many Mornings” which is quite lovely. It’s got that line in it, one of my favorite lines of all, “I’ve got restless hungry feeling, that just don’t mean no one no good”

Writer Pilgrim by So Elite's avatar

Your contribution to the song title poetry challenge has brought amazement in the crowds man of aran. Amazing pagination, content, choice of artists and the way your arrangements work these titles is pure bliss! Thank you! This yet another masterpiece with Tom Waits!

man of aran's avatar

Thank you so much, Pilgrim! It’s been an absolute pleasure to participate, so many inspired contributions. Congratulations on the the success of this month long event you created! Drawing crowds indeed, and creating community! Good on you!

Writer Pilgrim by So Elite's avatar

Thank you man of aran for being here and giving us some pretty good poems!

Scott Delaney's avatar

I read your clown series and thought, “surely, Tom Waits is just around the corner.” Lo and behold…

man of aran's avatar

Hey Scott, thanks for coming around and reading my stuff! Yeah, oddballs and outsiders I guess is Tom Waits territory, if that’s what you mean. Hope to see you down the line.