Here's the thing

Recently, I've been considering music. Well, let's be honest, i nearly am always considering music. But more specifically i've been considering my top five and then top ten favorite songs of all time. I try to avoid these kinds of "lists" because they are subjective and everyone has a different opinion with no basis on which to judge such lists (or similar lists) ofther then feelings and record sales. Not to mention that for me - to name such a list is to make myself vulnerable. To tell you the songs that have deeply impacted me and wait expectantly for your approval or for your ridicule. I don't like being ridiculed. Especially on the topic of music. Especially since i know so much more about music then most people - but not all people. In fact - i don't mind being ridiculed by people who's musical opinion i don't care for - like people who think that Nickelback is better then Bob Dylan (i don't actually know anyone who has ever said this - but i bet they exist) but it's the people whose opinions i do respect that i fear being condemned, ridiculed, and rejected by. But screw it - I'm going to lay out for you if i can - the ten songs that i love the most/have impacted me the most - whatever that means - in no particular order. By the way - a lot of this thought process carries over from the ultimate question that i have been asked many times - "What is your favorite song?" For a while I had that one figured out - and for a while i even had a criteria that helped me determine the favorocity of a song. To be considered worthy of being called a favorite song - whenever that song would play in your presence you would have to feel an unstoppable urge to rock - or it would have to mentally and emotionally transport you to a better day. If that doesn't make sense...well too bad...it makes sense to me. So without furter delay - here they are - in their entirity...My top ten favorite songs....

a) Where The Streets Have No Name - U2

For many a moon and probably even in a current sense - this is my all time favorite song. To me, this is a song with electricity - a song that moves me in every sense of the word. This is a song best played while driving down the highway on a beautiful sunny summer day or on any other kind of day but it helps you imagine that you are driving down the highway on a beautiful summer day instead of the death snowy day that you are actually travelling in

b) Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns N' Roses

This song is epic. The guitar is memorable. The lyrics are classic. And when I hear this song it makes me want to be a rock star. This song makes me want to stand up and play air guitar. I feel this song in my loins, if that can be said without sounding innappropriatly erotic.

c) Let it Be - The Beatles

What an outstanding song. In fact, I'm going to listen to it right now. It reinforces my love for the piano. It's simple, stripped down - some beautiful lyrics - and it's got this build up in it that i just love - choir like background vocals, quiet drums, and eventually some spectacular guitars. It's a hopeful song to me.

d) Layla - Derek and The Dominos

The cool thing about this tune is that you listen to it and the change that happens you think that Layla is over and some other song is now started. And yet - it all flows together so well - the beautiful piano again - to the powerful potent guitars of Eric Clapton and Duane Allman with Eric's potent lyrics about this love that is "unavailable" (because she is married to George Harrison..or at least she was at the time). This song is also a connection between me and my Dad, because through his own love for this song - he introduced it to me and it blew my mind as much as it blew his.

e) Oh My Sweet Carolina - Ryan Adams

Without a doubt - my favorite Ryan Adams song. It's quiet and introspective with magnificent lyrics that paint such a lonely/painful/beautiful picture. It includes one my favorite all time lyrics - "I ain't never been to Vegas - but I gambled all my life - building newsprint boats - i raced the sewer main". Astounding! What brings this song together is the background vocal performance of Emmy-Lou Harris and the haunting Piano. Anyone starting to see a trend?

f) Only in Dreams - Weezer

Weezer was my life. I caught up with Weezer a few years after they came out. They were quite popular in my youth group - but i resisted for a while - just because i hated to do what everyone else was doing - cause most people were just sheep and didn't have real souls. I'm harsh i know. But then i joined a band - and that band wanted to cover a weezer song - and because of that i bought the Blue Album and my life was legitimatly changed. Such emotional lyrics that often described the lonliness, angst, geekyness, and confusion that plagued my life. The final track of that album was the pinnacle. It wasn't my favorite at the time of original purpose - but the more i listened the more it grew and then when i saw Weezer in concert and they closed out the show with this epic number it has held a special place in my heart. It's an epic song - and i love epic songs. Plus it has the build up - the ultimate build up, where the music is so powerful and well played that you don't need words to express the power of it all.

g) Nothing Else Matters - Metallica

Ok, so i used to love Metallica. I used to be angry and a mainstream metal head. Times have changed i don't rock as hard as i used to - cause my personality became more depressed then angry - but this was Metallica's first foray into something that wasn't heavy neccesarily and it was outstanding. It showed some power and restrained character in Jame's voice. The lyrics were poetic and well delivered. It's funny because this song is the least characteristic of Metallica and yet it is my favorite - i guess that has it's own implications. I think this song helped me transition from Angry to Depressed. Good times.

h) Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd

Did you know that in High School i passed myself off as being named Leonard for like 2 months to some cute grade eight girl when i was in grade nine? Though in my mind it was spelled Lynyrd. Anyway - once again an epic song prevails on my list. For me this song is all about the build up and then the bowel shattering (in a good way) guitar solo.

i) Apparitions - Matthew Good Band

This was a tough one for me - because i think there are songs by Matthew Good or Matthew Good Band that i like more then this one now - but none have impacted me initially as strongly as this one did. I have liked Matt Good in all his variations since i first heard "Symbolistic White Walls" on 99.3 The Fox back in the mid to late nineties. By the time the album "Underdogs" came out - I was a full fledged fan. "Underdog" spawned a ton of great singles - none more gripping then "Apparitions". Matt uses lots of dark imagry and metaphor and if that wasn't enough - his videos were dark as well. Out of all the songs i've talked about so far - this is the one where the music video actually helped make the impact as deep as it was. The song and the video portray the darkness of corperate life - the seedy underbelly if you will - and being "stuck inside our own machines". It's a magnificent tune - and a powerful video - harkening back to a time when music videos helped tell a story in an artistic (not autistic) way.

j) Black - Pearl Jam

The headliner on my original "great depression" mix! Pearl Jam is sweet. And this song was my theme song for like a year. A very, very crappy year - filled with awesome music! This is to me - the ultimate song of unrequited or lost love. Musically it is great - everything comes together to make an amazing song - but what stands out to me - what grabs me for sure is the lyrics and most specifically this lyric - "I know someday you'll have a beautiful life - I know you'll be a sun - in somebody elses sky - but why - why - why - can't it be mine". The lyrics themselves are great but the searing, honest, vicious (in a good way) delivery from Eddie Vedder convince you that this was a true life experiance that he is expressing from the depths of his soul - and one that at the time (actually several times) - totally identified with.

Honorable Mentions: I'll Be There For You - Bon Jovi, Hotel California - The Eagles, All I Want is You - U2, Hey Jude - The Beatles

So thats my top ten. It actually came out easily - because i didn't put a ton of thought into this beyond some songs that i had already identified from other times in my life when questions such as this arose. I didn't have a list or anything - i just started typing and out it came - which to me is cool - cause if i didn't really have to think about it - then these songs came from my soul/heart which is better then coming from my head or arse.

Post Script - I should be working on my sermon - but i don't feel like it right now - and i tried to talk to Troy on MSN - but he bailed - apperantly he's working or something...