Today’s music (so far) has included a lot of Pete Yorn songs, including a playlist of lyriquediscorde’s alphabetized favorites of his. That’s what happens, I suppose, when you wake up with a song and artist singing in your head. This PY day includes a Top 5 Music Obsessions track, one that was the first Pete Yorn songs I ever heard.
From there the Top 5 play-list goes to Dramarama’s ode to Earth Day. Though it says April 21st in the song, today is the official Earth Day (April 22). I remember when there used to be Earth Day festivities in Fullerton, back in the ’90s. It was at one of these that I heard Dramamrama perform this song live.
Next up is a track off of Ride’s 1992 album, Going Blank Again. I’ve been digging into Ride’s music lately, and this one is my current obsessive favorite song of theirs.
I stumbled on this LA-themed song (I love songs about Los Angeles) from The Church on one of this week’s Spotify Daily Mixes. This track was immediately filed in my ever-evolving collection of LA and California song. This track, I had to play about 5 or 6 times already this morning – a good indicator of a Top 5 Music Obsession Song!
Last, but definitely not least, is a favorite-music-obsessed song of mine from the early ’80s. Yaz and Alison Moyet’s voice just slay me and this track always pulls at my heart and emotions, every single time I press play – whether back in 1982, or today.
So, let’s press play now, shall we? And give all 5 of Today’s Top 5 Music Obsessions a listen. Be sure to turn the volume up.
Top 5 Music Obsessions – April 22, 2019
1. “Life On a Chain” by Pete Yorn
from the album, musicforthemorningafter (2001)
“I was alone.
You were just around the corner from me.”
“Take a listen to this, you’ll love this guy,” was the words of my late husband back in 2001. We’d been married a year and had made a crazy move to a state we’d only stay in for nine months. We were unpacking boxes and exchanging nervous looks back-and-forth, the anticipation mixing itself up with a hefty dose of anxiety, the stuff that big changes tend to bring.
He’d went to run an errand and stumbled upon a record store (always a find when in a new town) and picked up this album. He’d played it in the car on the way home and run in, excited, to share it with me. I can still remember that first moment, that first listen, and the first crackling sound of “Life on a Chain”.
That was the first time I heard the song. And yes, he was right, I fell hard for the album, and the song, right then and there. This track will always be one of my all-time favorite songs, from one of my all-time favorite albums.
2. “What Are We Gonna Do?” by Dramarama
from the album, Vinyl (1991)
“It’s April 21st,
and everybody knows today is Earth Day,
Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday to whoever’s being born.
And now I’m trying hard,
to think of something meaningful and worthy,
kind of earthy,
to make everybody ask themselves just
what are we doing here?
And what are we doing to her?
I don’t know.”
It was Earth Day. 1993 or 1994, I believe. We sat in the corner with our arms draped around each other as the singer (John Easdale) walked by. He stopped to talk to us, said he wished us well, and we did the same. When he sang this he said, “to the couple in the corner who still believe.”
Dramarama was one of our first shared loves. One of the biggest ones. It’s hard to separate our memories with the songs. I don’t think I will ever be able to.
I don’t listen often. But, I had to play “What Are We Gonna Do?” today. Earth Day memories. Its a great track.
Turn this one up to LOUD.
3. “Leave Them All Behind” by Ride
from the album, Going Blank Again (1992)
“Just to see,
we’ve got so far to go,
until we get there –
just let it flow.”
Back in the 90’s I somehow missed the ride with Ride. I knew who they were, had friends who were big fans, and yes, I knew the song “Vapour Trail”, but for some reason, I’d never dug in and listened to them.
They’ve been on my back burner, listen t this, get to it someday list for a long time. Years really. I’m finally on the Ride-ride, and I’m loving it. This song, “Leave Them All Behind”, the first track on Going Blank Again is my big Ride-obsession right now.
Do you have a favorite Ride track?
4. “Laurel Canyon” by The Church
from the album, Further/Deeper (2014)
“All those times we parted,
all those times we saw it through.
Couldn’t finish what I started.
I was diminished without you.”
The Church was one of my favorite bands in the ’80s. So many songs of theirs from that era I love so much. To be honest, though, I’d not followed the band past that.
I stumbled on “Laurel Canyon” through a Spotify Playlist, and became immediately obsessed with it. Not only is it a song about California/Los Angeles (an obsession of mine – music collecting wise), but it has all the aspects, sounds, and sensibilities that I always loved about The Church.
Now its time to play catch-up with the music of theirs I’ve missed.
5. “Only You” by Yaz
from the album, Upstairs at Eric’s (1982)
“All I needed was the love you gave.
All I needed for another day.
And all I ever knew,
only you.”
Speaking of the ’80s, Yaz and “Only You” are definitely on my favorite ’80s forever song list. This song, sad and beautiful, heartbreaking and love-song-ish, always makes me feel so many things. Sometimes the song makes me cry. Sometimes it spreads surges of warmth through my veins. And, sometimes it just has me singing-loudly-a-long.
I love Alison Moyet’s voice. So much.
Top 5 Music Obsessions – Week of April 22, 2019
