1. Kate Bush | Love And Anger
The Sensual World is one of my Top 3 Albums of All Time, and this song always gets me. I find myself Singing It at Random All the Time. There's something so Majestic and so Inescapable about the Melody. The Lyric It's so deep I don't think that I can speak about it and its delivery is one of my Favourite Moments in a Song, and her final Yes gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. I wish it had been a huge Hit because I'd Love to hear this in a Room Full of People singing it, like the Final Chorus with all the Voices in the Recording. It makes me Feel so many Emotions All At Once. I think it's a Perfect Song.
2. Björk | Harm Of Will
I have a Really Weird Relationship with Björk. Even though I think Hyper-ballad is my Favourite Song of All Time, I don't think it's my favourite Björk song - which I know makes Absolutely No Sense. But Harm Of Will feels like More Than A Song. It takes me Completely Out of My World and Takes Me Somewhere Else Entirely. The World that This Song Creates is just Too Much. Vespertine as a Whole I think is one of the Most Impressive Records I've Heard. I Can't Believe that Humans WROTE It. It's a Real Experience.
3. Emiliana Torrini | Sea People
Maybe in Another Life I Lived in Iceland. Or maybe Growing Up Remotely in Wales near the Coast in a Valley gave me some Affinity with Music coming from Iceland and its Drama and Vastness. Emiliana's First Album was one I listened to over and over Growing Up. I thought that this very Slight song, 1'12 in Length, was the Most Beautiful Conclusion to a Totally Charming Album. When you say Goodbye, my lungs ache filled with Water, cos I'll always Love you... I thought was such a Wonderfully Romantic and Heartbreaking Final Line to an Album. I could never Listen to the Album just Once, I Always Played It Through Again.
4. Mandalay | Flowers Bloom
I heard this by chance on Jo Whiley's Show when it came out and at a time when I was mostly into Guitar Bands or Female Singers, the Electronic Production on this track Dancing Around the Gorgeous Vocal Really Cut Through. I Loved the Darkness and Cocoon-like Sound of the song. Flowers Bloom in Desolate Places is a really Evocative Lyric. It's not easy to buy non-Chart Singles in Regional Wales, so Growing Up all I had of this song was a Memory of Hearing It Once, then Half a Recording when it came on the Radio Again and I Managed to Record What I Could onto a Cassette. When I eventually found a Copy of the CD, I spent £5.49 on it as an Import Single. And it was Worth Every Penny.
5. Kelis | Get Along With You
When I first heard Caught Out There I knew I was going to like Kelis. I went out and bought Kaleidoscope the day it was Out, and when this song First Started, it was my Favourite. I had a Total oh, my God, this song is speaking TO ME Teenage Moment when it got to her talking bit and she says Dear Diary, I remember like it was yesterday, it was October 30th, which is my Birthday. A Nice Coincidence. I Love the Production on this track. I Love her Voice. I just thought her Whole Album was so Cool and so Full of Personality, and this track is a Standout for me, and one of The Neptunes' Finest Moments.
6. Goldfrapp | Stranger
Even though I've been a huge fan of Goldfrapp right since first hearing Utopia, their Latest Record is by far my Favourite. It's the First Album since Verspertine to take me Absolutely Out of My World and Into Another Time and Place. The Record is so Timeless, it's like a Black and White Film, or a Memory, and it's Full of These Beautifully Cutting Lines. Stranger I think has the Best Balance of Beauty, Shade, and Haunting Nature. Alison's Vocals are so Effortless, and the Arrangement is the Most Lush They Have Done. Hearing it Live at Somerset House before hearing it on Record was really Something - I was really Affected by it. A Truly Beautiful Track.
7. Shawn Christopher | Don't Lose The Magic (Morales' 12")
I Heard this Song by Accident, in a Club or on a Compilation maybe... I can't remember. But it ties in Everything I Love about 90s Dance Music. A Great Vocal, a Killer Bassline, the Piano Lines, and with Morales' Unmistakable Beats Over the Top. I met a Few People on my Travels Who All Quote This as One of Their Favourite Songs (although mostly the Hitman's 12" Version), it's such a Secret Anthem Almost. I Don't Ever Hear It Played Out, but every time I Play it Out, someone in the Room Lights Up and the Joy This Track Brings Makes Me So, So Happy. Even though the Lyrics are Pretty Cheesy, I Will Listen to Tthis Track Forever and it Will Always Make Me Feel on Top of the World.
8. Mansfield.TYA | Pour Oublier Je Dors
This is one track I found When I First Started Exploring Blogs and Finding New Music by People Sharing mp3s (Imagine!). What's first Arresting is the Gorgeous Piano and the, as it was described, Devastating String Part. It really is. The Lyrics are Very, Very Dark, but Presented in Such a Beautiful Way. It's a Really Macabre, but Very Elegant track. One that a lot of People also picked up on I think. I Love listening to this track in moments of Calm - really Late at Night and in Dim Light. It makes me feel Very Pensive. (And also very Glad I haven't Murdered Someone and Hidden their Teeth Not To Get Caught).
9. Blue Pearl | Naked In The Rain
Oh, my God, this track is Too Good. I can't listen to this track Without Wanting to Dance. I Love the Vocal, the Urgency, how Sexual the whole thing is. Blessed Rain is such a Great Phrase. I Love when Dance Music is so Dark and Sensual and Enveloping, like Fired Up! by Funky Green Dogs. For me that was a Later Version of this track - part Filthy, part Spiritual. It's a Total Classic that Everybody Seems to Love to this Day. Maybe Everybody Wants to be Primal Sometimes and Dance Naked in the Rain. Of course they do.
10. Elton John | Home Again
For a Man with so much Back Catalogue - and a Back Catalogue of Such Quality - it's Very Impressive to Still Be Making New Music that is Still as Strong, or in this case some of Your Strongest. I think this Lead Track from his Newest Record is Incredible. So Rousing. I Love the Way It's Recorded and I Love his Vocal Delivery. I'm actually a big fan of his Later Work like Songs From The West Coast and for me this New Record has so much Life and Passion in it. Home Again feels very Deeply Personal. I Love that it SOUNDS like it's Sung by a Man Later in His Life, rather than a Song that Could Be Sung by Anyone of Any Age. It's a Beautiful Match of Artist, Person, Subject and Experience.
