Simply Beautiful Songs

More picks:

Chris Bell - You and Your Sister

The Marmalade - Reflections of My Life

The Iveys/Badfinger - Maybe Tomorrow

Derek and the Dominos - Bell Bottom Blues

The Jayhawks - Blue

Serge Gainsbourg - Ah, Melody

The Raspberries - Don't Wanna Say Goodbye

 

How exactly is the 'simpleness' or 'simplicity' being defined for this category?

 

It's not a thread about simple, beautiful songs, per se. Just songs that, simply, are beautiful. I think. A process that is neither simple nor beautiful.

 

Wouldn't that be all beautiful songs?
Or if it is 'simply beautiful,' does that mean no other modifier, description or critique can be applied? There is absolutely nothing else to be said about the song, except that it is beautiful?

 

Some great calls here - great to see Mazzy Star get some love.
A few faves that make the room get dusty:

Kate Bush - "Wow": Would be easy to say "Wuthering Heights" (from my wedding), but the interpretive dance in the video puts this over the top.

U2 - "Walk On," from "A Tribute to Heroes": Ten days after THAT day, the boys rise to the occasion. Start losing it at "Hello from London."

Maria McKee - "Show Me Heaven". Not the cheesy Hollywoodified version from "Days of Thunder," but the demo version (from her '01 compilation CD) with just organ and percussion. She sure sang the hell of it.

Johnny Cash - "Hurt". He didn't just sing it. He lived it.

John Cale - "Venus in Furs". Which Lou Reed/Velvet Underground song do I pick?

Arcade Fire - "Virgin Mary Highway". Win and Regine are simply magic together, but how could they NOT put this song on any of their three albums? (Having lost my mother-in-law this year, "In the Backseat" cuts a little too close to home.)

Pixies - "Wave of Mutilation" (Newport Folk Festival, 2005). I still kick myself for having been away on vacation and missing this show.

Neil Young - "The Needle & the Damage Done" (Johnny Cash Show, 1971). Neil just rips my guts out on the solo numbers.

Kristin Hersh - "Delicate Cutters". Almost 25 years ago, I saw her play this as an encore at an early Throwing Muses show. Never heard a rowdy club go so silent - as intense an acoustic performance as I've ever heard.

Siouxsie Sioux & Morrissey - "Interlude". This is just ungodly - two legends, neither fond of the other, leaving us one great moment.

 

I haven't read through 10 pages, but I was watching 'Gladiator' last night, among other things, and I was struck by how beautiful the final song was when Maximus dies. I don't know who sang it or played it, but I really liked it.


EDIT: I just found it on YouTube:

 

The Book of Love, Peter Gabriel
Just Not Each Other, William Fitzsimmons
Moonlight Kiss, Bap Kennedy

 

I can't resist:

Gnarls Barkley, "Who's Gonna Save My Soul Now" (Live from Abbey Road Studios, 2008): Gospel soul that delivers the perfect benediction unto The Hardest Working Man in Show Business.

Elvis Costello & Diana Krall, "Almost Blue" (Montreal Jazz Festival, 2004): Musically, matrimonially...in how many different ways has the man overachieved?

Talking Heads, "Heaven" (Stop Making Sense): David Byrne and the criminally underrated Tina Weymouth would've made a great acoustic duo.

Lovespirals, "Dejame": Takes me to a no-tel south of the border.

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds (w/Kylie Minogue & Shane McGowan): "Death is Not the End." This song is going to be played at my funeral.

Sandy Denny, "Who Knows Where the Time Goes": I hope I never have to enter the funeral parlor with this CD, Mrs. Terrier's farewell of choice.

Richard & Linda Thompson, "A Heart Needs a Home": Discovered this on The Old Grey Whistle Test DVD. I would recommend all three volumes of this compilation of the 1971-86 BBC series to anybody.

Laurie Sargent, "Sorcerer," from "Streets of Fire." Another song that was remade for the soundtrack LP instead of using the superior version from the movie (the acoustic guitars make it). That is author Stevie Nicks singing backup, though.

Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballe, "Barcelona": It 'aint over til...Freddie pulls off opera.

R.E.M., "Country Feedback": This song has only grown in stature over 20 years.

 

I might throw in "Perfect Circle" by REM

 

On the topic of Peter Gabriel, a duet with Kate Bush (I think): "Don't Give Up."

 

Good to see a mention of "Question" by the Old 97's.

In that vein, I'll throw in one that came over the iPod this morning: "Fireflies" by Rhett Miller and Rachael Yamagata.

 

Trey had a helluva call on Queen's Teo Torriate.

Adding
'39- Queen (in that hauntingly beautiful way)
Feels Like Home- Chantal Kreviazuk (Wedding Dance song for me and Mrs. Fly)
Always With Me, Always With You- Joe Satriani (instrumental version)