Songs I Heard This Week (7/7/17)
This has always been one of my all-time favorite Bee Gees songs. Not only due to the brilliant production, but also for sentimental reasons. When I was young and things were difficult at home, I would often escape by walking in the woods behind my house with my headphones on and get lost in a world that seemed just beyond the horizon. I had a special spot I would go to that was on a hill hidden by trees. Sometimes I would hide away up there for hours, listening to music as a comfort and this one had a strong impact on me at the time. I remember standing in that place, looking out over the open space below and imagining that my spirit could take off and fly to another dimension that was safe, beautiful and full of love. And one day it shall.
I stumbled across this performance earlier this week and was just amazed that a song of such perfection could be improved upon. Both Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon are otherworldly in their own right, but Andy Williams is not to be overshadowed by anyone’s vocal chops. Together they blend so beautifully, yet never attempt to overpower each other. That takes true artistic restraint and the result is magic!
A while back I was sick and in need of some cheering up, so I sent out a call for my friends to send me some good music. One friend posted this on my thread, most likely never realizing it would lead to an obsession with this band, The Midnight. They are part of a new electronic movement known as “New Retro Wave” or “Synth Wave”, which basically attempts to replicate the synth sound of the 80s while blending in some modern elements to bring it up to date. While I have been listening to this type of music for a while, very few do it as successfully as The Midnight.
This comes from the Late Night Alumni album, “Empty Streets”, which was released in 2005. It still sounds fresh and has been in constant rotation in my car lately. This song speaks to me as one who often has trouble sleeping because of all the thoughts swirling in my head. I have a difficult time shutting my brain off at times, but some of my best thinking comes at night, so it’s hard to wish it away. Not sure if that’s what the songwriter had in mind, but that’s what spoke to me about it this week. Also, let’s not negate the sweet vocals of Becky Jean Williams, which is sure to lull anyone into dreamland.
I find myself going back to this lovely Oceanlab song time and again. Such a great depiction of how it feels to fall in love. One of the best lyrics…”your mind, your mind, you’re beautiful”. Is there anything more attractive than a beautiful mind?
