I’m not a depressing person. Honest, I’m not. Still, for some reason I have always had an affinity for depressing songs. With that said, I thought I would continue with the playlist theme and give you my favorite breakup songs. Now, the criteria for these songs is that they are only the most painful songs with no understanding or resolution. Take a look at this list and see what you think:
Yesterday - The Beatles
Hard Way to Fall - Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
Til I Hear It from You - Gin Blossoms
Am I the Only One - Dixie Chicks
Say Hello, Wave Goodbye - David Gray
Broke Down - Slaid Cleaves
I Threw It All Away - Bob Dylan
One - U2
Love Hurts - Gram Parsons with Emmylou Harris
Tomorrow is a Long Time - Nickel Creek
It Makes No Difference - The Band
Walk Away - Ben Harper
Bell Bottom Blues - Derek & the Dominos
Look What You’ve Done - Jet
A Long December - Counting Crows
Seven Years - Natalie Merchant
Dear John - Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
It Won’t Hurt - Dwight Yoakam
You Don’t Miss Your Water - The Byrds
No Need to Argue - The Cranberries
Okay, so I’ve been on a little bit of a tear lately. I find it strangely satisfying to make playlists of a genre or topic. I’ve made my favorite country lists, bluegrass lists, rock ‘n’ roll, swing - you get the idea. The best way that I have found is to make a list of about forty canidates and then whittle it down to about eighteen. Believe me, it’s harder than it sounds. Anyway, here is my list of bluegrass gospel favorites out of my collection. If you’ve got any suggestions, let me know. However, just remember that you’ve got to take one off to put one on; it’s part of the challenge.
Listen to the Word of God - Lonesome River Band
Paul and Peter Walked - Claire Lynch
He Will Set You Fields on Fire - Flatt & Scruggs
Come on Down - The Lost & Found
Tenderly Calling - Hot Rize
Preachin’, Prayin’, Singin’ - Bluegrass Album Band
Let the Church Roll On - Flatt & Scruggs
My Name is Judas - Claire Lynch
Paul and Silas - Flatt & Scruggs
I’m Using My Bible for a Roadmap - Reno & Smiley
Take Me in Your Lifeboat - The Bluegrass Album Band
Working on a Building - Hot Rize
Jerico Road - The Country Gentlemen
Pride of Man - Tony Rice
God Moves in a Windstorm - Blue Highway
Where the Soul of Man Never Dies - Skaggs & Rice
Brother, I’m Getting Ready to Go - Claire Lynch
The Old Crossroads - Skaggs & Rice
Model Church - The Bluegrass Album Band
I promised to write some of the things I’m learning from Richard Smith’s book Bluegrass: An Informal Guide. He provides a list of ten characteristics that define bluegrass music so I thought giving you a summary of them would be helpful.
1. Ultimately all forms of bluegrass are derived from the music of Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys.
2. Bluegrass is ensemble music.
3. Bluegrass is a string music.
4. Basic bluegrass instruments are 5-string banjo, fiddle, mandolin, 6-string guitar and bass.
5. Generally, the banjo is the primary instrument with the fiddle and/or mandolin in supporting roles.
6. In bluegrass, the offbeat is emphasized.
7. Bluegrass players typically “anticipate” or surge just ahead of the beat to give the music extra energy, but not in such a way that the tempo keeps speeding up.
8. Bluegrass singers typically perform songs in keys that cause them to sing in higher registers.
9. Bluegrass instruments are generally not electrified.
10. Bluegrass has a defiinite starting point and is therefore not a traditional music.
For more details on any of the characteristics above, pick up a copy of Richard’s book. Not only will you learn valuable information like above, but you will also get a lot of the history of the people behind the music. The book could probably use updating since it was published in 1995, however it is still an invaluable guide to the history and development of bluegrass music.
Thanks for stopping by and tell a friend about us.
Noah
Hopefully if you are reading this post today you have had a wonderful time with family and friends. Thanksgiving really provides a sweet time of reflection on the past year. How was your year? Can you think of anything to be thankful for? At the very least, I hope you have the opportunity to tell those closest to you today that you truly love them and are thankful for their presence in your life.
May God richly bless you all today, and thank you for your support of what we are doing here at yogomusic.com.
Noah
If anyone knows me very well they know I love to read. My shelves are full of books including theology, business, biography, history and others. Long story, but I have about 20 boxes of books stored in Shane’s basement right now. Anyway, I just picked up a copy of Richard Smith’s Bluegrass: An Informal Guide. As the title states the book provides an informal guide to understanding the roots of bluegrass. As I make my way through the book I plan on writing a few brief entries of some of the things I learn.
On a side note I also just picked up a book called Radical Simplicity: Creating an Authentic Life by Dan Price. I just read Dan’s book on journaling this week, and now I want to read his perspective on the simple life (a topic I’m more and more interested in). Last week I read Dave Ramsey’s book the Total Money Makeover, which challenged my thinking in regard to money, and the week before last Timothy Ferriss’s The Four Hour Work Week which gave me a vision for life beyond corporate America.
I’m not telling you about these books to impress you with my reading ability, but because I think they all contribute to a common theme. The theme revolves around living a more simple and stress free lifestyle…a lifestyle that enjoys the richness of music, freedom from debt, liberation from consumerism and seeing beyond corporate America.
Anyway, I hope your enjoyment of music and reading adds as much richness to your life as it does mine.
Thanks for stopping by!
Noah