7 Songs . . .
Cool.
The Cubicle Reverend recently tagged me to list "7 Songs I'm Digging." I so don't talk like that. I'm also painfully insecure about my musical taste. Still, I've never been blog-tagged before, so I feel that I should show my appreciation by playing along. (Thanks, Cube-Rev!)
Here's my list:
King's X: "Sometime." Because sometimes I feel like doing pretty much all the things those guys say they sometimes feel like doing.
Tracy Chapman: "Change." I'm pretty sure she's coming at it from a "chill out, you religious fundamentalist" point of view, but you can turn the lyrics right around and take it from the other perspective, and plus, she asks some good questions.
Charitie Bancroft: "Before the Throne of God Above." I don't remember who "re-tuned" it for postmodern worshippers (though I'm glad they did, because the tune on the link is really kind of plodding and molassesey), but it's a great song about God's grace. The truth is in there. Plus, singing it makes me feel like I'm telling the soul-scorching aspects of the universe, "So there!"
Kirk Franklin: "Hosanna." I'm pretty sure he doesn't know the literal meaning of the word "hosanna" (Lord deliver us), but this song has dredged me out of the depths more times . . .
Ben Harper. I'm hardpressed to pick a favourite song from this guy. I like that he does quiet, mellow stuff, and then sometimes screams his head off. A mellow song I like is "Two Hands of a Prayer"--which hints pleasantly at a good relationship (or something). My favourite screaming-his-head-off song is "So High So Low," which is . . . pretty much the opposite. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Over the Rhine: "Happy With Myself." The more my life-confidence grows, the more I resonate with this.
I think that's seven, since I gave Ben Harper two. But maybe I can sneak in another one: I feel that I would be remiss in not also highlighting my friend Brooks and Hey Now, Morris Fader and their song "On My Way."
And now I tag . . . . the Daves. And Stacey. And if there's a Matt lurking around here whom I knew in days of yore ('cause I heard there might be), I'm tagging you, too.
14 comments:
Can't go wrong with Ben Harper!
Hey, jenn. i'm visiting from Cube Rev's site.
liked the post that follows this, so maybe i should respond there.
but, out of intense curiosity, what drove you to say that franklin may not know the literal meaning of Hosanna? although, being an English teacher, i kind of take exception to the "literal meaning of" rule. i think context is more important and kirk doesn't seem to rip it from either its context or its connotations. in fact, i would argue that franklin is in line with the African American church in finding and discovering (through immense hardship) the subtext of such phrases as "The Lord delivers" and "The Lord is my Savior and my Rock."
btw, i used to love King's X. esp. the stuff around Faith, Hope, Love. the germany album was great too. wish i still had it. and OtR is one of my faves, period, of all time. not really familiar with that song, either though (you should be proud!).
haha. sorry, didn't mean to sound so critical on my first visit. just got *ahem* caught up.
Heather--I agree.
Jasdye--I recognise ya. My inclination to question Franklin's usage of the word "Hosanna" is that he seems to imply that "Hosanna" is one of God's names (in his "side-comments" while the choir's singing the song). However, I agree with you wholeheartedly about subtexts the African American church has discovered. It's one reason why I love Gospel music. And why it's one of the only things that can, as I said, "drag me out of the depths." I guess I'm not convinced he didn't know what it meant, but I just have felt sort of unsure. Also, I have an Old Testament linguist/theologian for a sister-in-law, so I feel kind of paranoid about writing anything about Hebrew words. Even though she's totally unintimidating and awesome. ;)
Yeah, I was going to jump all over the KF thing too. But I hadn't read the liner notes. And KX does make up for it. Jasdye, you should probably check out the latest, Ogre Tones. Ear Candy is good too (the album with Sometime).
OK, so my songs:
I actually find I don't dig songs as much as I dig whole albums. Case in point, my first entry, The Innocence Mission's "We Walked In Song" doesn't have a standout song in the bunch, but the album is overwhelmingly beautiful. So in that vein, I'll do albums:
Daniel Amos: Horrendous Disc. This is such a classic, it's so sad it didn't have more songs. It's just good 70s rock 'n' roll with swaggery guitar riffs and sweet harmonies, with a few old school country ballads thrown in.
Macy Gray has a new album you can listen to free this week on MSN music. Can't go wrong with Macy.
Jason Harrod's albums Living in Skin and Bright as You are very different, but tie for a spot on this list. Jason is the kind of singer songwriter who reminds you that singer songwriter is an awesome genre, even if it also includes lots of people who can't do either.
7&7 is: Fun with Sound--my brother- and sister-in-law gave me this album for Christmas a couple years ago a few years back, and I'm still not sick of it. It has some of the most listenable pop songs you'll ever here. It helps me get over the fact that Michael Roe has released albums as the 77s, Michael Roe, and 7&7 is, among other monikers.
The Galactic Cowboys - At the End of the Day is frequently enjoying "blast from the past" rotation on my computer. They rock so hard.
Finally, I'm digging my friend Brian's remastering job of a whole bunch of old records from the college Glee Club I sang with. I didn't sing with them when they were making actual records, though.
That's all!
maybe i'm just ignorant in this. 1) i didn't catch it; 2) don't christians tend to name God by his attributes given in the Bible (El Shaddai, Savior, Lord, Christ, etc.)? but now i'm intrigued... hmmm...
time for more n.t. wright reading.
Dave--you were going to jump all over my impression of the KF thing, or all over KF's word usage?
Jasdye--("What's His name?") Yeah, I think people DO name God like that, which is why the thing has been a little confusing to me; I am not an English teacher but I was an English major--just evidently a more uptight and overfastidious one than you, and the grammar was giving me fits. "Deliverance" seems like a name. "Please deliver us" doesn't. But I'm sure it doesn't really matter.
Dave again--good grief. How is it that I haven't heard any of these albums. I mean, I know you live half-way across the country, but we ARE related . . .
Clearly I'm going to have to do a lot of catching up when I see you guys in June.
I was going to jump on you, not KF. Because that song is awesome. But Hosanna isn't a name in the Bible. But that doesn't mean it's not what it can mean now, after the church has appropriately played with the word in various worship contexts, I don't hear anyone disagreeing with that.
I was probably looking for songs you hadn't heard because you were the one asking. One of the reasons I have a bunch of CDs you haven't heard is because apparently, if you order a single CD from paste, they mistake you for a subscriber for awhile. So I got a bunch of issues, and one of those came with a trial membership to emusic, and I was able to download, like, 5 albums for $10 or something. I think you can get a similar deal if you go to their website yourself, though. Let me know if someone wants a referral and I won't cancel my membership just yet. :)
Yes, it's another reason to hate dialup.
Actually, it looks like you got some good choices there for music. I mean, Kings X rule. Seriously, they had some great music. And over the rhine? I just got to see them this past christmas.
Dave Grosser--obviously that song is awesome. That's why I put it in there. YOU were going to jump on me, too? Sheesh. Who knew I would unleash such an etymylogical furor? I'm feeling a little beleaguered. (I was going to say "Hosanna!" as the perfect conclusion to all that, but then I thought I might be taking the Lord's name in vain . . . )
Cube Rev--thanks for the approbation. I'm glad you approve. I've never seen any of these people in concert (except KF, incidentally, which was an inadvertently tragic experience), but it must be fun.
Yes, I can understand the beleaguered feeling but "was" is past tense, now I understand where you were coming from, I'm sorry I ever doubted you, etc. etc. Seriously, I feel bad. :(
Oh Dave--feelings of badness are totally unnecessary. I would feel bad, too--but then this would degenerate into some sort of weird sibling guilt-fest for all the world to see. So, um, I think I'm done. But really. No hard feelings. Love you!
Hey thanks for the tag - should be fun to come up with my list this week. I'll post on my blog soon.
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