The four hundred and eighteenth song: Time of the Preacher - Willie Nelson
There's something bittersweet in the sound of most country song and this, the opening statement of a country album about a preacher who kills his wife and lover, adds to that feeling by leaning into it. There's that melancholy that shines through in the feelings for it. At the same time, reading about the album, we're missing out on the context of the work, not pulling it beyond being a nice country song in the first place.
The four hundred and nineteenth song: Rimmel - Francesco De Gregori
In the mean time, abroad the songs that get acclaim (and, I guess, aren't just performed in English) are folk songs like this. Drawing a lot in sound from the French chansoniers, this is a folk sing, mimicking the likes of Dylan, but by the choice of language more romantic sounding, slightly more dreamlike, as a sweet love song.
The four hundred and twentieth song: Born to Be With You - Dion
I've always had mixed feelings about Phil Specter tracks and it feels like he's almost getting held in check here by Dion - while the music wants to go big, the vocals still dominate, grounding and binding the music to create a slightly more contemplative track. I don't really know Dion's work, but as a rock and blues artists, it feels like a counterpoint to the music and the track is then at its best when Dion is singing - a long trumpet interlude feeling unnecessary and making me wish for Dion to come back in. It's a weird combination, a departure, it feels, for both, even if it's ultimately a dead end.
The four hundred and twenty-first song: Musica ribelle - Eugenio Finardi
Here's something I want to hear when I get foreign songs - Italian rock that feels like it never made it out there, but created its own local sound. Here this is a folk rock song, more so than Rimmel, but with an Italian influence that creates a distinct sound, electric mandolins to sound somewhat different from guitars. There's something uplifting in the music, a call to action that transcends language but comes out here. These days it might not be out of place at Eurovision, but for this time it creates the feeling of an anthem, which is seems to have become in Italy, and I enjoy hearing that here.
The four hundred and twenty-second song: Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
Speaking of anthems, Born to Run is certainly one as well. The song immediately evokes driving a motorbike down the highway, looking for freedom and getting away from everything else. It's sweeping, strong and feels fast, creating that drive, and it feels like it could be the soundtrack of many road movies. It's rousing, big and through that incredibly effective at creating a mood and feeling - even out-Spectoring Phil Spector.
The four hundred and twenty-third song: Leb’ Wohl - NEU!
Having an eight minute track gives you a lot more leeway to set up a song and Leb' Wohl takes its time getting anywhere, as an ambient track that starts slowly and leads into a contemplative sound not ages away from meditative tracks made to help you relax. There's always something in there that stops it from getting quite as repetitive, but it keeps everything low key and gentle. It's intriguing and a nice antidote to the hard rock and louder music elsewhere, as a good break or ending to wind down anywhere.
The four hundred and twenty-fourthsong: Legalize It - Peter Tosh
I guess it took over fourty years for this wish to come true - weed legalization, which this song obviously calls for - it's not surprising this is more reggae. Even as that it feels a bit hollow, there's not much in the song that I feel I see in it that goes beyond the same set of lyrics and sounds, a statemtn that for me doesn't come across as well in this form, and even if it makes a good point, the nature of the music keeps it from actually doing much for me.