I am a sensitive person. I find it hard to watch a movie and not swell up with tears when the hero wins through. Silly, I know, only I've always been strongly affected by music I love too. Certain tracks have always reduced me to tears of joy. I simply can't believe how great the music is. I have to avoid playing these tracks too often, or I'd end up a wreck! It doesn't happen every time I play the songs, but often enough. I'm just overcome by the sheer power of the music. The way it builds up and grabs me. Resistance is futile.
The music can be anything - pop, rock, dance, electronic - there are classics in all genres of music.
So I thought I'd share my list with you. I thought it was only 1 or 2 tracks, but when I listed them, the list grew and grew! I've probably missed a few out as well!
Note: I'm not talking about sad songs, or love songs here. Just extremely powerful tracks that blow my mind. Here's my list - what's yours?
Jon Anderson - Within the Lost World (and Far, Far Cry?)
These and other tracks on the album Requiem For The Americas (Songs From The Fourth World) are so intense it defies belief. Absolute magic!
Björk - All Is Full Of Love (video version)
I love her music, but the original of this is very dull (if you ask me). Yet there was a b-side remix that got used for a one-off video she made - it wasn't even released as a single. Anyway, the remix is the best thing I've ever heard her do. The video fits the music perfectly. A masterpiece!
Boards Of Canada - Aquarius
Ah, the joy of electronic music, free from the barriers of verse-chorus radio-friendly chart music. The lovely child/parent samples are just great.
Kate Bush - You're The One
It's the last track on The Red Shoes. About her ex-partner. The use of the foreign women singers add to one incredibly personal piece that can't have been easy to sing.
Bruford - Hell's Bells
I don't like the jazz Bruford do, but this is just a knock-out track.
The Enid - God Save The Queen (live)
The Enid mix Floyd-like guitars and rock with classical music. Plus they do odd stuff like this, yet it really works. What makes this so amazing is the cheers of the crowd as the last few notes end. An incredible band if you know them.
Cosmic Baby - Träume
I love sequencers. Well this just twists and turns until it bleeds my ears and blows my mind. More!
Funkadelic - Maggot Brain
A funk band doing a rock classic. The guitar jams are fantastic.
Genesis - Do The Neurotic
The full version is on the rarities 3xCD collection. Don't ask me why, but this is just three guys jamming in perfect unity.
Other Genesis tracks - Supper's Ready? Snowbound? Wot Gorilla; Tracks on The Lamb Lies Down...
I'd need to play these again to confirm! Probably a load of tracks they did.
Jean Michel Jarre - Arpeggio (live)
From the China Concerts CD. Sheer synth heaven!
Jon & Vangelis - Horizon
The long, long track on their 3rd album Private Collection. Amazing!
Junior Vasquez - live Kiss mix
I have this on tape off Kiss FM. Normally I don't really like dance mixes, but Vasquez does a set based on female singers. Somehow it just works so well. The Toni Braxton bit reduces me to tears of joy, it's so amazing. How can music be so good?
Kraftwerk - Neon Lights
Juicy metallic synths constantly changing always does it for me!
Madonna - Push
From her Confessions album. OK, so it's all dance, but she does it better than anyone else. This track, to me, is the standout killer. I had to stop what I was doing last time I played it, it moved me so much.
My all-time favourite Madonna track is Oh Father though.
Marillion - Grendel
One of my favourite bands. This track goes on forever, and never lets up the quality.
Orbital - Chime/Impact (live version on the Satan CD single); One Perfect Sunrise
Like the Vasquez Kiss mix, there's something so powerful about live synth music. There's a part where the beats stop and this low bass synth carries on, with the whole crowd cheering at the sheer magic of the sounds they're hearing. You'd be hard-pushed to beat the emotion at that point.
One Perfect Sunrise uses the same trick, building up to a break part that always gets me. An amazing track by an amazing band. Ah, John Peel knew the score!
Prince - Purple Rain
The full version, where the strings come in at the end - wow! Stunning guitar work too.
Tangerine Dream - Beach Scene/Theme
And many other tracks from albums like Underwater Sunlight and White Eagle, this band were unbeatable in the 70s and 80s.
Vangelis - Alpha
And probably other tracks, too many to mention. A true genius.
Roger Waters - Four Minutes
This is the bit on Radio KAOS when the world is about to end, when Billy has turned off the electricity, when the atom bombs are about to go off all over the world. Luckily it's just a show he put on. It still gets me though. I'm filling up with tears now just thinking about it.
Yaida Hitomi - Chain
I downloaded a set of Japanese songs which included this classic. Piano and vocals proving the Japanese can do powerful music as well as anyone else. (The rest of the tracks were amazing too!)
Yes - Awaken
Oh boy. The most powerful and amazing track they ever did. It has two parts (which are tear-inducingly brilliant enough) but it's the clever way it 'rests' with the quiet bit in the middle that makes it work so well.
Loads of other Yes tracks might qualify here too.
Neil Young - Like A Hurricane (studio original)
Wow! Only released on CD a few years ago, it's got absolutely amazing freestyle guitar work.
[edited by: Hester at 8:40 pm (utc) on July 25, 2006]
