10 mysterious moments of magic (Top 10 Singles)

Member Name: opinions4u

Product:	Top 10 Singles
Date:	06/04/07 (137 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: I love 'em

Disadvantages: Tough if you don't

I have always enjoyed a wide and varied taste in music. But over the years, it seems that I have always come back to much the same dozen or so artists for those moments of magic or comfort. As I've aged, I've found it harder to acknowledge new acts as exceptional.

I thought I'd have a go at listing my all time top ten. Ask me another day and I'm sure the list will be different. Or at least the order.

Here goes pop pickers:

10. Steve Winwood - Back In The High Life Again: taken from the Grammy winning album of the same name, I thought Winwood was black when I first heard it. Possibly one of Britain's finest all round musicians of the 20th century, the sheer power of this track is in the lyrics - you can always bounce back from the knocks life gives you to be stronger and better.

9. Chris De Burgh - Don't Pay The Ferryman: while Lady InRed was the ballad the made De Burgh big, Ferryman perhaps encapsulates what is best about the diminutive Irshman. Real power, great song and check out the video on youtube - I swear that Dr Who Tom Baker is in it!

8. Don Henley - The Heart Of The Matter: this was originally a lost album track for me taken from his early 90s offering The End Of The Innocence. The I saw the Eagles live at the old Wembley stadium and Henley belted this moving piece out with spectacular results. A great tune well worth investigating.

7. Fleetwood Mac - Songbird: beautiful song that has been covered by many recently, including the late Eva Cassidy. Chris McVie's finest moment within the great band.

6. Mark Knopfler - Sailing To Philadelphia: the former Dire Straits front man shares the vocals with James Taylor. The song tells the tale of mapping out the new territories. It is gentle, but genuinely beautiful.

5. Bonnie Raitt - I Can't Make You Love Me: George Michael topped the charts with his version of this, but Raitt's original interpretation of a fine piece of song writing bares the soul of a heart that realises a relationship has had its day.

4. Joe Cocker - When The Night Comes: a colaboration with Bryan Adams that topped the US charts and sneaked in to the top 100 in the UK! Its a powerful rock classic that proves what a genuine talent Cocker really is.

3. Ry Cooder - How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live: originally recorded in the 1920s by legendary bluesman Blind Alfred Reed, this was brought back to life more recently on Bruce Springsteen's tour with The Seeger Sessions Band. Despite this, Cooder's version delivers the drama, dexterity of guitar and sheer brilliance that is usually assoicated with the world's greatest slide guitar genius.

2. Chris Rea - Stainsby Girls: a song that stands the test of time, Rea, one of the UKs most under-rated musicians, has written a magnificent track that appears on two albums, Shamrock Diaries and New Light Through Old Windows. The latter version loses the saxophone but delivers a slide guitar solo that is probably my favourite 20 seconds of music of all time!!

1. Lou Reed - The Last Great American Whale: with a closing line of 'stick a fork in its ass and turn it over, its done' you don't expect this to be wonderful. But it is. And the whol of the New York album that brings it to us is well worth a download.

Summary: Try them!