Syrupy Love Songs

[Andromeda]

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

You guys made me chuckle all the way through this thread. Bravo to the OP.

John Denver wrote some beautiful melodies, but a few of the song lyrics are dreadful. Sorry to offend any Denverites out there. I find "Annie's Song" horrible.

But the one that really makes my skin crawl is "For Baby (For Bobbie)." Even the title is horrific. Throw in the chorus of cutesy children singing the refrain at the end, and it's all I can do not to toss my cookies right on the spot. Ugh.

On this topic, I side with Tom Waits: "I like beautiful melodies telling you terrible things."

I love both of those songs and they're very meaningful to me. I feel Annie's Song is the best love song ever written. Tom Waits is someone I strongly dislike and whenever I hear his frog throated croaking I find myself seriously ill.

[Nymuso]

Syrupy or not, this is one of my favorites. It is sung by its writer, Pam Rose, backing singer Anthony Snape and some guitarist they got to fill out the harmony.

[Charmed Life Picks]

[QUOTE=Charmed Life Picks;7261822]Clearly, we have a difference of opinion.

Many people, including me, have a problem with Tom's voice. I find it interesting that some of our best songwriters also have really terrible singing voices, or voices that are barely passable. That list reads like a who's who of the best songwriters of the last century: Waits, Randy Newman, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan.

We like what we like. As an English prof who has studied Shakespeare and other great writers my entire life, the list of songwriters who measure up as to the literary merit of their lyrics (that is, the lyrics standing alone as literature, without the music) is small and lean. In addition to the names above, that pantheon (off the top of my head) we could add Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, John Prine, and a handful of others.

sm

[Sage97]

I'm embarrassed to admit that I like most of the songs mentioned so far.

[Charmed Life Picks]

In case I wasn't clear beforehand, I am not a Denver hater. In fact I was AT that show at the Universal Amphitheater, one of the five nights he mentions in the recording. His wife, Annie, was sitting several rows in front of me and stood up when John introduced her to the crowd. I was thrilled to find this recording decades later.

I'll say this: John had an incredible voice, was a very good songwriter, and was a GREAT entertainer. John was just so charming and likeable on stage. I remember a story about when he was playing this little club in L.A., years before made it, and the club owner said, "This guy is incredible; the people LOVE him."

I'll give you a current parallel. Tommy Emmanuel. Tommy is an amazing guitarist, BUT people come back time and again because he's hilarious and charming -- he's a great entertainer

My wife saw Lightfoot many years ago, and he had NO interaction with the audience. So there's that.

sm

[string1399]

Didn't Tommy Emmanuel record with Air Supply?

[tinnitus]

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

...
My wife saw Lightfoot many years ago, and he had NO interaction with the audience. So there's that.

sm

Not to make excuses for GL because I don't know much about him beyond the fact that he had 3-4 really big hits back in the day.

Perhaps he was one of those super intense/painfully introverted performers who only speaks through his songs? Total concentration with little to say between numbers - even "thank you." I've heard that about Van Morrison.

Probably mentioned this before in another thread, that I was prepared to yawn through Al Stewart opening for Dave Mason's electric band. As a die-hard rocker (Johnny Winter, Zep and BÖC fan), I regarded Stewart's radio hits as mock-ably syrupy.

But he was sensational. No band, just solo acoustic guitar. A brilliant performer - engaging, fun, humorous and very likeable. I actually enjoy his stuff now just because I feel like I got to know him a little.

[Horsehockey]

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

In case I wasn't clear beforehand, I am not a Denver hater. In fact I was AT that show at the Universal Amphitheater, one of the five nights he mentions in the recording. His wife, Annie, was sitting several rows in front of me and stood up when John introduced her to the crowd. I was thrilled to find this recording decades later.

I'll say this: John had an incredible voice, was a very good songwriter, and was a GREAT entertainer. John was just so charming and likeable on stage. I remember a story about when he was playing this little club in L.A., years before made it, and the club owner said, "This guy is incredible; the people LOVE him."

I'll give you a current parallel. Tommy Emmanuel. Tommy is an amazing guitarist, BUT people come back time and again because he's hilarious and charming -- he's a great entertainer

My wife saw Lightfoot many years ago, and he had NO interaction with the audience. So there's that.

sm

Annie was Annie Martell, the daughter of Jim Martell, who owned the Holiday House restaurant in St Peter Minnesota. My hometown. Denver met Annie when he came to town to play a concert at the local college -Gustavus Adolphus.

[eyesore]

Agree with ALL these ! Don't care for them... Quick story of "Wonderful Tonight", I was playing in a band one night and we were playing this song ,when out of the corner of my eye a car came careening towards us, dropped the guitar and ran . The car went straight up over a mound of dirt and crashed into an airplane shaped swimming pool.... I 'll never play or listen to that song again... no injuries .just so scracthes on a Tele.

[Nymuso]

Originally Posted by string1399

Didn't Tommy Emmanuel record with Air Supply?

He did. He explains it in the first part of this video.

[Stratcat77]

Originally Posted by Nymuso

Syrupy or not, this is one of my favorites. It is sung by its writer, Pam Rose, backing singer Anthony Snape and some guitarist they got to fill out the harmony.

Very nice! Thanks for sharing. I’ve always loved the guitar in the hit version by Restless Heart. Greg Jennings, the guitarist in Restless Heart is no slouch.

As beautiful as the music is in this song, the guys in the band apparently hated the lyrics. They reluctantly agreed to record it and it became a massive hit for them.

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by Horsehockey

Annie was Annie Martell, the daughter of Jim Martell, who owned the Holiday House restaurant in St Peter Minnesota. My hometown. Denver met Annie when he came to town to play a concert at the local college -Gustavus Adolphus.

Horse, thanks for filling in the blank spaces. I knew John had met Annie at one of his shows, but didn't know the rest of the story. Thanks again.

To her credit, Annie has done a fabulous job of protecting John's reputation and legacy. She strikes as a quite a decent and down-to-earth woman. I wish her and her family only the best.

scott memmer