The Perfect Song

So I have not felt like writing my blog about the threats of this administration lately. Maybe I will again, I don't know. But until then, I feel like going a different route...again.

Ange showed me a blog with an interview with Andrew Osenga. In that interview, he was asked what he thought the perfect song was. He gave an answer, that to my delight, would have been one of my potential answers. Well, that got me thinking, what do I consider to be the perfect song. (Note: not my favorite song necessarily, but the perfect. Just so happens that I really like each of these.) So my brain has gone nuts thinking about this. So I started with what I consider to be songs for consideration, then narrowed it down to the top 3. Then I decided what I consider to be the perfect song.

So, hear are the top 3:

3) I Keep Forgettin' (Everytime You're Near) by Michael McDonald
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xjw0u_michael-mc-donald-i-keep-forgettin_music

So, first off let me say this song is a jam. Second, you know who co-wrote this song with Michael McDonald? None other than Kenny Loggins. Say what you want, Kenny can write some music. Also, when this song came out, Michael had just finished singing with the Doobie Brothers for 5 years. The reason he stopped singing with them is because the whole band broke up. Really though, listen to the last few Doobie albums...they needed to call it quits. So when Michael came out with a solo CD, everyone was expecting a dud. Then his album had this song on it and it was a perfect blend of classic rock riffs and beats, disco rhythm and what became known as the 80's sound. And then the lyrics are great. It's a story of two people who really want to be in love, but they just aren't. Really though, they can't even decide. Either way, really good. Lastly, the riff that everyone gets in their head is crazy good and was later used by Nate Dogg for the great classic rap song, Regulators.

2) Deacon Blues by Steely Dan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inz9Sa_CVFs

Note: the video is pretty lame, it's the song I was looking for.
So I firmly believe this is the best Steely Dan song they ever made. Their sound was never better than on this album. They were way ahead of their time on creating a constant "sonic sound" that could be found in all of their music. And they were perfectionists of sound. In fact, it is so pitch perfect that U2 uses their albums for sound check at every venue they play in. Think about that. Also when Bose first started selling high end speakers and stereos, they used Steely Dan for all of their sound demonstrations.

This song is a sad one. (seems like all the best songs are sad) So Donald Fagen wrote this song about himself, sort of, but more so about the prevailing attitude of many musicians of the era of this song. It is over 7 minutes long, and was said to be too long for radio play, much less to be a hit. But it went to #19 and was on the top 40 for eight weeks. Fagen said that it is one of the only songs he has ever done that he can listen to and think, "that is a really good song."

1) Mandolin Rain by Bruce Hornsby
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1xv89_bruce-hornsby-mandolin-rain_music

What is there to say? Great lyrics, phenomenal music, and the music matches and plays off the story...this song is in my opinion, perfect. It came out in late 1986 but honestly, it has a sound that could come from anytime. It charted on not just one chart, but crossed music genre lines and charted in the top 40 on the Adult Contemporary chart, the Mainstream Rock chart and the Country chart. When that happened, in 1986/87, there was not as much genre blending music as there is today, so that really is a special feat. Just listen to the song and I think that it will speak for itself.

Honorable mention:
-Jeremy by Pearl Jam
-I Can't Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt
-Neither one of Us (Wants to be the First) by Gladys Knight and the Pipps
-Piano Man by Billy Joel