MarathonProxy: Hannah Jones fromThe New Sound of Numbers

One day after Christmas, and one final 2006 list perfect for post-holiday recovery. Hannah’s list consists of eleven songs that have moved her in one way or another over the past year. As you’ll quickly notice, none of them were released during 2006, but the list’s scope—blues, soul, funk, folk, and even a crooner to boot—results in a collection equal parts woe and urgency, desolation and inspiration (and just listen to that Mel Torme song). Thanks to Hannah for her contribution—I wrote about a song of hers here (which also ended up on a year-end mix), and you can find a link to the band’s site here.

Also, I posted all the mp3s I had at hand here–if you’ve got any that I don’t, feel free to send them along.

11. “Sometimes I Have a Heartache” Big Mama Thornton
This song is the flipside of the two songs mentioned above. It embraces and exudes a sadness that sometimes needs to be felt before we can “carry on” or “git on up and do it”. It’s the blues, for real. “Please help me/Somebody stop my heart aching from all over.”

10. “Git on Up and Do It” Rufus Thomas
This song has a similar message to “You Can Make it if You Try” by Sly and the Family Stone. Its one of those songs that makes you want to stand up and do the impossible. Rufus Thomas also recorded a lot of silly and funky dance songs that I love—”The Funky Chicken,” “The Funky Robot,” “The Funky Penguin,” and “The Itch and Scratch.”

9. “Carry On” Jean Knight
A great song to help you carry on with what you need to carry on with.

8. “Sodade” Cesario Evora
This is another heartbreaker written in a language I don’t know. Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure out how to translate this one. It makes me feel an intense, but beautiful sadness. Though all the elements of the song obviously work together and depend on one another, my two favorite parts are the very soft sounding shakers present throughout the song, and (of course) Cesario Evora’s voice. For some reason, this is a song I enjoy very much in summer.

7. “Ne Me Quitte Pas” Nina Simone (mp3) (this is a live version; buy the studio here)
This song sounded heartbreaking to me even before I translated it online from French to English. Then it became even more heartbreaking.

6. “Comin’ Home Baby” Mel Torme (mp3) (buy)
This song was a nice surprise for me. I had rented a Mel Torme hits album from the local library to see what was on it. This song strangely has a sound very much influenced by soul. Who knew Mel Torme could sound like this? The recording quality is great, there are nice harmonies, and it is beautifully arranged.

5. “Ninety Day Cycle People” Charles Wright
This song is about an imaginary people who live only ninety days. Therefore they haven’t time to fight wars. “Everbody was really for real.”

4. “War” Edwin Starr (no mp3 because it’s famous)
Sadly this song always seems to be topical. “Life is much too short and precious to spend fighting wars these days. War can’t give life, it can only take it away!…What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!”

3. “War Sucks” The Red Krayola With The Familiar Ugly (mp3) (buy)
“You know war sucks!” No need to say more.

2. “Seagull Woman” Tyrannosaurus Rex (mp3) (buy)
“One day she came like a seagull woman. One day we change from children into people.” These lyrics are fairly typical of Tyrannosaurus Rex in their fanciful and lyrical nature. I don’t know whether he thought it was a good thing to change from children into people. Based on his other songs which express a child-like imagination, my guess would be no. But who knows?

1. “If It Were Left Up to Me” Sly and the Family Stone (mp3) (Fresh is OOP, but buy the Greatest Hits)
This song has great lyrics and masterful pauses—the pauses make you think the song is ending (they are almost uncomfortably long but not quite), and when the song is not ending you are surprised and glad, and then you welcome the pauses each time you hear the song. Well, I don’t know if you do, but I do at least. My favorite line: “Now that its left up to me and you, will you try, will you try?” Will you try?