2015 S2L2A&A list

I'm here on a free Friday night, day off tomorrow morning, sippin' a good bock beer, and deciding that it's time that I moved on something I've been wanting to do for awhile now...  I've had my 2015 S2L2A&A in prototype mode for some time, and it definitely fits the bill as a CD I've listened to repeatedly over the last couple of months...thoroughly enjoying it!  On the heels of a late compilation from last year...(circumstances, you know...), I am trying to be more diligent to this project and the encouragement for everyone and anyone to get involved, especially given how little pressure there is to do it--you're doing this first and foremost as an act of self-expression,...no worries about judgment or criticism.  And this can inspire the rest of us as well, which is part of what makes this such a great endeavor!  And if you can burn these into disc, it would help the rest of us to more fully take in each other's lists and the kinds of things that really inspire each of us and get us moving...  Anyone needing assistance to compile and create CDs from your lists, let me know,...I'd be very happy to help out as I can!

And with the inspiration to annotate our selections--thanks again, John!--here goes:

2015 Songs To Listen To Again & Again:
1)What's Up -- 4 Non Blondes -- An epic song defining somewhat of a post-grunge mindset for the up-and coming generation of the time.  The passion with which Linda Perry belts out this song seeking a path, a purpose, is incredible.  Certainly the most well-known off this, their debut (and I think, only) album--Bigger, Better, Faster, More!--the collective work is well worth having in any comprehensive music collection
2)Disenchanted -- Smash Mouth -- Honestly, I'm not sure if many people are aware of this band except for what the Shrek movies have done for them...that's how I first heard of them... but this is the second of their songs I've used on this project.  They're a solid band worth exploring--I find myself more drawn to their retro compositions, such as this one off their 2001 release, Smash Mouth.
3)Shout -- Tears For Fears -- One of the big bands from the '80s, there are a few of their songs that I've been considering for this project.  Probably one of their most popular songs, this is another that screams out the frustration and disillusionment with the existing order of things.  But when I hear it, I can't help but think of the way Lena used to sing this song at age 5, still in a bit of a German accent...
4)Invisible Sun -- The Police -- One of the four bands I've used for each of these compilations thus far...and for good reason!  Will always love their sound, and seeing them at Wrigley Field on their last tour was an incredible experience (Lena's first rock concert)!  This song acknowledges that there is always hope in spite of those things that will try to oppress, inhibit, or otherwise keep "us" down.
5)Dreams -- The Allman Brothers Band -- One of my favorite southern rock bands, this bluesy tune always grabs me with its ethereal quality.  Gregg's smoky, worn voice, his organ playing, and Duane's beautifully pensive guitar-playing lends itself toward the overall sense of seeking after something that seems always to be elusive, and especially those 'dreams I never see.'
6)Drive -- Incubus -- This song is yet another dealing with the need to find direction amidst uncertainty and angst, but also of commitment toward both taking control over that journey and having someone to help each other along that path.  A band that started in a southern California high school, they achieved mainstream success with this song and their third recording, Make Yourself,
7)Ramble On -- Led Zeppelin -- Another of the 4 bands used in each of my S2L2A&A compilations, this song was already used in at least one other's compilations, and for great reason.  The level of genius that existed between all 4 band members, but especially Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, is phenomenal, and 'Ramble On' is just one fine example of what keeps us listening to them!
8)Reelin' In The Years -- Steely Dan -- Another of those 4 bands, Steely Dan has always been a personal favorite.  Most of their songs tell simple, often ridiculous stories, but whether they play something rockin' or a really bluesy tune, it's their musicianship and especially their jazzy style that has always gotten me.  This song was big off of their first major studio recording, Can't Buy A Thrill. And there's nothing quite like seeing this band jam live from the lawn at the Ravinia Festival!
9)Living In The Past -- Jethro Tull -- One of the great prog rock bands coming out of the late '60s and gaining international prominence through the '70s, this song tells of that evolution that so many of that generation were going through as they came of age and into their own and reacted against the status quo, even not knowing what they were doing...  And Ian Anderson's flute, as always, incredible
10)There There (The Boney King of Nowhere) -- Radiohead -- Honestly, I'm not sure I can tell you what this song is about...Thom Yorke and his lyrics are often not only hard to grasp, but difficult to identify.  But what will always get me about Radiohead is how well these musical voices, including Thom's, work together into something really compelling.  First, and certainly not last, inclusion of this band in my compilations--there's plenty more incredible tunes of theirs for future lists.
11)Summertime Rolls -- Jane's Addiction -- The album including this song, Nothing's Shocking, was huge in my first year of college, and I saw them live at the Metro that year.  They're a pretty hard-rocking band overall, but there are several tracks off of it, including this one, that include steady, lower-key bass lines that lead into some heavier, yet still melodic interludes.  Solid band!
12)Eyes Without A Face -- Billy Idol -- I don't know if I will include more of Billy Idol's works on these lists, but this is one song from his solo career that I've always liked.  Here again, it starts off more quiet before getting into more of a driving pace led by pounding guitar before easing back into a slower, synthesized decrescendo.
13)Crazy On You -- Heart -- I've enjoyed this song for years, one of several I'd been thinking about including in a compilation, and certainly one of their more popular songs, but what always initially gets me with this song is that acoustic hybrid bluegrass/classical/flamenco guitar intro...one mixed style of passion lending itself toward the passion of the song's story itself.
14)Wish You Were Here -- Pink Floyd -- The last of the bands I've used through each compilation, and here, too, there's plenty more to draw from.  Here is another song used on others' compilations, notably on Jon's first (and thankfully, not only) list.  One beautiful memory of this song--getting a Father's Day voice mail message from Lena where she played the guitar intro of this song.
15)To One In Paradise -- The Alan Parsons Project -- The sound of the wind from the Floyd track leads nicely into this orchestral dischord that starts off this song, off Alan Parsons' Tales of Mystery and Imagination recording, celebrating the life and work of Edgar Allen Poe.  The overall recording is very much worth having in one's comprehensive music collection...but this song always gets me!
16)Chava Ballet Sequence -- Fiddler On The Roof soundtrack -- First inclusion from this musical, and I'm sure there will be others...  This part of the story always gets me, as Tevye continues to grasp for tradition and a way of life that seems to be slipping away from him, most literally through his three older daughters, Chava being the middle child of five, leaving home to be in Moscow with the revolutionary she fell in love with.  Both the pained passion in Topol's voice as well as in Isaac Stern's violin always strikes me as Tevye watches her leave him for parts unknown and dangerous.

As said, I've already got this in this order on CD--it's no problem burning it for anyone interested, but I still would like to put the paperwork together for the finished disc first, inclusive of annotation, as I see how clearly and personally this enhances the output on each of our parts, AND winds up enhancing the overall project for all of us as a whole.  Love it!  Let's keep on going with this!  I've already got plenty of candidates for my 2016 list!