RIP John Martyn

John Martyn - May You Never (Amazon)

Tommy Reilly

World's Greatest Music writes...

I think Tommy Reilly is going to be big and this is his best song.

Human by The Killers

World's Greatest Music writes:


Over the Christmas holidays I decided that this was my favourite track of 2008. Current single Spaceman is very good too.

The Killers - Human (Amazon)

Get Behind Me Satan And Push

Joe writes:  I heard this in a vintage clothes store in Brussels. Brilliant but rather hard to find track. It may be from 1968, or the 70s, but it sounds older than that.

Billie Jo Spears - Get Behind Me Satan And Push (not on iTunes or Amazon)

two great American pop records

World's Greatest Music writes...

T-Shirt by Shontelle which is my favourite R&B record (well, pop really) since Umbrella.

And Love Story by Taylor Swift, an awesome pop song that reminds me of Oh Romeo by Mindy McReady.



Shontelle - T-Shirt (Amazon)

Taylor Swift - Love Story (not on Amazon or iTunes UK yet although the video is on iTunes. Record companies eh?)

Mindy McReady - Oh Romeo (Amazon)

I was listening to Radio 2

worldsgreatestmusicdad writes:

Something I rarely do, but on Saturday mornings there's that incomprehensible programme on 5 Live where everyone talks rubbish very fast and a bell keeps ringing. I heard this track and was fascinated by the sound before I realised what it was. Many years since I last heard it but one of the many great Bowie tracks.



Apparently it was his first single after Space Oddity (it bombed). I actually bought Space Oddity as soon as I heard it but this passed me by until I caught it on 'Aladdin Sane'. Marc Bolan played guitar on the original.

David Bowie - The Prettiest Star (Amazon)

Insensitive by Jann Arden

Joe writes: Brilliant track that was a minor UK and bigger US hit in the post-Jagged Little Pill era. They don't make them like this anymore, sadly, although I see Jann is still making good music.

Jann Arden - Insensitive

best bootleg I've heard for a while

Joe writes: it's If You Love Me by Brownstone meets Love's Theme by The Love Unlimited Orchestra

the songwriter BC Jean's original demo of If I Were A Boy

World's Greatest Music writes...

I much prefer this to Beyoncé's saccharine version, on which she oversings.

BC Jean - If I Were A Boy (demo)

More Louis

worldsgreatestmusicdad writes:

I keep thinking that there are people out there who might not have heard this incredible Hot Seven track, and everyone should hear it at least once. Here's Armstrong at the height of his power, laying down (over 80 years ago, for God's sake) a track which even today sounds breathtakingly inventive. Notice how the other musicians struggle to keep up - even the great clarinet virtuoso Johnny Dodds cannot match him, though if you heard him without Louis you'd think he was an incredible musician - which he was.

Louis Armstrong - Potato Head Blues (iTunes)

Coolio

World's Greatest Music writes:

Gangsta's Paradise is returning to the UK charts as Coolio is on the TV. Gangsta's Paradise is one of the all-time great pop hip hop records, but so is C U When U Get There, my personal favourite Coolio track. Imagine how big Coolio would have been if C U When U Get There had followed soon after Gangsta's Paradise instead of there being an almost two year gap between the two. Now he's reportedly being paid a measly £30,000 to appear on Celebrity Big Brother. Sad.

Coolio - C U When U Get There

Satchmo Night on BBC 4

worldsgreatestmusicdad writes:

This was an excellent series of programmes for anyone looking for great music. You don't have to be a 'jazz fan' to appreciate much of his output. One of his most memorable achievements was recorded in 1938 It contains some amazing trumpet playing and one of the first recorded scat vocals. Enjoy (ignoring the oddly uninspiring animation - this seems to be the best audio version on YouTube):



Louis Armstrong - West End Blues (iTunes)