Interactive Lightning Round Poll: Loved Songs

Thank you Nickie.  I was afraid that one was too well known, so I'm glad to see that it wasn't as popular as I thought.  If you get a chance, listen to the entire suite sometime.  

Thanks Logan, I blame this lightning poll for being too good, or at the very least, like an overload of emotion paired with glimpses into some of our lives and life experiences. Thank you for the comfort and positiveness.

Nick Drake - River Man - I am a big fan of Tim Buckley, Nick Drake and John Martyn so this song certainly hit the spot. Always thoughtful and pondering, a a good story writer and expression through vocals and music. I tend to think of those three artists as experts at Cheerful Melancholy

Sfinx - Din Nou Acasa -    Deep and interesting lyrics 

King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man (incl. "Mirrors") - I was the first out of our group of young friends to get into KC and Tull, Caravan etc. I think I only managed to convert one friend to this track - it was quite the representation of my life as a teenager.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Dead Flag Blues - This was a disturbing  song to listen to after Schizoid Man - deep, depressing, dark, almost threatening in its movement. Somehow enjoyable or at least insufferable.  

Bruce Springsteen /Tom Morello - The Ghost of Tom Joad - Even though this was written many years ago it is more relevant now than ever and of course the pairing of Bruce and Tom was quite amazing. Solos were spectacular. 

Silly - Raus aus der Spur - The lyrics in this song were confusing and poetic. I do like the question over a song and its meaning which kept it interesting

Donald Byrd - Cristo Redentor - Smooth, reflective, expressive, and made me so wish i could have heard it played live in some small speakeasy . You can hear where Herbie Hancock may have been inspired to play a few licks

Andrew Lloyd Webber/ Tim Rice - Everything's Alright - Vocals were so sweet on this and of course so reprehensive of the time when JCSS came out and Andrew took over the world and upset Roger Waters. So, you can blame Andrew for Roger creating the Wall

Jackson Browne - For a Dancer - Great musical story writer with a lovely melody and lyrics

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Trilogy - I loved the sections to this song and how they unexpectedly blend 

Emmylou Harris & Albert Lee - Country Boy - I chose this nomination since Albert Lee became an unlikely but very important influence upon my guitar playing. I had been going through a really bad patch with my guitar playing and had become stuck on blues and rock orientated music, so much so, that I could hardly write another song and my playing was not improving listening to artists like Santana any longer. I randomly became friendly with another guitarist who was into country music. I had never really given it any thought. Anyhow, as I did like jazz somewhat, it made sense to try and learn more finger picking style and become a student of scales like never before. As the months progressed my entire style of playing morphed. This new style had now become a step up compliment to my boring old style of playing. It also improved my ability to chew on jazz a whole lot more since my understanding of scales and timing, had gone up a notch. I was so happy that I had changed into a more fusion guitarist and it was nice to bring out other styles and merge them into each other. The other reason I love this song is that it symbolized my drudging life, being a city slicker but really wanting to be free far away in the country. 

Sound of Contact - Not Coming Down - Thanks for sharing all the stories associated with some of these songs. The fragility of life. I had never heard Phils brother and i actually prefer his silky vocals. Great song. 

Vlatko Stefanovski & Miroslav Tadic - Jovano, Jovanke - Very sweetly done. I had no idea the Macedonia style was so closely related to Spanish flamenco but I suppose it makes sense since we can hear the eastern vibe come through. This mix of Persian, Indian, North African (moorish), who knows, but highly enjoyable.  The two guitarists were definitively flirting or fluttering around with each other. 

The Beach Boys - 'Til I Die - Irony that beautiful places such as in nature, water, the sea, rocks and mountains, can be both wonderful allies but also a dark nemesis'. It's like some days walking in the rain in the middle of winter can inspire but others despair. 

Sebastian - Flyv Lykkefugl* - This song was a great finale to the list and an appropriate ending to a high speed journey into parts of forum friends and members lives and experiences all through their musical choices and written words. 

I will vote tomorrow.  

The two other votes go to Sfinx and Donald Byrd, both touching, fitting my current mood, but also interesting. I don't think I had heard any Romanian prog before and this is very good, complex yet emotional. Also I'm an old Novalis fan and there is some clear connection. What connects it with Donald Byrd is the high musicality - Cristo Redentor is some kind of music that is really in some distance to my musical universe, but it immediately spoke to me.

Honorable mention: Stefanovski & Tadic - obviously great stuff, maybe too easy to like...

1. The Beach Boys - 'Til I Die: Had not heard this before. I found it very powerful in Wilson's lyrics through the harmonies.

2. Bruce Springsteen /Tom Morello - The Ghost of Tom Joad (live): This gets my vote for the performance. I enjoy Morello's guitar work though felt a little out of place at the end. Actually, had been listening to Morello's the Nightwatchman album "One Man Revolution" album recently. 

3. Vlatko Stefanovski & Miroslav Tadic - Jovano, Jovanke

1. Donald Byrd - Cristo Redentor  I must say I enjoyed this one very much, especially those solo sections.  I could listen to this all day.