I have some beautiful things in my life. My wife, family and friends, for a start. My health which, despite the current set-back, has kept me going this past 59 years. I live in a nice part of the country, with rivers and valleys and green spaces. And I can travel to other nice parts of this beautiful country, or even abroad, because I am lucky enough to have the means to do so.
After a few days that I would rather forget, I was putting together a playlist of music I consider beautiful. This cropped up. Not just the song, but this performance of it. I have loved the song since 1985, when I waited for the HMV store in Woking to open it’s doors, on the day the album (A Capella) was released. No, it is this performance that grabbed me, with the addition of the orchestra (Todd sings all of the backing arrangement on the original,) that, despite the downbeat lyric, makes this a thing of beauty for me.
So, what else ya got? What music would you describe as a thing of beauty.
This track, Where Go The Dreams by M.Craft from his new album Blood Moon. I’m listening to it everyday at present and it is like a huge cloud of golden fireflies and serenity.
Oh, that’s lovely. Thanks.
That is indeed lovely.
Exquisite. And have an Up for that wonderful description @Carolina.
I’ll nominate this little gem that I came across on a random Spotify playlist called “Acoustic Evening”. Top To Toe by Fenne Lily:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C–cdlh7wrM
Nice. I love some of those random Spotty lists.
Kathryn Williams – In A Broken Dream
@Tiggerlion I normally resist the breathy female reworking of a ‘loud song,’ (see every bloody tv advert in the last two years) but this is lovely. The lyric really lends itself to the arrangement. Ta.
This dates back, unbelievably, to 2004. Glad you enjoyed it.
This is a gem-like thing…..
Possibly obvious, but fits the bill (I think)
This song is one of the peaks of human achievement.
Agreed. How must it have Linda feel?
It makes me all gooey so God knows what did to her!
Dogs D’Amour – Empty World
@fitterstoke Not my thing but, through headphones, there is a lot going on. I shall investigate further. Ta.
@Rigid Digit Blimey, not thought about ‘Les Chiens’ for donkeys, but that is rather nice. Ta.
@niallb – just to confirm – are you referring to the Ives piece further up the thread? Ives has the reputation of sounding like four marching bands having a punchup in a carpark – but this little philosophical thought-piece is just beautiful: the random chaotic interjections repeatedly failing to disturb the serenity which carries on under everything….
@fitterstoke yes, I was. I’ve listened again – it’s interesting.
My Pseud’s Corner entry, I think? What was I on?
I find this almost heartbreakingly beautiful:
Beautiful, and that’s what I call a bass solo.
Tal Wilkenfeld is awesome.
You’re not wrong, @mrxsg.
I love her cheeky grin when Jeff’s so delighted by her solo that he misses his cue to come back in.
The whole DVD is spectacularly good. Have another beauty on me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMWjx4zmNRE
@nigelthebald Now THERE is a thing of beauty. Ta.
My pleasure, @niallb.
And I hope you’re feeling much better soon.
Lovely! Thank you @nigelthebald
😀
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM3KKxTlUkw
Rest of the album is pretty tidy too.
Ian McNabb, the title track from Truth and Beauty
@retropath2 That’s lovely. I only have a couple of I. Mc tracks. I’ll check this album out. Ta.
I have to say it is my favourite of his records; the most pastoral and melodic. Do seek out the lengthy track, Presence of the One, and you will be hooked for life, buying, as did I great swathes of his more guitar based product and the early Icicle Works, for it was he, stuff. One of his songs cites his belief that he is a genius, and, you know, he may well be right. Bit of a dick live, tho’.
This is still my ‘flipping hell that’s good’ moment of the year
@DogFacedBoy Dave, that is quite gorgeous. Ta.
Not much of a tune. Terrible singer. Hackneyed lyrics.
Genius.
@Moose the Mooche Ah, Moose. I’m afraid I never ‘got’ Spiritualized. Cannot get past the voice. My (much younger) mate loves ’em. One of those ‘you had to be there’, ones, I guess.
I hear that, bro. But there are other voices on there. Sweet voices.
Ne’er mind, try this.
The sandpaper-tastic Vini
@Moose The Mooche Sorry, Moose, I missed this earlier in the week. Another band that passed me by, but that is nice. Ta.
There’s beauty everywhere. Even in a bunch of scruffy noisy post-rock oiks from Sheffield.
@Kid Dynamite Never heard of them but that prompts further investigation. Ta.
and in a more AW-friendly Americana-tinged, melancholic female vocal way, this is gorgeous
@Kid Dynamite I have this – love it. Ta.
Beautiful. Could have been any one of dozens of other TW songs.
Must be close on 40 years and I’ve never fallen out of love with this. Beautiful, as you say.
@mikethep Beautiful. As @Jeff says, a long-time love. Ta.
A golden oldie from the enigmatic Ms Nordenstam: Little Star.
And here’s another under-stated gem, this time from oud player Anouar Brahem.
Le pas du chat noir
Very ECM and very lovely.
@Kaisfatdad Not familiar with either – both now provoking much Spotify searching. Ta.
Regarding Anouar Brahem, no ECM recordings available on Spotify, IIRC.
Beautiful stuff.
‘Juliet & Mark’ – Kevin Coyne
@Billybob Dylan Saw him at Surrey Uni, back when life was much simpler. Lovely. Ta.
No David Sylvian, @gary? I’m surprised.
I’m going for some Pino Daniele.
And a playlist
@Kaisfatdad Sir, you are a star. Thanks for doing that.
A few from me:
The sound of the Tao:
There you go. I hope you enjoy 🙂
@Rob C Thanks, Rob. The Heron track is new to me. Lovely stuff. The Steve Reich piece is familiar but I don’t have it. I am chasing my brother to see if I’ve heard him play it. Really nice. The magnificent ‘Soon’ is on every Yes playlist I have (and there are many.) I love Jon’s voice on it so much. The Sandy song has been a ‘late night, several bottles of wine, sitting in the dark garden, looking up at the stars’ staple for a good while. So wonderful. Thank you, sir.
My pleasure Nial. Glad you’re in a better head space now. Me too. 🙂 May I just put one more your way ?
@RobC I didn’t know this but listening to it for the second time, I shed a tear. Thank you my friend.
No problem friend. A deeply moving and beautiful song.
Sorry – forgot this. That’s the lot, don’t want to thread hog.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VML2y-eG3xk
@Rob C A new one on me, thanks. Don’t have much JC so I shall rectify that.
I really like Julian Cope’s “China Doll”
And I really like the Grateful Dead’s “China Doll”.
Completely different songs, of course.
I don’t really like John Lennon’s “Mother” but I like Pink Floyd’s “Mother”. Hey, this could be a new thread, Ducky! You organise it.
“Håller”; a hymn-like song by Xenia Kriisin, sung in Swedish, but it’s a lovely melody so missing out on the lyrics probably won’t matter so much (and in this live clip it’s quite hard to hear what those lyrics are anyway!)
The actual song gets going around 1:10.
@Locust Beautiful melody. If I look up ‘ethereal’ in the dictionary, is this what it says? Ta.
Thank you all, so much, for the songs you’ve posted. I’ve replied to all because, hey, I’m polite! And because, 11 1/2 weeks at home drives you stir crazy. Today, it gave me something to do. I have loved listening to the breadth and variety of what music touches you. Please, please carry on posting on this thread.
@Kaisfatdad Would you be so kind as to keep adding them to your Spotty playlist?
Thanks again.
You’ve been out all night, the sun’s coming up but sleep’s a long way off. You need to put this on and have a good hard think about the carpet weave.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JQgqAgznBU
@KidDynamite I know nothing about this stuff but I do know two things:
1. I really like that.
2. I am the World’s Leading Expert on carpet weave.
Ta.
A thing of beauty you say? Well different style from much of the above but I’m a big fan of It’s Immaterial and, in particular, their second album, Song. Nobody bought it. But it’s brilliant. Here’s a strangely topical example – Heaven Knows:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXTRop97U48
@LandoCakes That’s nice. I have a few of their songs but not this one. I do now.
Can you believe that, on the 8th April, we were having a drink and a natter in a hotel bar in Yorkshire and here we are, on 28th June, and I’m still sick?
I saw a specialist today and am much happier with his initial diagnosis. Let’s hope that the ‘whispy strands’ on my x-rays are, as he says, ‘something to worry about at a later a stage.’
I know – it is kinda shocking. Hopefully there will be a Cernan re-schedule where we can break the jinx!
I’ll add this one, only because it’s one I get asked about most, “What is song you’re always playing by the bloke with the miserable voice?”
This is sanctuary.
Late to the party I’m afraid. This gets me every time.
@davebigpicture I have this album. Kate’s voice just does something to me. Beautiful. Ta.
Argentinian composer and instrumentalist Gustavo Santaolla has done a lot of music for films that you will know.
Here’s a track from his solo album Ronroco. Exquisite stuff.
What? No Prefab Sprout?
Here’s one from their debut album, Swoon: Couldn’t bear to be special.
I will keep adding new songs as they come, Niall.
How about some jazz on this thread? Come on you beatniks!
Thread hogging, I know, but here’s Letter from Home by Pat Metheny.
@Kaisfatdad The Santaolla track is new to me, and I really like it. Prefab are one of my favourites and I play this track often. Gorgeous. My brother is a brilliant guitarist and introduced me to Metheny many years ago. I like the quiet, reflective stuff (same with Satriani) and this is lovely.
Very enjoyable thread. New artists plus new songs by old favourites.
But I’d be a Beast if we left Beauty without some choral music. Here are the wonderful Stile Antico with one of William Byrd’s greatest hits. Eight miles high indeed!
@Kaisfatdad Reminds me of my late Dad – the kind of music he would be playing when I walked into the room, when I was younger. Wish I’d paid more attention instead of wishing it would end so I could put Deep Purple on. Lovely, Ta.
Yeah, that’s a nice choice, Rob.
We need plenty of Hariprasad Chaurasia on the Afterword.
The “Call of the Valley” album released by him, Brij Bhushan Kabra and Shivkumar Sharma on EMI in 1967 was one of the first … erm …. ‘world music’ albums to make a big impression in the West, bringing Hindustani music to the ears of so many new listeners. It’s a beautiful record and still easily obtainable today.
Thanks for the heads up. I love everything that I have heard of his, but oddly have very little of his music in my collection. Nice one.
@RobC Completely new one on me but really lovely. Actually made me stop what I was doing so that I could listen to it properly.
I knew you’d like it. Music for the Soul. I have a few of his things on world music compilations but I am definitely going to buy ‘Call Of The Valley’ that Duco recommended (I’m not sure if I’m on close enough terms to call him Ducodude yet 😉 and also dig deeper into his body of work. This is another discovery that is so beautiful:
I always seem to come back to Epic45. Just beautiful.
This is a Magick ritual of invocation:
It’s in our nature
It’s in our nature
It’s in our nature
It’s in our nature
Put down your sword
Send home your dogs
Open up your doors
Let down your guard
It most certainly is _/\_ Blessed Be
@BigJimBob A song for the times…
Deep stuff:
Great choice. Such a unique and sublime artist and visionary.
@BigJimBob Wow.
AN obscure Gene track can there be anything more Afterword?
Maybe an Ocean Colour Scene B-side?
@BigJimBob Love the Gene song.
@RobC Normally, the kind of thing that would have me running for the hills. However, I quite like that. Ta.
@RobC Now you’re talking. There’s a dozen Van songs I might have posted, and this would be one of them.
One last one. This beatutiful track is from an LP that was re-released on World Record Day last year:
“We were in love in the belly of summer”
Awww, to quote another Scottish lyric “to beat the drum of youth again”
@BigJimBob Love The Pearlfishers. Gorgeous.
(Youssou N’Dour – Sama Guent Guii)
And cor blimey, well I never, it’s that “Stairway” riff again.
@Mike_H Where’s M’learned friends when you need ’em, eh? I have a few Youssou songs but not this one. Lovely, thanks.
Found it on a free “Songlines” disc, “Network 2000: 20th Anniversary Sampler” many years ago. Never heard his voice better and the minimal accompaniment really works.
We don’t hear much of Youssou N’Dour these days. His “Egypt” album from a few years back was a lovely thing.
(Was (Not Was) – Somewhere In America There’s a Street Named After My Dad)
A favourite of mine since it was released.
@Mike_H THAT is the dogs. Ta.
Last one from me.
(Frederick Delius: On Hearing the First Cuckoo In Spring – Academy Of St. Martin-In-the-Fields/Marriner)
Lovely stuff.
@Mike_H One of my Dad’s favourites. Ta.
So I lied…
(Tom Waits – Alice)
There are very few Tom Waits songs I can tolerate lately. Dunno why, because I used to love everything of his. This one still does it though. Superb combination of top-notch lyrics and a gorgeous tune.
(Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Still In Love)
(Fairport Convention – Autopsy)
Sandy puts in a fine performance on one of her best songs. Richard T’s playing is exemplary throughout. Solid clear-as-a-bell production. Plus my favourite Thommo guitar solo and it’s just a little less than one minute long. Fantastic.
@Mike_H That’s really good. I only have a few Waits tracks (it’s the later voice – again.)
This thread is costing me a fortune! Ta.
@Mike_H Never been a fan of Nick Cave. My own fault, I’ve just never given him time, I suppose. This one is intriguing. Ta.
@Mike_H Now that is a blast from the past. Great track. Ta.
Nick is quite the soppy sentimentalist – he even covered the Seekers Carnival is Over. Lot of sweet melodious songs over the years.
Breaks Co-Op ‘Duet’
@CobwebSteve I was tuning out until 1′ 10″, when the drums kicked in. Now I’m interested. Really nice. New to me. Ta.
Glad you stuck with it @niallb 🙂 . I first heard this on a Tom Middleton CD where he mixed it in to this (which is equally worthy of inclusion here…)
Plump DJs ‘Morning Sun’
@Cobweb Steve I missed this earlier – more’s the pity. Really nice. Ta.
Snarky Puppy ‘Thing of Gold’
@CobwebSteve Ah, The Snarks. Love ’em to bits. This one has graced many a playlist.
Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band ‘Observatory Crest’
Somebody else loves this! So far it’s you, me and Stuart Maconie.
And me! Plus, I think, ianess.
@CobwebSteve Finally, after more than 45 years, I get through a Beefheart song. That is really nice. I actually wanted it to go on longer.
Ta.
My pleasure Nial 🙂 .
I heard it for the first time on a Maconie show many moons ago ip33. Driving home after a late night at work from Alderley Edge to Mow Cop, amazing what sticks in your memory…
I’m surprised too, as I thought this his only listenable ditty. (I seem to feel it was deemed too commercial by my heavier friends, “selling out”, all that stuff that renders the unlistenable racket he normally did quite palatable)
@retropath2 Blimey! After decades of telling people that I can’t take the good Captain, I get 2 tracks that I like, in the space of a few days. Ta.
The title track is dreck, along with the majority of the album, but there’s one other good melodic track on “Bluejeans and Moonbeams”.
Contains a beautiful guitar solo (from a session player) with no unnecessary pyrotechnics over a really simple 2-note riff. Lovely.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahCVC1p9pEA
(Further Than We’ve Gone)
@niallb : I had thought it his only decent track until pointed to the earlier one
Beefheart’s ‘unlistenability’ is way overdone. The only ‘difficult’ albums are Trout Mask and Decals, IMO. ‘Safe as Milk’, ‘Clear Spot’, ‘Live in London’ and ‘Ice Cream’ are all easily accessible and have many beautiful moments.
He almost had a soul hit in Philly with ‘Too Much Time’ which was receiving lots of airplay on black stations. Unfortunately, they realised he was a white boy and it got pulled.
Two from me.
First is another piano piece. I caught this flicking through the channels in the early 1990s after a few sherbets. The tune appeared in an obscure Manga/live action film called Angels Never Sleep. Through the magic of the world wide web I was able, years later, to track it down.
Another instrumental, this time by the brilliant guitarist James Blackshaw, who has now rather sadly decided that he doesn’t want to carry on his music career.
@CharlieGordon Love both of these. The guitar piece, especially, is right up my alley. Lovely stuff, Ta.
That was an impressive bit of detective work @CharlieGordon and a lovely tune.
It get mentions on IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0206827/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
How did an Argentinian composer, Horacio Moscovici, get to write the music for an anime film? He seems to be quite a character.
That piano has certainly been given a good good going over. It looks older than him.
What a fabulous thread, niall! Beautifully curated too.
@Tiggerlion Thanks, Tiggs. One of my favourite things I’ve ever done on here. I’ve got so much new music from it. And everyone’s enthusiasm, and the diversity of the music, has gladdened my heart.
I’ve been away from the AW for a few days, and catching up was rather surprised to find that this fine thread has been graced by the presence of none other than the Good Captain. Beefheart would not even have been on my longlist for a thread devoted to beauty. Well why not?
Here are Madredeus, a wonderful band from Portugal. They take elements from fado and then add strings and other more modern elements to create something that is their own.
I understand about five words of Portuguese but that’s no obstacle to enjoying this very atmospheric music.
Haja o que houver
They starred in a Wim Wenders film: Lisbon Story.
Nice work Niall!
Sometimes one only needs one instrument to create music of great beauty, A guitar, a flute or why not a kora? Especially if Toumani Diabate is playing it.
Cantelowes
@Kaisfatdad that is indeed a thing of beauty.
Toumani is one of my favourite musicians on the planet @niallb and you really ought to investigate his back catalogue. Music that I just float away on. He is also very modest about his great talent When he played at Roskilde with his son, who is rather successful in his own right, with more urban music, he joked about how his own music is for the oldies.
I’ve met him in person on two occasions. Once after a solo gig at Roskilde, when I asked a roadie if I could meet him to get an autograph. And once just standing outside his hotel, after a gig in Stockholm. He is charm personified.
It’s a bit late in the thread, @niallb
But here’s another gem-like miniature…..
@fitterstoke It’s never too late. Back in my teens, Soft Machine scared the beejeesus out of me. It always seemed like music I wasn’t meant to get. Consequently, I have avoided them for nearly fifty years. Now, if it was all like this, I’d be in heaven.
This thread still has legs, I see.
Another.
(Weather Report – Jungle Book)
A beautiful oddity in their catalogue. A pointer to where Joe Zawinul ventured with his Zawinul Project many years later.
Zawinul Syndicate.
Beautiful….and from what is arguably their best album….
Arguably yes. I would nominate Black Market. But a lovely track.
@Mike_H Took a while to hook me, but hook me it did. Ta.
Remember Twin Peaks
Here is Julie Cruise on BBC2 a year before the series came out
@JuniorWells I remember this going out. Ta.
And a second one from me – a thing of beauty is indeed the sound of Santana. This was more a Neal Schon song – the sound is so sweet it is utterly uplifting. It is from the Caravanserai album. Here is a live version
@JuniorWells I had a great discussion with the boyfriend of someone my wife works with, a while back. He is Carlos in a Santana tribute band, and incredibly good he is too. Anyway, over far too many beers, I got him onto the subject of Caravanserai, my favourite Carlos album. My theory is that it was Carlos’s last album where he sounds truly excited. I love the sheer joy and exuberance of the first few albums but, on this one, his playing really moved on. Although Santana and I parted company after this album, everything I casually heard afterwards, I just heard him repeating phrases and licks from it. Milan, (for that is his name), couldn’t agree, but then he had a huge amount more listening experience of the following 40 years of Santana than I did. What he did agree with was that it contains 2 or 3 of Carlos’s best solos. I love this track, and hadn’t heard this live version. Ta.
I think Welcome and Borboletta are very good also from around the same period.
In his book CS says this was the best band he had and the triple live LP showcases them excellently.
I am also a fan of love devotion and surrender , the album he did with John McLaughlin though I recall Colin H being less enamoured of it.
Sorry, sorry last one- Mahler as showcased wonderfully in the movie Death in Venice
@JuniorWells I have this. I have so little classical stuff but this was one of my Dad’s absolute favourites. Ta.
Pleasure Niall. You should watch the movie- really good and the music fits wonderfully.
This thread has a very healthy pair of legs!
Here are Choir of Young Believers from Denmark, who I saw live last weekend at Roskilde. You may recognise this song: Hollow Talk.
And let’s have an exquisite golden oldie by Jan Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble: Parce Mihi Domine.
@Kaisfatdad I saw that you enjoyed your trip. Hollow Talk is gorgeous. The Garbarek piece is lovely. However, I kept wanting to see a whale swim into view in the video. Ta.
Bit late to the thread, but this is the first thing that comes to mind when asked for a song thats a thing of beauty…..
Natalie Merchant (doing her 10000 Maniacs song) / Verdi Cries
@ChrisF Gorgeous song, beautifully sung. I remember this going out at the time. Ta.
Well why not just one more while we are still here.
Nils Frahm is amazing. Have a listen to the extraordinary For–Peter–Toilet Brushes–More as well from the same album Spaces. It ends with a Keith Jarrett-like piano piece that is very moving and yes..it does include music played with toilet brushes!
@Kaisfatdad The Hyatt Hotel in the centre of Birmingham used to have Nils Frahm (and others like this) playing all the time, during the day. When my wife was on a business visit to another hotel, leaving me at the Hyatt, I’d get a beer, the latest Word mag, and sit in there for hours, just letting the sound wash over me. I’m pretty sure it’s where I first heard Epic45, too.
Of course, they’ve ruined it now – regular bar, regular music. Shame. When Jan & I are out anywhere and something spacey comes, we still call it ‘Hyatt music.’ Ta.
Look out for more Nils Frahm in the elite Top 5 of the duco01 Reissues and Historical Recordings of the first six months of 2016 – due to be posted very, very soon. Oh yes!
That Xenia Kriisin track is a corker, @Locust. She was a completely new name for me. It reminded me of the Durutti Column, for some reason, and they definitely deserve a mention here.
Sketch for summer
That Vini Reilly is a prolific chap: lots of DC albums on Spotify.
As I know you all love vintage concert clips, here’s a live clip from 1984.