Monthly Archives: August 2010

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Song of the Day #758: ‘Moon River’ – Audrey Hepburn

Shifting gears a little bit, my next selection comes not from a stage musical but from a movie that’s not a musical at all.

‘Moon River’ is the Oscar-winning original song from Blake Edwards’ Breakfast at Tiffany’s. It’s performed in the film by the exquisite, iconic Audrey Hepburn though it became more popular later as performed by Danny Williams (as well as Andy Williams, and dozens of other acts… I’m partial to Frank Sinatra’s version).

But the first, and most sublime, rendition belongs to Ms. Hepburn. Propped on a window sill with her little guitar, she is the picture of elegance and sophistication.

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Song of the Day #757: ‘Not While I’m Around’ – Ken Jennings and Angela Lansbury

I’ve given short shrift to a number of genres throughout my Song of the Day series. Rap and heavy metal, certainly, because I don’t like or own much of either. Jazz and classical, which don’t really offer up “songs” in the traditional sense. Adult contemporary, for the most part.

The blog has mostly focused on pop, rock, alternative and a little bit of country. And as that group pretty well describes my CD collection, it will likely continue to be the focus.

But this week I’m turning my attention to a type of song that can encompass any or all of the above styles but still belongs in a category all its own — the show tune. My next five songs are all featured in movies or stage plays.

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Song of the Day #756: ‘Nettie Moore’ – Bob Dylan

The New York Times stirred up a bit of controversy when they reported that a number of lyrics on Modern Times had apparently been lifted by Bob Dylan from Civil War era poet Henry Timrod. This followed the borrowing of several lines on Love and Theft from an obscure novel by Japanese writer Junichi Saga.

Serious fans of Bob Dylan, and of folk and blues music in general, consider this much ado about nothing. This sort of music is passed down through generations like an oral tradition, with each new artist building on what he borrows wholesale from those who’ve inspired him. Dylan has done that from day one, twisting together new songs from the melodies and text of time-worn classics.

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Song of the Day #755: ‘Thunder On the Mountain’ – Bob Dylan

In 2006, Bob Dylan completed the trifecta he began nine years earlier, releasing Modern Times as the follow-up to Time Out of Mind and Love and Theft.

This trio of albums rivals Dylan’s other stellar triple shots: Bring It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde On Blonde in the 60s; and Blood On the Tracks, The Basement Tapes and Desire in the 70s.

I’ve said it many times before in many different ways… most recording artists would sell their mothers for one string of albums as great as any of those. That Dylan has done it three times, among 25 other albums of varying degrees of greatness, is simply astounding.

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Song of the Day #754: ‘A’ – Barenaked Ladies

I’ve been on the giving end of a whole lot of mixtapes but I’ve also received a few over the years. Most have been from an old high school friend with whom I’ve stayed in touch over the past two decades (even without the easy access of Facebook).

It’s funny, I think our correspondence has diminished over the years as technology made staying in touch easier. Back before email we would write actual letters, written out by hand, and exchange mixtapes to introduce each other to new music. That gave way to a pretty steady e-mail correspondence and frequent music recommendations, but not as many mixtapes.

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