Song of the Day #1,797: ‘Ya Hey’ – Vampire Weekend

vampire_weekend_stepEvery year I set aside a few weeks in late December to recap my favorite songs of the year. It’s the one blog feature that I actively think about throughout the year — deliberately holding off from posting certain new songs because I know they will likely factor into the best-of series.

But sometimes I get bitten. It sounds funny, but occasionally I’ll post a song before I realize how much I like it. Or I’ll post a track in my “songs of summer” week only to discover that it’s also one of my favorites of the year.

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Song of the Day #1,796: ‘Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” – Creedence Clearwater Revival

creedenceThe latest issue of Rolling Stone gave a rare 5-star review to John Fogerty’s new album, Wrote a Song For Everyone.

The record features Fogerty performing some of his most famous songs as duets with an eclectic mix of stars. The acts range from country artists such as Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley and Alan Jackson, to rockers Dawes and Foo Fighters, indie jammers My Morning Jacket and even diva Jennifer Hudson.

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Song of the Day #1,795: ‘On Being Frank’ – Ben Folds Five

bff_sound_life_mindI’ve been doing a lot of theme weeks in recent months. I like the structure they provide and, I’ll be honest, it’s easier to come up with five songs per week around a specific theme than to write five discrete posts.

Still, I sometimes like the chance to throw out five unrelated songs to make five unrelated points — even if the point is as simple as ‘I like this song.’

So I’ll do that this week. (Wait, did this just become a theme?)

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Song of the Day #1,794: ‘Lonesome Day Blues’ – Bob Dylan

loveandtheftI have never and will never tire of Bob Dylan’s Love and Theft. This is one of the very best albums by one of the very best singer-songwriters in popular music history.

While the album features a few structurally complex songs, as well as a couple of delicate melodies tailor made for an old-school crooner, it’s hard to beat the straight-up blues bruisers like today’s SOTD.

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Song of the Day #1,793: ‘Love is a Many Splendored Thing’ – Grease Soundtrack

grease_summer_nightsI believe there is a version of this song with lyrics (courtesy of The Four Aces), but it’s not the version I own.

That’s because the version I own is the one that accompanies the opening scene of Grease — captured in all its glory below.

Enjoy the romance-filled summer of Sandy and Danny, including a moment when Danny gets a little too grabby, set to this wonderfully over-the-top orchestral arrangement.

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