Bjcorbin's Blog

As a huge fan of music, there are many songs that I’ve loved, but here are ten that have really stood the test of time with me.

1. “Toulouse Street” – The Doobie Brothers:  This song was on the flipside of the 45 rpm record of “Listen to the Music”, which was in a batch of used records someone gave my parents for us kids.  Those were the first records we ever owned.  The song itself is beautiful and haunting; and it still moves me whenever I hear it.  The Doobie Brothers never sounded any better than this.
2. “Homeward Bound” – Simon & Garfunkel:  These guys were incredible together and this song is a great example of everything I loved about them.  Their voices work so well together, the acoustic guitar is rich and the lyrics resonate deeply.  When I decided to embrace Christianity (in my thirties), this song took on a whole new meaning, “as all my words come back to me, in shades of mediocrity, like emptiness in harmony, I need someone to comfort me”.  Amen!
3. “Almost Like Being in Love” – Michael Johnson:  This is a pretty much forgotten single by the guy who did the song “Bluer than Blue”; but for some reason the bluesy arrangement of this originally bouncy song (from the play “Brigadoon”) really works for me.  The understated vocals and the little saxophone flourishes paint a vivid picture that’s always stuck with me.
4. “Love Over Gold” – Dire Straits:  I always loved Mark Knopfler’s guitar playing and his ability to create an atmosphere through the music, but for me this album (i.e. “Love Over Gold”) stood head and shoulders above the rest.  The piano arrangements, the world weary vocals and the insightful lyrics made it a pinnacle in what I considered to be a brilliant career.  On an album full of great songs, the message of this one hits me the hardest.
5. “One for My Baby & One More for the Road” – Frank Sinatra:  I was not really into the music of this era, but from my perspective, this is one the coolest recordings ever produced.  Whenever I hear it I can almost smell the gin and cigarettes.
6. “Hotel California” – The Eagles:  As you can tell from my list, I hate to pick the obvious, but what can I say about this song and this band.    Too many of their albums were like a collection of solo songs from each talented member, but on this song you can hear all of them being great together.  Definitely one of the greatest rock songs ever.
7. “Can’t Get Next to You” – The Temptations:  It’s hard to pick from all the great Motown classics, I could just as easily have listed “Reach Out” by the Four Tops or “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.  It’s nearly impossible to listen to any of these songs without singing and dancing along.  This song in particular displays the great vocal talent of the Temptations at their peak.
8. “Between the Lines” – Michael Stanley Band:  This is another one of those forgotten singles by a largely forgotten band.  Even after all these years I fall for this song’s pop hook.  This is just a great sounding record.
9. “Moondance” – Van Morrison:  Not much to say about this song, it just imbedded itself in my soul and it’s been stuck there ever since.  I never heard anything else from Van Morrison that even remotely touched it.
10. “For Sentimental Reasons/Tenderly/Autumn Leaves  (Medley)” – Natalie Cole:  I never thought much of Natalie Cole when she was singing her pop/R&B songs, but when she switched to singing some of the old standards, I thought she really found her niche.  This medley is especially beautiful.  It will always hold a special place in my heart, as it was playing when I proposed to my wife.