2009-01-15

marycrawford: 13 hour clock icon (woot!)
2009-01-15 07:50 pm

More Joy Day

Once again, it's More Joy Day, or as [livejournal.com profile] sdwolfpup put it, "The goal of today is for us to seek out and give joy to others, in the hopes that it will expand outward into the world."

I love this idea. I want to share some music with you all that gives me joy, and hope to lift your day a little, too. And if it does, I'd love to know!

Al Green - L.O.V.E. (mp3, Box.net)
I went to see Al Green in concert last year, in a tiny converted church in Amsterdam, and it was fan-freaking-tastic. His songs just embody joy. During the concert, he said at one point "Y'all are probably thinking, has Al Green still got it?" and then held one of those high notes so long, so purely, that you could see people's mouths fall open.

David Bowie - Let's Dance (m4a, Mediafire)
Any compilation of songs that give me joy would have to include a David Bowie song. That's just a natural law that cannot be broken.

This is a live recording of Let's Dance, from the excellent Bowie at the Beeb box set - it starts out slow and melancholy, and then segues into the upbeat version, and Bowie's voice is just. Wstfgl. This song is from the bonus disc that came with the box set I bought - looking at Amazon, it doesn't seem to be included anymore, so grab it while you can. :-)

The Marvelettes - Too Many Fish In The Sea (mp3, Box.net)
This song happily provides the answer to the "there's a new fandom-that-ate-fandom on the horizon and I don't like it, ohnoes" quandary I've seen mentions of here and there. "Look here, girls, take this advice and remember always in life..."

Aretha Franklin - Eleanor Rigby (mp3, Box.net)
Can Aretha sing the Beatles? Yes. Can Aretha turn a sad, lonely, beautiful Beatles song into a heart-stirring, pulse-quickening soul anthem? Yes. Should you turn up the volume? Yes.

Eva Cassidy - A Bold Young Farmer (mp3, Mediafire)
Yes, I'm all the about the vocalists, can you tell? *g* Oh, Eva Cassidy. I wish she had lived and was with us now, singing her heart out. Once you've heard her voice, I bet you will wish the same.

This soaringly gorgeous version of a traditional British ballad is from her most recent album, Somewhere, brought out after her death - she only released two CDs while she was alive.

Have a great and joyful day!