Wondering about wild grapes

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Wondering about songs.

Songs affect your mood, well maybe not yours but they affect mine. There are a couple of songs that so totally relax me that they almost put me in another world. It really isn’t just the plain song, but the arrangement, the way it was executed, and the skill of the musicians.

I guess I am not talking about the song, but the song that was recorded by a particular person who used a unique arrangement and executed it so well.
The first is Floyd Cramer’s “Last Date”. I bought the 45 rpm record and wore it out. I would play it over and over again and lay on the couch with my eyes closed feeling so warm and relaxed. This has to be my favorite (non-gospel) recording of all time.

A close second is also an instrumental but done by James Alan Shelton, who is a bluegrass guitarist and singer. His instrumental version of an old Peter, Paul, and Mary song, “Sounds of Silence”, is another one that I can listen to over and over and it never gets old and it, too, relaxes me. My wife and my cousin’s wife do not like blue grass, but they like this song. It can be found on his album “Walking Down The Line” along with a lot of other good songs.

I love a lot of different songs, but only a few affect me like the above two. There are only a few other songs that come real close to these, but these two have to be best.

By the way, the U-tube clip of Shelton playing Sounds of Silence is not as good a quality as on the CD album. But this is all I could find. Here is a link to Shelton's webpage-LINK

Now, let me hear about your favorite recording, one that relaxes you and puts you in a state of euphoria.

10 comments:

  1. I really like the Goldberg Variations on harpsichord. Many people find it relaxes them so they can sleep. While I find it relaxing, it keeps me awake. I get caught up listening and waiting for the next variation. It's actually good for long distance driving. Keeps me awake while putting everyone else in the car asleep. Handy when the kids were little.

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  2. Sixbears, Yes sir, I know what you are talking about, it just about has you relaxed enough to go to sleep than it startles you wide awake with the change of tempo and volume. It is amazing how musice as varied as popular, bluegrass, and classical can create the same affects. Thanks for stopping by my site this morning.

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  3. OK, my music back ground is waay different than yours. Of course I listened to early country , then Rock and Roll. Once I got older if I really want to to just lay back and let my mind escape, I would pick these two as a start.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urfjyj4FnUc&feature=related have to turn the volume up

    And this one as well, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgtEUr_n9vM&feature=related

    See? Told ya my choices were different

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  4. Ben, this is great that everyone likes something different. I like your favorite music as well. Very soothing.

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  5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cmp4bbm-7-U&feature=grec_index

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5p_U8J0iRQ&feature=related

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  6. Frann, Ole Willie and and a hymn, good choices. Of course with Willie I would have put "Blue eyes crying in the rain".

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  7. Energy = "Godsibb", composed by Yuki Kajiura off of the Xenosaga 3 sound track.
    Peace = "Forgiven" by Within Temptation, off of the "The Heart of Everything" album. I could drift away on that cello.
    Anger/Venting = "Untitled" by Simple Plan, off of the album "Still Not Getting Any". Just raw fustration, to be used only when needed.
    Adventure = "Small Two of Pieces", composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, sang by Joanne Hogg, from the Xenogears soundtrack.
    Beauty = "Dante's Prayer" by Loreena McKennit, from the album "The Book of Secrets"
    Hope = "It Is Well With My Soul" as sang by Jennifer Knapp from the album "Diamond in the Rough."
    Fun = "It is Pitch Dark" by MC Front-A-Lot from the album "Secrets From The Future". The nerd in my loves a song about getting lost in 40 year old video games.

    Sorry, I'm not simple enough for only one answer.

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  8. Ok Grant, you got me. What is Xenogears and Xenosaga 3? Must be something from anther galaxy, right?

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  9. They were both videogames. Xenogears, released in 1999 is without a doubt the best sci-fi story I've every experienced, in any medium.

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  10. Thanks Grant for the info. Atari was the last video game I played. I was real good at space invaders.

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