BEST Sci-Fi Movies

Okay, the rules. No Star Wars movies. They are not science fiction, they are space opera. No Blade Runner (you're kidding, right? That is NOT a good movie.) No E.T. If you disagree, make your own list.

Alien (1979) / Aliens (1986) 

The plot of the first movie sounds simple: the crew of a spaceship are stalked by a relentless monster. Yet this is anything but a simple movie. All of the crew members are complex and believable creations. And, of course, it’s scary as hell: the unveiling of Ash’s true identity is almost as scary as the xenomorph itself. Tense, tense, tense
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For the second installment, James Cameron cleverly decided not to copy the original. Instead he delivered one of the most purely exciting action films ever made. Cameron waits almost an hour before the acid-blooded xenomorphs make an appearance, while the film transformed Ripley into a bona fide iconic action heroine. 

Contact (1997)

Astronomer Dr. Ellie Arroway, is committed to looking for signals of intelligent life in the universe. Her work is referred by her National Science Foundation (NSF) superior David Drumlin as more science fiction than science. When she loses her funding Ellie looks for funding from where ever they could get it to continue. Then,  When they hear chatter originating from the vicinity of the star Vega, she feels vindicated. But that vindication is short lived when others, including politicians, the military, religious leaders and other scientists such as Drumlin try to take over her work. When the messages received from space are decoded, the project takes on a whole new dimension.  

Donnie Darko (2001) 

A oddly brilliant and dense film that includes worm holes, a man in a rabbit suit, and teen angst. The sparkling visuals and laconic performance from Jake Gyllenhaal makes it stand out. You must watch it at least twice to really get it.  

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) 

Charlie Kaufman’s romantic/Sci-Fi comedy. A restrained  (and never better) Jim Carrey and a kooky Kate Winslet are the ex-lovers who have their minds wiped to forget about each other – but then fall in love all over again. Told in (at first) bewildering order, this is a strangely honest movie about love and heartbreak. You must watch it twice to really get it. 

Gattaca (1997) 
Ignored by audiences when it was released, Gattaca is a slow but involving ‘genetics noir’ that is driven by ideas rather than action. Ethan Hawke and Jude Law have never been better as the pair who strike an uneasy bargain, and there’s something disquieting about the shimmering retro-future visuals.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 & 1978 remake)
Jack Finney’s 1955 novel The Body Snatchers is an intense read. The first movie based on the book is a tense and tightly plotted film and a frightening bit of anti-commie science fiction. It ends with Kevin McCarthy running down the road screaming, "They're here already! You're next! You're next!"
But as good as the 1950s version is, the 1970s remake, fuelled by post-Watergate paranoia, is entirely gripping and arguably better than the original, an amazing feat.

The Matrix (1999) 
The Wachowski Brothers’ movie had it all: groundbreaking ‘flo-mo’ battles, ice cool characters, nods to spaghetti westerns and a large dose of cod philosophy, in an innovative, much-loved actioner. Even the lame sequels can’t detract from the film’s ingenuity.

Twelve Monkeys (1995) 
Terry Gilliam cuts back on his trademark Pythoneseque humour for a gripping, dark film. A smart, off-kilter picture that features an intense performance from Bruce Willis as mankind’s last hope. Brad Pitt has never been better.

Star Trek (2009) 
J.J. Abrams pulled off the not inconsiderable challenge of making Star Trek popular again – even cool – in a film that manages to appeal to Trekkers and newbies alike.It is a thrilling action film, with just enough in-jokes and character acknowledgments to soothe most long-time Trekkies. Abrams also pulls off an ingenious twist by creating an alternative time-line where the classic Star Trek story can happen, and the new Star Trek rebooted storyline can also happen. Hopefully, the two timelines will intersect as this franchise continues.  

Essential Time Travel Novels

Books listed alphabetically ...

THE ANUBIS GATES by Tim Powers (1985)
Quite brilliant. The colonization of Egypt by western European powers is the launch point for power plays and machinations. Steeping together in this time-warp stew are such characters as an unassuming Coleridge scholar, ancient gods, wizards, the Knights Templar, werewolves, and other quasi-mortals, all wrapped in the organizing fabric of Egyptian mythology. The reluctant heroes fight for survival against an evil that lurks beneath the surface of their everyday lives.





BRING THE JUBILEE by Ward Moore (1953) 
This is one of the first (and the best) of the alternative history novels that ask: What if the South won the Civil War? Politically complex, astute and endlessly fascinating. The point of divergence occurs when the Confederate States of America wins the Battle of Gettysburg and subsequently declares victory in the "War of Southern Independence" on July 4, 1864 after the surrender of the United States of America. The novel takes place in the impoverished United States in the mid-20th century as war looms between the Confederacy and its rival, the German Union. History takes an unexpected turn when the protagonist Hodge Backmaker, a historian, decides to travel back in time and witness the moment when the South won the war.

A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT by Mark Twain (1889)
This story is both a whimsical fantasy and a social satire chock-full of brilliant Twainisms. Hank Morgan, a 19th century American-a Connecticut Yankee-by a stroke of fate is sent back into time to 6th century England and ends up in Camelot and King Arthur's Court. Although of average intelligence, he finds himself with knowledge beyond any ofthose in the 6th century and uses it to become the king's right hand man, and to challenge Merlin as the court magician. Astounded at the way of life in Camelot, Hank does the only thing he can think of to do: change them. In his attempt to civilize medieval Camelot he experiences many challenges and misadventures.




THE DANCERS AT THE END OF TIME by Michael Moorcock (1974 onward)
Enter a decaying far, far future society, a time when anything and everything is possible, where words like 'conscience' and 'morality' are meaningless, and where heartfelt love blossoms mysteriously between Mrs Amelia Underwood, an unwilling time traveller, and Jherek Carnelian, a bemused denizen of the End of Time. The Dancers at the End of Time is a brilliant homage to the 1890s. The series include the following novels: An Alien Heat, The Hollow Lands and The End of All Songs.



GLIMPSES by Lewis Shiner (1993)
The first rock n roll time-travel novel! In the song "American Pie" Don McLean asked the question: "Can music save your mortal soul?" Glimpses answers that question with a resounding "YES!"
Ray Chackleford is an unstable, self-employed electronics repairman whose marriage is foundering and whose father has recently died. These unresolved relationships are complicated when Ray travels to the Mexican site of his father's death and promptly falls in love with a woman even more unstable than he. In the midst of this emotional turmoil, Ray--a rock drummer during his youth in the late Sixties--begins to hear music in his head and manages to transfer to tape legendary unfinished recordings by Jim Morrison, Brian Wilson, and Jimi Hendrix. This music is accompanied by "journeys" into the troubled lives of these rock musicians. Shiner's appealing main character and his gripping style overcome the less believable aspects of his story. If you love classic rock and roll, this is a must read!


THE GODS THEMSELVES by Issac Asimov (1972)
In the year 2100, mankind on Earth, settlers in a lunar colony and aliens from the para-universe, a strange universe parallel in time to our own, are faced with a race against time to prevent total destruction of the Earth. The invention of the Inter-Universe Electron Pump has threatened the rate of hydrogen fusion in the sun, leading, inevitably, to the possibilty of a vast explosion -- and the vapourization of the Earth exactly eight minutes later . . .
Asimov, is always, accurate and brilliant. The science is plausible.




THE LIGHT OF OTHER DAYS by Arthur C. Clark & Stephen Baxter (2000)
Two titans of hard SF--multiple award-winning British authors Clarke (Rendezvous with Rama) and Baxter (The Time Ships)--team up for a story of grand scientific and philosophical scope.
Ruthless Hiram Patterson, the self-styled "Bill Gates of the twenty-first century," brings about a communication revolution by using quantum wormholes to link distant points around Earth. Not content with his monopoly on the telecommunications industry, Patterson convinces his estranged son, David, a brilliant young physicist, to work for him. While humanity absorbs the depressing news that an enormous asteroid will hit Earth in 500 years, David develops the WormCam, which allows remote viewers to spy on anyone, anytime. The government steps in to direct WormCam use--but before long, privacy becomes a distant memory. Then David and his half-brother, Bobby, discover a way to use the WormCam to view the past, and the search for truth leads to disillusionment as well as knowledge.

Only by growing beyond the mores of the present can humanity hope to survive and to deal with the threats of the future, including that asteroid. The exciting extrapolation flows with only a few missteps, and the large-scale implications addressed are impressive indeed.


THE MAN WHO FOLDED HIMSELF by David Gerrold (1973)
Daniel Eakins inherits a time machine and soon realizes that he has enormous power to shape the course of history. He can foil terrorists, prevent assassinations, or just make some fast money at the racetrack. And if he doesn't like the results of the change, he can simply go back in time and talk himself out of making it! But Dan soon finds that there are limits to his powers and forces beyond his control. A wild ride!





PASTWATCH: THE REDEMPTION OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS by Orson Scott Card (1996)
Tagiri and Hassan are members of Pastwatch, an academic organization that uses machines to see into the past and record it. Their project focuses on slavery and its dreadful effects, and gradually evolves into a study of Christopher Columbus.
They eventually marry and their daughter Diko joins them in their quest to discover what drove Columbus west. Columbus, with whom readers become acquainted through both images in the Pastwatch machines and personal narrative, is portrayed as a religious man with both strengths and weaknesses, a charismatic leader who sometimes rose above but often fell beneath the mores of his times. An entertaining and thoughtful history lesson.

REPLAY by Ken Grimwood (1986)
What if you could love your life over and over, and over again? Jeff Winston, a failing 43-year-old radio journalist, dies and wakes up in his 18-year-old body in 1963 with his memories of the next 25 years intact. He views the future from the perspective of naive 1963: "null-eyed punks in leather and chains . . . death-beams in orbit around the polluted, choking earth . . . his world sounded like the most nightmarish of science fiction."

Grimwood has transcended genre with this carefully observed, literate and original story. Jeff's knowledge soon becomes as much a curse as a blessing. After recovering from the shock (is the future a dream, or is it real life?), he plays out missed choices. In one life, for example, he falls in love with Pamela, a housewife who died nine minutes after Jeff; they try to warn the world of the disasters it faces, coming in conflict with the government and history. A third replayer turns out to be a serial killer, murdering the same people over and over. Jeff and Pamela are still searching for some missing part of their lives when they notice they are returning closer and closer to the time of their deaths, and realize that the replays and their times together may be coming to an end.
A brilliant book. An all-time classic.

SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE by Kurt Vonnegut
"Listen: Billy Pilgrim has become unstuck in time." After he is abducted by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore, Pilgrim's life unfolds in a display of plot-scrambling virtuosity, concentrating on his shattering experience as an American prisoner of war who witnesses the firebombing of Dresden.

Okay, we've all read it. 'Nuff said.




TIME AND AGAIN by Jack Finny
Simon Morley, an artist with a premium on imagination, is chosen as a possible subject by a group operating on the theory that time is charted by a myriad of details and if surrounded by what appear to be the artifacts and events of an era, they might be able to project themselves into the actual time slot. For weeks Simon is secluded in an apartment in New York's famous landmark, the Dakota, where he dresses, eats, entertains himself and reads newspapers in tire style of the New York of 1894 and finally he walks out into the Central Park of that January. As Simon wanders and takes photos of the familiar-but-different New York landscape, he becomes involved in the lives of several of his 19th century acquaintances. And there is a mystery that Simon is determined to solve that has to do with a suicide and a cryptic letter that ends "the sending of this should cause the Destruction by Fire of the entire World." 


TIMESCAPE by Gregory Benford (1980)It's 1998, and a physicist in Cambridge, England, attempts to send a message backward in time. Earth is falling apart, and a government faction supports the project in hopes of diverting or avoiding the environmental disasters beginning to tear at the edges of civilization. It's 1962, and a physicist in California struggles with his new life on the West Coast, office politics, and the irregularities of data that plague his experiments. Then he receives an unusual message ... 

TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG by Connie Willis

In 2057, Ned Henry, an Oxford expert in the 20th century, jumps back and forth from the 1940s to correct a loose screw in the works of the time continuum. A tongue-in-cheek raspberry to Victorian novels, the story unfolds with such madcap almost screwball intensity makes the pages burn your fingers as you read. This a fun ride!






UP THE LINE by Robert Silverberg (1969)
Being a Time Courier was one of the best jobs Judson Daniel Elliott III ever had. It was tricky, though, taking group after group of tourists back to the same historic event without meeting yourself coming or going. Trickier still was avoiding the temptation to become intimately involved with the past and interfere with events to come. The deterrents for any such actions were frighteningly effective. So Judson Daniel Elliott played by the book. Then he met a lusty Greek in Byzantium who showed him how rules were made to be broken...and set him on a family-history-go-round that would change his past and his future forever! 

10 GREAT SONGS MORE THAN 10 MINUTES

THE RULES: No jazz or classical music included. There are WAAAY too many great songs in those genres that clock in past 10 minutes. So, I picked my favorite rock songs that were 10 minutes+ in their original studio versions (no live versions - that's cheating!) And before you begin to bitch ... I do not consider In-Gadda-Da-Vida (Iron Butterfly) a great song. Hence the reason The End (The Doors) and Dark Star (The Grateful Dead) are not on the list. Freebird is only 9:08 long, by the way.
   If you disagree, feel free to send me your own lists and I will post them.

In alphabetical order:

1. Achilles Last Stand – Led Zeppelin (10:25) Guitar chaos from a hugely underrated Led Zep LP, Presence.
2. Alice’s Restaurant Massacree – Arlo Guthrie (18:34) A song so good it was made into a great movie. If you've never listened to the entire song ... shame on you. 
3. Desolation Row – Bob Dylan (11:25) Classic Dylan. As good as Dylan gets.
4. Echoes – Pink Floyd (23:30) Probably my favorite Floyd song. I love the sound effects of the submarine pulse mixed in the background, and a great David Gilmore guitar solo.
5. Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys - Traffic (11:44) Veeery cool groove.
6. Maggot Brain – Funkadelic ( 10:21) Maybe the best recorded rock guitar solo done in one take  Eddie Hazel is the greatest unknown rock guitarist.
7.  Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part 1) – Pink Floyd (13:30) This is a no brainer.
8. Supper’s Ready – Genesis (22:50) I heard this for the first time when I was 15 and I’d never heard anything this cool, this weird and this apocalyptic. And I still haven’t. It was based on an event when Peter Gabriel’s wife was put into a trance and Peter was so freaked out by the experience he wrote this song. Through the years my interpretation of the song has changed as I matured. My most recent interpretation is: a spiritual journey of two lovers who lose their way in life and wander aimlessly for the rest of their days but are ultimately reunited in the “New Jerusalem” (heaven).
9. Telegraph Road – Dire Straits (14:21) Tasty Mark Knopfler guitar. Contains the great lyric line: “run all the red lights down Memory Lane.
10. 2112 – Rush (20:33) Rush’s first flexing of their musical muscles. Love Alex Lifeson's power chords. 

BEST FICTIONAL MYSTERY/DETECTIVE SERIES

MarkJonesBooks.com

These are listed in no particular order. All of them are good and worth reading. 

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1. “Travis McGee” by John D. MacDonald. 21 books all with a color in the title (The Deep Blue Good-bye; Darker Than Amber; The Green Ripper.) McGee, who works as a “salvage consultant” in Ft. Lauderdale, has all the best qualities of Magnum, Rockford, Bond, and Robin Hood, with the addition of yen philosophizing and rueful self-awareness. Must be read in consecutive order.

2. “Burke” by Andrew Vachss. 18 books. Vachss (rhymes with “tax”) is a lawyer who only represents children and youths and writes the darkest, most unrelenting series of books about crime and revenge. Main character Burke is one of the “children of the secret” - abused children who were victimized without ever experiencing justice, much less love and protection. To say the least, the adult Burke is a deeply conflicted character. Must be read in order.






3. “Sherlock Holmes” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. 4 novels and 5 collections of short stories. What can you say? THE detective of all detectives.

4. “Thorn” by James P. Hall. 10 books. Thorn lives in the Florida Keys and makes his living tying lures for fly fishing. There’s quite a bit of Travis McGee in Thorn, and a little bit of Burke also. You don’t have to read these books in order, but I highly recommend you start with the first one (Under Cover of Daylight) so you will know why Thorn is the way he is.



5. “Repairman Jack” by F. Paul Wilson. 10 books. Andrew Vachss calls Repairman Jack “righteous!” An apt description. Jack is a loner who lives off the public grid (no SSN, no official identity) and makes his living “fixing” extreme situations. His adventures also feature touches of the paranormal. Must be read in order. My favorite series on this list ... by far. 

6. “Joe Kurtz” by Dan Simmons. 3 books – Hard Case, Hard Freeze, Hard As Nails. Hard-boiled crime noir at its best. Simmons is one of my all-time favorite writers. In addition to these great novels, he has also written my two favorite horror novels (Carrion Comfort and Children of the Night), a sci-fi classic (Hyperion) and a great Hemingway historical novel (The Crook Factory). It helps to read them in order.

7. “Parker” by Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake). 24 books. Parker may be the meanest, nastiest character on this list. Very few redeeming qualities. These books are almost nihilistic. Highly recommend you read these in order – some of the books began the second after the previous book ends.

8. “Justin & Cuddy” by Michael Malone. 3 books -Uncivil Seasons, Time’s Witness, First Lady. Great literate mysteries set in small town North Carolina. Uncivil Seasons is one of the best mysteries I’ve ever read. Read in order. 

9. “Lew Archer” by Ross MacDonald. 18 books. William Goldman calls these the "the finest series of detective novels ever written by an American". Macdonald is the primary heir to Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler but his writing built on the pithy style of his predecessors by adding psychological depth and insights into the motivations of his characters. Archer often unearthed the family secrets of his clients and of the criminals who victimized them. Lost or wayward sons and daughters were a theme common to many of the novels. Macdonald was one of the first to deftly combine the two sides of the mystery genre, the "whodunit" and the psychological thriller.

10. "87th Precinct" by Ed McBain. 56 books. THE BEST. The most consistent police procedurals written about day-to-day cops, the inspiration for "Hill Street Blues" and all the other more realistic, gritty cops show that followed. Steve Carella, Meyer Meyer, Bert Kling, Ollie Weeks, Cotton Hawes, and Andy Parker just to name a few of the memorable characters we have come to know and love who work out of the 8-7. And of course, the Blind Man, one of the greatest, coolest criminals to grace crime pages. McBain died in 2005 so alas, there will be no more 8-7 books.

11. “Inspector Lynley” by Elizabeth George. 17 books. These are richly written English police novels with twisting plots and fascinating characters. IN fact, many of these novels superbly combine character studies with murder and mayhem. 
Inspector Thomas Lynley is the 7th Earl of Asherton with an estate in Cornwall. He is cultivated, blond and handsome and drives a Bentley. He is also a Scotland Yard Inspector with a razor-sharp mind. and his desire for justice just as keen. His partner,  Sgt. Barbara Havers is rough-around-the-edges working class. She's outspoken, blunt, and a plain, often, sloppy woman. But she is methodically stubborn. 



12. “Spenser” by Robert B. Parker. 35 books. I almost didn’t list Spenser here … but I had to. This is an infuriating series … the first 14 books are as good as PI fiction gets … and the rest are hit-and-miss. Hawk is one of the great characters in crime fiction. But then you also have Susan Silverman - Spenser's main squeeze. The more important Susan Silverman becomes to the story the more annoying the book is. I kept hoping Susan would get killed and we get back the old, tougher Spenser, not the Oprah-fied Spenser he had become. Alas, Parker died last year and Susan will live on forever. 

25 MOST ROMANTIC SONGS

This is a list of love songs for adults. Hence, you will not find any songs from Titanic or Twilight. You will not find Bette Midler or Whitney Houston. Histronics does NOT = romance.The 25 songs listed here all have one thing in common - they celebrate the joyous nature of being in love. Some of these songs you may already know, and some you may not. But hopefully, you will discover some new music that will enrich your soul.  Happy Valentine's Day!

Listed alphabetically:

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 A GOOD FEELIN' TO KNOW – Poco. C’mon! One of the happiest songs I’ve ever heard. Why this song was not a MASSIVE hit in the early 70s is one of the greater mysteries of pop music. If Ritchie Furay never did anything else in his professional life, (and he did a lot more!) he wrote this amazing song about the joys of being in love. LISTEN TO IT HERE.

BECAUSE– The Dave Clark Five. Great 60s rock ballad. Beats any love song the Beatles ever recorded. The answer to every question is “Because, because, I love you.” LISTEN TO IT HERE.

CHANCES ARE – Johnny Mathis. Lush and dreamy. Mathis is always good to set a romantic mood. LISTEN TO IT HERE.

DRUNK ON LOVE – Radney Foster. A really fun love song about a man sitting at a bar who realizes he has just fallen in love. Best line: “That kiss you just hammered me with, girl/ it’s a staggering revelation.” LISTEN TO IT HERE.

FADE INTO YOU – Mazzy Starr. Most people first heard this song in the movie “Angus” where it was used to great effect at a high school dance. Hope Sandoval’s voice is barely a whisper floating on top of an ethereal beat lush with tambourine, acoustic guitar, a weeping slide and tinkling piano. Once you hear it, it haunts you. Lovely. LISTEN TO IT HERE.

FOOLED AROUND AND FELL IN LOVE – Elvin Bishop. Okay, I’m showing my 1970s roots here. But if the music critic on Yahoo can choose ‘Let’s Do It’ by LL Cool J as a romantic song … I can choose this simple love song with a killer guitar solo by Bishop and a soulful, yearning vocal by Mickey Thomas. This is the song that makes me forgive Thomas every time I hear him singing “We Built This City” with the Starship. LISTEN TO IT HERE.

FOOLS THAT DREAM – Radney Foster. Foster is an amazing songwriter. This is one of his best … a man realizing that sometimes love leads you in a direction that others don’t agree you should pursue, but he is smart enough to realize the best love stories are when people (fools) are not afraid to take a risk. LISTEN TO IT HERE.

I FALL TO PIECES – Patsy Cline. Almost everyone chooses ‘Crazy’ for a romantic Patsy Cline song. Again, we go against the grain. If you’re in love with someone who does love you in return, Patsy sympathizes, and she’s got your back. LISTEN TO IT HERE, great live performance 10 days before her death.

I KNEW LOVE – Nanci Griffith.  A bitter sweet ballad about love lost and the enduring hope that it is not forever gone. Nanci is a national treasure.  LISTEN TO IT HERE.

I'LL BE AROUND – The Spinners. This may be one of my favorite songs from the 1970s. A great loping groove. Granted, it’s about a man who loses his love but resolves to be around for her in the future should she ever need his friendship. That’s true romance. Greatest line: “And now it’s up to me / To bow out gracefully.” Compare this attitude to the current crop of black singers about romance. LISTEN TO IT HERE. SOUL TRAIN FOOTAGE! R.I.P Don Cornelius.

IT'S MAGIC – Keely Smith. We played this at our wedding. This is a cover of one of Doris Day's big hits, but Keely's version is soooo much better. It's an old fashioned love song, arranged and orchestrated by Nelson Riddle and sung with great emotion by Keely Smith. Riddle’s arrangement allows Keely to sing the song twice … first as a slow ballad and then … as a swinging love song. All within 3 minutes! Stay with the video and see why most people in Vegas in the 50s considered Keely the female Sinatra. The way sings the word "wonderland" toward the end still kills me. LISTEN TO IT HERE.

I SAW THE LIGHT – Todd Rundgren. Another upbeat, happy love song. One of those songs that always makes me smile and feel good. LISTEN TO IT HERE.

I'VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN – Frank Sinatra. Obviously, this entire list could be nothing but Sinatra songs. Frank is one of the ultimate make-out artists. He literally is the soundtrack of romance for two generations of Americans. I’ve always appreciated this ‘under my skin’ concept. Swingin’ and sexy. Try not to snap your fingers as you listen.  LISTEN TO IT HERE.

I WAS MADE TO LOVE HER – Stevie Wonder. When compiling a Romantic Song list most people choose Stevie Wonder’s cheesy “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” or the atrocious “I Just Called To Say I Love You.”  This song however, is fun, brimming with the joy of being in love. 

LISTEN TO IT HERE.

JUST AS LONG AS YOU LOVE – Buck Owens. Buck doesn't screw around. He gets right to the heart of the matter with the opening line: “Well, I don’t care if the sun don’t shine / I don’t care if the bells don’t chime / Just as long as you love me.” Perfect. LISTEN TO IT HERE. BONUS: Great 60s Suits!

JUST MY IMAGINATION – The Temptations. Could be the prettiest song I’ve ever heard. Eddie Kendricks’ last song as part of the Temptations is one of the greatest love songs of all time. His voice is fragile and soaring. LISTEN TO IT HERE. Clip is from the TV movie, and captures the animosity between the members of the band, but also shows the power that great music can wield. 

LET'S PRETEND – The Raspberries. A classic pop song. Eric Carmen was a great sponge, and this song is a perfect distillation of The Beatles, The Beach Boys and The Byrds. Everytime I hear one of Eric Carmen's later 80s shlocky pop hits (remember Dirty Dancing?) this song makes me forgive him.  LISTEN TO IT HERE.

LET'S STAY TOGETHER – Al Green. A love song about the hardship of cultivating the longevity of a relationship, sung with typical smoldering passion by one of the all time great soul singers.           LISTEN TO IT HERE.

ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU– Shelby Lynne. Originally recorded by Dusty Springfield as an up tempo pop song, Shelby Lynne slowed it down and turned it into a smoldering torch song. Absolutely stunning.  LISTEN TO IT HERE. Our wedding song. Video is the one I created when my wife and I got engaged.

OUR LOVE IS HERE TO STAY – Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald. The last song written by George and Ira Gershwin is one of their best. The duet between Louis and Ella is, of course, masterful. Used very well in the soundtrack of “When Harry Met Sally …” LISTEN TO IT HERE.

POWER OF TWO – Indigo Girls. An amazing love song about the right two is always better than just one.  LISTEN TO IT HERE.

RETURN TO ME – Dean Martin. Are you kidding me? For sheer romanticism this is tough to beat. Lush strings and Dean singing in his inimitable style, and even breaking into Italian at one point.  LISTEN TO IT HERE. Also, the title (and inspiration) of a great romantic movie starring David Duchovny and Minnie Driver.

SINGING IN THE RAIN – Gene Kelly. One of my all time favorites because this is one of the greatest movies ever. You cannot separate this song from the famous scene of Kelly realizing he's in love with Kathy Sheridan and celebrates his joy by cavorting in the street during a heavy rain. Sheer romantic magic! LISTEN TO IT HERE.

STARLESS SUMMER SKY – Marshall Crenshaw. Another happy love song. Listen to this and you will have a smile on your face, and tapping your toes. Crenshaw should be an American Institution. In some perfect alternative world, where Lady GaGa and Pearl Jam never got a recording contract, Crenshaw is the biggest rock and roll star of all time.  LISTEN TO IT HERE.

SURE THING – Foster & Lloyd. Another Radney Foster song. Best line: “You dream of sure love and I dream of your love / Your dream and my dream are one in the same.” 

LISTEN TO IT HERE.