"...within the context of the album as a whole entity..."
 

This forum has been a little slow going lately. Let's all discuss something that I've been meaning to ask for a long time now.

We all have our favorite Stevie songs. The ones we can't live without. The ones that go on all of our mix tapes/CD's/iTunes playlists.

But what I want to discuss is the songs that DON'T go on any of your playlists. The songs that you neither LOVE nor HATE...BUT ONLY really enjoy "within the context of the album as a whole entity." That is to say that those particular songs contribute to the atmosphere and theme of the record even though, to you, they are just simply "okay" or "nothing special" outside of the record. Does this make sense?

The frequently listen to all of her albums from start to finish, either on long road trips or to play in the background while working on projects at home. So these are the songs that I dig when listening to each album all the way through, but would NEVER put on one of my mixes...

BD - "After The Glitter Fades", "Outside The Rain"
RAL - "Imperial Hotel", "Some Become Strangers"
TOSOTM - "Ghosts"
SA - "Maybe Love..."
TISL - "Too Far From Texas", "It's Only Love"
IYD - "Wide Sargasso Sea", "Ghosts Are Gone"
24KG - "Starshine", "Mabel Normand"

Again, these are not songs that I hate. Just ones I'm not particularly fond of by themselves. But I appreciate their place on the records and the spirit they invoke within. I omitted WH from my list because it is a PERFECT album to me with the exception of "I Will Run To you", which I downright loathe. So it wasn't eligible for my list.

Okay, what about you guys? Feel free to expound on each song if you want. I'd love to hear everyone's opinion on this topic. :)

^^ That's an interesting list you have.

Songs I love within the context of their album, but would never put on a Stevie mix-tape or listen to, outside of playing the entire album:

BD - How Still My Love, Bella Donna
WH - Sable On Blonde, Nothing Ever Changes
RAL - Imperial Hotel, The Nightmare
TOSOTM - Alice, Ooh My Love
SA - Street Angel, Greta
TISL - Bombay Sapphires, Too Far From Texas
IYD - New Orleans, Secret Love
24KG - The Dealer, Starshine

I just don't get it. I Will Run To You is *such* a great song. So much passion, there. Haven't you ever felt that way? "All those lonely nights showed me something. If you need me, I'll come running." To me, it's a story about familiarity with loneliness, and a promise to never make another person feel that way, when you say you love them. It reminds me of a Neko Case lyric from the song Star Witness: "Come on pretty baby, get high with me. We can go to my sister's if we say we'll watch the baby. The look on your face yanks my neck on the chain, and I would do *anything* to see you again."

I Will Run to You is a weak song. It's just a chorus. Reminds me of Blue Denim. He would never put that on his album. The Insider was a great song. He kept that for himself.

Hmm.. For me my playlists revolve around a certain theme, not necessarily "favourites" or the like, but I have one that's sort of trippy/spacey, one that's for late night driving, etc., as well as seasonal playlists.

My current seasonal playlist is "EarlyAutumn" and some Stevie songs that are on there are Rock a Little, Sable on Blond, Some Become Strangers, Garbo, Nightbird, and The Highwayman because they capture a certain essence

But that doesn't really answer the question, so I'll list the ones that don't fit into any of my themes haha

BD - Think About It, Leather and Lace
WH - Nothing! I agree that it's the perfect album
RAL - Perfect in my eyes too
OSOTM - Two Kinds of Love, Whole Lotta Trouble.. I like them but they don't fit into any theme of mine
SA - Nothing on here works for me :distress:
TISL - The only songs I use in anything is Love Is, (though I love it all)
IYD - I don't use anything from here really either...
24KG - I Don't Care, Carousel, Hard Advice

I like these songs but not on a greatist hits.
Think about it
Gate and Garden
No Spoken Word
A Long Way to Go
Just Like A Woman
I Miss You Now
Soldiers Angel
Watch Chain

I actually HAVE felt that way. It's not that I don't like the lyrics. They are quite good! I also like the flow and melody of the verses and how she sings them. It's the chorus and bridge that ruins EVERYTHING for me. I think the melody in both are weak. I think Tom's singing is lazy and lackluster and I DEFINITELY think Stevie's harmony is totally off key. Had auto tune been around back in those days, then this song could have benefitted from it. Basically the chorus sucks, in my opinion. Melodically, to me, this song is a good example of something that sounds like two completely different songs smashed together. It doesn't "gel". It's off putting.

Just wanted to answer your question. Now back to our regularly scheduled thread topic...:laugh:

I can see where people don't find I Will Run To You stellar, BUT I do love that slow funky groove with that bluesy guitar.

Mine are:
Think About It
I Sing For The Things (Love the fast version though)
I Still Miss Someone
Just Like A Woman
Carousel Of Love
New Orleans

These will do for starters...

Great idea for a thread! I guess mine would be...

Think About It
Enchanted
Gate and Garden
Fall From Grace
Secret Love
Italian Summer
Starshine
Cathouse Blues
She Loves Him Still

I love those tunes mentioned.Most if all on my old worn out Stevie/FM mix cassettes .

Bella Donna: Kind of Woman
The Wild Heart: Gate and Garden, Enchanted
Rock a Little: Rock a Little (Go Ahead Lily), I Sing For The Things
The Other Side of the Mirror: Two Kinds of Love, Fire Burning, Alice, Doing the Best I Can (Escape from Berlin)
Street Angel: I listened too few times to know for certain but could virtually put any song
Trouble in Shangri-La: That Made Me Stronger, It's Only Love, Love Changes, I Miss You, Love Is
In Your Dreams: Wide Sargasso Sea, Soldier's Angel, Everybody Loves You, You May Be The One, Cheaper Than Free
24 Karat Gold: Blue Water, I Don't Care, Belle Fleur, If You Were My Love, She Loves Him Still

This reflects very much the fact that Stevie with age has become an "album oriented" artist, and chooses the songs that work better for the album organicity rather than good stand alone songs (that also are possible singles).

Interesting thread.
Bella Donna: The Highwayman
Wild Heart: Nightbird
RAL: Any and all songs between I cant Wait and No Spoken Word :eek:
TOSOTM: Fire Burning
TISRL: Too Far from Texas

Over 400+ views but only 7 responses? :(

I guess I should apologize to most of the Ledgies out there...

"I'm sorry that I post questions and threads that actually have to make people THINK. Sorry if this thread made your tiny little heads hurt." :D

A BIG THANKS to the 7 of you out there who actually DID reply. It's such a pleasure to hear your input. That's why I'm here on this forum so often.

It's great to hear such diverse answers here. Some of you wrote down songs that DEFINITELY go on my playlists and some of you wrote songs that I loathed in the past but grew on me in later years. "Think About It" being one of those. It was a looooonnng slow burn.

"Imperial Hotel" "I Sing For The Things" and "New Orleans" appear to be a common thread amongst this topic as well. Interesting.

For me it would be:

BD - Think About It, Leather And Lace
WH - I Will Run To You, Gate And Garden
RAL - I Sing For The Things [the fast version is better than the album version IMO]
TOSOTM - Two Kinds Of Love, Fire Burning, Cry Wolf [I HATE I Still Miss Someone]
SA - Everything except Street Angel, Docklands, Rose Garden, and Blue Denim
TISL - Love Changes, I Miss You, Bombay Sapphires
IYD - Italian Summer, Everybody Loves You, You May Be The One, Cheaper Than Fre, Ghosts Are Gone
24KT Gold - Lady, I Don't Care
-
I prefer the live version of Blue Denim from Jay Leno to the studio version honestly. It cuts down on the useless parts of the song, and she had more energy IMO. And I believe TOSOTM should have ended with Doing The Best That I Can. But that's off topic.

I'm one of the 400. This thread requires too much thinking. I'm not good at that.:laugh: