Standard Music Monday Intro:
Let's say I have a CD player in my truck. And just for the sake of a blogable subject let's suppose that the CD player broke one day in such a way that the compilation CD currently in the player could not be ejected, the volume could not be changed from its position at medium loud and I cannot change over to the radio. If I'm in the truck and the key is in the ignition, then the CD is playing at medium high volume and it will continue to play until I exit the truck. It's music will span a trip to the corner convenience store for some Jumbo Juicy Love or across the entire nation. So I am stuck listening to this CD for all eternity. What 15 songs would I want the CD to contain and why?

My top 15 Songs in no particular order.


Previous Mondays:

#1 "La Grange" by ZZ Top from the album Tres Hombres.

#2 "Magic Man" by Heart from the album Dreamboat Annie.

#3 "Train Kept A Rollin'" by Areosmith from the album Get Your Wings.

#4 "Cowboy Song" by Thin Lizzy from the 1976 album Jailbreak.


Today's offering: "Walkin' In Memphis" by Marc Cohn from the 1991 album Marc Cohn. Why? I'm not sure. I was kinda drawn to this song when it first came out and still like it when I hear it on the radio. I have never been a big Elvis fan and although to the casual listener the lyrics seem to be centered on Elvis I think a more detailed examination shows that the song is really more about life in Memphis and Nashville and searching for a connection to the Blues and everything associated with that area and the Blues. This is one of those rare songs that plays well in a concert venue with 15,000 people or a piano bar at the Hilton. 

Walkin' In Memphis works with an entire string section or just a piano.  I am an "unplugged" kind of guy. (Some would say unhinged) I think that occasionally, really good song lyrics get hidden by the concussion and or complexity of the music that accompanies them. I like to hear a song on piano or guitar and be able to absorb the message without being caught up in the moment. Then, of course, after we examine it and have digested the lyrics, lets rock it out with smoke and flash pots and flying guitarists and drummers dressed in ape suits. (Another story for another day).

For now... lets just listen to the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter tell the story.