The first playlist of the new year - and it seemed appropriate (especially looking out of the window as I write this) for it to be our second one to feature bad weather themed tunes.
Hopefully though, these tunes will lighten the mood, rather than darken it further....
1.The Beatles: Rain
Well, let's start off with a classic, shall we? This was the B-side to the classic 1966 single Paperback Writer. You can hear the start of their move towards psychedelia in it - and as you will see in the video, the mop-tops are definitely a thing of the past by this point.
2. The Dismemberment Plan : Ice Of Boston
This suggestion comes courtesy of friend of the site - Steve B.
It's a slightly quirky (and very bouncy) track and I have picked this live version that features a joyous stage invasion, seemingly by most of the crowd. It was on their well-received second album, The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified.
3. Husker Du: Ice Cold Ice
There were two great post-punk bands to come out of the twin-cities of Minnesota (they were from the St. Paul side) in the early 80s - and Husker Du were most definitely one of them - the name apparently comes from a 1970s memory board game. The song was written and sung by Bob Mould and features a call and response with bassist Grant Hart. It was on their sixth and final studio album, Warehouse: Songs And Stories.
4. The Replacements: Dose Of Thunder
And The Replacements were the other great Minnesotan post-punk band (from Minneapolis). This one comes from their fourth album, Tim, the last to feature the original line-up (as founding guitarist Bob Stinson was kicked out later in 1986). Rolling Stone reflected that the album was a crucial template for grunge, alternative country and emo. Dose Of Thunder is a typically loud and chaotic Mats song - classic.
5. AC/DC: Thunderstruck
A bit of classic rock for you now. This was the lead single from the Anglo / Scottish / Australian rockers twelfth album, 1990's The Razors Edge. It is certainly one of their most distinctive tunes - opening with Angus Young's one-handed legato playing (all hammer-on's & pull-off's) - before the chant of 'thunder' builds us towards the main bit of the song; which of course is a typically, well, thunderous, mix of power chords and shredding solos.
6. The Doors: Riders On The Storm
We drop it down a notch or three, to bring you the slightly smoother sound of The Doors 1971 hit single, Riders On The Storm. It was from the album L.A. Woman, the last to feature Jim Morrison and reached 14 in the US and 22 in the UK. Morrison's lyrics are at least inspired by the story of Billy 'Cockeyed' Cook, subject of the 1953 film The Hitchhiker. And for all you philosophy fans, there is also the influence of Martin Heidegger's concept of 'thrownness' (human existence as a basic concept).
7. The Pogues: Rainy Night In Soho
Taken from the 1986 Poguetry In Motion EP, apparently songwriter Shane MacGowan and producer Elvis Costello clashed over the final mix. MacGowan wanted the version with a cornet in, and Costello the one with the oboe - the former got his way (except on the Canadian version). This is a beautiful slow waltz, with a lilting piano, MacGowan's off-kilter vocals and of course, that cornet.
8. Guns n Roses: November Rain
This epic from the third album, Use Your Illusion I, clocks in at just over nine minutes - and until 2021, was the longest ever song to feature in the Billboard Top10. Don't be put off by how long it is though, it is well worth listening to in its entirety. The composition was strongly influenced by Elton John's Funeral For A Friend, with lush orchestration arranged by Axl Rose (who also plays piano).
9. Garbage: Only Happy When It Rains
This is the lead single from the 1995 Garbage self-titled debut album. They are an interesting band - combining legendary producer Butch Vig (Nevermind by Nirvana) and Scottish singer Shirley Manson (who had started out as a teenager in Goodbye Mr Mackenzie). The lyrics mock the angst-ridden lyrics common in 90s alternative rock ("I only smile in the dark" and "Pour your misery down on me" 😁), along with a bit of self-deprecating at their own generally darker lyrics. One of the best singles of the mid-90's.
10. Etta James: Stormy Weather
What a way to end! This torch song was written in 1933 by Harold Arlen (who composed the music for The Wizard Of Oz, including Over The Rainbow) and Ted Koehler. The first version was recorded that year by Ethel Waters, and other versions include Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington and Billie Holiday. But I have gone with the 1960 Etta James one; she has a deep, earthy voice that worked so well on R&B and rock n roll - this is a bit more of a ballad, but suits her voice so wonderfully, nonetheless.