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| Eye see you |
Part 18 of my 1000+ part series.
(For info on that, clickety-click-click)
In which I listen to nearly three-and-a-half hours of Ella Fitzgerald music. And then proceed to write about it all.
TL;DR:
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| So we're clear: She's amazing. But 3+ hours of anything... |
More after The Cut >>>
Soooooo I'm going to break with format a bit and say that there are a ton of songs on this album. We're talking roughly 55 songs (not including different mixes and takes). Both you, dear reader, and I would die if I had to actually write about each of those songs in-depth.
Instead, I'm going to rank all the songs in a way that is completely and totally legit and definitely not based on only knee-jerk reactions (cough), and include minimal comments. The songs will be listed in track listing order with my 100% legit rankings next to them.
Let's get started.
The songs:
Instrumentals
48.) "Looking for a Boy" - Should be looking for a grown ass man, but whatever.
39.) "They All Laughed"
51.) "My Cousin in Milwaukee"
47.) "Somebody from Somewhere"
19.) "A Foggy Day" - Ooh, we're in London Town!
21.) "Clap Yo' Hands"
45.) "Stiff Upper Lip"
44.) "Boy Wanted" - Lame-o's need not apply.
40.) "Strike Up the Band" - The opening literally sounds like the MGM theme.
25.) "Soon"
2.) "I've Got a Crush on You" - One of my favorites. No one ever said this list would be objective.
27.) "Bidin' My Time"
18.) "Of Thee I Sing (Baby)"
17.) "'The Half of It, Dearie' Blues" - Bassoooooon. Bluesy.
38.) "I Was Doing All Right"
43.) "He Loves and She Loves"
41.) "Love Is Sweeping the Country" - Vocal performance is top notch. The song...not my thing.
33.) "Treat Me Rough"
1.) "Our Love Is Here to Stay" - Sheer brilliance.
49.) "Slap That Bass" - I find this song upsetting somehow.
14.) "Isn't It a Pity?"
29.) "Shall We Dance?"
26.) "Love Walked In"
23.) "You've Got What Gets Me"
11.) "Embraceable You" - Not my first encounter with this song
30.) "I Can't Be Bothered Now"
50.) "Boy! What Love Has Done to Me!" - A song about how she's enslaved to this good-for-nothing. My 21st-century senses are Not Amused.
31.) "Funny Face" - So you're weird looking? It's alright.
34.) "The Lorelei" - A song about a past "trollop" who the singer wants to emulate. OK, then. Plus there's saxophone!
37.) "Oh, So Nice!" - Most people are lame, but you're pretty nice.
42.) "Let's Kiss and Make Up"
6.) "I Got Rhythm" - That scat break, though. Legendary.
TL;DR - Top Ten:
Ambulatory Suite (Instrumental)
4.) -"Promenade (Walking the Dog)" - It's cute! A simple little instrumental.
2.) -"March of the Swiss Soldiers" - Sounds a bit like "Walking the Dog," if the dog were a Swiss soldier.
The Preludes (Instrumental)
1.) -Prelude I - The beginning makes me think of a pig snorting and burrowing around.
3.) -Prelude II - Super Gershwin, taken down a few notches.
46.) "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" - Fairly downtempo solo version of the classic. Not really for me.
5.) "Nice Work If You Can Get It" - Love the Sinatra version, but what else is new. This is much more sweet and refined.
28.) "'S Wonderful" - I wonder if this is what terms like "YOLO" and "obvs" will sound like in 20 years? Or now, for that matter.
20.) "Who Cares?" - Ain't nobody give a fuck about what them haters say.
48.) "Looking for a Boy" - Should be looking for a grown ass man, but whatever.
39.) "They All Laughed"
51.) "My Cousin in Milwaukee"
47.) "Somebody from Somewhere"
19.) "A Foggy Day" - Ooh, we're in London Town!
21.) "Clap Yo' Hands"
45.) "Stiff Upper Lip"
44.) "Boy Wanted" - Lame-o's need not apply.
40.) "Strike Up the Band" - The opening literally sounds like the MGM theme.
25.) "Soon"
2.) "I've Got a Crush on You" - One of my favorites. No one ever said this list would be objective.
27.) "Bidin' My Time"
18.) "Of Thee I Sing (Baby)"
17.) "'The Half of It, Dearie' Blues" - Bassoooooon. Bluesy.
38.) "I Was Doing All Right"
43.) "He Loves and She Loves"
41.) "Love Is Sweeping the Country" - Vocal performance is top notch. The song...not my thing.
33.) "Treat Me Rough"
1.) "Our Love Is Here to Stay" - Sheer brilliance.
49.) "Slap That Bass" - I find this song upsetting somehow.
14.) "Isn't It a Pity?"
29.) "Shall We Dance?"
26.) "Love Walked In"
23.) "You've Got What Gets Me"
11.) "Embraceable You" - Not my first encounter with this song
30.) "I Can't Be Bothered Now"
50.) "Boy! What Love Has Done to Me!" - A song about how she's enslaved to this good-for-nothing. My 21st-century senses are Not Amused.
31.) "Funny Face" - So you're weird looking? It's alright.
34.) "The Lorelei" - A song about a past "trollop" who the singer wants to emulate. OK, then. Plus there's saxophone!
37.) "Oh, So Nice!" - Most people are lame, but you're pretty nice.
42.) "Let's Kiss and Make Up"
6.) "I Got Rhythm" - That scat break, though. Legendary.
TL;DR - Top Ten:
- Our Love Is Here to Stay
- I've Got a Crush on You
- (I've Got) Beginner's Luck
- They Can't Take That Away from Me
- Nice Work If You Can Get It
- I Got Rhythm
- Things Are Looking Up
- My One and Only
- Oh, Lady Be Good
- That Certain Feeling
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Like I said in the intro, there is NO denying that Ella was a powerhouse and a legend who could spin any kind of yarn into gold. That being said, it was still incredibly hard to get through this simply because of the length. I would recommend it for a classy dinner party, or for super fans of Ella or of Gershwin, but I may not reach for it again as a whole album.
Ella, though...what a legend.
Like I said in the intro, there is NO denying that Ella was a powerhouse and a legend who could spin any kind of yarn into gold. That being said, it was still incredibly hard to get through this simply because of the length. I would recommend it for a classy dinner party, or for super fans of Ella or of Gershwin, but I may not reach for it again as a whole album.
Ella, though...what a legend.
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