From the Owner - 11 Songs to Listen to with the Lights Off

Michael Tobian, owner and CEO of DanceBands.com

One of my first memories experiencing the aesthetics of music happened visiting my grandparents when I was very young.  Walking down a dark, thin stairway, I opened the door to my Grandpa's office.  He was listening to classical music in the dark and asked me to come in and take a seat.  Without the distraction of light, we created a story to fit the music we were listening to.  I let the emotions that presented themselves in the music take over my soul.  I remember a giant climbing a mountain during a particularly boisterous low brass section.  I don't remember a whole lot of the story besides that.  I occasionally find myself turning out the lights and re-visiting the ritual.  I don't make up stories to the music anymore.  Instead, I just sit and chill.  I just experience it in the dark.

Try it.  You won't get a whole lot out of "Party Rock Anthem".  Might I suggest a few songs?  These songs aren't the most widely played but they are some of the best songs ever written:

11 - Tupelo Honey.

Van Morrison is simple, sensitive and full of musicality.  Also check out this live version that shows off Morrison's creative genius http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5GMHzPeEyA

Enjoy.

10 - The Book of Love.

 Peter Gabriel covers this Stephin Merritt song in his own style

Loved this song in Shall We Dance :)

9 - Free Jazz Part 1

- Ornette Coleman.  Like it?  Hate it?  Either answer is okay.  If you give it a try, what can you hear in it?

Free Jazz Ornette Coleman (1960) ....Double Quartet, one quartet for each stereo channel.... Ornette Coleman, trumpeter Don Cherry, bassist Scott LaFaro, and drummer Billy Higgins on the left.... Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, bass clarinetist Eric Dolphy, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Ed Blackwell on the right. Part 1 artist: Wilfredo Lam

8 - I'm So Lonesome I Cry

- Hank Williams

One of my favourite Hank Williams songs. Hank recorded this track on 30 August 1949 in Ohio. With him were ace studio musicians: Zeke Turner (electric guitar...

7 - The Firebird Suite

. Igor Stravinsky conducts his own masterpiece in this clip

One of those rare videos where the great Stravinsky conducts his own Firebird ..the Lullaby suite at the age of 82.

6 - Lush Life

From one of the best albums of all time

1963 album John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman

5 - Life by the Drop

- Stevie Ray Vaughan swings incredibly hard on guitar and sings like the song meant something to him -- which it did.  Great lyrics.  Great tune.

This is Life By The Drop, an excelent song! These are some semi rare photos mostly... I've never seen most of them before the night I made the vid... SUPRISI...

4 - Cats in the Cradle.

Harry Chapin sings.  We all cry and immediately go play with our kids.

Cats In The Cradle-Harry Chapin My child arrived just the other day He came to the world in the usual way But there were planes to catch and bills to pay He ...

3 - Send in the Clowns

- Sinatra.  Unbelievable lyrics.  Beautiful singing

Uploaded by kiradeek on 2011-03-31.

2 - Round Midnight

- Miles Davis plays creatively and subtly with John Coltrane.

round midnight

1 - Tears in Heaven.

 Eric Clapton wrote this song after the passing of his 4 year old son, Conor.  Conor fell from a window on the 53rd floor of an apartment building.  The lyrics are beautiful.

"Tears in Heaven" is a ballad written by Eric Clapton and Will Jennings about the pain Clapton felt following the death of his four-year-old son, Conor, who ...

This blog post was written by Michael Tobian, owner and CEO of DanceBands.com as part of the From the Owner post series.