• From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Topic: the best ballads, romantic, harmony and song structure

<img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_eek.gif" border=0 alt="Shocked">  <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_biggrin.gif" border=0 alt="Very Happy">

Again a very at first sight easy, but in fact a difficult topic. Because in Latin: THE GUSTIBUS ED COLORES NON EST DISPUTANDUM. About taste and colors you can't dispute.

Every single person is unique, so everyone has an opinion. Some opinions, especially concerning religion, are now a dailey fact. The Koran is very similar to the Holy Bible, but like catholics acted in South America, killing a lot of people is not to understand. This has nothing to do with "my favourite ballad" list, I just couldn't resist to write this.

It is even more difficult to make a list from 1 to 15. So I will not give "POINTS" or putting this song on number one. I think that you may have the same feeling. It can be different from day to day, from your mood. There are songsyou really love, because of memories, marriage (when the groom and the bride start to dance, you should be able to make a list existing of wrong songs, because they love the melody, but they didn't listen to the lyrics, examples: return to sender by Elvis, how can you mend a broken heart, don't forget to rember, both very beautiful songs by the Bee  Gees.

My 10 greatest ballads.

- The Cars: Drive

- Bee Gees: How can you mend a broken heart

- Beatles: Because and more specific from the CDVD Love

- Rolling Stones: Blinded by rainbows

- John Lennon: Imagine

- Queen: Love of my Life

- Righteous Brothers: Unchained Melody

- Procol Harum: Homburg

- Eric Clapton: Tears in Heaven

- Harry Nillson: Without You (info: song is written by Badfinger, covered by Nillson, in my eyes THE BEST, anyway a lot better than the Whitney Houston, I think. He sings straight from the deepest point in his soul, Houston: To Perfect, no soul in it. Badfinger: a poppy tune, I think they are all dead now.)

- Cat Stevens: Father and Son

- The Eagles: Desperado

- Simon & Garfunkel: The only living boy in New York. I love the way they perform it, in "crescendo"

- Dire Straits: Why Worry (there will be sunshine after rain...)

- Mark Knopfler: Title song: last exit to brooklyn.

- Peter Kingsbury: Only the Very best (song title), and I can continue for at least 50 songs.

Hope you like such a list, and I'll be glad to hear your comments and list. But don't forget: a ballad is tricky you will notice that it depends on what you feel right now, deep inside.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Starkville, Mississippi USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,069

Re: the best ballads, romantic, harmony and song structure

Best ballads? Big question - for me a ballad has a strong narrative theme that relates a story (rather than just conveying a mood or an impression). Ideally, a ballad is a nice little short story.


Here are a few of my favorites at this moment (in no particular order):

Maggie May, Rod Stewart

Diamonds and Rust, Joan Baez

House of the Rising Sun, Traditional

He Found Me At a Honky Tonk, Leona Williams

Tennessee Waltz, Traditional

Frankie and Johnny, Traditional

Me and Bobby McGee, Chris Christopherson

Ode to Billie Joe, Bobbi Gentry

The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead, XTC

And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda, Eric Bogle

Far From Me, John Prine

Tangled Up in Blue, Bob Dylan

Greensleeves, Traditional

Scarborough Fair, Traditional

I Am My Own Grandpa, Shel Silverstein

"That darn Pythagorean Comma thing keeps messing me up!"
[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_comma[/url]

James McCormick's Website

  • From: Montreal
  • Registered: 2007-03-16
  • Posts: 312

Re: the best ballads, romantic, harmony and song structure

Always on my mind - Willie Nelson


Michelle - The Beatles


Heaven - Bryan Adams

I may be goin' to hell in a bucket babe
  • badeye
  • The Blues Fixer
  • Offline
  • From: Cape Breton Island, Canada
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 3,381

Re: the best ballads, romantic, harmony and song structure

Your Love Comes Home To Me-Buddy And The Boys.


Must Not Be Drinkin Enough-Matt

Minglewood


Seven Spanish Angel's-Willie Nelson.


Still-Bill Anderson

one caper after another
  • From: Montreal
  • Registered: 2007-03-16
  • Posts: 312

Re: the best ballads, romantic, harmony and song structure

The Ketchup Song - Tom Connors ( very romantic) <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_lol.gif" border=0 alt="Laughing">


Scenes from an Italian Restaurant - Billy Joel


Put your head on my shoulder - Paul Anka


The Wedding Song - Peter paul and Mary

I may be goin' to hell in a bucket babe
  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: the best ballads, romantic, harmony and song structure

Well I see a lot of songs I even don't know. That was also the most important reason for this topic. It is very easy to find the best ballads, go google, put: best ballads all time, and you will have a complete list.

But I asked it because of taste and personal mood, not a top 15, those you find everywhere. I liked it but I have seen that already at least 20 songs, I know maybe 10 of them, of artists I don't know one single note.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Sweden
  • Registered: 2007-01-09
  • Posts: 85

Re: the best ballads, romantic, harmony and song structure

Hi Doc!

I'm really an old synth fan that lately discovered how fun it was playing guitar (and all of a sudden listened in a new way to guitar music). My list is a mix of genres, but then again it's the song that count not how it's made...


My top ballads (not in any particular order):

Bed of roses - Bon Jovi

It must have been love - Roxette

Somebody - Depeche mode

Louise - Human League

Lady in red - Cris de Burgh

Fields of gold - Sting (Police?)


/Missen


One of my favourite ballad makers is Peter Le Marc, but he only write in swedish and it's the lyrics that lift his songs. So you really got to know swedish to dig his songs fully...

If you love what you do, there's no need to be good at it...
  • From: Cardiff
  • Registered: 2006-04-26
  • Posts: 66

Re: the best ballads, romantic, harmony and song structure

My favourites have to be:


Wonderful Tonight (Clapton)

Tears in Heaven (Also Clapton)

Fields of Gold (Eva's version)

Wednesday Morning, 3 AM (Simon & Garfunkel)

Imagine (John Lennon)

Romeo & Juliet (Dire Straits)


and not forgetting that wonderful 'Grow Old With You' as sung by Adam Sandler in The Wedding Singer!!   <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_lol.gif" border=0 alt="Laughing">

  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: the best ballads, romantic, harmony and song structure

Oh Lord, I forgot IMAGINE, still one of the most beautiful songs, still getting goosebumps.
Forever Young is also a fenomenal song

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website