I really love very 'impressionistic' songs - these 2 clearly so. Going outside songs of the sea - do you have any other favorite strongly impressionistic songs ? (now - aren't all songs impressionistic - I'm not sure what word I'm looking for here : )
On the note of other impressionistic songs - old rock and roll "Outlaw" songs can be impressionistic for me, for example, the Eagles Desperado album has quite a few - Desperado, Doolin' Daltin, Outlaw Man.
La Mer has to be close. You can't get much closer to The Sea than this
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Not a song but two Canadian Folk artists that do a lot of sea and fish songs. Search separately on YouTube for Stan and Garnett Rogers. I especially like Stan's "Tiny Fishes For Japan" a sad commentary on Canada's dying fishing industry.
Trivia: The late Stan Rogers was a gentle 6'4" giant from Halifax, NS, Canada and had a beautiful baritone voice. He was an accomplished Folk guitarist heard on most of his albums and live performances.
Another Folk artist that does a lot of sea/fishing songs is Gordon Bok here:
Not a song but two Canadian Folk artists that do a lot of sea and fish songs. Search separately on YouTube for Stan and Garnett Rogers. I especially like Stan's "Tiny Fishes For Japan" a sad commentary on Canada's dying fishing industry.
Gordon Lightfoot has a beautiful song that I've forgotten the title but it tells the fishermen story through the eyes of the lady who stands looking seaward in anticipation of her love's return.
In my mind's eye I see a beautiful young maiden straining to catch sight of the ship carrying her true love home to her embrace, a ship that will never come.
A lot of songs I've never heard. Really liked the Knopfler song (and sound). For some reason I have never been a fan of the Lightfoot sound. Steve - you have an interesting listening palate (and palette). I REALLY like the 1st 4. The last is a too "Irish" for me (a genre I do not care for at all). I plan to go deeper into your bands - none of which I had ever heard of... Trev - my French is not good enough to catch more than a few word. But that certainly is pretty... Don - some interesting links. Although most of the music I grew up on grew out of the folk movement, I've never care for "pure" folk (similar to Lightfoot and "Irish" stuff - it all hits me the same). Deryk - 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' ...ah. yes. Herb - you could pretty much put up 80% of Buffett's entire catalog... Deb - The Cheiftains (really not my cup of tea). Noel - who doesn't have a soft spot for Bobby?!... nice choice. Rich - I know that as the theme song to Outlander
Steve - you have an interesting listening palate (and palette). I REALLY like the 1st 4. The last is a too "Irish" for me (a genre I do not care for at all). I plan to go deeper into your bands - none of which I had ever heard of...
Thanks for listening sir. I've given a little more details on the bands/genres of these. I've listened to Flogging Molly more for the entertainment aspect. Who ever heard of Irish-American Celtic Punk? Humorous to me.
I'll make sure to check out the ones you listed as well. Thanks!
Queens of the Stone Age - I Sat by the Ocean (Modern Alternative Rock - Band I most listen to in this list)
Toad The Wet Sprocket - Walk on the Ocean (Late 80's/Early 90's Alternative Rock)
DNCE - Cake by the Ocean (One of the boy band members of the Jonas Brothers - Modern Pop)
Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue (Early 2000s Rock band)
Flogging Molly - The Heart of The Sea ("Irish-American Celtic Punk" Band popular since the early 2000s)
wow - didn't expect so many great responses, and so many excellent songs. Thanks so much for all of your sharing - and because we're all musicians, or incredible music lovers to say the least, I find your suggestions so much more in line with my personal taste.
At some point I hope to listen to all of them all the way through and comment on each, like Floyd did - but that would take several hours, and my attention span is short. But until then, thanks again for all your shares. Lots of great new music and artists.
Here's another that was a big hit, and also a great song:
I always wonder what musical tricks or sonic (instrumentation, etc) tricks help the music sound like a particular idiom. For songs about the sea , sailing, fishing - some of the above clearly go for that, while others stay true to their own genre but the words are what make that song fit the category. Can anyone articulate what musical tricks and sounds used, for those songs where the music sounds like the category (fishing, sailing), are used ?
For example, in Downeaster Alexa, Billy Joel (in my top 5 of greatest pop/singer/songwriters of all time) uses some of these tricks: 1.) an accordion, which is often found in traditional ship songs 2.) a very rhythmic, repetitive drum beat 3.) extremely melodic with very simple chord changes, often 1-5, which 4.) a musical bridge with seagull sounds and violins - violins are also much part of traditional music played on the waters, and seagull sounds that are maybe synth and slide guitar on the high electric strings. and the "Yea-Oh" - is something similar to sailors yelling (ship ahoy - there she blows") 5.) lyrics and vocabulary - try and count the number of ocean/fishing words are in that song - probably has the most of all - Trawlerman has a lot too. I haven't listened to the others yet to see which also fit have a huge number of words that fit the theme.
I thought about another similar thread - with "Greatest Ballads" - though that cateogory is really broad, but I'm sure everyone has 5 or 6 songs that come to mind first when asked "what are some songs that have a really great story underneath them"
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