POLL: Best song ever in a minor key

[saltpoint]

Poll question: POLL: Best song ever in a minor key

To your ear, what is the best composition ever in a minor key?

Minor key compositions' tonal center is the sixth degree of the major scale, and include examples such as:

In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (Allman Brothers Band)
Greensleeves (traditional folk melody)
Eleanor Rigby (Beatles)
Fur Elise (Beethoven)
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (Bach)
The Priest (Joni Mitchell)
Hit the Road, Jack (Ray Charles)
Wayfaring Stranger (traditional spiritual)
The Shadow of Your Smile (from THE SANDPIPER)
California Dreamin' (Mamas & Papas)
Walk On By (Bacharach/David)

--and so forth.

Nine options comprise the poll with an 'OTHER' for another of your own choosing.

TIA.

[JVS]

1. Nigel Tuffnel's timeless classic

Lick my Lovepump

[Strawman]

2. The saddest of all keys really

D...minor

[saltpoint]

9. Yes. D Minor. There is an unusually dark aspect to it.

And in contrast, D Major is a resilient and comforting key.

[saltpoint]

4. I think I get the drift of the tune but I don't know Nigel Tuffnel.

Fill me in?

[Aristus]

5. Oh God! A Spinal Tap virgin!

Watch Rob Reiner's film "This Is Spinal Tap" and all will be made clear, Grasshopper.

[saltpoint]

10. Haven't seen that film in ages and will have to revisit it.

It must have just slipped by me.

I remember the scene at the graveyard but must have misplaced this tune.

'Will give it another shot.

(thanks)

[saltpoint]

44. Aristus, a notion on your post there...

I got your post -- it was crystal clear and adroit, too. No complaints.

Translated to another language it might say,

"Yet another person who has never had a spinal tap but who is desirous of one."

:)

[name not needed]

42. But these go to eleven.

[evlbstrd]

3. Plastic People.

Frank Zappa and the Mothers.

[cestpaspossible]

6. No such thing

I like playing in minor keys.

[saltpoint]

Hi, cestpaspossible. So do I. Tell me what you play.

And what compositions do your ears insist on returning to again and again?

[cestpaspossible]

39. I won't pick a composition but

I play mandolin and electric mandolin and I love the reggae skank in a minor key. Esp, Am, Cm, Dm

[saltpoint]

41. Oh wow, that is so fine a thing. Electric mandolin yes, but especially

mandolin -- it is one of the instruments (IMO) that saved country music from itself after around 1971 or so. Emmylou Harris began recording music with mandolin parts and really established it -- or re-established it -- as a necessary sound.

But it's not really easy to play. If you play it, you must know what you're doing. 'Would really like to jam with you on Am and Dm one of these days...

[unblock]

7. beethoven's pathetique sonata?

[saltpoint]

20. The "Pathetique" always reminds me of how beautifully Beethoven --

-- paints with sounds -- and then I catch myself forgetting that he couldn't hear most of them, and that gradually, he couldn't hear any of them.

When you bring Beethoven to the table, a mighty fine meal is served.

[Vanje]

8. Nope. Its Jerusalem Ridge by Bill Monroe

Yes . it is

[saltpoint]

14. Bill Monroe is rated very high in my book. Emmylou Harris helped --

-- give an introduction to him & I was sold right away.

I heard her do a slew of Monroe tunes in concert in Sarasota. She gives them the respect they deserve.

[brentspeak]

11. self-delete

nevermind

[BillZBubb]

12. Nights in White Satin

by The Moody Blues.

or "Lucky Man" by Emerson, Lake & Palmer:

"
He had white horses
And ladies by the score
All dressed in satin
And waiting by the door

Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was

White lace and feathers
They made up his bed
A gold covered mattress
On which he was laid

Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was

He went to fight wars
For his country and his king
Of his honor and his glory
The people would sing

Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was

A bullet had found him
His blood ran as he cried
No money could save him
So he laid down and he died

Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
Ooooh, what a lucky man he was
"

[saltpoint]

16. Both are very strong compositions. Lyrical, approaching the mystical --

-- at least in my ear and heart. Love them both, but favor "Lucky Man" because of the vocal by Greg Lake. Blows me away every time.

Two very good choices, amBushed.

[ifyouknewsushi]

17. Love those both anBushed great choices.

I would like to add one most people don't know. Dan Folgelberg.
Scarecrows Dreams.

Edit to include Sketches from the same album.

[saltpoint]

43. ifyouknewsushi, you're right -- I don't know that one by Fogelberg.

I know his first three albums but things fade after that in my collection.

The title track to the SOUVENIRS album is a personal favorite, but it's not in a minor key. Still, I love that piece.

I will see if I can hunt down "Scarecrow's Dreams" and see what's doing with Dan Fogelberg on that one.

Thank you.

[jobycom]

13. I voted Jolene, just because I felt sorry for Dolly. She's really a great

songwriter, but gets no credit for it because of her other silliness.

[saltpoint]

18. Hi, jobycom. Listen: if anybody gives you any crap for voting for --

--"Jolene," they by god have to answer to me.

I love that piece and love the way Dolly pulls it off.

I really don't care what the woman looks like -- she's composed some terrific songs and sings them like she means it.

Have you ever heard her, Emmylou Harris, and NEIL YOUNG doing "Light of the Stable"? It's on an Emmylou Harris album of the same name: LIGHT OF THE STABLE.

The three of them together seem like an unlikely combination but it is the most exquisite vocal performance of harmony you've ever heard.

[BiggJawn]

25. Did she cut a version of that as a Trio?

I remember (and love) the '74 solo, but I seem to recall that she did it as a trio with Emmylou and maybe Linda Ronstadt?

That song just flat-out kicks ass.

[saltpoint]

27. Hi, BiggJawn. I can't say if the Trio 3 recorded it or not --

-- but on Emmylou's LIGHT OF THE STABLE album, it's with Emmylou, Dolly, and Neil Young.

I often tell my classic rocker friends of this recording and they think I'm making it up.

[Radical Activist]

23. I love that song

good choice.

[Floogeldy]

15. All great choices!

But for some reason, "The Sounds Of Silence" came immediately to mind.

The second song that came to mind was "Nights In White Satin." I guess I'm stuck on Em.

B-)

[saltpoint]

19. Hi, Floogeldy. Well, Em's a wonderful thing to be stuck on.

There's a kind of haunted sound to minor key pieces that I've always loved. Probably my least treatable addiction.

"Sounds of Silence" was one of those songs that re-interpreted society for me, and I owe Paul Simon a hell of a debt for writing it and putting it in my ear.

[saltpoint]

21. Let me throw in a few more:

"Sixty Years On" -- Elton John & Bernie Taupin

"Behind Blue Eyes" --the Who

"She's Not There" --the Zombies

"Summer in the City" --Lovin' Spoonful

[saltpoint]

22. Just put on Gordon Lightfoot's "Marie Christine" --

-- which is a great minor-key song about a lighthouse as salvation to sailors in rocky seas.

[Ron Green]

24. "'Round Midnight" by Thelonius Monk. In Eb minor.

[saltpoint]

26. Hello, Ron_Green. You must be a jazz fan to mention --

-- Thelonius Monk.

I have the all-night NPR jazz program on right now, so I hear a lot of great compositions in minor keys.

So far tonight, no Monk. But I'm patient.

thanks for posting a great choice.

[saltpoint]

28. 'Was PM'd and asked to add "Wade in the Water" as an example.

There are a hundred versions of this piece, and most of them are terrific. It's a great example of a minor-key composition.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

29. Hava Nagila

[saltpoint]

30. Yessir. Perfect example.

off-topic comment:

nothingshocksmeanymore, I love the Vonnegut quotation you include in your signature field.

Just exactly the response required in these despairing times of Dobson and Phelps, etc.

Thank you for putting that on the table.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

31. You're welcome..here's the source article it came from..great read!

http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/cold_turkey/

[saltpoint]

33. NSMA, if you're reading In These Times, you are --

-- doin' it right.

Thanks for the link and I will give it a look.

[Dervill Crow]

35. I love all klezmer music.

I chose my first cell phone on the basis of which one would play hava nagila.

[yellowdogintexas]

32. voted for "Summertime"from the list, but another goodie is"

'Night and Day" by Cole Porter

[saltpoint]

34. Good vote on "Summertime" and it is just great to hear you --

-- bring in Cole Porter.

There was a guy who could compose music.

Bravo.

[nytemare]

36. Isn't "Moonlight Sonata" in a minor key?

Been so long since I played an instrument, I don't remember.

[saltpoint]

37. nytemare, you are absolutely right -- it is. In C-sharp minor.

The first movement is the slow, dark, intreating movement. The second movement is in a major key and very light and breezy by contrast, and the third is a furious, fast storm of a movement -- not for the faint of heart.

Beethoven & his minor key obsessions. How lucky we are he had them!

[nytemare]

38. I love Moonlight Sonata

I made a CD with "sleepy" music on it, to help me get to sleep. Between that and Debussy, I usually get to z time pretty quickly.

[saltpoint]

40. When you reached for Debussy for that tape, you did the right thing.

I think Sominex should just change its name to "Debussy."

(The corporations NEVER call me for my input!)

[nytemare]

45. Debussy had some great stuff

His music is fancy restaurant dinner music, or sleepy music.

I love Claire de Lune and First Arabesque.

[saltpoint]

46. Yes, it's some great music. I'm happy to see you mention the first --

-- Arabesque (my favorite).

There's a delirium to Debussy, a sort off spiralling droozy sense of things dissolving.

[sakabatou]

47. "Gravity" from Wolf's Rain

[saltpoint]

48. sakabatou, please help me.

I don't know this piece.

Embarrassed to say, I don't even know Wolf's Rain.

Please fill me in? thanks.

[sakabatou]

51. It's by Ma'aya Sakamoto

And if you want to know wolf's rain check it out here: http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-23354/Wolfs_Rain/

[saltpoint]

52. Thank you for the link --

-- I will explore it as soon as I get a chance.

Much appreciated.

[orleans]

49. can i vote for more than one???

[saltpoint]

50. I can sure understand why you'd want to, orleans, but --

-- the software won't letcha.

(Love the photo of Conyers. I'd like him to be my Congressman. What a job he is doing this year! A true champion.)