There's this particular tempo and chord progression that I always associate with 'beautiful'. It's I -> V (1st inv.) -> vi -> either I (2nd inversion) or IV, played ~90 BPM.
Sometimes it comes off saccharine, i.e. "Let It Be", every other Elton John song. But the best examples, off the top of my head: Gram Parsons "$1000 Funeral", Nina Simone "Do What You Gotta Do" or "Mr. Bojangles", John Cale "Paris 1919".
― Tourtière (Ówen P.), Monday, 7 December 2009 20:48 (fourteen years ago) link
^^ Nick Drake's "Saturday Sun" iirc
I-V-vi-IV is a pretty obnoxiously common progression but I'm as guilty of using it in my songs as anyone else
― what fun it is to reign & sing a Slayer song tonight (Curt1s Stephens), Monday, 7 December 2009 20:50 (fourteen years ago) link
I'd say all of these are very beautiful
Bionic Boogie-Hot ButterflySpiritualized-Broken HeartPet Shop Boys-Being BoringKate Bush-This Woman's WorkDavid Sylvian-Darkest DreamingRadiohead-Motion Picture SoundtrackBilly Mackenzie-Nocturne sevenThe Beach Boys-I Just Wasn't Made For These Times, God Only Knows, Till I die, Be With Me etc.War-Deliver The WordThe Go-Betweens-Twin Layers Of LightningBjork-HyperballadMorrissey-Why Don't You Find Out For YourselfThe Go Team-The Ice StormGoldfrapp-Hairy TreesScott Walker-Angel Of AshesThe Divine Comedy-Our Mutual FriendTalk Talk-New Grass (Pretty much all of their last 3 albums)The B-52's-TopazMinnie Riperton-Come To My GardenMagazine-ParadeThe Cardigans-CommunicationMarvin Gaye-Please Stay
― Kitchen Person, Monday, 7 December 2009 21:12 (fourteen years ago) link
I was certainly hoping you'd include some Billy Mackenzie given your handle.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 7 December 2009 21:13 (fourteen years ago) link
Actually, scratch my previous suggestions, I forgot the one true answer to this question:"Crucifixo," by the Kafala Brothers. Really, truly one of the most beautiful things ever done by human beings.
― MumblestheRevelator, Monday, 7 December 2009 21:20 (fourteen years ago) link
another vote for julia, maria b mentioned it more than 5 years ago. it's the most personal love song i had the chance to hear. part of its beauty comes from the intimacy another part from its simplicity and the last part from the lyrics full of images.
― alex in mainhattan, Monday, 7 December 2009 21:30 (fourteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett, Monday, December 7, 2009 9:13 PM (12 minutes ago) Bookmark
Beyond The Sun was actually my first Billy purchase. I was going through a big Jeff Buckley phase and I was looking for another tragic troubadour to get into. It is a stunning album and did satisfy that need for a while but I was in for a huge shock when I bought Sulk a few weeks later, which is beautiful in a completely different way.
There's a lot of songs scattered through his back catalogue that I could have included on my list. The Rhythm Divine, Baby, No, Breakfast, His versions of Wild Is The Wind and God Bless The Child. I can't think of a more beautiful voice.
― Kitchen Person, Monday, 7 December 2009 21:32 (fourteen years ago) link
I know I've mentioned this song before. Also, not sure if it's most beautiful or most sad/emotionally-powerful. In any event:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKcrdGULvbw
There's a sort of desperate quality to his near-destroyed voice by this point.
― Daniel, Esq., Monday, 7 December 2009 21:33 (fourteen years ago) link
I will get made fun of for this, but
Blue Ridge Mountains - Fleet Foxes
― lukevalentine, Monday, 7 December 2009 23:23 (fourteen years ago) link
Not yet mentioned:
Laurie Anderson - Blue Lagoon, White Lily, The Dream Before, and maybe a dozen spoken word tracks on United States Live and The Ugly One with the JewelsHeidi Berry - ArielHarold Budd - Too numerous to mentionCocteau Twins - Lazy CalmNick Drake - Voice from the MountainBrian Eno - Julie With...Fleetwood Mac - Never Make Me CryLed Zeppelin - The Rain SongSinead O'Connor - In This HeartPenguin Cafe Orchestra - Now NothingThe Roches - Losing TruePaul Simon - The Rhythm of the SaintsDusty Springfield - Goin' BackDavid Sylvian - OrpheusThe Who - SunriseNeil Young - Hangin' on a Limb
― Hideous Lump, Tuesday, 8 December 2009 02:37 (fourteen years ago) link
Ride - Vapour Trail
― President Danny Glover (Millsner), Tuesday, 8 December 2009 03:36 (fourteen years ago) link
I more often use "beautiful" just to pronounce it "beeyootiful", a snarky put-down, yes. But there are times when it fits and the standbys like "saccharine" don't. It's when the beauty is too up-front, or something.
― B'wana Beast, Tuesday, 8 December 2009 04:03 (fourteen years ago) link
atmgilberto/getz - corcovado
― meisenfek, Tuesday, 8 December 2009 19:58 (fourteen years ago) link
"over you" - velvet underground"no children" - mountain goats
― controlled noise pollution (outdoor_miner), Tuesday, 8 December 2009 20:16 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah, canon & gigue in D maj is v hard to beat, but some pieces & performances i love:
te deum - arvo partthe girl from ipanema - astrud gilbertosea of love - phil phillipsi don't want to set the world on fire - the ink spotsgeorgia on my mind - willie nelsonebben? Ne andrò lontana (aria from la wally) - alfredo catalanibrandenburg concerto #5 in D maj, 2 affetuoso - johan sebastian bachwho does she hope to be - sonny sharrocka love supreme, acknowledgement - john coltranehallogallo - neu!me and my arrow - harry nilssonendless summer - fennesz
― a dimension that can only be accessed through self-immolation (contenderizer), Tuesday, 8 December 2009 20:55 (fourteen years ago) link
i second Gilberto/Getz
― lukevalentine, Tuesday, 8 December 2009 20:58 (fourteen years ago) link
The first song to come into my head when I saw the question was "Cupid de Locke." Turns out I already stated this answer upthread, so I guess my opinion hasn't changed much.
― billstevejim, Thursday, 10 December 2009 06:24 (fourteen years ago) link
Love Reign O'er Me by The WhoMany have tried to sing this but none come close to Roger.Here's the lyrics.------------------------Only loveCan make it rainThe way the beach is kissed by the seaOnly loveCan make it rainLike the sweat of loversLaying in the fields.
Love, Reign o'er meLove, Reign o'er me, rain on me
Only loveCan bring the rainThat makes you yearn to the skyOnly loveCan bring the rainThat falls like tears from on high
Love Reign O'er me
On the dry and dusty roadThe nights we spend apart aloneI need to get back home to cool cool rainI can't sleep and I lay and I thinkThe night is hot and black as inkOh God, I need a drink of cool cool rain
― BOBZ, Thursday, 21 January 2010 03:44 (fourteen years ago) link
My completely arbitrary of the top of my head submissions:
Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus: Fleurette Africaine Yo La Tengo: Ballad of the Red BucketsAshra: SunrainLeonard Cohen: SuzanneSade: Love is stronger than pridesomething by Stars of the Lid
― dsb, Thursday, 21 January 2010 07:49 (fourteen years ago) link
Rhythm & Sound - Smile
All of Talk Talk's later stuff is deserving, but "Inheritance" particularly stands out.
― Discordian, Thursday, 21 January 2010 12:37 (fourteen years ago) link
stardust performed by nat king cole, or lakmé performed by just about anyone
― dumb mick name follows (darraghmac), Thursday, 21 January 2010 12:48 (fourteen years ago) link
and yea 'suzanne' up there too.
possible spin off thread: most beautifully sung song title
― mdskltr (blueski), Thursday, 21 January 2010 12:53 (fourteen years ago) link
stardust, then
― dumb mick name follows (darraghmac), Thursday, 21 January 2010 13:51 (fourteen years ago) link
Rasputin
― mdskltr (blueski), Thursday, 21 January 2010 13:57 (fourteen years ago) link
The Lilys - "Eskimo"
― Evan, Thursday, 21 January 2010 14:19 (fourteen years ago) link
that eyvind kang song is amazing. I vote also for "Do You Realize???", Flaming Lips, and "That's the Way", Led Zeppelin
― Shin Oliva Suzuki, Thursday, 21 January 2010 14:50 (fourteen years ago) link
and of course
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5H7MvT1HVU
― Shin Oliva Suzuki, Thursday, 21 January 2010 14:51 (fourteen years ago) link
Beach Boys- In the Back of My Mind
For a new nomination from a reoccuring band.
― Cunga (Cunga), Saturday, February 26, 2005 5:45 AM (5 years ago)
Wow, five years ago to the day...
and it's a nice song but way off, brah.
― Cunga, Saturday, 27 February 2010 06:23 (fourteen years ago) link
Ok. What is the most beautiful ALBUM ever? Of course, we probably all define this differently but hey whatever man...I'm just drinking a little wine and watching the rain.
― SourPatchCorpse, Thursday, 25 March 2010 23:46 (fourteen years ago) link
don't mean to snub you, but i spent all day listening to the ethel waters and ella fitzgerald versions of "miss otis regrets" and that is absolutely without a doubt the most beautiful song ever.
― facepalm death (samosa gibreel), Thursday, 25 March 2010 23:50 (fourteen years ago) link
Nah it's cool, I mean yeah...first and foremost this thread is for individual tunes. Just curious, what's theeee most beautiful record as a whole?
― SourPatchCorpse, Thursday, 25 March 2010 23:59 (fourteen years ago) link
Dark globe-Syd barrett
― nakamura, Friday, 26 March 2010 00:26 (fourteen years ago) link
beauty=truth
― ❽ (M.V.), Friday, 26 March 2010 05:08 (fourteen years ago) link
the waters of march
― symsymsym, Friday, 26 March 2010 07:59 (fourteen years ago) link
midnight train to georgia and rainy dayz are also pretty nice
― symsymsym, Friday, 26 March 2010 08:00 (fourteen years ago) link
lately I'm digging on this song (not the most beautiful song ever but this thread has gotten to the point where we post the most beautiful songs of the moment)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMVlggVeGuk
― cold hands of monkeys on my heart (CaptainLorax), Tuesday, 19 April 2011 03:35 (thirteen years ago) link
this one gives me chills every time, I've actually had to shut it off mid-song...his music is usually pretty but this is just eerie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rk7c3Dz-u4
― frogbs, Tuesday, 19 April 2011 03:55 (thirteen years ago) link
spider & i -- eno
― i have a tbh (rip van wanko), Tuesday, 19 April 2011 04:23 (thirteen years ago) link
when my friends wrote this we called it "the money song' because it was so pretty. it did not result it any money, itself. but it is still pretty. I gave it the final name.
charles atlas: antiphon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9Wi4rfHwog&feature=related
― akm, Tuesday, 19 April 2011 05:48 (thirteen years ago) link
Most beautiful song of all time:
Claude Debussy - Clair de Lune
Current favorite:
Ben Watt - Some Things Don't Matter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwpiFg8Oc6o
― Moka, Tuesday, 19 April 2011 08:36 (thirteen years ago) link
http://youtube/crkXA_aZvdk
Mark Hollis - The Colour of Spring
― Future Debts Collector (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 19 April 2011 09:52 (thirteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crkXA_aZvdk
Actually forget about Ben Watt. This is my current favorite: Wulu Bunun & David Darling - Lugu Lugu Kan-Ibi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lAI5QFXEFM
― Moka, Tuesday, 19 April 2011 10:26 (thirteen years ago) link
The Moon's a Harsh Mistress - Jimmy Webb
― Bloody Snail, Tuesday, 19 April 2011 10:43 (thirteen years ago) link
Scott Walker - Montague Terrace (in blue)
― Umm, I think that's my glass. (laser precise purpose maker era), Tuesday, 19 April 2011 15:54 (thirteen years ago) link
Wulu Bunun & David Darling - Lugu Lugu Kan-Ibi
love that record. i don't think it'd be my #1, but one of the song of the -- pieces on there (lots of Ms in the title, blanking on the name) is mindblowing
― sensual bathtub (group: 698) (schlump), Tuesday, 19 April 2011 16:13 (thirteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIPfKi6IHTQ
― Four Shouters Shouting (Eazy), Tuesday, 19 April 2011 16:32 (thirteen years ago) link
honestly think it's this onehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDR4-VJxMx4
― sonderangerbot, Tuesday, 19 April 2011 16:47 (thirteen years ago) link
Ben Watt - Some Things Don't Matter
I'll see that and raise you
Everything but the Girl - The Night I Heard Caruso Sing
― administratieve blunder (unregistered), Tuesday, 19 April 2011 16:59 (thirteen years ago) link