What is
Life? How can it be defined and where did it come from? Maybe in the
future science is able to give definite and complete answers. Until
then, we can count on the songs...1. What Is Life – George Harrison
(George Harrison)
The ex- Beatle poses his own questions in 1970, through his triple album All Things Must Pass. Featuring Eric Clapton and with a plain but sticky riff, the song managed to climb up to #10 of the Billboard chart, as a second single from that great album.
2. Life Is A Minestrone – 10cc
(Lol Creme-Eric Stewart)
There is the answer of 10cc to the eternal question, through their third album, Original Soundtrack (1975). A representative sample of their well-polished pop songwriting style.
3. Coming Back To Life – Pink Floyd
(David Gilmour)
A song written by Gilmour for his wife, Polly Samson. It was included in The Division Bell (1994), the last studio album released by the Pink Floyd. Without renovating the sound and the composing "fixations" of the band, it is worth listening to, if only for its always masterly guitars.
4. It’s My Life – The Animals
(Roger Atkins-Carl D’Errico)
One of the most successful singles by the British The Animals, written specially for them by two professional songwriters from New York. No doubt it fitted them like hand and glove, with the lyrics dominated by a rebellious spirit and the music absolutely completing that. “It’s my life and I’ll do what I want!”
5. Imitation Of Life – R.E.M.
(Peter Buck-Mike Mills-Michael Stipe)
This song, the first single from Reveal (2001), is inspired by the homonym 1959 film, directed by Douglas Sirk. Also, it musically relates with Driver 8, from Fables Of The Reconstruction in 1985. Although it is quite catchy, it did not do very well with the charts and it marked the beginning of a commercially descending route for the band.
6. Life For Rent – Dido(Dido Armstrong-Rollo Armstrong)
The second, especially successful single from the homonym album by Dido is an accountable pop moment, with a sticky melody and a production that manages to bring it out in the best way.
7. Life In Technicolor II – Coldplay
(Guy Berryman-Johnny Buckland-Will Champion-Chris Martin)
This track is essentially the complete edition of the instrumental Life In Technicolor that opened the album Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends (2008). It was included in the EP Prospekt’s March (2008), becoming its first single. With the contribution of Brian Eno in the production, the band many love to hate gives here (too) lessons of mainstream splendor.
8. Life In A Glasshouse – Radiohead
(Thom Yorke-Jonny Greenwood-Ed O’Brien-Colin Greenwood-Phil Selway)
The song that closes Amnesiac (2001) is a mourning, new Orleans style, jazz track, with Thom Yorke accompanied by the late trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton and his band. Contrary to other songs from that album, it was recorded after the release of the marginal Kid A (2000).
9. Parklife – Blur
(Damon Albarn-Graham Coxon-Alex James-Dave Rowntree)
The third single from the homonym 1994 album is clearly characterized by the exuberant featuring of the actor Phil Daniels, who takes on the lyrics declamation with his heavy British accent. A brilliant guitar moment and one of Britpop diamonds.
10. Walk Of Life – Dire Straits
(Mark Knopfler)
To many, Dire Straits are the definition of dinosaure rock - and the may be right. In my opinion, in this song from Brothers In Arms (1985), they are lead with the simplest music tools, to a quite nice result while managing to enter the golden list of classic riffs - and not for the first time.
* Photos from www.wikipedia.org.
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