Valentine’s Day Playlist

I don’t know how to post music playlists, so I will simply post the list of songs. These are the two discs of love songs that I put together for my valentine, Amy. When it comes to romantic music, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Disc 1:
1. The Way You Look Tonight (Tony Bennett)
2. Hundreds of Sparrows (Sparklehorse)
3. Can’t Help Falling in Love (UB40)
4. And I Love Her (The Beatles)
5. Your Body Is a Wonderland (John Mayer)
6. Have I Told You Lately (Van Morrison)
7. Amie (Damien Rice)
8. When You Say You Love Me (Josh Groban)
9. When I Fall in Love (Chris Botti)
10. I Am in Love With You (Imogen Heap)
11. We’re in Love (Herbert)
12. Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own (U2)
13. I Want You to Be My Love (Over the Rhine)
14. Neverland (Minor Piano Variation) (Jan. A. P. Kaczmarek)
15. Come Away With Me (Norah Jones)
16. Passenger Seat (Death Cab for Cutie)
17. Someone to Share My Life With (Jens Lekman)
18. The Luckiest (Ben Folds)

Disc 2:
1. I’d Do Anything for Love (Meat Loaf)
2. Hey Julie (Fountains of Wayne)
3. It’s Good to Be in Love (Frou Frou)
4. Always on My Mind (Phantom Planet)
5. This Guy’s in Love with You (Burt Bacharach)
6. I Do It for Your Love, feat. Paul Simon (Herbie Hancock)
7. Someday You Will Be Loved (Death Cab for Cutie)
8. Endless Love (Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey)
9. Let’s Get It On (Marvin Gaye)
10. Unchained Melody (Righteous Brothers)
11. Have I Told You Lately (Tony Bennett)
12. Just the Way You Are (Billy Joel)
13. Ribbon in the Sky (Stevie Wonder)
14. You’re All I Need to Get By, feat. Tami Terrell (Marvin Gaye)
15. I’m Always in Love (Jeff Tweedy)
16. I Will Follow You into the Dark (Death Cab for Cutie)

Comments

Well, I don't know that I'd rubber stamp EVERYTHING on that list, but the Righteous Brothers' Unchained Melody is in a league by itself. I would put in a plug for Willie Nelson's Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground, Aretha Franklin's You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman (Kate let's me sing tha "ah-oos,"), John Denver's Annie's Song.
You're missing Wonderful Tonight (Clapton, I think) and one of U2's best songs ever, With or Without You.
I debated about "With or Without You" for quite some time. I think it is definitely one of their best songs, but not the most romantic. In fact, I'm not sure if most women would appreciate that song in a playlist of romantic music. Maybe they would.

"The Way You Look Tonight" won out over "Wonderful Tonight." I prefer the former, though Clapton's song is definitely a classic.

I don't really know the songs by Nelson, Franklin, and Denver. I'll try to get acquainted with them.
Well, my playlist reflects a generational difference. (Half the time when you review contemporary indie rock, I have NO idea what you are talking about.) But you had enough classic love songs in that list that I thought to throw in Nelson, Aretha and Denver.

Most GOOD country love songs, unfortunately, are really songs about heartbreak. The pure Valentines-type songs can be sappy.
Denver's "Annie's Song," is an exception. It was written to/for his wife and contains incredibly sensuous lyrics: "You fill up my senses, like a night in a forest; like the mountains in Springtime; like a walk in the rain! You fill up my senses, come fill me again!" Woof!

Another great tune, recorded by several people, which I think Willie Nelson wrote (he got his start with years of writing songs for other people that he only covered much later), is "Help Me Make It Through the Night." Playing or singing that song could be considered an act of seduction in itself.
I should mention that I agree that the Van Dross/Carey duet, "Endless Love" is powerful. It doesn't get me like it should, however, because I always associate it with the film of the same title (for which it was written)--which I despise with a passion.
Shane said…
two snaps for tony bennet!