Thanks for last week's healthy turnout. In the Eight Miles High debate I'm actually a Byrds man, but we've had them recently and Hüsker Dü never. Plus TheLetterO put his case exceptionally well, and I got to write about both versions anyway, so the cover made the final 10. Great songs that aren't actually about flying: In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (death), Stuka (death again), Silver Machine (Dave Brock's new bicycle). Songs I just couldn't persuade myself to like despite strenuous effort: Flying Sorcery, Airport, I'm Mandy Fly Me. Although I included space travel in the rubric, most people declined to pursue it, which I think was for the best.
The B-list: Laurie Anderson (From the Air), Julie London (Fly Me to the Moon), The Fall (Wings - what a brilliantly crazed lyric), Eric Burdon & the Animals (Sky Pilot), Buffalo Springfield (Expecting to Fly), the Walker Brothers (Nite Flights), Abba (Eagle), John & Beverley Martyn (Auntie Aviator), Gordon Lightfoot (Early Mornin' Rain), the Divine Comedy (Tonight We Fly), and Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch (I'll Fly Away). And thanks to murphsup for introducing me to Amelia -- an astonishing lyric. All of this week's A-list apart from Hüsker Dü is available on iTunes.
The new theme is poverty. The Rowntree foundation just released a report revealing that the wealth divide in the UK is at its widest for over 40 years, so I want songs about life on the breadline. This lot have already been featured: Shoplifting, Free Money, Brother Can You Spare a Dime?, Be Thankful For What You Got, Across 110th Street, Ain't Got No - I Got Life, All That I Got Is You, Fancy, Tobacco Road, and Do-Re-Mi. There are plenty more.
Two bits of admin. Firstly, the moderators tell me there's a potential copyright problem around posting lyrics so I request that you either post short extracts (a verse should do), or link to lyrics on another site, lest someone sue our digital ass. Secondly, DarceysDad would like to organise a northern version of the RR social but understandably doesn't want to post his email address on a website for fear of enticing random Nigerians to request use of his bank account. If you're interested please email me at dorianlynskeyAThotmail.com and I'll forward everything to DD.
The A-Z is thisaway and the Readers Recommend archive is thataway. The deadline is midday on Monday.
