A perfect song? What are your choices?

"Waterloo Sunset" just may be my favorite song written and recorded by any UK band. In it I hear the same sense of wistful melancholy as I do from Brian Wilson's "God Only Knows". Very distinguished company to keep.

I consider The Kinks' 4-album run of Face To Face, Something Else, The Village Green Preservation Society, and Arthur as the high water mark of British Pop music, far better to my musical taste and sensibilities than that of The Beatles during the same period. 

"Lies", written by Beau Charles and Buddy Randell, recorded by The Knickerbockers. A scorching rocker.

"On Broadway", just one of the great songs written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Performed by The Drifters. A haunting song if there ever was one.:

@larsman: The Smithereens’ songs had some great hooky riffs, didn’t they?!

@mitchagain: Jellyfish were astounding, just as good live as on record.

The Wondermints were very well known around L.A. before they hooked up with Brian Wilson, and their CD’s are now somewhat hard to find. Their original bassist Brian Kassan became frustrated by the group not recording more of his songs (he was their George Harrison in that regard), and left the group shortly before the Wilson hookup. Oops! ;-)

Kassan then formed his own group, Chewy Marble, and switched to piano. Derrick Anderson---a fantastic musician who had his own group, The Andersons---was enlisted to play bass (he has more recently been playing bass with The Bangles on the road). Their 1997 s/t first album (on Permanent Press Records) contains lots of good Pop music, with one instant classic: "I Want You Only".

Drummer Tammy Glover left the group after that album, and my were services were engaged (Kassan and I met when we were both recruited to back Emitt Rhodes for his first live show in a quarter century, at the 1997 Poptopia Festival) for the recording of the second---Bowl Of Surreal, an over-all better album.

Excellent recommendation @mitchagain! Poptopia includes "Starry Eyes" by The Records, a song written by drummer Will Birch and John Wicks, the latter of whom I had the pleasure of working with live. Also included is "Rock ’n’ Roll Girl" by The Beat, a great live band whose debut album is fantastic Power Pop! Leader/singer/songwriter/rhythm guitarist Paul Collins had earlier been in The Nerves, a group whose other members were Peter Case and Jack Lee (writer of Blondie's hit "Hangin’ On The Telephone"). Their 7" 4-song EP is now worth a coupla hundred bucks. My copy is not for sale ;-) . Rhino also put out Best Of The Girl Groups Volumes 1 & 2 (on CD), which are chock full of great Pop songs.

I’ve mentioned this one before, but it bears repeating: "I’m Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee)", as perfect a song as I have heard. Written by Ben Vaughn, recorded by Marshall Crenshaw (himself an excellent songwriter).

Speaking of Pop, there is the incredible "Fresh As A Daisy" by Emitt Rhodes, easily as good a song as anything McCartney has written. His first s/t record is a perfect album, imo better than McCartney’s solo debut. Both play and sing every part on those debut albums, but Emitt had the better songs, and was a much better drummer (his professional debut---while still in High School---was as the drummer in SoCal group The Palace Guard). Is it tacky of me to mention that I also worked with Emitt (live and in the studio)? ;-

Sadly, both John Wicks and Emitt Rhodes are now singing in the Heavenly choir. :-(

I’m feeling romantic right now ;-).

- "Moon River" by Henry Mancini.

- "Can’t Help Falling In Love With You" by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George Weiss.

- "Young World" by Jerry Fuller.

- "You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me" by Pino Donaggio and Vito Pallavicini.

- "The Look Of Love" by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

- "Your Song" by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

- "A Salty Dog" by Gary Brooker and Keith Reid.

- "Just Walk Away Renee" and "Pretty Ballerina" by Michael Brown.

Oh yeah, a bid 3rd on Twilley’s "I’m On Fire"! His "Tryin’ To Find My Baby" is another Power Pop classic.

And how could I have not included "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" by Gary Brooker and Keith Reid?

As I write I’m listening to Dave Edmund’s great recording of John Fogerty’s "Almost Saturday Night". And if you haven’t heard it, give a listen to Dave’s recording of Mickey Jupp’s "You’ll Never Get Me Up (In One Of Those)", a healthy dose of pure American Rock ’n’ Roll, written by an Englishman, played and sung by a Welshman. Both songs are included in Dave’s Twangin’ album.

Country & Western/Hillbilly music isn’t shown the respect it deserves ’round these here parts. Allow me to correct that situation.

- "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton.

- "Stand By Your Man" by Billy Sherrill & Tammy Wynette.

- "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" by Bobby Braddock & Curly Putman.

- "Long Black Veil" by Danny Dill & Marijohn Wilkin.

- "Ring Of Fire" by June Carter & Merle Kilgore.

- "She Thinks I Still Care" by Dickey Lee & Steve Duffy.

- "The Bottle Let Me Down" and "Mama Tried" by Merle Haggard.

- "God Only Knows", music by Brian Wilson, lyrics by Tony Asher.

- "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted", written by William Weatherspoon, Paul Riser, and James Dean.

- "Waterloo Sunset" by Ray Davies.

- "When You Walk In The Room" by Jackie DeShannon.

- "The Weight" and "It Makes No Difference" by J.R. Robertson.

- "No Time To Cry" by Iris Dement.

- "Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands" (and a few dozen more) by Bob Dylan.

- "U Don't Know How Much I Hate U" by Rodney Crowell.

- "Nowhere Man" and "And Your Bird Can Sing" by John Lennon.

- "Paperback Writer" by Paul McCartney.

- "Have A Little Faith In Me" by John Hiatt.

- "Love Hurts" by Boudleaux Bryant.