Right, time I spunked my own opinion over all of you
In no particular order...

Alabama Train by Louisiana Red, because it has the most amazing drive and the harmonica solo is entirely full of win;
Wang Dang Doodle by Howling Wolf for similar reasons and because it's perfect to wig out to;
Sometimes I'm Happy by the Oscar Peterson Trio because the amount of energy in that tune at the climax of the solo is probably greater than most rock bands could generate;
My Favourite Things by Grant Green for similar reasons - by the time it the drum solo begins I could come;
Solid Sender by John Lee Hooker because it's by John Lee Hooker;
'Til I Die by The Beach Boys for when I'm feeling sad;
Eden by Hooverphonic for when I'm feeling lonely;
Time by Tom Waits for when I'm weary;
Shine On You Crazy Diamond by Pink Floyd as I'd need some representation of David Gilmour's sublime guitar playing;
My Eyes Have Seen You by The Doors because it sounds so amazingly predatory;
Master of The Universe by Hawkwind because it makes you feel like the master of the fucking universe if taken with the right amount of beer;
The Fountains of Rome by Ottorino Respighi because with that piece he inadvertently invented the first ever hard rock riff, many years before such a concept existed;
L'Hymne A L'Amour by Edith Piaf because she sings it so beautifully and I wish my French was good enough to work out what the lyrics are;

And finally something by The Who...difficult to pick just one track but I'll probably default to Bargain because it is possibly the best song in the world, ever.

Right, there we go. (And I'm sure I could go on all day given the chance) Come and mock my opinion.
(LongJohnBaldry, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 10:29, 5 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

Oscar Peterson ftw
If I had to pick one track of his, it would be his cover of Benny Goodman's "You Look Good to Me", specifically the Montreux 1977 concert version.

Sorry, am I being a bit esoteric here?
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 10:33, Reply)

Esoteric? No,
I'm familiar with real jazz buffs citing specific performances of certain songs - and rightly so. They don't always nail it, but when you get a recording where they have...my god, the experience is something else

(Incidentally is that 1977 Montreux gig easy to get hold of? I may have to investigate)
(LongJohnBaldry, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 10:41, Reply)

I think
it's out on CD now. I have a recording of an LP.

He uses two double bass players on it. It's also on DVD - samples on YouTube too.

Here it is: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKKpoCy0a5Y
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 10:44, Reply)

Oh, you beauty!
This has made my morning. He makes it sound so effortless, he really does absolute control over that piano. And the interplay between those two basses (speaking as a bass guitarist who'd love to have the time and money to learn double bass) is awesome. I think I got a semi during the first bass solo.

Update: definitely felt something stirring during the second bass solo. Fucking hell...
(LongJohnBaldry, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 10:49, Reply)

Wait until you get to
Niels Pederson's last solo. I like the ending too. Brilliantly melodic.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 10:53, Reply)

MOVE ALONG PLEASE
nothing to mock here (apart from lame-era Floyd but I'll let you have that one because I like you and your flappy hair. How magnanimous of me, eh?)...
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 10:34, Reply)

Very magnaminous of you
It's just as well I didn't pick a Floyd track from The Wall, otherwise I imagine I'd have been punched in the face before I knew what was going on.

(Not that I would have picked a track off The Wall. Even I thought it had gone down the pan by then.)
(LongJohnBaldry, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 10:38, Reply)

I love Floyd. All Floyd.
I must have listened to the Wall a gazillion times.

But I still prefer the older stuff.

Gilmour is a leg-end on the ol' six string though
( Peej, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 10:40, Reply)

I agree here
Echoes would be in my top few songs probably
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 10:42, Reply)

Shine on you crazy diamond has such nice guitar in it though

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 10:41, Reply)

I do concede that.
It's Waters who's on the list. The Wall is so self-indulgent and pompous it makes me want to punch MYSELF in the face.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 10:44, Reply)

Waters is a dick
That said, I do like The Wall. Saw it performed by the Australian Pink Floyd earlier this year and it was incredible.

Mind you, I like Momentary Lapse of Reason and the Division Bell too.

*covers eyes*
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 10:48, Reply)

My ma and Step dad saw Aussie Floyd back when they were still small
and became good mates. They get postcards from them from time to time and are vip listed to any of the shows they like which is pretty cool. They followed them on their Ireland tour once which must have been pretty awesome. They are the closest to the real thing you can get these days.
( Peej, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 10:59, Reply)

I've seen them maybe 5 times now
they are seriously good.

not like some floyd tribute bands that some people on /talk may or may not be in
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 11:10, Reply)

*nods*

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 11:13, Reply)

*goads*

(Cancer Joy was short lived, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 11:31, Reply)

Impressive, well thought and good reasons. No mocking from me.

( Peej, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 10:38, Reply)

I'd never heard
Grant Green's My Favorite Things, but I'm listening to it now on Spotify.

Fantastic. And McCoy Tyner's playing on it too.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 10:42, Reply)

Speaking of songs with Favourite Thing in the title...
Get The Replacements - Favourite Thing, on spotify. Go on!
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 10:50, Reply)

I just have
And it's pretty good, but not quite my cup of Irn Bru.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 10:55, Reply)

Damn you
Damn you all to hell!



I accept your internet opinion and will move on to my next innocent victim to force my tastes down their throat..
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 10:58, Reply)

Time is a beautiful song.

( Undulating Tentacles of Love getting fun down to acceptable levels, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 11:16, Reply)

It is.
Although I admit it's all down to the way he sings it. I don't think anybody else could sing that song and capture the same world-weariness that he conjures up with such a simple, three-chord ballad.
(LongJohnBaldry, Thu 12 Nov 2009, 11:24, Reply)