My Emm Gryner Top 40! #’s 6 – 10

Emm Gryner

And now we’re taking a look at my Top 10 Emm Gryner songs, and every one of them is a standout, if you ask me. Here you’ll be able to figure out my favorite albums as well, as the Top 10 is primarily made up of cuts from AsianBlue, The Summer of High Hopes, and most notably, the outstanding Science Fair. While the Summer of High Hopes scores big with three songs in the Top 10, they all appear here in the lower half. Still, it’s a pretty bold showing! Take time with this list… and I hope you take a moment to listen to all of these outstanding tracks.

#10 – Serenade (Science Fair)

Here in the Top 10 we see Science Fair start to take command. Two tracks from this album appear in this segment. It’s an album that’s near perfect for me, and Serenade is a gorgeous, melancholy acoustic guitar-driven ballad. It’s also one of those songs whose lyrics are pretty poetic and don’t add up to a lot for me; it seems intensely personal. It seems that it was written on the road, and there’s definitely a sense of longing. But the killer lines come in what could arguably be called the chorus, “It’s a good day for wishing you were mine. I wish it all the time.”  We’ve all felt that before, right? Gorgeous in its simplicity, with some beautiful harmonies that just make my heart soar.

#9 – Girls are Murder (The Summer of High Hopes)

While Science Fair will continue to dominate the Top 10, The Summer of High Hopes does its best to assert dominance, with three cuts in this group. I’m a sucker for a 70’s pop groove, and Girls Are Murder has that subtly embedded in the verses, along with a killer syncopated drum track. The lyrics are vivid, telling the story of a guy who’s had his heart broken, hence, “Girls are murder.” The summer as hell imagery is fitting and ironic on the album entitled The Summer of High Hopes. And man, that chorus is what pushes it over the edge. Wow, after the commanding piano chords to kick things off, and the up and down melody of the verses, the driving, urgent chorus really pulls it all together and reels you in beautifully. While Science Fair dominates the Top 10, The Summer of High Hopes rules #’s 6 – 10, with Girls Are Murder being the first of three tracks.

#8 – Revenge (Science Fair)

Revenge has a special place in my pantheon of Emm songs. It was a cathartic song when I broke up with a long-term boyfriend nearly 20 years ago. While Emm clearly wrote this about a very specific situation, this is great break-up song from whatever your perspective. I particularly love the line, “I wanted to show you the things I know, As few as they may be.” In my own personal movie, the song’s point-of-view jumps back and forth between me and my ex, and I think that’s why I love who flexible it can be for the listener. From a musical point of view, I love the bridge and it’s gently descending melody… it just draws you directly into the chorus.

#7 – Almighty Love (The Summer of High Hopes/Gem and I)

The duet version of Almighty Love with Joe Elliott
Emm Gryner, live of Irish TV singing Almighty Love

Perhaps one of Emm’s most famous songs, after Bono selected it as one of the ten songs written by other artists that he most wished he had written. And with good reason, Almighty Love is a gorgeous love song about the one person who just can’t be denied, but is just flat-out bad for you. I love the different versions of this song, some with the distorted power chords pushing things along, another more pop-oriented, but sung as a duet with Joe Elliott form Def Leppard, who in some ways could be the epitome of the song’s subject. There are so many great, great lines from this track that I can’t pull out just one or two lines. The entire first verse is a masterpiece.

“You don’t write back when you promise to
The moon has overdosed on night-time like me on you
I got bars of your punk rock running through my veins
I got symphonies and science but no way to explain
How you broke my life in two different worlds
You move quicker than the lightning illuminates a girl
Got cigarettes you smoke burned into my veins
I got sympathy and silence but no way to explain”

Side note: for no other reason then maybe one or two lines (like the third one about punk rock) this song always reminds me of a cinematic version of my good friend Christine.

#6 – Blackwinged Bird (The Summer of High Hopes)

Blackwinged Bird is one of those soaring piano ballads with gorgeous, evocative lyrics, that conjure up images and emotions, but are impossible to understand… at least for me. But that doesn’t matter, because the song is just wrenching, even in its obliqueness. As in many of her songs, there is a lot of exploration of the way boys and girls act differently, and it seems to be referring to a dark time in this young woman’s life. Of all the beautiful lyrics of the song, my favorite verse is still fairly indecipherable in the context of the song, “Now we’re paper dolls all aflame, in houses that all look the same. Rows of regret, an arson for a wilderness.” The crowning glory from The Summer of High Hopes, Emm also produced a lush, accompanying video for this song.

My Emm Gryner Top 40! #’s 20 – 16

Emm GrynerWe’re cracking the Top 20, and the pop wonders are just going to get better and better. This is where we see Emm’s true mastery of songwriting come to the fore. We also get the first appearance of her duets album, Gem and I, and her only appearance from her albums, Goddess and Song of Love and Death. It also gets harder and harder to apply any sort of ranking system when we get this high, because on any given day, I like one song slight better than the other. At any rate, here are #’s 21 – 16.

#20 – Shining Light (Songs of Love and Death)

Taken from Songs of Love and Death, her 2005 album of songs by Irish acts, , Shining Light is a cover of a song by the band, Ash. But Emm, in her way, takes this rock-driven, slightly flat love song and turns it into an emotion-laden piano ballad. The lyrics are a little corny, but Emm sells it, and the bridge gets me choked up every time. The sad part is, I can’t find a recording of Emm’s version anywhere online, so I’ve included the far less interesting original version instead.

#19 – Boy with an Affliction (Gem and I)

Here is the first of three tracks, all in the Top 20, from Emm’s 2010 duets album, Gem and I. Talk about a batch of terrific pop gems, these are some of Emm’s best numbers. This first to appear, Boy with an Affliction is a duet with American singer/songwriter Matthew Nathanson, whose blend of folk and rock music complement Emm’s Canadian pop nicely. Matt is incidentally, from Lexington, MA. The lyrics seem to be telling the story of a boy chasing after success, and the more he gets the more he sacrifices his heart. The electric piano intro sets things up nicely before the acoustic guitar gets things moving. Emm’s background vocals over the chorus are just delightful, and Matt’s voice is a great compliment to Emm’s. And what a fantastic bridge! It just makes me smile.

#18 – Good Riddance (Science Fair)

Here’s another break-up song from Emm, but it’s also a nice “fuck you” number as the protagonist knows she’s better off without her deadbeat boyfriend. “If I’m nothing to you know then that’s the way I’d like to stay.” It’s the third song to appear on this list from Emm’s first DIY album, Science Fair, and there is more to come from this terrific album.

#17 – All-Time Low (The Summer of High Hopes)

It’s kind of amazing how Emm can apply the catchiest of pop tunes on some of the darkest or saddest lyrics and make a nearly perfect pop song. All-time Low, taken from her 2006 smash, The Summer of High Hopes, is the second song to appear on from that album. It tells the tale of a relationship that is hitting rock bottom… and we’re talking really bad, “Where everything we know keeps letting us down.” But it’s not necessarily the end, with the very slightest of hopes hidden in the bridge, “My tortured wonder, It’s a slow burn suicide. They’ve named the thunder, but God loves the world.” Maybe if God loves the world there’s still a chance? Plus, we’ve got another cool Canadian reference, “My tortured wonder, with the great lakes in your eyes.” I love how Emm tosses those lines into her lyrics.

$16 – Die Evergreen (Goddess)

Nice build on this gorgeous acoustic guitar driven pop number to a soaring chorus, Emm uses the full instrumentation well, with piano accents, nice percussion texture and great, subtle backing vocals and terrific use of her upper register. The lyrics, as usual, are a little hard to decipher… is it a break up song? Does die evergreen mean to vanish but still live on somehow? There are two cryptic reference to Rilke, a mention of the poet himself as a descriptor (“Your Rilkean heart should know…”) and a reference to one of his poems, “Blank Joy.” It all adds up to a terrific song from Emm’s 2009 album, Goddess… the only song from that album to make the list and it’s knocking on the Top 15!

My Emm Gryner Top 40! #’s 35 – 31

Emm
Emm Gryner, bassist

Sorry for the little break. Things got a little busy as September rolled around. But I’m back with my next batch of songs in my Emm Gryner Top 40! Here we countdown #’s 35 – 31. Emm’s latest album, Only of Earth: Days of Games sees two more cuts appear. It’s doing pretty well so far!

#35 – Doomsday (The Original Leap Year)

I’m sad to say that I can’t find a video or a sound file for this song anywhere on the web so you’ll have to be content with just reading the beautiful lyrics.

“Do everything that you’ve never done, “ said the man on the radio. So begins Emm’s mournful piano ballad heralding the end of the world and the loss of someone she loves. When she wails, “More than anything, I need the last minute of your time,” years of heartbreak and longing overpower the looming apocalypse. This one should have been part of the soundtrack of Don McKellar’s stunning film, LAST NIGHT.

#34 – Something Tells Me (Only of Earth)

Channeling late-70’s David Bowie, with guest singer/guitarist David Rhodes, Something Tells Me is the second track to appear in this Top 40 that is taken from her latest album, Only of Earth. The easy swing of the beat, and the soaring saxophone that interplays with vocals brings something joyful to this cut.

#33 – Summerlong (Dead Relatives)

Summerlong was the first single released to the world from Emm’s major label debut, Public, but it’s the originally recorded version taken from her Dead Relatives album, complete with crunchy, distorted electric guitar that perfectly offsets this pop gem about a summer romance. “The city smiled when you were around,” is such a great lyric.

#32 – North (Northern Gospel)

Emm sings about Canada a lot, and North is a beautiful mid-tempo ballad that mourns a love lost, “In my heart you’re north of the border, shining down like the aurora,” with the “rain coming down like a eulogy.” The live solo version included here captures the spirit of the song perfectly.

#31 – Silent Steps (Only of Earth)

Pushing her voice to the extremes of her upper register, Ermm sounds otherworldly over the Goldfrapp-like synth runs firmly serving us 80’s space opera. Such a cool, cool song. The third of four tracks from her latest album, Only of Earth: Days of Games, to appear in this top 40. You’ll have to wait a good 25+ tracks to get to the next one.

My Emm Gryner Top 40! – The Covers

me and emm
Emm and me at the Boston Public Library

One of my favorite artists currently producing work is the multi-talented, Canadian artist, Emm Gryner. Hard to believe, but I’ve been enjoying Emm’s music for over 20 years now. I’ve had the honor of meeting Emm a few times, enjoying her live performances and even hanging out with her!

We are very lucky that Emm is a very prolific songwriter and releases a lot of product, both under own name, but as part of many other projects, most notably Trent Severn, her outstanding Canadiana trio. At any rate, Emm is so prolific, and I am such a bad music listener (I rarely take the time to sit and just listen to music so I can learn titles and remember individual songs) I decided to go through Emm’s entire catalog and note my favorite songs — imagine my surprise when my listed ended up numbering 40! It’s my own personal Emm Gryner Top 40!

I’m going to do a series of blog posts sharing my favorite Emm Gryner songs, probably 5 at a time so you can all experience her outstanding pop songwriting skills and wonderful musicianship. And this is just her solo stuff! But you’re not getting any of her top 40 yet. I decided to leave her cover songs off this list. Emm is famous for her amazing cover songs, and how she reinterprets them in her own style. For this first post, I’m going to share my favorite Emm Gryner covers (of those she has officially recorded). Four out of five came from her amazing 2001 album, Girl versions, and the fifth from her 2012 EP of Hall & Oates covers, She’s Gone.

#5 – The Day We Hit the Coast

Released in 1999 by Nova Scotia band Thrush Hermit, The Day We Hit the Coast is a surprisingly tuneful, grungy rocker. Of course, when Emm gets her hands on it, she turns it into a haunting piano ballad about the cycles of life and love. Like many of Emm’s song, I love how it reference sCanada with it’s Lake Louise mention.

#4 – She’s Gone

Okay, I might be biased. This is without a doubt my favorite Hall & Oates song, and Emm kills it. And as a gay  man, I do love hearing Emm sing about losing the love of another woman.

#3 – Straight to Hell

With Straight to Hell, Emm takes a hard-hitting, quirky, political diatribe from punk band, The Clash and turns it into a hard-hitting, gorgeous, political diatribe, piano ballad. Got to hear her do this one live in the Courtyard of the Boston Public Library a couple of months ago. That was quite a thrill.

#2 – Pour Some Sugar On Me

Perhaps Emm’s most well-known cover, and certainly the one I use most often used to entice non-Emm fans to give her a chance, this beautiful rendition of Def Leppard’s bubble-gum, hair-band rock ‘n roll caught the attention of lead vocalist Joe Elliott who later recorded a duet with Emm, and had her pop metal band Tapper open for Def Leppard.

#1  Straight to You

Emm has done more than one of her own apocalyptic love song, in fact, one appears on my Top 40 from her very early days. But this gorgeous song by the dark, goth, poet himself, Nick Cave (along with the Bad Seeds) is skillfully interpreted by Emm, maintaining the longing and doomed romance so well-captured (like the singer) in the original. Bravo, Ms. Gryner!

Come back to check out my personal Emm Gryner Top 40 over the next week or so!

Top Australian Pop Songs – #’s 5 & 6

Here we are at the Top 6, and from here on out, the ladies rule. We’ve got a couple of first-time appearances on the list today, one band I’m sure you’re all aware of, the other act, probably not…

#6 – Jenny Morris – She Has to be Loved

Jenny Morris is a New Zealand born, Australian pop singer. In her native country she had some Top 20 success with her initial band, Crocodiles, before moving to Sydney and embarking on first, a career as a back-up singer for established acts, then as a in another band called QED before finally finding success as a solo artist. In the U.S., Jenny first appeared singing back-up for INXS on The Swing album. She then recorded a duet with Michael Hutchence, performing Nancy Sinatra’s hit, Jackson, which climbed to #2 on the Australian charts. She then joined the band on their world tour for the Listen Like Thieves album, where I discovered her. Her first of several fantastic solo albums, Body and Soul followed soon after.

She Has to be Loved is the second single from her second and most commercially successful album, Shiver. The jittery, propulsive dance number is infectious and delightful. It’s her highest charting solo single, reaching #5 on the Austrlian charts and #3 on the New Zealand charts. It’s feminist lyrics make it a favorite among her female fans.

#5 – Divinyls – Sleeping Beauty

What can I say about Divinyls? Formed in Sydney in 1980, with core members Chrissy Amphlett and Mark McEntee, Divinyls were a formative force in my musical life from the moment I heard Boys in Town until Chrissy’s untimely death at age 53 from breast cancer and beyond. Chrissy’s unabashed sexual ferocity on stage was notorious as she lashed out at other band members and the audience. I remember an early club show I saw of Divinyls, women at the front of the audience would rest their purses on the edge of the stage, and Chrissy would go through them, pulling out lipstick and other items. Her voice, which seemed uncontrolled and strained was actually laser sharp and a tool that Chrissy wielded with precision and beauty. There are so many amazing songs that Divinyls performed over the years that it was difficult not to fill this list with all of them.

Instead, Divinyls get two in the Top 5, starting with Sleeping Beauty, a gorgeous love-ballad from their second album, What a Life! The album was a huge success climbing to #4 on the charts. In Australia, Sleeping Beauty was the fifth single from What a Life!, peaking at #50. In the States, the lead single, Pleasure and Pain written by hitmakers Holly Knight and Michael Chapman, became their first Top 1oo single, reaching #76. Sleeping Beauty was the follow-up single and while it didn’t chart, it got significant airplay on MTV. I love this song and video so much. It’s a great merging of Divinyls emotional sincerity and dark perversions to create a love song all their own.