Live Review: The Loser’s Lounge Tribute To The Kinks @ Joe’s Pub

New York City has an innumerable quantity of aspiring singers, songwriters, and musicians. Ride the subway on any given day in the Big Apple, and every other person sitting across from you likely qualifies as a member of this ever-growing category. If you want to act, got to L.A,; if you want to sing, go to New York. (And if you want to do both, well, just ask Scarlett Johannson or Zooey Deschanel where they call home.) The talents of these musicians range from indescribably awful to spectacularly gifted. The ladies and gentlemen I saw recently all fall into the latter category.

No woman, no…

…great songs about women. So here you have it, the 23 best songs with “woman” in the title. Some are included for novelty’s sake (Shania Twain) while others are included due to their ability to inspire (Ray Charles). Even a couple of them included no other words in the title besides “woman.”

Surprisingly, the artists making the list (especially those sitting on the throne of the Top 5) are older artists. Maybe as time has passed and gender has begun to be blurred, music is reflecting the change.(MP3s at the VERY bottom of the post soon to come available if you click on the word “woman.”)

23. This Woman’s Work-Maxwell. Included only because we share a name.

22. Things Go Better With Coke (A Man and a Woman)-Otis Redding. Otis would be higher than this if it were not such a sell-out song.

21. Man! I Feel Like a Woman-Shania Twain. I feel a little sick for putting Shania above Otis Redding on ANY list.

20. Mountain Woman-The Kinks.

19. The Ways of a Woman in Love-Johnny Cash.

“Name” That Tune

Throwin’ another playlist at ya, today’s rule is simple enough: one word title, female name. You’ll be surprised at the great list that manifests itself. Click on the titles for MP3s, band names to buy albums.

10. Angie-The Rolling Stones. Opening with a guitar part that sounds like an alternate take on “House of the Rising Sun” and some opening lyrics that don’t sound quite sincere, the song later takes on a fuller sound and becomes worth listening to.

9. Isabel-Mason Jennings. With some gently stroking of the guitar strings, lyrics about summer, and Mason’s voice, this one is the perfect song to woo a lady to. Especially if her name is Isabel. Especially not if your most recent ex-girlfriend’s name is Isabel.

8. Michelle-The Beatles. “Michelle” and “bell” rhyme, that’s for sure. But leave it to The Beatles to throw the name into one of the best one-named lady songs ever.

7. Rebecca-Pete Johnson and “Big” Joe Turner. Some blazing piano lines are interrupted by a loud, audacious voice in this classic jazz track. Some live sound effects add some pizzazz to this ditty, as does a nice tinkling solo high up on the ivories about a minute in.

6. Angelina-Bob Dylan. Not to be confused with Farewell, Angelina. From Bootleg Series.