Shuffling My Ipod II
Five songs at random. Here we go:
Harvest-- Neil Young
The title track from one of the best rock albums ever, Neil Young hits a laid back tone with this song and it works. It's certainly a mood song, as much of Young's work is. The thing that stikes me when I listen to Young is how strong his vocals are. No one does, and perhaps no one can, sound like Neil Young. I bought this album when living in very rural Ohio, and the result is I always think of that period when this song comes on.

'Til I Can't Take it Anymore-- Charlie Rich
If you don't like Behind Closed Doors, there is something wrong with you. The title track is a classic, but the album is amazingly strong, showing one of country's most talented singers of the 70's at his peak. The song is short, and is a sweet, sad love song, but Rich's voice is so suited for the material that you're left wishing the song had another two minutes in it.

The Philosopher's Stone- Van Morrison
Perhaps the best song Van has written in the last 10 years, Philosopher's Stone tells the story of a man at the crossroads, a man looking for meaning. Van Morrison has in some ways always been searching for meaning (at least his music seems reflect such things). The song mixes organ, piano and harmonica quite nicely, and Van's vocal is outstanding. The album (Back on Top) is as well. The song is beautiful, but I usually play it while in a reflective mode. This is not a song to work out to, and I probably wouldn't play it at a party, but it is one of my favorite Van songs ever.

Words (Between the Lines of Age)- Neil Young
From the Harvest album, the song has a harder edge than most of the collection. It is more intense, and just as strong as the acoustic songs on the record. The electric guitar backing parts are very good. It's the last track on Harvest, and it brings a driving conclusion that seems quite fitting. Young continues to sing as well as ever. It's over six minutes, which is a tad long on an Ipod. Hearing the two songs on this shuffle makes me wish I owned more Neil Young.

The Unfaithful Servant- The Band
It's the vocal of the late Rick Danko that makes this song, along with the brass put in by Garth Hudson. Danko's voice seems to almost ache in pain as he sings the lyric, which makes it perhaps my favorite Band song. Truth be told, I sometimes have trouble distinguishing between Danko's vocals and Richard Manuel's. They both have very good voices, but sometimes I'm not sure which is which. Robbie Robertson's acoustic guitar solo is somber and almost chilling here. Interesting fact: Danko recorded the lead vocal on the first take. Amazing.