Guilty Pleasure Songs 4

With long, balmy days ahead, it's time to bring back the Guilty Pleasure Playlist. (See the links below for previous lists of Guilty Pleasure songs.) 

The new list includes songs penned by gifted songwriters, who (in my opinion) are emotional powerhouses ... original and honest. The songs are unique -- carrying a listener into the world of which they speak.

Like-No-Other, The Guilty Pleasure Playlist 4:

1. Venus In Furs - The Velvet Underground, written by Lou Reed: Can you imagine me liking a song that includes the sexual themes of S&M ... dominance, bondage and submission? I don't even what to know what I don't know about the subject, but I absolutely adore Lou Reed and this song. It's sincere, vulnerable and heartbreaking. Everyone from every walk of life wants to feel valued and accepted. When a human being feels broken or rejected, you feel empathy. People are complicated, and pain is pain. Plus, it's not every day you hear a viola (played by John Cale) and an ostrich guitar (played by Lou Reed) in a Rock & Roll song. And hey, a woman drummer! The Velvet Underground didn't sell many records, but they were huge influences on musicians who followed them. When you think about when this record came out (1967), you can appreciate just how special this band was. A R&R band who addressed adult themes.

2. Welcome To The Jungle - Guns N' Roses: Appetite For Destruction, about the underbelly of Los Angeles, was a great album, and this song was often the show opener for the band when they hit the stage. If you're a rock fan, WTTJ has all the essential elements: a hard-driving rhythm section, kick-ass guitar riffs and blood-curdling screams.

3. Big Daddy Of Them All - John Mellencamp: Certainly, there are people who achieve great success, despite living inauthentic lives. This song is about them, the liars and the cheats; when someone's life doesn't match who they think they are. I'm a big fan of JM. I love his phrases, "You used to raise your voice, so that it could be heard."

4. Time Of The Season - The Zombies - I love the Jazz influence in this song and it reminds me of childhood spent at home listening to music on my father's stereo in our living room. (I guess it was our studio. He didn't really have any stuff of his own once he got it home:) How melodic is Collin Blumstone's airy, high-tenor voice? You might know another song by the Zombies, She's Not There, which is currently used in ads on American television. You will always recognize their smooth sound. Where does the hippy-dippy time go?

5. Come To Jesus - Mindy Smith: Whether you are a Christian believer or not, this is a skillfully-written, catchy song by a Nashville singer-songwriter, who grew up on Long Island, New York. Raised by missionary parents, Mindy Smith lost her mother to cancer at a young age. The song is written from the point-of-view of her deceased mother who is talking from beyond the grave. The sentiment is worldly and hopeful. When Mindy sings the refrain, it sounds very rock-tinged to me. Moreover, YouTube uploader, VideoBikerDude, has created a fine video for the tune. Do you agree?

There you are, a musical blast from the past. Good songs can capture snippets of the human condition. They cross genres and endure ... as they should. ♬♪♪♫♪♪

Update: I stopped reviewing songs and composing these lists because, after a time the songs always get removed from YouTube resulting in dead links. Now, readers, you can go to YouTube to listen to alternate versions of the removed songs.

You may also enjoy:
Guilty Pleasure Songs
Guilty Pleasure Songs 2
What's On Your Playlist?
Summer Songs Of Yesteryear