Three Songs for the Season of Slow Dying

An Autumn Rate-a-Record challenge

Steven Hale
Waxing Lyrical

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Photo by Ksenia Makagonova on Unsplash (An “autumn almanac”?)

Of the four seasons, autumn is perhaps the least appreciated by popular musicians. Sure, there are the older standards “Autumn Leaves” (sung here by Edith Piaf) or “September Song” (unforgettably performed by the composer’s wife Lotte Lenya), but in pop music, spring, summer, and winter (thanks to Christmas) get all the glory.

Here are three autumnal classic rock numbers to savour and evaluate (using rate-a-record standards first promoted on Medium by Terry Barr, that were developed on the Television show American Bandstand). The gorgeous colors of the fall may not last forever, but the beauty of these songs will.

Bridget St. John — “Autumn Almanac”

Few singers have a voice more suited to calm reflection than the British folksinger Bridget St. John. Here she celebrates not only the joys of the season but the importance of kindness and gentleness that autumn asks of us.

Nick Drake — “River Man”

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Steven Hale
Waxing Lyrical

Music: Discovering the lost and forgotten. Politics: Exposing injustice. Screenwriting: Emotional storytelling.