Top 50 Favourite Songs: Dave “Rave” MacIntosh

This is not a very Rock Critic list of Favourite Songs. No Dylan, Stones, Joni, Clash, Prince, Husker Du/Sonic Youth, Beefheart, Bowie or Bubble Puppy (or even my friends Skinny Puppy). No Puppies. But on reflection I always thought my role was more of an editor/organizer than a cutting edge music scribe, even though NME / Sounds / CREEM / Trouser Press got me into the idea of thinking I could be in any way part of the magical music scene.

This is a pretty candy-assed list of songs: I was never drawn to “challenging” music as were many of my colleagues to a varying extent; I’m always more inclined to the soppy shit, and nothing that has to make me think too much. I need my thinking for other things.

I love C&W, Trance, Trip-Hop, New Wave, early ’70s singer/songwriters, and some ’80s music apart from the Bunnymen, but there’s none here on this list. Strange. I think on the latter point my life in the ’80s revolved more around the live music cornucopia in Toronto, and the fact that most ’80s music was rubbish, despite my latter day Toto/Foreigner/Bryan Ferry karaoke triumphs.

Cheers, Dave the Rave

---

Flamingos, “I Only Have Eyes For You” (1959)
Led Zeppelin, “Kashmir” (1975)
Miles Davis, “All Blues” (1959)
Fairport Convention, “Matty Groves” (1969)
Alternative TV, “Action Time Vision” (1978)

Steely Dan, “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” (1974)
Aretha Franklin “(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman” (1968)
Tom Verlaine, “Breakin’ In My Heart” (1979)
Gladys Knight & the Pips, “Midnight Train to Georgia” (1973)
Echo & the Bunnymen, “Heads Will Roll” (1982)
Buzzcocks, “Boredom” (1977)
Ron Sexsmith, “Believe It When I See It” (2011)
Paul Brady, “I Am A Youth That’s Inclined To Ramble” (1978)
Shack, “I Want You” (1999)

Stevie Wonder, “Boogie On Reggae Woman” (1974)
The Mekons, “Where Were You?” (1979)
Scott Walker, “Such A Small Love” (1967)
Velvet Underground, “What Goes On” (1969)
Dawn Penn, “You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No)” (1994)
Teenage Fanclub, “Ain’t That Enough” (1997)
Tim Buckley, “I Must Have Been Blind” (1969)
Talking Heads, “Crosseyed And Painless” (1981)
Plasterscene Replicas, “Images Are Clear” (1986)
Spinners, “Games People Play” (1975)
The Jam, “Strange Town” (1979)
Peter Gabriel, “Solsbury Hill” (1977)
Jimi Hendrix, “All Along The Watchtower” (1970)
Kate Bush, “The Man With The Child In His Eyes” (1978)

Wings, “Jet” (1974)
Massive Attack, “Protection” (1994)
The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos, “Dog’s Chair” (1983)
Gang of 4, “I Found That Essence Rare” (1980)e
Peter Tosh, “Steppin’ Razor” (1977)
Echo & the Bunnymen, “Angels & Devils” (1982)
Brian Eno, “Third Uncle” (1974)
Nat “King” Cole, “Sweet Lorraine” (1940)
Van Morrison, “Into The Mystic” (1970)
Donna Summer, “I Feel Love” (Patrick Cowley remix, 1977)
The Heptones, “Truths And Rights” (?)+++
The Beatles, “Rain” (1966)
Missy “Miss” Elliott, “Work It” (2002)
Elvis Costello & the Attractions, “What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace Love and Understanding” (1979)
Paul Simon, “The Boy In The Bubble” (1986)
Willie P. Bennett, “Faces” (1977)
The Grateful Dead, “China Cat Sunflower”/”I Know You Rider,” Live (1972)
Deep Purple, “Highway Star” (1972)
Crowded House, “It’s Only Natural” (1992)
Badfinger, “Day After Day” (1972)

Dua Lipa. “Hallucinate” (2021)
E.L.O., “Telephone Line” (1975)

+++ I spent a fruitless 10 minutes on Google trying to find a date for this. Anyone know? Ed.