by Coda on 06 Jun 2006, 16:34
If I had to name just one, I'd say: "Let's Face the Music and Dance." It was my main introduction to Diana's music (heard on a store sound system -- I love the bossa nova groove and I was just impressed (floored, actually!) with her music without any of the "packaging/appearance issues" that people often bring up. I went up to the store cashier and asked who had sung that song. I wanted to buy the CD on the spot but they had run out. (So I got it later as a gift.) But my first introduction to Diana's music was on Jay Leno. My husband and I were up late folding baby clothes and we saw her perform. I don't rememember the song, and she looked a little nervous, but I thought she did a great job I remember telling my husband that I liked her music. But hearing LFTMAD a few months later really did it for me.
If I would add a few more, I'd include: "Why Should I Care?" and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "Case of You" and "Almost Blue" (IMHO, all of these show Diana channeling a powerful depth of emotion without going over-the-top). I love "Black Crow" because it grooves so well and "All or Nothing at All" from the Live in Paris album because I love seeing the group move from the basic rendition in the beginning to full-blown solos where they really lose themselves in the best sense of the word, back to a quiet, elegant ending. In musical terms, it reminds me a bit of doing the "mamma-daddy" exercise on the drums, starting out with slow single drum strokes with each hand, moving to quicker double strokes, then winding down to slower single strokes again.