t of mine given that I don't know all that much about his music, although I do have a greatest hits CD of his which I enjoy very much. Still, I feel a tip of the hat is in order on the strength of a few songs of his that rank among my favorites.Rafferty would certainly be best known for two smash singles off the 1978 album City to City - Baker Street and Right Down the Line. Baker Street is instantly recognizable for its simple yet iconic sax lead-in, and both singles were played widely for years after they came out. The fact that these years were my adolescence make the songs perhaps all the more memorable to me.
In addition to the more well known ones there are a few other really terrific songs on the greatest hits CD, including Whatever's Written in Your Heart, and The Right Moment.
So, farewell Gerry. If art can give a bit of immortality, then I think you have probably earned it.
how can you forget "stuck in the middle with you" ? ok, a stealer's wheel song, but that group was essentially "gerry rafferty not having the self confindence to call the band the gerry rafferty group".
ReplyDeleteif art may confer a glimmer of immortality, this song qualifies. As well, another artist can build the glimmer to a glow, by recognizing the others art, and featuring it or making an hommage. this was the case here, in the iconic scenes from quentin tarantino's reservoir dogs over which this song pours. i daresay, many folks know this song from that movie or even commercials for the movie which feature the song "sounded over" other a different iconic scene which in the movie does not feature the tune.
Leo, the funny thing is, until I went to the Wikipedia entry to pull a couple of facts for this post, I didn't realize that "Stuck in the Middle with You" was Rafferty, although the moment I read it I thought to myself "duh, sounds just like him..."
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