I was saddened yesterday afternoon to learn of Nanci Griffith's passing. She had a deservedly long career but never quite got the acclaim I thought she deserved. I've always admired the consistent, earnest sincerity with which she wrote and sang. Here, in my opinion, are eight of her best tracks:
- Big Blue Ball Of War (Griffith details the perils of violent conflict. In today's fractured political climate, her idealistic prescription for preventing war, sadly, sounds too far out of reach. That doesn't mean it's incorrect, however.)
- Last Of The True Believers (It's reassuring to know that after a breakup or during a rough patch of life, you can return home, where people like and understand you. Of Griffith's uptempo tracks, this is my favorite.)
- Late Night Grande Hotel (How do you grapple with rejection? How do you acknowledge that the thing you do best is enjoy your own company? First, you listen to this song. Another reason to admire Griffith: She had the perceptive ears and impeccable taste to have Maura Kennedy, one of my favorite vocalists, as a backup singer and to let Maura and her husband, Pete, open concerts for her. The Kennedys do an excellent cover of this tune.)
- More Than A Whisper (Live) (My favorite Griffith song, performed in concert. When you want to tell someone you love her and you know the feeling is reciprocal, Griffith advises you here to just say it. While looking for CDs years ago, the person I was shopping with thrust Griffith's "One Fair Summer Evening" into my hands and said, "Get it!" Her insistence was justified.)
- Once In A Very Blue Moon (Live) (This is a perceptive metaphor for missing someone. Once again, the intimacy of the concert setting on "One Fair Summer Evening" enhances some of Griffith's best vocals.)
- Poet In My Window (This is how you stay optimistic. Lyrically, it encapsulates why someone would want to be a songwriter; this is one outlook most people would want to save and capture in the moment.)
- The Sun, Moon, And Stars (An endearing ode to solitude, self-reliance, and occasional regrets.)
- Who Knows Where The Time Goes? (If Sandy Denny hadn't written this, I could easily have imagined Griffith penning these lyrics. Her sensibilities made her an ideal artist to cover this tune; who doesn't think about the passage of time and the difficulty of watching others in your life depart while you're staying put?)
