Photo from artwork by Céleste Boursier-Mougenot
Hello dear readers,
It will come as no surprise to you that I am of the opinion that birds are the finest class of creature to inhabit this planet. Our singing voices are remarkable (some better than others, though I for one can stretch from bass to contralto parts, if necessary). Our wit is far superior to that of the puerile mammals or snide reptiles, and we can bloody well fly.
There are some wonderful musical tributes to birds, and this playlist contains a whole range of them. Notably absent is the beautiful ‘Blackbird’ by The Beatles, who remain unobtainable on Spotify, but any music fan worth his worms will know that one already. The only bugbear in this collection is that the marvellous Simon and Garfunkel consider sparrow lovely. Let me warn you that they’re far from it, and you must never entrust them with your possessions or any close personal information.
Yours ornithophilically,
Brian
Listen to Brian’s Birds playlist on Spotify
This Many Boyfriends – Starling
Dee Dee Sharp – Do The Bird
James Yorkston and the Athletes – Heron
Simon & Garfunkel – Sparrow
Fleetwood Mac – Albatross
Devendra Banhart – Owl Eyes
Michael Jackson – Rockin’ Robin
Peggy Lee – Bye, Bye, Blackbird
Sarah Vaughan – Blackbird
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Free Bird
Annie Lennox – Little Bird
Anais Mitchell – Mockingbird
Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves Of Destiny – Sweet Tooth Bird
Death Cab for Cutie – Talking Bird
Leonard Cohen – Bird On The Wire
Iron & Wine – Bird Stealing Bread
Aretha Franklin – Mockingbird
Born Ruffians – Hummingbird
Fleetwood Mac – Songbird
Little Scream – The Heron and the Fox
Manfred Mann – Pretty Flamingo
Fruit Bats – Flamingo
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – Third Swan
Glasvegas – Lonesome Swan
Camera Obscura – Swans
The Temptations – Bluebird
Cat Stevens – Hummingbird
The Maccabees – Pelican
Kevin Hume – A Song of Birds
Boat To Row – Night The Owl Slept
Love – Hummingbirds
Simon & Garfunkel – Sparrow