My Top Ten Maths Songs (Volume 3: Subtraction)

Maths lessons continue. This week: subtraction. Take it away...


10. Pavement - 5-4 = Unity

Malkmus goes jazz. It makes sense on the album, and Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain is arguably the very best Pavement album. There is a rare version with vocals, but I think I prefer the instrumental... and you won't hear me say that very often. Yeah, I know the 5-4 is a time signature, not a subtraction... but it looks enough like a sum to make the grade.

Of course, this track owes a huge debt to my Number #2 this week... but we'll get to that soon enough.

9. Charlie Louvin - Two Minus One

Here's country pioneers The Louvin Brothers minus one (Charlie's brother Ira). No wonder he's lonesome.

8. Marion - Minus You

Britpop casualties, though this out-take from their second album (released only on the Japanese version) stands up strong, if you like that Suede-y sound. Marion are touring the 20th anniversary of their debut record this month. It's good to see there's life in the old dogs yet.

7. Tavares - Don't Take Away The Music

Ralph, Pooch, Tubby, Butch and Tiny give it their all in this triumphant disco anthem. Not as good as Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel or Whodunit, but few things are.

6.  Dr. John - Me Minus You Equals Loneliness

Voodoo blues direct from New Orleans. Perfect for a warm summer evening... sorry, Ihave a feeling we saw the last of those for a while this week...

5. Paul McCartney - Take It Away

80s cod-reggae McCartney: do I apologise now or later? Look, it's got George Martin on keyboards! Look, it's got Ringo on drums! Look, it's got John Hurt in the video! Look it's got...

How is it possible to be so annoyed by one smugly-slappable star yet find so many of his songs addictive? I wish I understood pop music.

4. Beck - Minus

Remember when Beck sounded mad and scary like this? It seems so long ago...

It's a sensation
A bankrupt corpse
In the garbage classes
With the crutches of frogs
Frogs! Frogs! Frogs!

Yeah, thanks, Beck. Nice Beck. Don't hurt me, Beck.

3. ABC - All Of My Heart

Add and subtract
But as a matter of fact
Now that you're gone
I still want you back.

See, I could have featured this last week, but it strikes me that this is a song of loss, so the subtraction has already won out over the addition.

Epic. Majestic. Heartbreaking.

Don't let anyone tell you the 80s were rubbish...

2. Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five

I'm not the world's biggest jazz fan, and certainly no expert, but I won't turn away any genre in my search for a good tune. And Take Five is more than a good tune. It's a masterpiece.

Plus, the composer, Paul Desmond, left the royalties to charity on his death. The American Red Cross make around a hundred grand a year off this song (and other, less famous compositions Desmond bequeathed them).

1. Frank Sinatra - They Can't Take That Away From Me

George & Ira Gershwin. Frank Sinatra at his peak. It doesn't much get better than this.

Of course, there are many other fine versions, by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holliday, Natalie Cole, Tony Bennett, Robbie Willia--

See you next week.





Which one takes you away?

My Top Ten Time Songs

There are hundreds of songs about time... but these are all called Time, and nothing else.

We'll deal with some of the others... when I have the time.


10. Marion - Time

Hey, remember Marion?

No, me neither.

(Liar.)

9. Dennis Wilson - Time

From the classic solo album Pacific Ocean Blue that proved Dennis to be more than just Brian's brother.

8. Ben Folds - Time

And in time I will fade away
In time I won't care what you say
In time, but time takes time you know

7. Pink Floyd - Time

Other people would have placed this much higher, I have no doubt. Maybe even at Number One.

Me, sorry, I never had that much time for the Floyd...

6. Codeine Velvet Club - Time

A toast to life and its bitter ironies.

5. INXS - Time

Well, it's only time.
It's only that makes you... 
It's only time that breaks you.

As with a lot INXS lyrics, you can look back now and hear a lot of foresight.

4. Supergrass - Time

Not listened to this in years... it brings back memories of good times.

3. Tom Waits - Time

Wonderfully smokey, late night storytelling.

2. Freddie Mercury - Time

Could have been Number One, just for being Freddie. But time waits for nobody... not even him. From the musical of the same name, written by Dave Clark.

1. David Bowie - Time

Time, he flexes like a whore
Falls wanking to the floor

Indeed. Apparently they released that as a single in America without any edits because nobody knew what wanking was.




Which do you have most Time for?