standup_favorite

6. Fat Man (Stand Up - 1970)
A light hearted song with about being heavy - or maybe just being different.
"Roll us both down a mountain and I'm sure the fat man would win."

7. Minstrel in the Gallery (Minstrel in the Gallery - 1975 )
The minstrel entertains and the people don't understand that he is playing games with them. Is this autobiographical?
"The minstrel in the gallery looked down upon the rabbit run, and he threw away his looking glass - saw his face in everyone."

8. Back to the Family (Stand Up - 1969)
The grass is always greener on the other side - till you get there. Another song that goes back and forth from mellow to hard rocking, just like the emotions of the musician.
"Oh I'm going back to the family - doing nothing is bothering me."

9. Lap of Luxury (Under Wraps - 1984)
The only 80's tune to crack my top ten, there doesn't seem to be anything complex about this song. The music and lyrics are pretty straight forward - and I like them. Most of us can identify with the singer.
"The money won't last forever -- rent man called twice today -- hope some day you will find me living in the lap of luxury."

10. Up to Me (Aqualung - 1971)
This one is a great combination of Anderson's flute playing and the electric guitar of Barre. I don't think that I understand all of the song's meaning but it rhymes and it's fun and maybe that's all it's supposed to be.
"Take you to the cinema and leave you in a wimpy bar, you tell me that we've gone too far, come running up to me."

11. Thick as a Brick (Thick as a Brick - 1972)
OK, there is is - the one song on the album of the same name. It's good but you have to have forty minutes - it's not for the drive to the mini-market down the street. This one will take you on a musical roller coaster.
"Your wise men don't know how it feels to be thick as a brick."

12. A Time for Everything (Benefit - 1970)
We think there is time for everything until life passes us by. There is even use of what sounds like feedback in this one.
"Ages passed and I knew at last that my life had never been."

13. Sea Lion (War Child - 1974)
The delicately balanced lives we lead can fall apart easily and our friends and admirers can turn on us - again I think this could be autoboigraphical. The moods and music switch rapidly in this one. "And you balance your world on the tip of your nose like a sea lion with a ball at the carnival."

14. Nothing To Say (Benefit - 1970)
You didn't want advice before so now the singer has notjhing to say. Benefit is full of great songs and this is right up there with others that I ranked higher. These are hard choices.
"I went your way ten years ago and I've got nothing to say."

15. Look into the Sun (Stand Up - 1969)
Another sad song, reflecting what might have been.
"So when you look into the sun see the words you could have sung."

16. Teacher (Benefit - 1970)
What you enjoy or what is best for you is not always the advice to give others.
"So I took a journey, threw my world into the sea. With me went the teacher, who found fun instead of me."