Kitchens Of Distinction - oak tree, 2013

"Fitzgerald's impassioned, wordy, often bluntly personal vocals careened over what sounded like a mass of swirling guitars, though the band only had one guitarist."

Neil Young - hey hey my my into the black live rust, 1979

“I don’t have the passion anymore, and so remember, it’s better to burn out than to fade away. Peace, love, empathy. Kurt Cobain”

Neil Young - hitchhiker acoustic, 2017

"This 2017 release, while being a brand-new album, was also a very old one in that this acoustic solo album was recorded in a single session in Malibu, CA at Indigo Studio in 1976. Chronologically this sits between the Crazy Horse albums ‘Zuma’ and ‘American Stars ‘n’ Bars’, yet here we do not have that powerful trio but instead the pure form of just a singer picking his guitar. In many ways this is my favourite style of Young’s, although Crazy Horse does come a close second, as his voice and passion really shines through when there is nothing else getting in the way. The only people in the studio at the time of the session was long-time studio collaborator David Briggs and actor Dean Stockwell, so Young is incredibly relaxed, just sitting and singing songs which at the time were all unreleased, and only a few of which have made it out since then. An example of this is the title cut which didn’t appear on an album until some 30 + years later, almost unrecognisable in its electric blast from the acoustic version we have here."

Neva Dinova - no one loves me, 2008

"You May Already Be Dreaming is the newest full-length album from the group, and certainly displays that the group is not experiencing a drought in musical talent. Not just instrumental talent, but tightly arranged vocal harmonies adorn the album like lights on a Christmas tree, and create an engulfing musical presence in the room around the listener. “Apocalypse,” may be the most enchanting of the songs on the album with a haunting vocal melody, punctuated by elemental harmony, followed by an explosion of drums, and distorted lead guitar. If the world were coming to an end, and you didn’t have a copy of R.E.M.’s “It’s the End of the World and We Know it,” Neva Dinova’s “Apocalypse” would certainly be a worthy substitute. One of the albums more rocking tracks is “What You Want,” a story about a guy that’s all wrong for the girl who wants him. Besides being one of the more upbeat tracks musically, it is probably the most passionately delivered vocal performance on the album. Some of the other more captivating tracks on the album include “Someone’s Trippin,” the simple-yet-elegant “Clouds,” and the dreamy “Tryptophan.”

Pet Shop Boys - in the night nineteen ninety-five, 1996

"les Zazous, long-haired proto-beatnik dissidents who conscientiously chose not to take sides with either the Nazis or the Resistance, but instead "opted out." As a result, they were distrusted and hated by both sides. The Nazis disdained them as depraved and decadent, while the French Resistance regarded them as collaborators. Obviously Neil was intrigued by the dramatic possibilities of being in such an ambiguous and precarious position. Stylistically the song betrays the influence of American producer "Bobby O" Orlando, with whom Neil and Chris were working at the time. (In particular, note the strong musical similarity to the cult classic "Passion" by the Flirts, written and produced by Bobby O.) A British TV program devoted to fashion, The Clothes Show, used part of "In the Night" as its theme song, which prompted the Boys to record a new version in 1995. The newer rendition, an instrumental, replaced the old one as the TV theme music and was released as a bonus track on the "Before" single. Oh, and in case you're wondering how things turn out for the Zazou addressed in this song, I would be remiss not to point out that its music ends with a percussive effect highly reminiscent of the firing of a machine gun. Make of that what you will."

Editors - a ton of love acoustic, 2013

"adoration is exactly the emotion evoked by such deliciously addictive pop moments as the lead single, "A Ton of Love," which brings to mind the passionate, soulful rock of U2 and Echo & the Bunnymen."

Editors - forest fire, 2005

"The British indie rock band Editors released their debut album The Back Room on July 4, 2005 (via Kitchenware Records in the UK). "Forest Fire" is a track from this album, known for its post-punk revival sound with driving guitars, brooding vocals, and themes of fleeting intensity and emotional turmoil. The song's title evokes the metaphor of a consuming blaze—passionate yet destructive—mirroring the lyrics' exploration of impermanence in relationships."

Fait-divers on compassion and generosity

Compassion and generosity can combat the rising tide of inequality. True wealth is happiness which comes from giving.

Belle And Sebastian - i want the world to stop, 2010

"Mainly, though, what impresses about Write About Love is its consistency, both within the album itself and within Belle & Sebastian’s work at large. Song for song, it’s as strong as any of their records - if anything, these 11 songs are the tightest they have ever been - and Stuart Murdoch remains faithful to the aesthetic he essayed at the outset of his career, finding sustenance in the fine details, his obsessions carrying the weight of passion."

Fait-divers by the Dalai Lama on love and compassion

"I have found that the greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion." (Dalai Lama)

Fait-divers on empathy and compassion

"Empathy is a gateway to compassion. It’s understanding how someone feels, and trying to imagine how that might feel for you — it’s a mode of relating. Compassion takes it further. It’s feeling what that person is feeling, holding it, accepting it, and taking some kind of action. In metta or loving-kindness meditation practice, one can silently repeat phrases to others as a way of acknowledging them and our own interconnectedness. It’s easy and highly portable. When I’m on the train, I silently repeat phrases like, “May you be happy; may you be safe; may you be at ease; may you be free from suffering,” to the passengers, particularly those who look like they need it most. This plants the seeds of compassion, and we can find ourselves acting in compassionate ways that never would have occurred to us before. As it turns out, this ancient practice has some amazing scientific discoveries to give it cred."

Fait-divers on honesty and compassion

"Honesty without compassion and understanding is not honest, but subtle hostility." (Rose Frarnzblau)

The Smiths - oscillate wildly, 1987

"Initially the very notion of instrumentals was motivated by me. I suggested that 'Oscillate Wildly' should be an instrumental; up until that point Johnny had very little interest in non-vocal tracks. There was never any political heave-hoing about should we - shouldn't we have an instrumental and it was never a battle of powers between Johnny and myself. The very assumption that a Smiths instrumental track left Morrissey upstairs in his bedroom stamping his feet and kicking the furniture was untrue! I totally approved but, obviously, I didn't physically contribute."

Fait-divers on Matthieu Ricard and happiness

“Selfish happiness doesn’t exist” says the happiest man on Earth.

Jars Of Clay - they will know we are christians by our love cover, 2005

"Redemption Songs is a collection of reinvented hymns and spiritual songs. As part of a church community that believed passionately the blessing of understanding the story of redemption through early church songs and ancient hymns, Jars of Clay found themselves a part of a growing renaissance, one that inspired them to write new songs using the rich hymn texts as the foundation."

Cocteau Twins - seekers who are lovers, 1995

"Milk and Kisses, and therefore, the Cocteau Twins recording career, ends with Seekers Who Are Lovers. As the last song in a long and glorious career, you feel yourself willing Guthrie, Raymond and Fraser to produce a musical masterpiece out of the bag. This you want to be their Ulysses moment. They don’t disappoint. Out goes the wall of sound, in comes a much more subdued and temperate performance from Guthrie and Raymond. They hold themselves back, Fraser steps forward, and produces a performance that is brilliant. She sings the song with passion and feeling, as if knowing this is the end of their career. Not only is it one of her best performances on the album, but one the best in her career. Her voice soars, gracefully, its ethereal beauty apparent and transparent. It has a classical quality, a sweetness, a grace."

Belle And Sebastian - nobody's empire, 2015

"Murdoch’s book brings this into the light as the basic Christian values of compassion, companionship, communion – plus the added bonus of groovy musical composition. Put simply, faith."

The Mountain Goats - rain in soho live, 2019

"Rain in Soho passionately paraphrases the Smiths (“There’s a club where you’d like to go…” ) and mourns Soho goth club the Batcave. By the final encore of The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton, he has the whole crowd feasting on his banter and singing his words, including “Hail Satan!” What a shame Andrew Eldritch wasn’t here to see it."

Stars - walls, 2012

"the closing track “Walls” is a gorgeous duet between Campbell and Millan that is, again, a bit of a return to form, with drum machines overlaid with throbbing bass and various percussive sounds and ambiance. Their voices weave in and out of each other’s melody, creating a type of harmony that is neither traditional nor trivial. It divulges the intense heartfelt-ness of this band, that is the cornerstone of exactly what Stars as a group is– sometimes excessive, but never without sincerity, profundity and the type of passionate enthusiasm that few bands possess."

Moby - eighteen, 2002

"The desire to make compassionate records that meet a need in someone else's life."