He was our gateway into the world of indie kid’s music some 9 years ago and he has remained a cherished member of our extended family ever since. Morgan Taylor has released 7 Gustafer Yellowgold CD / DVDs and we’ve been happily and luckily on board since the very beginning, and I promise we’ll be following along until the day he decides to close the book on his mellow yellow fellow from the sun.
The girls and I went to see Gusty live in Philly a couple of weeks ago and not only did Morgan play the best ever Yellowgold song, something I didn’t think I’d ever hear in a concert that doesn’t involve an orchestra, he also performed a few more songs I contend are some of the greatest all-ages alternative songs ever written and recorded.
Since I’d already taken on the mammoth task of ranking the best Recess Monkey songs of all time, I figured why not have a crack at the best Gustafer tunes!
Here’s my list of the best Gustafer Yellowgold songs of all time.
15) Beehive from Infinity Sock, the one in which Morgan finally gets a KISS reference in, through the lens of a trio of rock-n-roll bees who perform epic concerts inside their hive.
14) Cheddar from Infinity Sock, a song that really does rely on its visual accompaniment to tell the full story of Forrest Applecrumbie’s curious ‘pet’ cat. You’ll be smitten with Cheddar just like we are after just one listen.
13) Gravy Insane from Dark Pie Concerns, really shows off his immense songcraft and utter strangeness of Morgan’s Yellow world as this one is about a family of bats who make gravy and then ship it to stores and cafes. I mean, to manage both the production and distribution of that gravy is a real accomplishment!
12) I Jump on Cake from Wide Wild World, an absolute classic in the ‘food destruction’ sub-sub-sub-genre of family music, from the first ever Gustafer Yellowgold album / DVD. An ALL-TIMER!
11) Fireworks! from Year In A Day, this one gives Katy Perry a run for her money in the illuminated-sky song department.
10) Pinecone Lovely from Have You Never Been Yellow? A mellow soft rock gem (but aren’t they all?) with a wicked bass line repeated throughout. “Pinecone Lovely” is a song to chill out to while munching on your favorite snack.
9) Panther Stamp Pants from Mellow Fever, holy cow was this a revelation when it was released many years ago. A sad-happy song about saying goodbye to something you love, a theme every man, woman and child will relate to.
8) Secret Fox from Wisdom Tooth of Wisdom, this album, all of it, is sneaky great. Probably not packed with as many ‘hits’ per se but this song is indicative of what awaits curious ears.
7) Slim Gets In ‘Em from Wide Wild World, the introduction of everyone’s favorite pet eel, this song is a a staple of Morgan’s live show for nearly a decade and it’s easy to understand why: people of all ages adore Slimothy!
6) TIE: Question Marks from Infinity Sock and Quite Easily Lost from Mellow Fever, I’ve always been drawn to Morgan’s quieter songs, and these two are the most reflective, inward looking of his Yellowgold oeuvre. These two songs are masterworks of sneaky deep sock rock for all-ages of ears.
5) Pterodactyl Tuxedo from Wide Wild World, this is where we first meet Gustafer’s best friend, a dapper dino named Forrest Applecrumbie who’s got style all his own, a guy who is always ready for the show.
4) Toothloser from Wisdom Tooth of Wisdom, a deep, infectious groove about a big ol’ tooth and a catchy hook in the chorus make Toothloser one of my all-time Gustafer Yellowgold favorites. If your kid wants to take their tooth out on the town or bury it in the ground, this is the soundtrack to either bizarre choose-your-own-adventure story.
3) Cakenstein from Dark Pie Concerns, you could make a case that this is the greatest Gustafer Yellowgold song of all time and I’d give you a listen because when you’ve got little cakey babies and a wicked backbeat, the term ‘greatest’ is in play.
2) Wisconsin Poncho from Infinity Sock, we’re driving through Wisconsin this summer and I’m determined to find myself a pair of nicely aged colby chaps, a pizza cape, and of course, a poncho unlike any other.
1) Strawberry Love from Dark Pie Concerns, this is the one I mentioned at the top that Morgan played live earlier this month and I swooned big time. It is gorgeous, beautiful, wondrous and lovely, and that’s just the start of it. This is a love song to a most forbidden, “a tiny queen with crown of green, my strawberry love”.
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