The Five Greatest Songs of All Times (Diamanda Galas Edition)

Diamanda Galas at Big Ears 2018 

The GOAT songs take many different forms. Depending on mood, depending on style, depending on context, any given song may or may not qualify as a GOAT.  So instead of crossing genres and boundaries, this week's list of the five GOAT songs will focus entirely on one artist, Diamanda Galas, who we got to see in an astonishing concert during this year's Big Ears festival. We typically use the term "show" instead on "concert" to describe live sets, but to be sure, Ms. Galas puts on "concerts," although those concerts are quite the show.

Honestly, our biggest question of the evening was whether Diamanda was a vampire or a wraith.  If real life were Skyrim, we would have slayed her just to see if she was carrying any void salts, but the so-called consensus reality being what it is, no one was harmed during the performance.

Anyway, here are our five favorite Diamanda Galas songs of all times.  The first clip, Skótoseme ("Kill Me" in Greek) is worth watching if for no other reason than to see a young Jon Stewart from 24 years ago, as well as Diamanda in rare goth-punk mode and a glimpse of what her career might have been like if she had decided to go the rock-music route instead of the concert-hall route (also, the bass player is from a little band you may have heard of called Led Zeppelin).  Galas' cover of The Thrill Is Gone is a good example of how she can bend and contort any song to her own style.  Das Fieberspital (The Fever Hospital) is based on a German expressionist poem about the stigmatization and horrid suffering of yellow fever patients, and if it doesn't give you nightmares, you're a braver person than I.  You Don't Know What Love Is is a live recording that captures not only Galas' unique piano style, but also the disciplined, sustained control she has over her voice - if nothing else, listen around the 5:00-minute mark to hear her hold one note for nearly 30 seconds (just try singing along to appreciate what she's doing).  Judgement Day is another live recording, and even the most casual listen will indicate why it's included in the Top 5 GOAT list.  Honestly, Diamanda Galas makes Zola Jesus and Florence Welch sound like, well, Kate Nash.

Did you make it through all that?  Good.  Now, finally, just for the lulz and your reward for hanging in there, here's an unintentionally hilarious local (La Jolla, California) news segment about a Diamanda Galas performance, as reviewed by some anchors who just don't get it.