Hey, I'm back. New look as well, yeah? A few other minor changes are coming in the next few days, most likely. Let me know what you think of the new layout. In the meantime, we'll ease back into blogging with a good ol' shuffle.
1. "If I Had," Eminem
I hate his new album, Relapse, so goddamn much I can't even begin to tell you. It's poorly written, poorly performed, sounds bad and has absolutely zero new ideas. Listening to it actually makes me angry at times. This song, however, was from back when Em didn't incite me to violence. And it's a pretty decent effort, though not one of his best. (Rating: ****)
2. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," The Rolling Stones
Keith Richards allegedly wrote this song's famous guitar riff in his sleep. At this point, I think all of us could play that riff in our sleep, thanks to its ubiquity. But hey, good stuff. (*****)
3. "Eleanor Rigby," Ray Charles
Yes, Ray Charles. He brings an entirely different feel to the Beatles' masterpiece, as you'd expect, and it doesn't totally gel. The original's pessimism was helped along by the insistent, driving strings, churning the drama along with every scrape of the bows. Here, the song takes a more relaxed vibe, and the atmosphere just doesn't work. Still, it's "Eleanor Rigby" and Ray Charles, so it remains quite listenable. (***)
4. "Someone Saved My Life Tonight," Elton John
The only misstep in this one is rhyming "sugar bear" with "didn't you, dear?" which, as you'll notice, doesn't rhyme at all. (Also: "sugar bear"?) It's apparently a true story, though, pulled as it is from the largely autobiographical Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. Elton had a bad marriage that ended in disaster, and he was in the depths of despair when Bernie Taupin came to his rescue. Aww. Super happy fun time trivia: Kanye West sampled this track for "Good Morning," the lead track on Graduation. (*****)
5. "L'Via l'Viaquez," The Mars Volta
This epic chunk of lunacy actually appears in Guitar Hero: World Tour. So if you've ever held a deep desire to hear me singing in Spanish, well, thank Activision. Has anyone ever come close to understanding what the hell they're talking about in this song? In any language? (*****)
6. "Beat It," Fall Out Boy
Of course, a cover of the timeless Michael Jackson classic. It's actually pretty good -- Jacko's remains supreme, naturally, because he had more talent in his socks than all of Fall Out Boy put together, but as far as covers go, this is top-notch. The only flaw, really, is when John Mayer (of all fucking people) steps in for the guitar solo and butchers it completely. (****)
7. "This Will Be Our Year," The Zombies
One of the most cheerful, beautiful songs ever recorded. Funny: when I first found Odessey and Oracle, I used to skip over this one. These days, not so much. Go figure. (*****)
8. "The Wretched," Nine Inch Nails
So, you've heard NIN is hanging it up? Just as well -- Trent's not getting any younger, and, frankly, his music has been that great in the last decade. "The Wretched" is one of the best songs from his last truly great release, The Fragile, which is a work of epic beauty he's never come close to equaling since. Please, Trent, just quit, before you release another record that sounds like With Teeth. Blech. (*****)
9. "Jungleland," Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band
I caught a live performance of this the other night on our HD music channel, and holy god was it awesome. It's a brilliant song anyway, one of the Boss's very best, but that performance was just transcendent. Bruce fed on all the emotion from the crowd, channeled it into his voice, and the arena became like a cathedral. I've never felt as envious of a concert audience as I did at that moment. (*****)
10. "Cypress Avenue," Van Morrison
From Astral Weeks, of course, Van's hauntingly beautiful album that the word "masterpiece" still seems too tame to describe. As gorgeous as this is -- and it is gorgeous, trust me -- I actually prefer the more raucous live version, which climaxes with three or four false endings, Van walking off and back on stage a few times, and then finally bellowing "It's too late to stop now!" as his band blares back in for one final coda. Whatever planet Van Morrison is from, I hope he's sent for others to follow him here. (*****)
Showing posts with label shuffles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shuffles. Show all posts
Monday, July 27, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Weekly iPod Shuffle + We Test the iTunes Genius, Part 2
1. "I Hope, I Think, I Know," Oasis
I know I'm in the minority here, but I think Be Here Now is Oasis's best work. How do I know I'm in the minority? Someone did a tour through England's used-record shops in the late '90s, and found that the number one most often pawned-off album, by a wide margin, was Be Here Now. Yeah, well, fuck them. (*****)
2. "Analyse," Thom Yorke
From the Radiohead frontman's solo album, The Eraser, which is actually quite good. Though you'd expect as much, being as he's the frontman for the Greatest Band in the World. It's a little quieter, more electronic than Radiohead's work (save most of Kid A, of course). (*****)
3. "Wave of Mutilation," The Pixies
I hate playing this song in Rock Band. You know what, though? It's not that bad to listen to. (****)
4. "Maps," Yeah Yeah Yeahs
I grew very, very tired of playing this song in Rock Band. It's still pretty great to listen to, though. (****)
5. "Shaking the Tree," Peter Gabriel
This is the far superior live version, from the Secret World concert set. It's one of my favorite parts of the concert video: Gabriel convinces his entire band -- save the drummer, of course -- to dance around in a giant circle, skipping around like loons, all while still playing and singing the song itself. And there's a giant tree in the enter of the stage, 'cause, you know, it's called "Shaking the Tree" and all. Tony Levin's bass work on the middle section is awesome. (*****)
6. "Tiny Dancer," Elton John
I think that Almost Famous was both the best and worst thing to ever happen to this song. The film and tune are now completely inseperable, now and forever. (*****)
7. "Oh! You Pretty Things," David Bowie
Harvey Danger covered this as a B-side. Both versions are pretty awesome. (*****)
8. "Battle of Who Could Care Less," Ben Folds Five
The first Ben Folds song I ever heard. I loved his work immediately, not more than forty seconds into the track. Of course, it took "Brick" before anyone else even heard of the guy, but I can say I'm just a hair more with it than the masses. Barely. (*****)
9. "12:51," The Strokes
Man, I love the Strokes. I kind of panned Is This It when it first released, coming as it was after a gargantuan wave of hype -- anything short of Sgt. Pepper's was bound to be a disappointment. But later, I rediscovered it, and that let me to their much-improved follow-up: the phenomenal Room on Fire, where we find "12:51." Every Strokes song sounds the same, and the world is all the better for it. (*****)
10. "You Make Me Feel Like a Whore," Everclear
I couldn't get enough of those Everclear records when I was in high school. This is one of the few songs that holds up all these years later, but don't expect anything other than your Typical Everclear Song. It's about a unrequited lover lashing out at the object of his unreturned affections. Did I mention I loved this song in high school? Go figure. (****)
And now, We Test the iTunes Genius, Part 2.
Last time, we got mixed results with the White Stripes. Now, I go for something a little trickier. Make the iTunes Genius test its might.
Regina Spektor, "Fidelity"
Our sidebar is a little promising this time, even with the presence of one Jason Mraz. So let's see what we've got here:
Now, this is more like it.
Spoon? Bright Eyes? Death Cab for Cutie? Sufjan Stevens? Flawless. Even some bands that seem out of place -- like Bloc Party, say, or the White Stripes -- are redeemed by the tracks chosen, which actually fit rather well. (And "Dreamgirl" isn't exactly the best song Dave Matthews has ever written, but it does fit into this playlist. And big bonus points for including her guest appearance on Ben Folds's "You Don't Know Me.")
Yes: this is what the Genius is supposed to do. Well done.
10 out of 10. Now, for our next installment, I'll have to come up with something much, much harder. Something completely out of left field. Something from...Aperture Science.
I've experiments to run.
I know I'm in the minority here, but I think Be Here Now is Oasis's best work. How do I know I'm in the minority? Someone did a tour through England's used-record shops in the late '90s, and found that the number one most often pawned-off album, by a wide margin, was Be Here Now. Yeah, well, fuck them. (*****)
2. "Analyse," Thom Yorke
From the Radiohead frontman's solo album, The Eraser, which is actually quite good. Though you'd expect as much, being as he's the frontman for the Greatest Band in the World. It's a little quieter, more electronic than Radiohead's work (save most of Kid A, of course). (*****)
3. "Wave of Mutilation," The Pixies
I hate playing this song in Rock Band. You know what, though? It's not that bad to listen to. (****)
4. "Maps," Yeah Yeah Yeahs
I grew very, very tired of playing this song in Rock Band. It's still pretty great to listen to, though. (****)
5. "Shaking the Tree," Peter Gabriel
This is the far superior live version, from the Secret World concert set. It's one of my favorite parts of the concert video: Gabriel convinces his entire band -- save the drummer, of course -- to dance around in a giant circle, skipping around like loons, all while still playing and singing the song itself. And there's a giant tree in the enter of the stage, 'cause, you know, it's called "Shaking the Tree" and all. Tony Levin's bass work on the middle section is awesome. (*****)
6. "Tiny Dancer," Elton John
I think that Almost Famous was both the best and worst thing to ever happen to this song. The film and tune are now completely inseperable, now and forever. (*****)
7. "Oh! You Pretty Things," David Bowie
Harvey Danger covered this as a B-side. Both versions are pretty awesome. (*****)
8. "Battle of Who Could Care Less," Ben Folds Five
The first Ben Folds song I ever heard. I loved his work immediately, not more than forty seconds into the track. Of course, it took "Brick" before anyone else even heard of the guy, but I can say I'm just a hair more with it than the masses. Barely. (*****)
9. "12:51," The Strokes
Man, I love the Strokes. I kind of panned Is This It when it first released, coming as it was after a gargantuan wave of hype -- anything short of Sgt. Pepper's was bound to be a disappointment. But later, I rediscovered it, and that let me to their much-improved follow-up: the phenomenal Room on Fire, where we find "12:51." Every Strokes song sounds the same, and the world is all the better for it. (*****)
10. "You Make Me Feel Like a Whore," Everclear
I couldn't get enough of those Everclear records when I was in high school. This is one of the few songs that holds up all these years later, but don't expect anything other than your Typical Everclear Song. It's about a unrequited lover lashing out at the object of his unreturned affections. Did I mention I loved this song in high school? Go figure. (****)
And now, We Test the iTunes Genius, Part 2.
Last time, we got mixed results with the White Stripes. Now, I go for something a little trickier. Make the iTunes Genius test its might.
Regina Spektor, "Fidelity"
Our sidebar is a little promising this time, even with the presence of one Jason Mraz. So let's see what we've got here:
Now, this is more like it.
Spoon? Bright Eyes? Death Cab for Cutie? Sufjan Stevens? Flawless. Even some bands that seem out of place -- like Bloc Party, say, or the White Stripes -- are redeemed by the tracks chosen, which actually fit rather well. (And "Dreamgirl" isn't exactly the best song Dave Matthews has ever written, but it does fit into this playlist. And big bonus points for including her guest appearance on Ben Folds's "You Don't Know Me.")
Yes: this is what the Genius is supposed to do. Well done.
10 out of 10. Now, for our next installment, I'll have to come up with something much, much harder. Something completely out of left field. Something from...Aperture Science.
I've experiments to run.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Weekly iPod Shuffle: 4/13/09 + We Test the iTunes Genius, Part 1
1. "Waltz (Better Than Fine)," Fiona Apple
Another new thing to try out this week. But first, beautiful Fiona, who hasn't resurfaced after her last resurfacing, 2005's Extraordinary Machine. This is from the official release, though it's identical to the bootleg. Both versions are more than adequate. (****)
2. "Call Me When You're Sober," Evanescence
I guess it's a girls-with-pianos shuffle. I've babbled about Amy Lee more than once before; I shouldn't need to do it again. Suffice to say, this is her finest moment -- as a singer, as a songwriter, even as a pianist. (*****)
3. "Paranoid Eyes," Pink Floyd
I like Roger Waters's final Floyd album, The Final Cut, an awful lot. It's a shame, though, that he felt so insecure about the power of his music to tell his story and relies so heavily on sound effects. This track adds nicely to the mood, theme and narrative, but it's weighed down with unnecessary foley tricks that merely distract the listener. The Wall had this same problem, but not nearly to this degree. (****)
4. "Lord Only Knows," Beck
From Odelay. Beck's always had a country streak in him, and he lets that flag fly here, with glorious results. I don't hold Odelay up in the same Valhallah as everyone else, but I adore this song. (*****)
5. "Dick in a Box," The Lonely Island ft. Justin Timberlake
Surely, you've seen this video from SNL by now. If not, go find it. And then get Incredibad, which is one of the funniest albums of the decade. (*****)
6. "Alone + Easy Target," Foo Fighters
Dave Grohl's slide -- fuck, plummet -- into mediocrity and near-self-parody has annoyed me to no end. But this is from his first Foo record, back when he still seemed to give a shit, and it's incredible. One of his best tracks, ever. (*****)
7. "Greasy Jungle," The Tragically Hip
Yeah, this song's nice. You know else, though? Lookie here:
Another new thing to try out this week. But first, beautiful Fiona, who hasn't resurfaced after her last resurfacing, 2005's Extraordinary Machine. This is from the official release, though it's identical to the bootleg. Both versions are more than adequate. (****)
2. "Call Me When You're Sober," Evanescence
I guess it's a girls-with-pianos shuffle. I've babbled about Amy Lee more than once before; I shouldn't need to do it again. Suffice to say, this is her finest moment -- as a singer, as a songwriter, even as a pianist. (*****)
3. "Paranoid Eyes," Pink Floyd
I like Roger Waters's final Floyd album, The Final Cut, an awful lot. It's a shame, though, that he felt so insecure about the power of his music to tell his story and relies so heavily on sound effects. This track adds nicely to the mood, theme and narrative, but it's weighed down with unnecessary foley tricks that merely distract the listener. The Wall had this same problem, but not nearly to this degree. (****)
4. "Lord Only Knows," Beck
From Odelay. Beck's always had a country streak in him, and he lets that flag fly here, with glorious results. I don't hold Odelay up in the same Valhallah as everyone else, but I adore this song. (*****)
5. "Dick in a Box," The Lonely Island ft. Justin Timberlake
Surely, you've seen this video from SNL by now. If not, go find it. And then get Incredibad, which is one of the funniest albums of the decade. (*****)
6. "Alone + Easy Target," Foo Fighters
Dave Grohl's slide -- fuck, plummet -- into mediocrity and near-self-parody has annoyed me to no end. But this is from his first Foo record, back when he still seemed to give a shit, and it's incredible. One of his best tracks, ever. (*****)
7. "Greasy Jungle," The Tragically Hip
Yeah, this song's nice. You know else, though? Lookie here:
8. "Mutha'uckas," Flight of the Conchords
It's a one-note joke, really -- rap songs sound idiotic when their obscenities get gutted and excised -- but flawless execution makes this a classic. (*****)
9. "The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone)," The Decemberists
Yes, I got the new Decemberists record. Yes, it's a masterpiece. Yes, you should own it. Why bother asking questions you already know the answers to? (*****)
10. "Cream and Bastards Rise," Harvey Danger
By some unfathomable miracle, someone other than me has heard this song, and it wound up as Rock Band downloadable content, which I promptly snapped up. The hardest part to sing? Sean Nelson's barking laughter at the end, which forces to you to yell "HA-HA-HA HA-HA-HA-HA" three times in a row, on key. (*****)
And now: We Test the iTunes Genius.
The newest version of iTunes features the Genius, whose effect is essentially to lead you to music simliar to what you're listening to. You pick a song, let Genius do its work, and it makes up a playlist of -- theoretically -- similar music.
Here, we put it to the test. I'll pick a song -- more or less at random -- and see what Genius gives us. I'll start with something fairly popular and straightforward, so we can all play along.
The White Stripes, "Seven Nation Army"
That's not a bad choice, is it? I don't think so.
Okay. Already we're in trouble, and I haven't even started the playlist. The "Genius Recommends" sidebar that pops up (providing iTunes Store links to simliar artists) features Audioslave and Jimmy Eat World, who couldn't sound any less like the White Stripes if they were trying. Anyway. I click the button, and here is my playlist:
Uh...huh.
This looks pretty hideous at first glance. Right off the bat, Queens of the Stone Age seems like a misstep. And Muse -- twice? System of a Down? And is that Nine Inch Nails? And Marilyn Manson? Are you fucking kidding me?
But aside from that, it hits more than it misses. The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, Green Day, Weezer, the Clash, the Hives. Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins run a little darker, but fit in better than you'd think. And then there are the surprises -- Cake and Tenacious D, whose goofiness actually makes them a perfect fit, despite not really sounding anything at all like the White Stripes. "New Slang" is a nice breather, a bit of acoustic beauty on a rockish set.
The biggest blunder from the Genius? Its failure to include the Raconteurs, who sound an awful lot like the White Stripes, thanks to it being Jack White's other band.
I'll give it 7 out of 10. We'll come back to it next week with something a little more difficult. I'm thinking Regina Spektor. Have at you, Genius!
Monday, April 06, 2009
Weekly iPod Shuffle: 4/6/09
Apologies for the absence -- computer crashes and vacations stymied my output. Let the ramblings return!
Oh, and the Astros are losing in the background as I write this. Yay for baseball!
1. "G.O.D. (Good Old Days)," Fastball
I wrote about these guys in my 100 Albums feature, which I'll getting back to in a few days. Not much more I can add about this particular track, other than to say the horns are great. (Rating: ****)
2. "All Along the Watchtower," Dave Matthews Band
Interesting timing -- I'm currently midway through season three of my rewatching of Battlestar Galactica. It's somewhat telling that, unless you listened to his podcasts (which I did), you wouldn't know just by watching that Ronald D. Moore made up virtually every last thing about the show as he went along. The Opera House vision, the idenities of the Final Five, the meaning of "All Along the Watchtower" -- all of it, improvised either on the page or in the writers' room. Unlike the Cylons, they had no plan. (Hell, even the first use of "Watchtower" -- the shocking reveal that four of our protagonists were Cylon sleeper agents -- Moore made up because he thought the season three finale wasn't "surprising" enough.) But that doesn't (usually) come across in the final product. It certainly feels like there's a plan, and pretty much everything holds together in its own internal logic. Oh, yeah, the song: this live version of "Watchtower" -- from the Listener Supported set -- is neither the best nor the worst version DMB has played. (****)
3. "I Will Possess Your Heart," Death Cab for Cutie
I've since gone back and devoured the entirety of Cutie's back catalog, but this masterpiece from Narrow Stairs is still one of their best. My only quibble with Narrow Stairs, in fact, is that this song isn't the first track. It should be -- it certainly sounds like the beginning of something extraordinary. (*****)
4. "Spaceman," The Killers
Something I wish I'd snapped a photo of during our Las Vegas vacation -- just inside the doors of the Hard Rock Casino is an enormous display of the Killers' stage gear, worn and held by life-sized plastic skeletons. It's unbelievably cool. (The Killers are Vegas natives, donchaknow). This is a pretty cool song, from the otherwise disappointing Day & Age. (****)
5. "War Buddies," Harvey Danger
Sweet Jesus, Harvey Danger needs to release another album already. It's been three or four years since Little by Little..., and I desperately need a new record to play to death. This is one of Little's most impressive songs -- of course, all of Little is brilliant, so take that as you will. Seriously, go get the damn album. (*****)
6. "So What," Metallica
A crappy, barely listenable afterthought that found its way onto a single, then an EP, and then the minefield that is Garage, Inc.'s second disc. Of course, it's not exactly Metallica's fault that it's crappy and barely listenable -- it's a cover, after all -- but it is their fault for making me listen to it. (*)
7. "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight," The Postal Service
If you listen to the Postal Service and think the singer sounds an awful like the singer from Death Cab for Cutie, it's because they're one and the same. This is the opening track off of their first and only record, Give Up, and it's a surprisingly catchy blend of indie pop and electronica. (*****)
8. "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window," The Beatles
One of my favorite pieces of the Abbey Road medley, inspired by an incident in which a woman actually crawled through Paul McCartney's bathroom window and swiped a few trinkets. See, groups of fans -- called Apple Scruffs -- used to literally live outside of the Beatles' various homes in England. And one of them, bored while Paul wasn't home, climbed in the window, strolled around through the house and took a few small items. Paul, being Paul, simply asked the group to give one of them back (just one), and they did. That's as surreal as it gets, isn't it? (*****)
9. "Bed of Lies," Matchbox Twenty
Rob Thomas channels his inner Phil Collins -- which I can't imagine is buried all that far down, tell the truth -- to churn out this drum-heavy rocker from his best (read: only listenable) album, 2000's Mad Season. It works surprisingly well, anchored mostly by his impressive vocal performance. Though, oddly enough, I think it actually would sound better if Phil Collins covered it. (****)
10. "Susanne," Weezer
You've probably heard this obscure Weezer oldie, as it played at the end of the Kevin Smith's Mallrats, which remains the least of the films. (What's that? I'm sorry, Jersey Girl? Never heard of it.) Shame Rivers never thought to put it on a proper Weezer record, as it's one of his best songs. Of course, I think it appeared too late for the blue album, and it would have been wildly out of place on Pinkerton. And Susanne, by the way, was a receptionist at Geffen, who took pity on Rivers and made him brownies. The more you know. (*****)
Oh, and the Astros are losing in the background as I write this. Yay for baseball!
1. "G.O.D. (Good Old Days)," Fastball
I wrote about these guys in my 100 Albums feature, which I'll getting back to in a few days. Not much more I can add about this particular track, other than to say the horns are great. (Rating: ****)
2. "All Along the Watchtower," Dave Matthews Band
Interesting timing -- I'm currently midway through season three of my rewatching of Battlestar Galactica. It's somewhat telling that, unless you listened to his podcasts (which I did), you wouldn't know just by watching that Ronald D. Moore made up virtually every last thing about the show as he went along. The Opera House vision, the idenities of the Final Five, the meaning of "All Along the Watchtower" -- all of it, improvised either on the page or in the writers' room. Unlike the Cylons, they had no plan. (Hell, even the first use of "Watchtower" -- the shocking reveal that four of our protagonists were Cylon sleeper agents -- Moore made up because he thought the season three finale wasn't "surprising" enough.) But that doesn't (usually) come across in the final product. It certainly feels like there's a plan, and pretty much everything holds together in its own internal logic. Oh, yeah, the song: this live version of "Watchtower" -- from the Listener Supported set -- is neither the best nor the worst version DMB has played. (****)
3. "I Will Possess Your Heart," Death Cab for Cutie
I've since gone back and devoured the entirety of Cutie's back catalog, but this masterpiece from Narrow Stairs is still one of their best. My only quibble with Narrow Stairs, in fact, is that this song isn't the first track. It should be -- it certainly sounds like the beginning of something extraordinary. (*****)
4. "Spaceman," The Killers
Something I wish I'd snapped a photo of during our Las Vegas vacation -- just inside the doors of the Hard Rock Casino is an enormous display of the Killers' stage gear, worn and held by life-sized plastic skeletons. It's unbelievably cool. (The Killers are Vegas natives, donchaknow). This is a pretty cool song, from the otherwise disappointing Day & Age. (****)
5. "War Buddies," Harvey Danger
Sweet Jesus, Harvey Danger needs to release another album already. It's been three or four years since Little by Little..., and I desperately need a new record to play to death. This is one of Little's most impressive songs -- of course, all of Little is brilliant, so take that as you will. Seriously, go get the damn album. (*****)
6. "So What," Metallica
A crappy, barely listenable afterthought that found its way onto a single, then an EP, and then the minefield that is Garage, Inc.'s second disc. Of course, it's not exactly Metallica's fault that it's crappy and barely listenable -- it's a cover, after all -- but it is their fault for making me listen to it. (*)
7. "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight," The Postal Service
If you listen to the Postal Service and think the singer sounds an awful like the singer from Death Cab for Cutie, it's because they're one and the same. This is the opening track off of their first and only record, Give Up, and it's a surprisingly catchy blend of indie pop and electronica. (*****)
8. "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window," The Beatles
One of my favorite pieces of the Abbey Road medley, inspired by an incident in which a woman actually crawled through Paul McCartney's bathroom window and swiped a few trinkets. See, groups of fans -- called Apple Scruffs -- used to literally live outside of the Beatles' various homes in England. And one of them, bored while Paul wasn't home, climbed in the window, strolled around through the house and took a few small items. Paul, being Paul, simply asked the group to give one of them back (just one), and they did. That's as surreal as it gets, isn't it? (*****)
9. "Bed of Lies," Matchbox Twenty
Rob Thomas channels his inner Phil Collins -- which I can't imagine is buried all that far down, tell the truth -- to churn out this drum-heavy rocker from his best (read: only listenable) album, 2000's Mad Season. It works surprisingly well, anchored mostly by his impressive vocal performance. Though, oddly enough, I think it actually would sound better if Phil Collins covered it. (****)
10. "Susanne," Weezer
You've probably heard this obscure Weezer oldie, as it played at the end of the Kevin Smith's Mallrats, which remains the least of the films. (What's that? I'm sorry, Jersey Girl? Never heard of it.) Shame Rivers never thought to put it on a proper Weezer record, as it's one of his best songs. Of course, I think it appeared too late for the blue album, and it would have been wildly out of place on Pinkerton. And Susanne, by the way, was a receptionist at Geffen, who took pity on Rivers and made him brownies. The more you know. (*****)
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Weekly iPod Shuffle: 3/8/09
1. "How Do You Sleep?" John Lennon
The 100 albums list should (I say should) return tomorrow. In the meantime, here's another shuffle. And we start with this classic from Imagine, as John spends five and a half minutes tearing Paul McCartney a brand new asshole. Really, it's sad how much they hated each other in the seventies. As good as this song is, it's tough to listen to it and not be sad -- seven years before this, they wrote "I Want to Hold Your Hand" together. Fortunately, they reconciled later. Unfortunately, Lennon was killed before they could ever reunite on record. (Rating: *****)
2. "Let's Hear That String Part Again, Because I Don't Think They Heard It All the Way out in Bushnell," Sufjan Stevens
Illinois has the best song titles of any album ever. Seriously, go look at them. This track is merely a forty-second interlude, of which Illinois also has many. (no rating)
3. "Another One Rides the Bus," "Weird Al" Yankovic
Obviously, a parody of Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust." This song represented Al's first big break, recorded live on the Dr. Demento show back in 1980 (!!!). Percussion is provided by Al's longtime drummer Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, who simply pounded on Al's accordion case for a beat. If that's not punk rock, I don't know what is. (****)
4. "The Drop-Off [live]," The Tragically Hip
Another bootleg from that fateful Scout Bar show. I'll spare you another reset of that story, and instead let you know that the Hip have a new album coming out next month. You can listen to the new single at their website, if you'd like. And you should. (****)
5. "Betty and Me," Jonathan Coulton
Is this JoCo's best song? Hmm. No -- not quite. But it's easily in the top five. This is from Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow, the flawless EP he produced back when he was still releasing songs in packages. Coulton takes an upbeat melody and lays an hilarious story on top of it, singing of the trials of a couple using genetic manipulation to create their child -- allowing Betty to "cut out the parts of me that she can't stand." Poor guy. "Betty was pretty firm about our baby being human," he pouts. "I said we should give him wings / And a nice prehensile tail / He could travel with the circus / Making money, making friends with clowns." Betty's response? "...[T]hat's stupid / And for god's sake, will you turn that TV down?" Betty has some pretty firm ideas about their child's future, and isn't shy about sharing them: he will be "just like me, only better / Betty says he'll be smarter / And Betty says he'll be taller / And Betty says that our baby will be better than me." Feel the love! (*****)
6. "All for Swinging You Around," The New Pornographers
One of the most upbeat, joyous songs I've ever heard, from The Electric Version. Will this album be on my 100 albums list? Would I be bringing it up if it wasn't? (*****)
7. "Ana's Song (acoustic remix)," Silverchair
Oy -- what the fuck is this doing on my iPod? The original version hasn't stood the test of time all that well, and making it softer and quieter doesn't really help. It's about Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns's battle with anorexia, if you care. (*)
8. "Higher Ground," Stevie Wonder
Now and forever, I will be unable to hear Stevie Wonder's voice without hearing it followed by a whiny adolescent voice squeaking "Show me what you got, Stevie!" thanks to the Jonas Brothers and their trainwreck of a duet with Stevie at the Grammys. Seriously, shitheads, die in a goddamn fire. (*****)
9. "I'm Shady," Eminem
Back when Em was still Em. Those were the days, huh? He's got a new album coming out this year -- actually, two albums, Use Your Illusion style, which just goes along with my theory that Eminem is the reincarnation of Axl Rose. ("But he's not dead." "He's dead to me." *rimshot*) (*****)
10. "In Your Eyes," Peter Gabriel
The greatest love song ever written. Yes, it's my ringtone when Christy calls me. Yes, I'm a sap. Yes, you can go fuck yourself. (*****)
The 100 albums list should (I say should) return tomorrow. In the meantime, here's another shuffle. And we start with this classic from Imagine, as John spends five and a half minutes tearing Paul McCartney a brand new asshole. Really, it's sad how much they hated each other in the seventies. As good as this song is, it's tough to listen to it and not be sad -- seven years before this, they wrote "I Want to Hold Your Hand" together. Fortunately, they reconciled later. Unfortunately, Lennon was killed before they could ever reunite on record. (Rating: *****)
2. "Let's Hear That String Part Again, Because I Don't Think They Heard It All the Way out in Bushnell," Sufjan Stevens
Illinois has the best song titles of any album ever. Seriously, go look at them. This track is merely a forty-second interlude, of which Illinois also has many. (no rating)
3. "Another One Rides the Bus," "Weird Al" Yankovic
Obviously, a parody of Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust." This song represented Al's first big break, recorded live on the Dr. Demento show back in 1980 (!!!). Percussion is provided by Al's longtime drummer Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, who simply pounded on Al's accordion case for a beat. If that's not punk rock, I don't know what is. (****)
4. "The Drop-Off [live]," The Tragically Hip
Another bootleg from that fateful Scout Bar show. I'll spare you another reset of that story, and instead let you know that the Hip have a new album coming out next month. You can listen to the new single at their website, if you'd like. And you should. (****)
5. "Betty and Me," Jonathan Coulton
Is this JoCo's best song? Hmm. No -- not quite. But it's easily in the top five. This is from Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow, the flawless EP he produced back when he was still releasing songs in packages. Coulton takes an upbeat melody and lays an hilarious story on top of it, singing of the trials of a couple using genetic manipulation to create their child -- allowing Betty to "cut out the parts of me that she can't stand." Poor guy. "Betty was pretty firm about our baby being human," he pouts. "I said we should give him wings / And a nice prehensile tail / He could travel with the circus / Making money, making friends with clowns." Betty's response? "...[T]hat's stupid / And for god's sake, will you turn that TV down?" Betty has some pretty firm ideas about their child's future, and isn't shy about sharing them: he will be "just like me, only better / Betty says he'll be smarter / And Betty says he'll be taller / And Betty says that our baby will be better than me." Feel the love! (*****)
6. "All for Swinging You Around," The New Pornographers
One of the most upbeat, joyous songs I've ever heard, from The Electric Version. Will this album be on my 100 albums list? Would I be bringing it up if it wasn't? (*****)
7. "Ana's Song (acoustic remix)," Silverchair
Oy -- what the fuck is this doing on my iPod? The original version hasn't stood the test of time all that well, and making it softer and quieter doesn't really help. It's about Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns's battle with anorexia, if you care. (*)
8. "Higher Ground," Stevie Wonder
Now and forever, I will be unable to hear Stevie Wonder's voice without hearing it followed by a whiny adolescent voice squeaking "Show me what you got, Stevie!" thanks to the Jonas Brothers and their trainwreck of a duet with Stevie at the Grammys. Seriously, shitheads, die in a goddamn fire. (*****)
9. "I'm Shady," Eminem
Back when Em was still Em. Those were the days, huh? He's got a new album coming out this year -- actually, two albums, Use Your Illusion style, which just goes along with my theory that Eminem is the reincarnation of Axl Rose. ("But he's not dead." "He's dead to me." *rimshot*) (*****)
10. "In Your Eyes," Peter Gabriel
The greatest love song ever written. Yes, it's my ringtone when Christy calls me. Yes, I'm a sap. Yes, you can go fuck yourself. (*****)
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Weekly iPod Shuffle: 2/7/09
1. "Alpha Beta Parking Lot," Cake
Alpha Beta, if memory serves, is a chain of grocery stores in California. I seem to remember them from my time living there, but just barely. Truth be told, I don't remember much from California. Some of that is because I was so young and it was so long ago; some of it has to be on purpose. Oh well. This song is a little slower than Cake usually goes for, but I'm down. (My rating: ****)
2. "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi," Radiohead
We're less than twenty-four hours away from Radiohead getting screwed out of the Album of the Year Grammy! Are you pumped! I know I am! Seriously, though, In Rainbows was phenomenal, but I can't see the Grammy voters approving weird, off-the-wall stuff like this, even if it is brilliant. (*****)
3. "Disgustipated," Tool
The strangest song Tool has yet to record. Yeah, just sit in that for a minute. It's barely a song, really -- Maynard howls an absurdist speech in the voice of a southern minister while farm animals bleat in the background, followed by a chanted chorus and shotgun blasts. It's actually really funny, but not something you'd want to listen to on a regular basis, you know? (***)
4. "Steady As We Go [live]," Dave Matthews Band
Even when Dave writes a mediocre song, as he did here, you can usually trust in a live performance to bring about mass improvements. Usually. (**)
5. "Battle with Magus," Chrono Trigger
Ah, there -- see? I told you I had more than just that one clip. Chrono Trigger has the greatest soundtrack of any video game ever. You may have missed it, but I also hold the game itself in high regard. (*****)
6. "A Beautiful Life," Everclear
Over the course of his storied, up-and-down career in the music business, Art Alexakis wrote and recorded many songs with his band, Everclear. This is one of them. (**)
7. "The Great Below," Nine Inch Nails
One of Trent's very best. This is the last song of his disc from his masterpiece, The Fragile. I don't know if that record really tells a story or anything, but this certainly ends the first half on a high note. Or, well, a low note, really. (*****)
8. "I Will Follow You into the Dark," Death Cab for Cutie
Spoiler alert: I have a lot to say about this song, but I'm saving for the next entry in my Musical Canon series. So I won't say it here. Instead -- you what's cool? YouTube covers. You know what's cooler? YouTube covers lit entirely by the fridge.
See: cooler. Get it? (*****)
9. "Going Mobile," The Who
One of the coolest things I've ever seen: the VH1 Classic Albums episode about Who's Next, where the producer picks apart the master track for his song and shows off all the little pieces. The Who were truly one of the greatest bands ever. "Going Mobile" sounds so effortless, but there's a lot going on under there...and they recorded almost all of it live off the floor, just three guys playing in a room. Incredible. (*****)
10. "Ghost Train," Counting Crows
Fun fact: heavy metal band Between the Buried and Me took their name from a line in this classic early Crows song. Fun fact: Between the Buried and Me are absolutely, jaw-droppingly awful. (*****)
Alpha Beta, if memory serves, is a chain of grocery stores in California. I seem to remember them from my time living there, but just barely. Truth be told, I don't remember much from California. Some of that is because I was so young and it was so long ago; some of it has to be on purpose. Oh well. This song is a little slower than Cake usually goes for, but I'm down. (My rating: ****)
2. "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi," Radiohead
We're less than twenty-four hours away from Radiohead getting screwed out of the Album of the Year Grammy! Are you pumped! I know I am! Seriously, though, In Rainbows was phenomenal, but I can't see the Grammy voters approving weird, off-the-wall stuff like this, even if it is brilliant. (*****)
3. "Disgustipated," Tool
The strangest song Tool has yet to record. Yeah, just sit in that for a minute. It's barely a song, really -- Maynard howls an absurdist speech in the voice of a southern minister while farm animals bleat in the background, followed by a chanted chorus and shotgun blasts. It's actually really funny, but not something you'd want to listen to on a regular basis, you know? (***)
4. "Steady As We Go [live]," Dave Matthews Band
Even when Dave writes a mediocre song, as he did here, you can usually trust in a live performance to bring about mass improvements. Usually. (**)
5. "Battle with Magus," Chrono Trigger
Ah, there -- see? I told you I had more than just that one clip. Chrono Trigger has the greatest soundtrack of any video game ever. You may have missed it, but I also hold the game itself in high regard. (*****)
6. "A Beautiful Life," Everclear
Over the course of his storied, up-and-down career in the music business, Art Alexakis wrote and recorded many songs with his band, Everclear. This is one of them. (**)
7. "The Great Below," Nine Inch Nails
One of Trent's very best. This is the last song of his disc from his masterpiece, The Fragile. I don't know if that record really tells a story or anything, but this certainly ends the first half on a high note. Or, well, a low note, really. (*****)
8. "I Will Follow You into the Dark," Death Cab for Cutie
Spoiler alert: I have a lot to say about this song, but I'm saving for the next entry in my Musical Canon series. So I won't say it here. Instead -- you what's cool? YouTube covers. You know what's cooler? YouTube covers lit entirely by the fridge.
See: cooler. Get it? (*****)
9. "Going Mobile," The Who
One of the coolest things I've ever seen: the VH1 Classic Albums episode about Who's Next, where the producer picks apart the master track for his song and shows off all the little pieces. The Who were truly one of the greatest bands ever. "Going Mobile" sounds so effortless, but there's a lot going on under there...and they recorded almost all of it live off the floor, just three guys playing in a room. Incredible. (*****)
10. "Ghost Train," Counting Crows
Fun fact: heavy metal band Between the Buried and Me took their name from a line in this classic early Crows song. Fun fact: Between the Buried and Me are absolutely, jaw-droppingly awful. (*****)
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Weekly iPod Shuffle: 1/31/09
1. "Like Suicide," Soundgarden
Sometimes success just isn't fair. Soundgarden toiled in the indie scene for nearly a decade, honing their craft and churning out several solid releases for Sub Pop Records (who would later introduce Nirvana to the world, changing the face of popular music forever). But by the time they released the album that would explode them into mainstream superstardom, Superunknown, they were largely spent and tired. "Like Suicide" closes Superunknown, and its slow burn and eventual full-throttle rock-out is an archetypal example of Soundgarden at their best. After this, they'd only release one more album, the uneven Down on the Upside, and then disband. Too bad. (My rating: *****)
2. "Misery Whip," Everclear
From the bleh second half of their two-part concept album, Songs from an American Movie. I say bleh like every Everclear record isn't bleh, but Songs from an American Movie, Volume 2: Good Time for a Bad Attitude is especially so. In fact, I'd forgotten I even had it until just this very moment. (***)
3. "As I Rise," The Decemberists
Ah ha! The Decemberists return! You know, I'd describe this song at length, but even I can feel how sick you are of hearing me talking about the goddamn Decemberists. The rating here should not surprise you. (*****)
4. "Huh?!" Chrono Trigger
This is a five-second sound clip from the video game. Why I have it on my iPod, I have no idea. (no rating)
5. "Cool James," Harvey Danger
One of my favorite songs from an album that you'll be seeing on my 100 albums list...but not for a very long time. The clever lyrics here abound, and Sean Nelson's delivery of the line "Devil's advocates/And nasty bits/Of fits of desperation" is one of my favorite moments in all of music. In the end, he shakes his head and sighs in resignation at the object of his ire: "That's why ladies love cool James," he says, "'cause the bastard changes." (*****)
6. "Thunder Road," Bruce Springsteen
Hey, the Boss. Think he'll play this one at the Super Bowl tomorrow? He better -- it's easily his best song, and one of the best songs ever written, period. "There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away / They haunt this dusty beach road / In the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets / They scream your name at night in the streets / Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet / And in the lonely cool before dawn / You hear their engines roaring on / But when you get to the porch, they're gone on the wind." Bruce wrote an awful lot of songs about escaping small-town hell, but they never got better than "Thunder Road." (*****)
7. "Do You Know What I'm Seeing?" Panic at the Disco
Good lord, here they are again. Look, I like them, okay? I don't give a damn what you think. Not in the slightest. That's right, fuck you. (****)
8. "The Lonely End of the Rink," The Tragically Hip
This is a bootleg from the concert René and I saw at Scout Bar in March of 2007. I can still Gordie so clearly, bouncing around that stage like a sprite. He owned that fucking building that night. They need to tour again. Like, now. (*****)
9. "Lady Picture Show," Stone Temple Pilots
If you listen to Tiny Music... very carefully, you can actually hear the exact moment when Scott Weiland was completely lost to his heroin addiction. It's not in this boring, bred-for-radio song, though. Don't listen to this. (**)
10. "Somebody's Watching Me," Rockwell
Ha! I've been unable to get this song out of my head recently, thanks to its use in the newest round of Geico commercials. Now you can have it in your head, too. You're welcome. (****)
Sometimes success just isn't fair. Soundgarden toiled in the indie scene for nearly a decade, honing their craft and churning out several solid releases for Sub Pop Records (who would later introduce Nirvana to the world, changing the face of popular music forever). But by the time they released the album that would explode them into mainstream superstardom, Superunknown, they were largely spent and tired. "Like Suicide" closes Superunknown, and its slow burn and eventual full-throttle rock-out is an archetypal example of Soundgarden at their best. After this, they'd only release one more album, the uneven Down on the Upside, and then disband. Too bad. (My rating: *****)
2. "Misery Whip," Everclear
From the bleh second half of their two-part concept album, Songs from an American Movie. I say bleh like every Everclear record isn't bleh, but Songs from an American Movie, Volume 2: Good Time for a Bad Attitude is especially so. In fact, I'd forgotten I even had it until just this very moment. (***)
3. "As I Rise," The Decemberists
Ah ha! The Decemberists return! You know, I'd describe this song at length, but even I can feel how sick you are of hearing me talking about the goddamn Decemberists. The rating here should not surprise you. (*****)
4. "Huh?!" Chrono Trigger
This is a five-second sound clip from the video game. Why I have it on my iPod, I have no idea. (no rating)
5. "Cool James," Harvey Danger
One of my favorite songs from an album that you'll be seeing on my 100 albums list...but not for a very long time. The clever lyrics here abound, and Sean Nelson's delivery of the line "Devil's advocates/And nasty bits/Of fits of desperation" is one of my favorite moments in all of music. In the end, he shakes his head and sighs in resignation at the object of his ire: "That's why ladies love cool James," he says, "'cause the bastard changes." (*****)
6. "Thunder Road," Bruce Springsteen
Hey, the Boss. Think he'll play this one at the Super Bowl tomorrow? He better -- it's easily his best song, and one of the best songs ever written, period. "There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away / They haunt this dusty beach road / In the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets / They scream your name at night in the streets / Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet / And in the lonely cool before dawn / You hear their engines roaring on / But when you get to the porch, they're gone on the wind." Bruce wrote an awful lot of songs about escaping small-town hell, but they never got better than "Thunder Road." (*****)
7. "Do You Know What I'm Seeing?" Panic at the Disco
Good lord, here they are again. Look, I like them, okay? I don't give a damn what you think. Not in the slightest. That's right, fuck you. (****)
8. "The Lonely End of the Rink," The Tragically Hip
This is a bootleg from the concert René and I saw at Scout Bar in March of 2007. I can still Gordie so clearly, bouncing around that stage like a sprite. He owned that fucking building that night. They need to tour again. Like, now. (*****)
9. "Lady Picture Show," Stone Temple Pilots
If you listen to Tiny Music... very carefully, you can actually hear the exact moment when Scott Weiland was completely lost to his heroin addiction. It's not in this boring, bred-for-radio song, though. Don't listen to this. (**)
10. "Somebody's Watching Me," Rockwell
Ha! I've been unable to get this song out of my head recently, thanks to its use in the newest round of Geico commercials. Now you can have it in your head, too. You're welcome. (****)
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Weekly iPod Shuffle: 1/24/09
1. "Too Much Paranoias," Devo
Yes, the shuffles are back, partly because I liked doing them, and partly to force me to start writing here again on a more regular basis. We start off as you'd expect: a thoroughly obscure track from a cult band. This is from Devo's debut album, the hideously titled Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, and it's not bad. Not exactly great, either. (My rating: ****)
2. "Yes Sir, No Sir," The Kinks
I got into the Kinks through, of all things, "Weird Al" Yankovic's Dare to Be Stupid album, on which he parodied "Lola" with "Yoda." Follow it backwards through the years, and I end up with the Kinks' masterful takedown of post-World War II Britain, Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire), which features several harsh criticisms of British rule. Having been written in late '60s England, it doesn't always translate well to 21st century America, but the music still succeeds, thanks to Ray Davies's sharp ear as both songwriter and producer. (****)
3. "Scraped," Guns N' Roses
Ah, yes: Chinese Democracy. I made fun of Axl for years about the interminable construction of his fourth album, fully believing it would never be released in his lifetime. But here it is, sitting on my iPod, and I'd love to tell you about all of the good (and even great) songs it features, but the shuffle gives us "Scraped." And "Scraped" is...well, not one of the great ones. Or the good ones. Or the listenable ones. An overdubbed, overproduced, overwritten ungodly mess, this is exactly what I was afraid the album would sound like. Luckily, a lot of it doesn't, but, again -- we take what the shuffle gives us. Blech. (*)
4. "Six Blade Knife," Dire Straits
One of the joys of shuffling with an enormous library of music is the chance to hear something you haven't listened to in a while. According to iTunes, I haven't heard this since June 24th. Too damn long -- this is a quiet, haunting masterpiece. Most of the first Dire Straits record sounds an awful lot like it: beautiful guitar lines over a sparse rhythm section, Mark Knopfler whispering on top of it like he's just woken from his sleep. One of my favorite albums. (*****)
5. "Madame George," Van Morrison
Speaking of quiet, haunting and beautiful. Readers of That's When I Reach for My Revolver know in what high regard I hold Van the Man, and especially his album Astral Weeks. "Madame George" is one of the (many) highlights -- a soft, delicate piece that never stirs from its gentle pace; not going anywhere in particular and no hurry to get there. Van draws you in with his voice, of course -- there's never been another voice like that, and never will be. If you don't have Astral Weeks in your record collection (or iTunes library), I don't know what the hell you're doing with your life. (*****)
6. "Tangled up in Blue," Bob Dylan
I could say that about Dylan's Blood on the Tracks, for that matter, but I realize that his voice is something of an acquired taste. "Tangled" is one of his very best songs, and with a catalogue as deep as Dylan's, that certainly says something. I have to admit, though, that while I was delighted to hear it would be in Rock Band 2, it doesn't really work all that well. I mean, it's great for me as the singer, but everyone else has to just play the same lines over and over again. Oh well: their problem, yeah? (*****)
7. "Barry Bonds," Kanye West feat. Lil Wayne
From Graduation, Kanye's last album before losing his fucking mind and turning in a whiny Auto-Tune karaoke singer with a light show. Seriously, that new album is really quite bad. This song, though, was back when Ye still knew how to have a good time, and Lil Wayne's cameo fits in perfectly. (*****)
8. "Main Theme," Silent Hill
One of the best pieces of video game music ever composed. (*****)
9. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies," Panic! at the Disco
You know, I completely understand if you hate this song and this band. I do. So I hope you will understand if I don't. Deal? (*****)
10. "Consoler of the Lonely," The Raconteurs
I didn't give the newest Raconteurs record much of a chance, honestly, but it's surprisingly good upon further listens: unlike the debut, Jack White's side project feels for the first time like an actual band, instead of...well, Jack White's side project. Good on them. (*****)
Yes, the shuffles are back, partly because I liked doing them, and partly to force me to start writing here again on a more regular basis. We start off as you'd expect: a thoroughly obscure track from a cult band. This is from Devo's debut album, the hideously titled Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, and it's not bad. Not exactly great, either. (My rating: ****)
2. "Yes Sir, No Sir," The Kinks
I got into the Kinks through, of all things, "Weird Al" Yankovic's Dare to Be Stupid album, on which he parodied "Lola" with "Yoda." Follow it backwards through the years, and I end up with the Kinks' masterful takedown of post-World War II Britain, Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire), which features several harsh criticisms of British rule. Having been written in late '60s England, it doesn't always translate well to 21st century America, but the music still succeeds, thanks to Ray Davies's sharp ear as both songwriter and producer. (****)
3. "Scraped," Guns N' Roses
Ah, yes: Chinese Democracy. I made fun of Axl for years about the interminable construction of his fourth album, fully believing it would never be released in his lifetime. But here it is, sitting on my iPod, and I'd love to tell you about all of the good (and even great) songs it features, but the shuffle gives us "Scraped." And "Scraped" is...well, not one of the great ones. Or the good ones. Or the listenable ones. An overdubbed, overproduced, overwritten ungodly mess, this is exactly what I was afraid the album would sound like. Luckily, a lot of it doesn't, but, again -- we take what the shuffle gives us. Blech. (*)
4. "Six Blade Knife," Dire Straits
One of the joys of shuffling with an enormous library of music is the chance to hear something you haven't listened to in a while. According to iTunes, I haven't heard this since June 24th. Too damn long -- this is a quiet, haunting masterpiece. Most of the first Dire Straits record sounds an awful lot like it: beautiful guitar lines over a sparse rhythm section, Mark Knopfler whispering on top of it like he's just woken from his sleep. One of my favorite albums. (*****)
5. "Madame George," Van Morrison
Speaking of quiet, haunting and beautiful. Readers of That's When I Reach for My Revolver know in what high regard I hold Van the Man, and especially his album Astral Weeks. "Madame George" is one of the (many) highlights -- a soft, delicate piece that never stirs from its gentle pace; not going anywhere in particular and no hurry to get there. Van draws you in with his voice, of course -- there's never been another voice like that, and never will be. If you don't have Astral Weeks in your record collection (or iTunes library), I don't know what the hell you're doing with your life. (*****)
6. "Tangled up in Blue," Bob Dylan
I could say that about Dylan's Blood on the Tracks, for that matter, but I realize that his voice is something of an acquired taste. "Tangled" is one of his very best songs, and with a catalogue as deep as Dylan's, that certainly says something. I have to admit, though, that while I was delighted to hear it would be in Rock Band 2, it doesn't really work all that well. I mean, it's great for me as the singer, but everyone else has to just play the same lines over and over again. Oh well: their problem, yeah? (*****)
7. "Barry Bonds," Kanye West feat. Lil Wayne
From Graduation, Kanye's last album before losing his fucking mind and turning in a whiny Auto-Tune karaoke singer with a light show. Seriously, that new album is really quite bad. This song, though, was back when Ye still knew how to have a good time, and Lil Wayne's cameo fits in perfectly. (*****)
8. "Main Theme," Silent Hill
One of the best pieces of video game music ever composed. (*****)
9. "I Write Sins Not Tragedies," Panic! at the Disco
You know, I completely understand if you hate this song and this band. I do. So I hope you will understand if I don't. Deal? (*****)
10. "Consoler of the Lonely," The Raconteurs
I didn't give the newest Raconteurs record much of a chance, honestly, but it's surprisingly good upon further listens: unlike the debut, Jack White's side project feels for the first time like an actual band, instead of...well, Jack White's side project. Good on them. (*****)
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Weekly iPod Shuffle: 2/24/08
Good lord, I took a bath on my Oscar predictions. I got the Screenplay awards, Supporting Actor, Actor, Director and Picture. In other words, the easy ones. I took a bath on everything else. There Will Be Blood didn't win Picture or Director, of course, but yay for the Coens! Enjoy those Oscars you should've won for Fargo! (No Country for Old Men just wasn't the best movie of the year. It was the second-best, which is closer than the Academy usually gets. So good for them.)
Anyway.
1. "Your Woman," White Town
Wow, who even remembers this song? I've though of making a new list -- 15 Songs That Will Always Remind Me of High School -- and this quirky little track would certainly make the cut. It was originally released on an EP titled Abort, Retry, Fail?, 'cause I guess DOS references were hip among the French techno scene in 1996. (****)
2. "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant," Billy Joel
His best song, from his best album, The Stranger. My appreciation for Billy Joel is something else I get from my mom -- my eyes, my irritable nature, and Billy Joel. Two of these are good, at least. (*****)
3. "Mercy Street," Peter Gabriel
Oh, and Peter Gabriel -- I get that from her, too. This is an absolutely gorgeous song -- it's up there with "Warehouse" and "The Unforgiven" for me, and it's one I could listen to forever. The music is dark and hushed, Gabriel's intricate harmonies gliding over a pulsing bass line; the air of sorrow and dread is carried with little percussion, aside from a few bells and a bass drum. But after he sings of "mercy, in your daddy's arms again," there is a respite from the darkness: a whistle, haunting and beautiful, cuts through the gloom like a flashlight. He wrote the song in tribute to Anne Sexton, the late poet; oddly enough, Dave Matthews wrote one of his best songs, "Grey Street," about her, too. (*****)
4. "Fever Dog," Stillwater
If you've never seen Almost Famous, I really don't know what you've been doing with your life. "I am a golden god!" (*****)
5. "What'd I Say?" Ray Charles
You know what sucks? When I was growing up, the only thing Ray Charles was to me was the guy who sang in Diet Pepsi commercials: "You got the right one, baby -- uh huh!" This is why I cringe every time I hear the Who or Led Zeppelin or, Prophets save us, the Beatles in television commercials -- there are children who are going to grow up hearing "Rock and Roll" and think, "car commercial!" That is so very, very sad. (*****)
6. "Into the Mystic [live]," Van Morrison
Van the Man goes all kinds of crazy on the timing of the vocal here, as if he's trying to screw the song up. But you know what? Some songs are just too good to ruin. (Except, probably, by YouTube covers. I learned my lesson with "Across the Universe.") (****)
7. "She's Electric," Oasis
Sample lyric: "She's got a sister / And God only knows how I've missed her / And on the palm of her hand is a blister." If Noel Gallagher took longer than five minutes to write this song, he should be ashamed of himself. It's pretty catchy, though. (****)
8. "Good Time," Leroy
You may recall this from an early episode of Scrubs. I don't know who Leroy is, but his song isn't bad. (****)
9. "From a Buick 6," Bob Dylan
Not to be confused with From a Buick 8, the mediocre Stephen King novel. (****)
10. "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters," Elton John
Also prominently featured in Almost Famous, which is one of the best movies ever made -- seriously, what are you doing, go watch it already. (*****)
Anyway.
1. "Your Woman," White Town
Wow, who even remembers this song? I've though of making a new list -- 15 Songs That Will Always Remind Me of High School -- and this quirky little track would certainly make the cut. It was originally released on an EP titled Abort, Retry, Fail?, 'cause I guess DOS references were hip among the French techno scene in 1996. (****)
2. "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant," Billy Joel
His best song, from his best album, The Stranger. My appreciation for Billy Joel is something else I get from my mom -- my eyes, my irritable nature, and Billy Joel. Two of these are good, at least. (*****)
3. "Mercy Street," Peter Gabriel
Oh, and Peter Gabriel -- I get that from her, too. This is an absolutely gorgeous song -- it's up there with "Warehouse" and "The Unforgiven" for me, and it's one I could listen to forever. The music is dark and hushed, Gabriel's intricate harmonies gliding over a pulsing bass line; the air of sorrow and dread is carried with little percussion, aside from a few bells and a bass drum. But after he sings of "mercy, in your daddy's arms again," there is a respite from the darkness: a whistle, haunting and beautiful, cuts through the gloom like a flashlight. He wrote the song in tribute to Anne Sexton, the late poet; oddly enough, Dave Matthews wrote one of his best songs, "Grey Street," about her, too. (*****)
4. "Fever Dog," Stillwater
If you've never seen Almost Famous, I really don't know what you've been doing with your life. "I am a golden god!" (*****)
5. "What'd I Say?" Ray Charles
You know what sucks? When I was growing up, the only thing Ray Charles was to me was the guy who sang in Diet Pepsi commercials: "You got the right one, baby -- uh huh!" This is why I cringe every time I hear the Who or Led Zeppelin or, Prophets save us, the Beatles in television commercials -- there are children who are going to grow up hearing "Rock and Roll" and think, "car commercial!" That is so very, very sad. (*****)
6. "Into the Mystic [live]," Van Morrison
Van the Man goes all kinds of crazy on the timing of the vocal here, as if he's trying to screw the song up. But you know what? Some songs are just too good to ruin. (Except, probably, by YouTube covers. I learned my lesson with "Across the Universe.") (****)
7. "She's Electric," Oasis
Sample lyric: "She's got a sister / And God only knows how I've missed her / And on the palm of her hand is a blister." If Noel Gallagher took longer than five minutes to write this song, he should be ashamed of himself. It's pretty catchy, though. (****)
8. "Good Time," Leroy
You may recall this from an early episode of Scrubs. I don't know who Leroy is, but his song isn't bad. (****)
9. "From a Buick 6," Bob Dylan
Not to be confused with From a Buick 8, the mediocre Stephen King novel. (****)
10. "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters," Elton John
Also prominently featured in Almost Famous, which is one of the best movies ever made -- seriously, what are you doing, go watch it already. (*****)
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Weekly iPod Shuffle: 2/17/08
The feedback on Revolver so far is "good, but not the best," which was my feeling as well. For those who share in my obsession with enumeration and list-making, I just finished putting the finishing touches on my list of the 25 best songs of 2007; I'm working on Oscar thoughts and predictions. And also a new short story, "Stealing Signs," which will be done before the end of the month.
Anyway -- on with the shuffle.
1. "Jungleland," Bruce Springsteen
Stephen King quotes from this song extensively at the beginning of his masterwork, The Stand. This is the closing track from Born to Run, Bruce's own masterwork. There is some meaning there, but I don't know what is. (*****)
2. "Between the Bars," Elliott Smith
Probably my favorite Elliott Smith song. I cannot for the life of me understand his voice -- I try singing along to this song (or any of his songs), and I end up singing way, way too loud. It's barely a whisper, really. And yet it carries so well. (*****)
3. "Silver Street," Ben Folds
A track from Ben Folds Live. It's a fantastic song, so I'm unsure why it's never wound up on an album (or even one of his iTunes EPs). But then, it's so perfectly realized here that a studio version would be superfluous. It features some of Ben's best piano. (*****)
4. "A Day in the Life," The Beatles
The finale, of course, to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which is often declared the best album of all time. It's not -- in my opinion, it's only the fourth best Beatles album, forget the best of all time -- but "A Day in the Life" is good enough that I'm willing to concede the hype. And obviously you know that the line "He blew his mind out in a car" is a reference to the death of the real Paul, who was replaced with a lookalike during the recording of this record, right? (*****)
5. "Montreal," The Tragically Hip
This is actually a live bootleg -- another fantastic song that the creators have chosen not to include on any of their records. It's about a real incident in the late eighties, when a crazed gunman stormed into a college in Montreal, separated the men from the women, and began shooting the girls. 14 were killed, and thirteen others wounded before the maniac killed himself. Gord -- who introduces the song by calling it "a song about the identification process" -- eulogizes one of these victims: "She used to like lavender pantsuits, long black velvet gloves/Smiles across crowded rooms to the only boy she ever loved." The chorus then follows with one of the most devastating images I've ever heard in song: "Don't you worry/Her mother's gonna make her look good/Don't you worry/Her father's gonna make her look good." Try as he might, the killer can't take away her beauty. And Gord laments the tragedy, and all those dead "Because a coward won't die alone." The Hip have performed this song exactly once in the last seventeen years; I don't blame them, frankly. (*****)
6. "Best Week Never," Patton Oswalt
A piece of stand-up from his superb album, Werewolves and Lollipops. He describes his firing from the staff VH1's Best Week Ever, thanks to his viciousness toward Paris Hilton: "If she could get cancer of the AIDS of the leukemia of the eyes, that would make me happy." (*****)
7. "Carouselambra," Led Zeppelin
From Zep's much-maligned "Hey, let's sound exactly like Genesis!" phase, which lasted all of one album. Unfortunately, it was their last, as John Bonham died (choking on his own vomit after imbibing a small lake's worth of vodka, naturally) and band called it quits. The song is great, actually, but then -- I like Genesis. (*****)
8. "Cleanin' out My Closet," Eminem
I think one could make a strong case that this was the last great burst of creativity we'd get from Em before his flameout. It's certainly up there with his best work, and the best of hip hop anywhere -- very few rappers can work up the emotion that vibrates through every beat here. I remember listening to this song on the radio with my mother once; she said, "So, he hates his mom?" I confirmed her interpretation, and explained Em's extensive mom-hating discography. "And by 'cleanin' out my closet,' he means he's leaving her behind and moving on without her?" I concurred, and my mom -- who had her own problems with her mother -- just scoffed. "If it was only that easy." (*****)
9. "Where the Wild Things Are," Metallica
Steve and I had the entire Reload album memorized. I don't mean the words -- I mean everything. Together, the two of us could've hummed and air-drummed the entire record without accompaniment. And the centerpiece of our front-seat concert performances was always "Where the Wild Things Are," which features killer harmonies and a slick two-part vocal bridge. Singing alone in my car, the song just doesn't sound right. (*****)
10. "Angel, Won't You Call Me?" The Decemberists
Uh-oh! Look who it is! Eh -- I'll spare you the commercial. I'm in a good mood. (*****)
Anyway -- on with the shuffle.
1. "Jungleland," Bruce Springsteen
Stephen King quotes from this song extensively at the beginning of his masterwork, The Stand. This is the closing track from Born to Run, Bruce's own masterwork. There is some meaning there, but I don't know what is. (*****)
2. "Between the Bars," Elliott Smith
Probably my favorite Elliott Smith song. I cannot for the life of me understand his voice -- I try singing along to this song (or any of his songs), and I end up singing way, way too loud. It's barely a whisper, really. And yet it carries so well. (*****)
3. "Silver Street," Ben Folds
A track from Ben Folds Live. It's a fantastic song, so I'm unsure why it's never wound up on an album (or even one of his iTunes EPs). But then, it's so perfectly realized here that a studio version would be superfluous. It features some of Ben's best piano. (*****)
4. "A Day in the Life," The Beatles
The finale, of course, to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which is often declared the best album of all time. It's not -- in my opinion, it's only the fourth best Beatles album, forget the best of all time -- but "A Day in the Life" is good enough that I'm willing to concede the hype. And obviously you know that the line "He blew his mind out in a car" is a reference to the death of the real Paul, who was replaced with a lookalike during the recording of this record, right? (*****)
5. "Montreal," The Tragically Hip
This is actually a live bootleg -- another fantastic song that the creators have chosen not to include on any of their records. It's about a real incident in the late eighties, when a crazed gunman stormed into a college in Montreal, separated the men from the women, and began shooting the girls. 14 were killed, and thirteen others wounded before the maniac killed himself. Gord -- who introduces the song by calling it "a song about the identification process" -- eulogizes one of these victims: "She used to like lavender pantsuits, long black velvet gloves/Smiles across crowded rooms to the only boy she ever loved." The chorus then follows with one of the most devastating images I've ever heard in song: "Don't you worry/Her mother's gonna make her look good/Don't you worry/Her father's gonna make her look good." Try as he might, the killer can't take away her beauty. And Gord laments the tragedy, and all those dead "Because a coward won't die alone." The Hip have performed this song exactly once in the last seventeen years; I don't blame them, frankly. (*****)
6. "Best Week Never," Patton Oswalt
A piece of stand-up from his superb album, Werewolves and Lollipops. He describes his firing from the staff VH1's Best Week Ever, thanks to his viciousness toward Paris Hilton: "If she could get cancer of the AIDS of the leukemia of the eyes, that would make me happy." (*****)
7. "Carouselambra," Led Zeppelin
From Zep's much-maligned "Hey, let's sound exactly like Genesis!" phase, which lasted all of one album. Unfortunately, it was their last, as John Bonham died (choking on his own vomit after imbibing a small lake's worth of vodka, naturally) and band called it quits. The song is great, actually, but then -- I like Genesis. (*****)
8. "Cleanin' out My Closet," Eminem
I think one could make a strong case that this was the last great burst of creativity we'd get from Em before his flameout. It's certainly up there with his best work, and the best of hip hop anywhere -- very few rappers can work up the emotion that vibrates through every beat here. I remember listening to this song on the radio with my mother once; she said, "So, he hates his mom?" I confirmed her interpretation, and explained Em's extensive mom-hating discography. "And by 'cleanin' out my closet,' he means he's leaving her behind and moving on without her?" I concurred, and my mom -- who had her own problems with her mother -- just scoffed. "If it was only that easy." (*****)
9. "Where the Wild Things Are," Metallica
Steve and I had the entire Reload album memorized. I don't mean the words -- I mean everything. Together, the two of us could've hummed and air-drummed the entire record without accompaniment. And the centerpiece of our front-seat concert performances was always "Where the Wild Things Are," which features killer harmonies and a slick two-part vocal bridge. Singing alone in my car, the song just doesn't sound right. (*****)
10. "Angel, Won't You Call Me?" The Decemberists
Uh-oh! Look who it is! Eh -- I'll spare you the commercial. I'm in a good mood. (*****)
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Weekly iPod Shuffle: 2/10/08
First off, a side note: Kanye West just lost Album of the Year again. I'm starting to think it's personal. Die in a fire, Grammy voters. Anyway.
1. "Don't Cry [Original Version]," Guns N' Roses
As opposed to the "Alternate Lyrics" version, which appears on Use Your Illusion II. Neither version boasts particularly deep lyrics, and no one is really quite sure why we needed two of them. Of course, we're talking about the Use Your Illusion records, and no one is really quite sure why we needed two of them, either. This track features the late Shannon Hoon on backing vocals. You may remember him as the front man for Blind Melon; prior to that band hitting it big, he hung out with Axl in the studio and ended up both on this song and in the video. A writer with less integrity would draw a straight line between working with Guns N' Roses and dying of a heroin overdose four years later. I am not that writer. (****)
2. "God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind)," Randy Newman
You may know Randy Newman from his various soundtrack work -- Toy Story, Toy Story 2, etc. If that's the only place you know him from, you'll be in for quite a shock if you listen to his other material. Behind "You've Got a Friend in Me" is a razor-sharp wit and a fearless lyrical mind, and his songs are as brilliant as they are hilarious. In this one, he rails against religious devotees, casting God as an acerbic malefactor smirking at the prayers he receives from his creations even as he torments them. Shocking this hasn't wound up in a Disney film, huh? (*****)
3. "The Tain," The Decemberists
Are you sick of me talking about the Decemberists yet? Hope not. This eighteen-and-a-half minute opus plays like Jethro Tull covering Black Sabbath, and is one of the band's best achievements. It's based on a tale from Irish mythology, which isn't surprising considering what band we're talking about. For my money, it rarely gets much better than Colin Meloy groaning "Your hands and face are smeared with bloo-oooh-ooooood...." Seriously, I'm not going to stop until all of you love this band. So get cracking. (*****)
4. "The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine," Spoon
It's never been mentioned in-text (on-stage?) in Revolver, but Michael's last name is Valentine. This has nothing at all to do with this phenomenal song, nope, no sir, no way. It is mentioned in the episode I just finished writing, however, that Rebecca's novel-in-progress is called The Stranger Dance -- that does have to do with this song, and she says as much. It'd be nice for me if everyone liked Spoon, too. (*****)
5. "Half the World Away," Oasis
Hmm. This song also features in the upcoming Revolver episode, and my computer is starting to scare the shit out of me. It's Oasis's best song, incidentally. Apparently, it was also the theme to a British sitcom I've never heard of called The Royle Family. According to Wikipedia, the show took place almost entirely in a single room -- the living room of the family's house. The episodes rarely featured a plot, instead focusing on the conversations of the inhabitants. The jokes stem from "awkwardness" and "badly told jokes." And "crassness," most of which apparently comes from a single character. [looks at Revolver script] Hmm. (*****)
6. "I Know," Fiona Apple
Thankfully, this song has nothing to do with Revolver. At least, not yet. It is one of my favorite Fiona tracks, and one of her most sad. It's a love song, but not a happy one; Fiona's lover is so wrapped up in himself and his own problems and that he can't even acknowledge his feelings for her. So she gives up -- not on him, but on winning, and instead vows to simply wait for him to resolve his issues and wake the fuck up. The tempo is only slightly above "dirge," and Fiona's voice is in rare form. "So for the time being, I'm being patient... / And when the crowd becomes your burden / And you've early closed your curtain / I will wait by the backstage door / While you try to find the lines to speak to your mind / And pry it open, hoping for an encore / And if it gets too late for me to wait / For you to find you love me, and tell me so / It's okay: don't need to say it...." The end of that sentiment -- "I know" -- goes unspoken, which makes the whole thing even more heartbreaking: she sounds so defeated. Actually, maybe it does have something to do with Revolver, now that I think of it. Just not this particular episode. (*****)
7. "Stuck in the Middle with You," Stealer's Wheel
I'm not the only one who can't hear this song without thinking about Reservoir Dogs, right? Didn't think so. (****)
8. "Big Pimpin'," Jay-Z
Am I only one delighted to see Jay-Z not win Record of the Year for that awful "Umbrella" song he did with, uh, whatever her names is? Didn't think so. (*****)
9. "Excuse Me," Peter Gabriel
Pete thought it would be a good idea to cram this barbershop quartet-esque piece into the middle of his debut solo album. It is, because the song is great, but to say it sounds out of place would be an understatement. Have I mentioned before that Peter Gabriel is crazy? 'Cause he is. Really. (*****)
10. "Miranda, That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore," The Mars Volta
This track opens with two minutes of frogs chirping, followed by two more minutes of ambient noise. Which says everything you need to know about the Mars Volta. (***)
1. "Don't Cry [Original Version]," Guns N' Roses
As opposed to the "Alternate Lyrics" version, which appears on Use Your Illusion II. Neither version boasts particularly deep lyrics, and no one is really quite sure why we needed two of them. Of course, we're talking about the Use Your Illusion records, and no one is really quite sure why we needed two of them, either. This track features the late Shannon Hoon on backing vocals. You may remember him as the front man for Blind Melon; prior to that band hitting it big, he hung out with Axl in the studio and ended up both on this song and in the video. A writer with less integrity would draw a straight line between working with Guns N' Roses and dying of a heroin overdose four years later. I am not that writer. (****)
2. "God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind)," Randy Newman
You may know Randy Newman from his various soundtrack work -- Toy Story, Toy Story 2, etc. If that's the only place you know him from, you'll be in for quite a shock if you listen to his other material. Behind "You've Got a Friend in Me" is a razor-sharp wit and a fearless lyrical mind, and his songs are as brilliant as they are hilarious. In this one, he rails against religious devotees, casting God as an acerbic malefactor smirking at the prayers he receives from his creations even as he torments them. Shocking this hasn't wound up in a Disney film, huh? (*****)
3. "The Tain," The Decemberists
Are you sick of me talking about the Decemberists yet? Hope not. This eighteen-and-a-half minute opus plays like Jethro Tull covering Black Sabbath, and is one of the band's best achievements. It's based on a tale from Irish mythology, which isn't surprising considering what band we're talking about. For my money, it rarely gets much better than Colin Meloy groaning "Your hands and face are smeared with bloo-oooh-ooooood...." Seriously, I'm not going to stop until all of you love this band. So get cracking. (*****)
4. "The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine," Spoon
It's never been mentioned in-text (on-stage?) in Revolver, but Michael's last name is Valentine. This has nothing at all to do with this phenomenal song, nope, no sir, no way. It is mentioned in the episode I just finished writing, however, that Rebecca's novel-in-progress is called The Stranger Dance -- that does have to do with this song, and she says as much. It'd be nice for me if everyone liked Spoon, too. (*****)
5. "Half the World Away," Oasis
Hmm. This song also features in the upcoming Revolver episode, and my computer is starting to scare the shit out of me. It's Oasis's best song, incidentally. Apparently, it was also the theme to a British sitcom I've never heard of called The Royle Family. According to Wikipedia, the show took place almost entirely in a single room -- the living room of the family's house. The episodes rarely featured a plot, instead focusing on the conversations of the inhabitants. The jokes stem from "awkwardness" and "badly told jokes." And "crassness," most of which apparently comes from a single character. [looks at Revolver script] Hmm. (*****)
6. "I Know," Fiona Apple
Thankfully, this song has nothing to do with Revolver. At least, not yet. It is one of my favorite Fiona tracks, and one of her most sad. It's a love song, but not a happy one; Fiona's lover is so wrapped up in himself and his own problems and that he can't even acknowledge his feelings for her. So she gives up -- not on him, but on winning, and instead vows to simply wait for him to resolve his issues and wake the fuck up. The tempo is only slightly above "dirge," and Fiona's voice is in rare form. "So for the time being, I'm being patient... / And when the crowd becomes your burden / And you've early closed your curtain / I will wait by the backstage door / While you try to find the lines to speak to your mind / And pry it open, hoping for an encore / And if it gets too late for me to wait / For you to find you love me, and tell me so / It's okay: don't need to say it...." The end of that sentiment -- "I know" -- goes unspoken, which makes the whole thing even more heartbreaking: she sounds so defeated. Actually, maybe it does have something to do with Revolver, now that I think of it. Just not this particular episode. (*****)
7. "Stuck in the Middle with You," Stealer's Wheel
I'm not the only one who can't hear this song without thinking about Reservoir Dogs, right? Didn't think so. (****)
8. "Big Pimpin'," Jay-Z
Am I only one delighted to see Jay-Z not win Record of the Year for that awful "Umbrella" song he did with, uh, whatever her names is? Didn't think so. (*****)
9. "Excuse Me," Peter Gabriel
Pete thought it would be a good idea to cram this barbershop quartet-esque piece into the middle of his debut solo album. It is, because the song is great, but to say it sounds out of place would be an understatement. Have I mentioned before that Peter Gabriel is crazy? 'Cause he is. Really. (*****)
10. "Miranda, That Ghost Just Isn't Holy Anymore," The Mars Volta
This track opens with two minutes of frogs chirping, followed by two more minutes of ambient noise. Which says everything you need to know about the Mars Volta. (***)
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Weekly iPod Shuffle: 1/27/08
1. "Weasel Stomping Day," "Weird Al" Yankovic
A goofy little track that pokes fun at arcane holidays and traditions -- in this one, everyone is advised to, of course, stomp weasels to death. "It's tradition, that makes it okay!" Of course, The Simpsons already did this gag, and did it better, with "Whacking Day." But the song's still kinda funny. (Rating: ****)
2. "Church on Sunday," Green Day
Green Day comes up a lot on these shuffles. It seems only songs from my least favorite Green Day album, Warning, make the cut. But whatever. This particular song happens to be a gem, and indicative of the new lyrical style Billie Joe tried for that record. It didn't work, but the man was trying, what do you want? (*****)
3. "The Boxer," Simon & Garfunkel
My favorite song of theirs. It's easily the best thing Paul Simon ever wrote, outside of "Graceland." And it's weird -- on the cover of The Essential Simon & Garfunkel, Paul looks creepily like Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men. (*****)
4. "The Living Years," Mike + the Mechanics
Ah, the eighties. It amazed me back to find out that "Mike" was Mike Rutherford, the guitarist for Genesis. Sure, Phil Collins had a solo career, but how could someone be in two bands at once? I don't blink at it nowadays -- Maynard has Tool and A Perfect Circle, and Dave Grohl plays drums on everybody's records but his own. (****)
5. "Heart Cooks Brain," Modest Mouse
Pitchfork Media would come after us with, uh, pitchforks if they read this, but René and I recently agreed that Modest Mouse's early work is often downright unlistenable. This song, thankfully, is one of the standouts. It's a little too long, but, dude -- it's Modest Mouse. That's kinda their thing. (*****)
6. "Silver Rainbow," Genesis
Peter Gabriel quit the band several years before this song was written, but you've never know it -- the lyrics are typical of his early, sex-laden wordplay. In this case, the "silver rainbow" is the zipper in a girl's pants, and the "land that lies beyond" is wondrous and magical, and once you're in, you won't notice if "the sun should turn to blue": you'll just "keep on going, 'cause you're unaware...you won't know if you're coming or going." Clever, those English lads. (****)
7. "Guru," Everlast
Everlast's solo breakthrough, Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, has held up unbelievably well over the last ten years -- "What It's Like" and "Ends" are still standouts, and the record is filled with great songs. This isn't one of them, though -- this is a seventeen-second segue, consisting only of a message left on Everlast's answering machine. What it's doing on the album, I have no idea. (*)
8. "Training ~ Credits," Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
Yes, this is an mp3 rip of music from Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! Do you have a problem with that? I didn't think so. (*****)
9. "Ice," Beth Kinderman
Hey, you remember me shilling hardcore for Beth Kinderman before, right? Selling her music like I was getting paid for it? She's working on her first full-length album as we speak, recorded in an actual studio with a real band and everything. So get ready for more shilling. This song, meanwhile, is the haunting climax to Door, her Farscape record. I'm strongly tempted to watch that show, just to know what the hell she's talking about. Not that tempted, though. (*****)
10. "The Black Hawk War, or, How to Demolish an Entire Civilization and Still Feel Good About Yourself in the Morning, or, We Apologize for the Inconvenience But You're Going to Have to Leave Now, or, 'I Have Fought the Big Knives and Will Continue to Fight Them Until They Are Off Our Lands!'," Sufjan Stevens
The greatest song title ever. This instrumental is from his stunning 2005 album, Illinois. Stevens says he intends to make an album about each one of the fifty states; it's been four years since he announced the project, and he's made two albums. I don't think he's gonna make it. (****)
A goofy little track that pokes fun at arcane holidays and traditions -- in this one, everyone is advised to, of course, stomp weasels to death. "It's tradition, that makes it okay!" Of course, The Simpsons already did this gag, and did it better, with "Whacking Day." But the song's still kinda funny. (Rating: ****)
2. "Church on Sunday," Green Day
Green Day comes up a lot on these shuffles. It seems only songs from my least favorite Green Day album, Warning, make the cut. But whatever. This particular song happens to be a gem, and indicative of the new lyrical style Billie Joe tried for that record. It didn't work, but the man was trying, what do you want? (*****)
3. "The Boxer," Simon & Garfunkel
My favorite song of theirs. It's easily the best thing Paul Simon ever wrote, outside of "Graceland." And it's weird -- on the cover of The Essential Simon & Garfunkel, Paul looks creepily like Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men. (*****)
4. "The Living Years," Mike + the Mechanics
Ah, the eighties. It amazed me back to find out that "Mike" was Mike Rutherford, the guitarist for Genesis. Sure, Phil Collins had a solo career, but how could someone be in two bands at once? I don't blink at it nowadays -- Maynard has Tool and A Perfect Circle, and Dave Grohl plays drums on everybody's records but his own. (****)
5. "Heart Cooks Brain," Modest Mouse
Pitchfork Media would come after us with, uh, pitchforks if they read this, but René and I recently agreed that Modest Mouse's early work is often downright unlistenable. This song, thankfully, is one of the standouts. It's a little too long, but, dude -- it's Modest Mouse. That's kinda their thing. (*****)
6. "Silver Rainbow," Genesis
Peter Gabriel quit the band several years before this song was written, but you've never know it -- the lyrics are typical of his early, sex-laden wordplay. In this case, the "silver rainbow" is the zipper in a girl's pants, and the "land that lies beyond" is wondrous and magical, and once you're in, you won't notice if "the sun should turn to blue": you'll just "keep on going, 'cause you're unaware...you won't know if you're coming or going." Clever, those English lads. (****)
7. "Guru," Everlast
Everlast's solo breakthrough, Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, has held up unbelievably well over the last ten years -- "What It's Like" and "Ends" are still standouts, and the record is filled with great songs. This isn't one of them, though -- this is a seventeen-second segue, consisting only of a message left on Everlast's answering machine. What it's doing on the album, I have no idea. (*)
8. "Training ~ Credits," Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
Yes, this is an mp3 rip of music from Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! Do you have a problem with that? I didn't think so. (*****)
9. "Ice," Beth Kinderman
Hey, you remember me shilling hardcore for Beth Kinderman before, right? Selling her music like I was getting paid for it? She's working on her first full-length album as we speak, recorded in an actual studio with a real band and everything. So get ready for more shilling. This song, meanwhile, is the haunting climax to Door, her Farscape record. I'm strongly tempted to watch that show, just to know what the hell she's talking about. Not that tempted, though. (*****)
10. "The Black Hawk War, or, How to Demolish an Entire Civilization and Still Feel Good About Yourself in the Morning, or, We Apologize for the Inconvenience But You're Going to Have to Leave Now, or, 'I Have Fought the Big Knives and Will Continue to Fight Them Until They Are Off Our Lands!'," Sufjan Stevens
The greatest song title ever. This instrumental is from his stunning 2005 album, Illinois. Stevens says he intends to make an album about each one of the fifty states; it's been four years since he announced the project, and he's made two albums. I don't think he's gonna make it. (****)
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Weekly iPod Shuffle: 1/20/08
[A small note: I've set up an account at rateyourmusic.com. I can't think of any reason why you'd want to peruse my music collection, but it's there if you want it. In addition, it features several of my music-related lists, including my updated 100 favorite albums list. Though, again, I can't think of any reason why you'd care.]
1. "God Only Knows," The Beach Boys
In the Mage game I'm running, one of the NPCs -- Heather, the Fate/Time magic-user -- tells her boyfriend that this is the greatest love song ever written. And it's hard to disagree, even though it opens with the lyric "I may not always love you." Brian Wilson was a damn lunatic -- seriously -- but he could write songs like nobody else. "If you should ever leave me/Life would still go on, believe me/The world could show nothing to me/So what good would living do me?/God only knows what I'd be without you." (Rating: *****)
2. "The Great Gig in the Sky," Pink Floyd
Quite simply, one of the most evocative vocal performances ever recorded. Richard Wright wrote this little piano instrumental early in the sessions for Dark Side of the Moon, and the band encouraged him to finish it up -- Roger Waters was eager to make sure each member of the band would get some songwriting royalties. So Wright completed it, David Gilmour added some slide guitar on top of it, and that was that. Except the band felt something was missing. So they came up with the idea of bringing in a singer to record an overdub -- no lyrics, just improvised vocalization. They found Clare Torry, who had worked with the Doors, and shoved her into the studio with almost no preparation. She howled and screamed her way through a take, then humbly apologized to the rest of the band...who were, of course, staring at her in awe. It's amazing -- even without the short spoken word clips ("I'm not frightened of dying, any time will do"), you'd still know what the song is about, just listening to her voice. And if you've never tried the old trick of syncing Dark Side with The Wizard of Oz, it's worth it just for this scene. (*****)
3. "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota," "Weird Al" Yankovic
Weird Al's best song, in terms of both music and humor. He not only skewers the stereotypical "family road trip" vacation, but the people who actually enjoy those pointless sightseeing adventures, and the people who put on such pointless displays. "This here's what America's all about," the song's narrator says to his kids. You got that right. (*****)
4. "Let's Spend the Night Together," The Rolling Stones
Upon its original release, Mick Jagger had to change the lyrics to perform it on television -- "Let's spend some time together," he mumbled, clearly disgusted with himself. It was too racy back then. Nowadays, this song is used, unaltered, in a cell phone commercial. Times have changed. (*****)
5. "Live Forever," Oasis
I read somewhere that magazine readers in Britain answered a poll to select the best album ever. What was their choice -- Revolver? Sgt. Pepper's? Pet Sounds? OK Computer, if they're a little more hip? No -- Definitely Maybe, by Oasis. The best album ever recorded. Ever. If you say so, Britain. Hey, it's not a bad record. But...come on. (****)
6. "Breakdown," Guns N' Roses
Your Chinese Democracy update: Axl hasn't updated the GN'R website since August. So your guess is as good as mine. This particular song is from the last GN'R record, Use Your Illusion II. Which was, of course, seventeen years ago. It's pretty good, too. (*****)
7. "Hola' Hovita," Jay-Z
From Jigga's masterpiece, The Blueprint. He allegedly recorded the album in less than two weeks -- he was awaiting a pair of criminal trials and possibly a jail sentence or two. The resulting album is not only an epiphany, but a swaggering blast of defiance. Some people do perform better under pressure. (*****)
8. "Mr. Moustache," Nirvana
Much of Nirvana's debut album, Bleach, is dedicated to Kurt Cobain's frustration with his surroundings in rural Washington state. Much of the album, unfortunately, is also dull and mired in a gunmetal-gray sound that turns the whole thing into a dirge. This song is both. (***)
9. "Hard to Explain," The Strokes
I remember when the Strokes were just breaking through -- the music press heralded them as the saviors of all music everywhere. When they turned out not to be, it was a disappointment. The hype managed to cover up the fact that, actually, they were really, really good. Not life-changing great, perhaps, but very, very good. (*****)
10. "4°," Tool
How to explain this one without including any words that might make Google think my site is about something it's not? Hmm. Maynard did some research, apparently, and found some interesting information about the female anatomy. It turns out that the interior of one, uh, opening is warmer -- by about four degrees -- than the other, uh, more standard opening. With such well-founded scientific evidence, he returns to his lady friend and makes his case: "You won't feel what you'd like to feel/Lay back and let me show you another way." Why he felt it necessary to write a song about it, I have no fucking clue. And if you think it's the last time he'd explore such subject matter in song, you're sadly mistaken. But there's your Way Too Much Insight Into Someone Else's Personal Life moment for today. You're welcome. (*****)
1. "God Only Knows," The Beach Boys
In the Mage game I'm running, one of the NPCs -- Heather, the Fate/Time magic-user -- tells her boyfriend that this is the greatest love song ever written. And it's hard to disagree, even though it opens with the lyric "I may not always love you." Brian Wilson was a damn lunatic -- seriously -- but he could write songs like nobody else. "If you should ever leave me/Life would still go on, believe me/The world could show nothing to me/So what good would living do me?/God only knows what I'd be without you." (Rating: *****)
2. "The Great Gig in the Sky," Pink Floyd
Quite simply, one of the most evocative vocal performances ever recorded. Richard Wright wrote this little piano instrumental early in the sessions for Dark Side of the Moon, and the band encouraged him to finish it up -- Roger Waters was eager to make sure each member of the band would get some songwriting royalties. So Wright completed it, David Gilmour added some slide guitar on top of it, and that was that. Except the band felt something was missing. So they came up with the idea of bringing in a singer to record an overdub -- no lyrics, just improvised vocalization. They found Clare Torry, who had worked with the Doors, and shoved her into the studio with almost no preparation. She howled and screamed her way through a take, then humbly apologized to the rest of the band...who were, of course, staring at her in awe. It's amazing -- even without the short spoken word clips ("I'm not frightened of dying, any time will do"), you'd still know what the song is about, just listening to her voice. And if you've never tried the old trick of syncing Dark Side with The Wizard of Oz, it's worth it just for this scene. (*****)
3. "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota," "Weird Al" Yankovic
Weird Al's best song, in terms of both music and humor. He not only skewers the stereotypical "family road trip" vacation, but the people who actually enjoy those pointless sightseeing adventures, and the people who put on such pointless displays. "This here's what America's all about," the song's narrator says to his kids. You got that right. (*****)
4. "Let's Spend the Night Together," The Rolling Stones
Upon its original release, Mick Jagger had to change the lyrics to perform it on television -- "Let's spend some time together," he mumbled, clearly disgusted with himself. It was too racy back then. Nowadays, this song is used, unaltered, in a cell phone commercial. Times have changed. (*****)
5. "Live Forever," Oasis
I read somewhere that magazine readers in Britain answered a poll to select the best album ever. What was their choice -- Revolver? Sgt. Pepper's? Pet Sounds? OK Computer, if they're a little more hip? No -- Definitely Maybe, by Oasis. The best album ever recorded. Ever. If you say so, Britain. Hey, it's not a bad record. But...come on. (****)
6. "Breakdown," Guns N' Roses
Your Chinese Democracy update: Axl hasn't updated the GN'R website since August. So your guess is as good as mine. This particular song is from the last GN'R record, Use Your Illusion II. Which was, of course, seventeen years ago. It's pretty good, too. (*****)
7. "Hola' Hovita," Jay-Z
From Jigga's masterpiece, The Blueprint. He allegedly recorded the album in less than two weeks -- he was awaiting a pair of criminal trials and possibly a jail sentence or two. The resulting album is not only an epiphany, but a swaggering blast of defiance. Some people do perform better under pressure. (*****)
8. "Mr. Moustache," Nirvana
Much of Nirvana's debut album, Bleach, is dedicated to Kurt Cobain's frustration with his surroundings in rural Washington state. Much of the album, unfortunately, is also dull and mired in a gunmetal-gray sound that turns the whole thing into a dirge. This song is both. (***)
9. "Hard to Explain," The Strokes
I remember when the Strokes were just breaking through -- the music press heralded them as the saviors of all music everywhere. When they turned out not to be, it was a disappointment. The hype managed to cover up the fact that, actually, they were really, really good. Not life-changing great, perhaps, but very, very good. (*****)
10. "4°," Tool
How to explain this one without including any words that might make Google think my site is about something it's not? Hmm. Maynard did some research, apparently, and found some interesting information about the female anatomy. It turns out that the interior of one, uh, opening is warmer -- by about four degrees -- than the other, uh, more standard opening. With such well-founded scientific evidence, he returns to his lady friend and makes his case: "You won't feel what you'd like to feel/Lay back and let me show you another way." Why he felt it necessary to write a song about it, I have no fucking clue. And if you think it's the last time he'd explore such subject matter in song, you're sadly mistaken. But there's your Way Too Much Insight Into Someone Else's Personal Life moment for today. You're welcome. (*****)
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Weekly iPod Shuffle: 1/13/08
1. "Lionized," The Tragically Hip
Gordie's lyrics are occasionally a little more offbeat than usual. Take this song's opening line: "Cold wind blowing over your private parts." I have no clue what this song is about. It's a good one, though. (Rating: ****)
2. "The Ascent of Stan," Ben Folds
Remember that Vampire game I ran for about three years? I named a whole host of NPCs after people in Ben Folds songs, including a guy named Stan. He was the guitar-playing husband of Benjamin's oldest granddaughter, Catherine (who I named after "Carrying Cathy," another Folds song from the same album). Initially, this was done without conscious effort -- it just happened coincidentally. By the time I got to Stan, it was deliberate. And of course, the only player left in the game, FRINAN, had no idea who Ben Folds was, so he didn't pick up on any of it. But I found it amusing. Inside jokes are fun! (Rating: ****)
3. "Look After You," The Fray
Good lord, the Fray have been overplayed to death. Maybe it's not as obvious to you, but at Job Number Two, the awful satellite radio stations we listen to are often packed with Fray singles (that is, when it isn't locked onto the '80s station). I still like this song, but I really don't ever want to hear it again. (Rating: ****)
4. "Counting Out Time," Genesis
So apparently, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway has a story. But I'll be damned if I can figure out what this song has to do with it, which describes Rael (the protagonist) buying a book that teaches him how to sexually please a woman, and then failing miserably. Peter Gabriel was fucking crazy back in the day. For real. (Rating: ****)
5. "Through the Wire," Kanye West
It's one thing to live through a devastating car crash while you're recording your long-awaited debut album. It's quite another thing to write a song about the triumph of your survival, and then record the vocal for said song while your jaw is still wired shut. Have I mentioned recently how much I like Kanye West? And a million bonus points for dropping a clever reference to Unbreakable. (Rating: *****)
6. "Lounge Act," Nirvana
You know those songs that resonate with you so much it feels like you wrote them yourself? Yeah, "Lounge Act" is like that. "Don't tell me what I want to hear/Afraid of never knowing fear/...I'll keep fighting jealousy until it's fucking gone/And I got this friend, you see, who makes me feel/And I wanted more than I could steal/I'll arrest myself and wear a shield/I'll go out of my way to prove I still smell her on you." That was me, last few years of high school. Maybe you had to be there. (Rating: *****)
7. "Maybe You're Right," Barenaked Ladies
The Ladies' last few studio albums haven't quite lived up to their earlier standards, but this is one of the gems. The final moments, with the out-of-nowhere horn section, are quite cool. (Rating: *****)
8. "Hunting Bears," Radiohead
This is a two-minute instrumental from Amnesiac. It sounds like nothing more than a guitar warmup, really, with Johnny playing a simple pattern along with a bass hum. And yet it's still cooler than what 95% of all the other bands out there can produce. That's Radiohead for you. (Rating: *****)
9. "Welcome to the Working Week," Elvis Costello
Here's a question: this song's opening line -- "Now that your picture's in the paper, being rhythmically admired" -- is Elvis talking about what I think he's talking about? (Rating: *****)
10. "When the Weight Comes Down," The Tragically Hip
See previous note regarding Gordie's lyrics. "In my dreams, a candy-coated train comes to my door/With a little girl I can't have anymore/You know a letter washes up to the shore/That I cannot read and I probably should ignore." (Rating: *****)
Gordie's lyrics are occasionally a little more offbeat than usual. Take this song's opening line: "Cold wind blowing over your private parts." I have no clue what this song is about. It's a good one, though. (Rating: ****)
2. "The Ascent of Stan," Ben Folds
Remember that Vampire game I ran for about three years? I named a whole host of NPCs after people in Ben Folds songs, including a guy named Stan. He was the guitar-playing husband of Benjamin's oldest granddaughter, Catherine (who I named after "Carrying Cathy," another Folds song from the same album). Initially, this was done without conscious effort -- it just happened coincidentally. By the time I got to Stan, it was deliberate. And of course, the only player left in the game, FRINAN, had no idea who Ben Folds was, so he didn't pick up on any of it. But I found it amusing. Inside jokes are fun! (Rating: ****)
3. "Look After You," The Fray
Good lord, the Fray have been overplayed to death. Maybe it's not as obvious to you, but at Job Number Two, the awful satellite radio stations we listen to are often packed with Fray singles (that is, when it isn't locked onto the '80s station). I still like this song, but I really don't ever want to hear it again. (Rating: ****)
4. "Counting Out Time," Genesis
So apparently, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway has a story. But I'll be damned if I can figure out what this song has to do with it, which describes Rael (the protagonist) buying a book that teaches him how to sexually please a woman, and then failing miserably. Peter Gabriel was fucking crazy back in the day. For real. (Rating: ****)
5. "Through the Wire," Kanye West
It's one thing to live through a devastating car crash while you're recording your long-awaited debut album. It's quite another thing to write a song about the triumph of your survival, and then record the vocal for said song while your jaw is still wired shut. Have I mentioned recently how much I like Kanye West? And a million bonus points for dropping a clever reference to Unbreakable. (Rating: *****)
6. "Lounge Act," Nirvana
You know those songs that resonate with you so much it feels like you wrote them yourself? Yeah, "Lounge Act" is like that. "Don't tell me what I want to hear/Afraid of never knowing fear/...I'll keep fighting jealousy until it's fucking gone/And I got this friend, you see, who makes me feel/And I wanted more than I could steal/I'll arrest myself and wear a shield/I'll go out of my way to prove I still smell her on you." That was me, last few years of high school. Maybe you had to be there. (Rating: *****)
7. "Maybe You're Right," Barenaked Ladies
The Ladies' last few studio albums haven't quite lived up to their earlier standards, but this is one of the gems. The final moments, with the out-of-nowhere horn section, are quite cool. (Rating: *****)
8. "Hunting Bears," Radiohead
This is a two-minute instrumental from Amnesiac. It sounds like nothing more than a guitar warmup, really, with Johnny playing a simple pattern along with a bass hum. And yet it's still cooler than what 95% of all the other bands out there can produce. That's Radiohead for you. (Rating: *****)
9. "Welcome to the Working Week," Elvis Costello
Here's a question: this song's opening line -- "Now that your picture's in the paper, being rhythmically admired" -- is Elvis talking about what I think he's talking about? (Rating: *****)
10. "When the Weight Comes Down," The Tragically Hip
See previous note regarding Gordie's lyrics. "In my dreams, a candy-coated train comes to my door/With a little girl I can't have anymore/You know a letter washes up to the shore/That I cannot read and I probably should ignore." (Rating: *****)
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Weekly iPod Shuffle: 1/6/08
Hey, the shuffles are back. I'd explain why they're back, but I can't remember why I stopped writing them in the first place. So let's just get on with it.
1. "Mama Said," Metallica
Yee-haw: we're back into the swing of things here with an obscure Metallica track. It's an important one, though -- of everything they've recorded in their twenty-five years, this is the most experimental. Of course, it's Metallica, so "experimental" means "country." Hetfield has always been an admirer of Lynyrd Skynyrd and other southern rock bands, but make no mistake -- this is a country song, as strange as that may sound. Suffice to say, this is from Load, their most experimental album. I'm working on a longer piece for next week that will delve deeper into the arc of Metallica's career, and why Load and Reload are good albums but ultimately forgettable ones; in the meantime, you should know that this track is...weird. Good -- but weird. (Rating: ****)
2. "Never Let Me Down," Kanye West (w/ Jay-Z & J-Ivy)
I really, really like Kanye West -- have you noticed? The only thing better is when Kanye produces a track for Jay-Z, and here they are together. Naturally, Hova blows Kanye off his own record, which is what always happens (he did again on Late Registration). West is all spiritual here, pondering his past as he recovers from the car accident that almost killed him. And that's why I really love his music: unlike most rap, it's so friggin' celebratory. Unlike Jay-Z's dominant businessman groaning under the weight of his empire, or Eminem's psychotic madman who just really loves his daughter, honest, Kanye seems to be completely in love with the world. And himself, of course. (Rating: *****)
3. "Subterranean Homesick Alien," Radiohead
Not to be confused with "Subterranean Homesick Blues," the classic Bob Dylan song Thom Yorke cribbed for his title here. In 1997, I held a little mini-Grammys among everyone I knew, writing up nominations myself and getting all my friends to vote. One category was Best Album Track, an award for the best song that wasn't getting played on the radio. "Subterranean Homesick Alien" won in a landslide. Not because my friends liked it -- I doubt any had heard it. But I was unable to restrain myself from lobbying for it, hard. So they voted it for it. Fixed elections, yay! Of course, looking back on it, "Alien" isn't the Best Album Track off of that album -- "Let Down" is. But this is OK Computer we're talking about, the greatest album of the last forty years; being the seventh best song on the record still isn't too shabby. (Rating: *****)
4. "Still Remains," Stone Temple Pilots
The first concert I ever saw? Stone Temple Pilots, at the Oklahoma City Zoo Amphitheater. I don't remember a thing about it now, other than watching my sister headbang to "Plush." Did they play this song? Your guess is as good as mine. It's a good song, though -- one of the few to age well as STP has sort of faded away with my adolescence. (Rating: *****)
5. "Going Under," Evanescence
Ahhh -- Amy Lee. Apparently, there are other people in the band -- guys, I think -- but I've never noticed. Have you? (Rating: *****)
6. "Now That It's Over," Everclear
All Everclear songs are created equal, but some are more equal than others. This track drags in strings and a metric fuckton of overdubs to try to hide the fact that it's really just the same Everclear song you've heard a billion times. Thankfully, Art's scathing lyrics are good enough to make the track stand out: "Nightmares just don't seem the same, baby, without you/I wish that I could find the words to tell you to politely go fuck yourself/Now that it's over." A great breakup song. (Rating: *****)
7. "In Bloom," Nirvana
My band, the Disposable Heroes, only managed to play three songs to completion at any of our aborted practices. This...was not one of them. We tried, though. How we tried. (Rating: *****)
8 . "Rock Lobster," The B-52's
Henry Rollins once told a story about finding himself stuck in a train station with his song playing in his headphones. In that tried, crazed moment, he realized...this was rock and roll in its purest form. Surf guitars, organs, and a guy shrieking about marine life in falsetto. Damn straight. (Rating: *****)
9. "Leslie Anne Levine," The Decemberists
One of my favorite songs by the Decemberists. With their songs, you're usually dealing with ghosts or pirates; this is the former. "Fifteen years gone now, I still wander this parapet and shake my rattle bone/Fifteen years gone now, I still cling to the petticoat of the girl who died with me." Seek out every single thing they've ever released. You'll thank me. (Rating: *****)
10. "'Til I Collapse," Eminem
Hey, there's Mr. Mathers. One of his heaviest tracks, and features one of my favorite Eminem moments -- while groaning about his unfair treatment in the media, he proclaims himself the ninth greatest rapper ever. An absolutely galactic statement of humility for a rapper, trust me. (Rating: *****)
----------------
Now playing: Eminem - 'Til I Collapse
via FoxyTunes
1. "Mama Said," Metallica
Yee-haw: we're back into the swing of things here with an obscure Metallica track. It's an important one, though -- of everything they've recorded in their twenty-five years, this is the most experimental. Of course, it's Metallica, so "experimental" means "country." Hetfield has always been an admirer of Lynyrd Skynyrd and other southern rock bands, but make no mistake -- this is a country song, as strange as that may sound. Suffice to say, this is from Load, their most experimental album. I'm working on a longer piece for next week that will delve deeper into the arc of Metallica's career, and why Load and Reload are good albums but ultimately forgettable ones; in the meantime, you should know that this track is...weird. Good -- but weird. (Rating: ****)
2. "Never Let Me Down," Kanye West (w/ Jay-Z & J-Ivy)
I really, really like Kanye West -- have you noticed? The only thing better is when Kanye produces a track for Jay-Z, and here they are together. Naturally, Hova blows Kanye off his own record, which is what always happens (he did again on Late Registration). West is all spiritual here, pondering his past as he recovers from the car accident that almost killed him. And that's why I really love his music: unlike most rap, it's so friggin' celebratory. Unlike Jay-Z's dominant businessman groaning under the weight of his empire, or Eminem's psychotic madman who just really loves his daughter, honest, Kanye seems to be completely in love with the world. And himself, of course. (Rating: *****)
3. "Subterranean Homesick Alien," Radiohead
Not to be confused with "Subterranean Homesick Blues," the classic Bob Dylan song Thom Yorke cribbed for his title here. In 1997, I held a little mini-Grammys among everyone I knew, writing up nominations myself and getting all my friends to vote. One category was Best Album Track, an award for the best song that wasn't getting played on the radio. "Subterranean Homesick Alien" won in a landslide. Not because my friends liked it -- I doubt any had heard it. But I was unable to restrain myself from lobbying for it, hard. So they voted it for it. Fixed elections, yay! Of course, looking back on it, "Alien" isn't the Best Album Track off of that album -- "Let Down" is. But this is OK Computer we're talking about, the greatest album of the last forty years; being the seventh best song on the record still isn't too shabby. (Rating: *****)
4. "Still Remains," Stone Temple Pilots
The first concert I ever saw? Stone Temple Pilots, at the Oklahoma City Zoo Amphitheater. I don't remember a thing about it now, other than watching my sister headbang to "Plush." Did they play this song? Your guess is as good as mine. It's a good song, though -- one of the few to age well as STP has sort of faded away with my adolescence. (Rating: *****)
5. "Going Under," Evanescence
Ahhh -- Amy Lee. Apparently, there are other people in the band -- guys, I think -- but I've never noticed. Have you? (Rating: *****)
6. "Now That It's Over," Everclear
All Everclear songs are created equal, but some are more equal than others. This track drags in strings and a metric fuckton of overdubs to try to hide the fact that it's really just the same Everclear song you've heard a billion times. Thankfully, Art's scathing lyrics are good enough to make the track stand out: "Nightmares just don't seem the same, baby, without you/I wish that I could find the words to tell you to politely go fuck yourself/Now that it's over." A great breakup song. (Rating: *****)
7. "In Bloom," Nirvana
My band, the Disposable Heroes, only managed to play three songs to completion at any of our aborted practices. This...was not one of them. We tried, though. How we tried. (Rating: *****)
8 . "Rock Lobster," The B-52's
Henry Rollins once told a story about finding himself stuck in a train station with his song playing in his headphones. In that tried, crazed moment, he realized...this was rock and roll in its purest form. Surf guitars, organs, and a guy shrieking about marine life in falsetto. Damn straight. (Rating: *****)
9. "Leslie Anne Levine," The Decemberists
One of my favorite songs by the Decemberists. With their songs, you're usually dealing with ghosts or pirates; this is the former. "Fifteen years gone now, I still wander this parapet and shake my rattle bone/Fifteen years gone now, I still cling to the petticoat of the girl who died with me." Seek out every single thing they've ever released. You'll thank me. (Rating: *****)
10. "'Til I Collapse," Eminem
Hey, there's Mr. Mathers. One of his heaviest tracks, and features one of my favorite Eminem moments -- while groaning about his unfair treatment in the media, he proclaims himself the ninth greatest rapper ever. An absolutely galactic statement of humility for a rapper, trust me. (Rating: *****)
----------------
Now playing: Eminem - 'Til I Collapse
via FoxyTunes
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Weekly iPod Shuffle: 9/16/07
(Sorry about the lack of consistent posts this last week; I've working hard on the second season of Veronica Mars, Half-Life 2, the next episode of Revolver [titled "Polyethylene (Part 1)"], an outline for a text-based video game about pirates on another planet, and stories for Hunter. Not a hundred percent sure about the order of completion, but I guessing Mars, outline, Revolver, Half-Life, Hunter.]
1. "I'll Stick Around," Foo Fighters
Our generation's version of Wings never really got better than their first two albums, did they? That's a real shame, considering how talented a drummer Dave Grohl is. (My rating: *****)
2. "Right Next Door to Hell," Guns N' Roses
This angry screed opens Use Your Illusion I. How angry is it, you ask? For no apparent reason, Axl lets loose a shrieking "Fuck you, bitch!" that drags the "you" out for almost fifteen seconds. 'Cause, see, he's angry. (Rating: ***)
3. "Someone Something," Spoon
Hey, it's your favorite part of the shuffle: this band you've probably never heard of is awesome, you should go buy the CD. In this case, the band is called Spoon. Oddly enough, their music is plastered all over Veronica Mars. Which is not a bad thing at all. (Rating: *****)
4. "Vienna," Billy Joel
This song features an accordion solo, which I wholeheartedly approve of. I think there should be more accordion in pop music. The only band I can think of that uses one regularly (other than Weird Al) is Counting Crows, and who takes them seriously? I mean, other than me? (Rating: *****)
5. "Limp," Fiona Apple
From the album with the hideously title. It's Fiona at her angriest and most ferocious: "It won't be long 'til you'll be lying limp in your own hands." The song is bloody fantastic, though. Remind me again why she isn't a worldwide superstar? Oh, right, she's insane. I remember now. (Rating: *****)
6. "People Just Love to Play with Words," Men at Work
Yes, I have a Men at Work album on my iPod. Actually, I have two. Not everything that came out during the '80s was throwaway crap, you know. A lot of it was, yes. But not everything. (Rating: *****)
7. "I'm Free," The Who
In Almost Famous, William's big sister leaves him all her albums. Attached to Tommy is a match and a note that says, "Listen to Tommy with a candle burning and you will see your entire future." Maybe if I listened to Tommy with a candle burning I might, ya know, like it. This song isn't bad, though. (Rating: ****)
8. "O Valencia!" The Decemberists
A passionate and tearjerking retelling of West Side Story (which is itself a retelling of Romeo and Juliet, of course) that's one of the best songs the Decemberists have yet recorded. Colin Meloy's voice is always superb, but it's in rare form here as he unfolds the tragic tale: the two lovers, members of rival gangs, are supposed to make their escape, but her sister rats them out. "All I heard was a shout of your brother calling me out/And you ran like a fool to my side/Well, the shot, it hit hard, and your frame went limp in my arms/And an oath of love was your dying cry....Oh, Valencia, with your blood getting cold on the ground/Valencia, and I swear to the stars, I'll burn this whole city down." Hmm? Oh, nothing...it's just...I have something in my eye.... (Rating: *****)
(That's actually a fan-made video, using band-supplied green-screen footage of themselves. It's much better than the actual video for the song.)
9. "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (live)," The Band
In last week's Hunter episode, Simon informed little Laura that the Band were "the band, the best band ever." After listening to this stunning version of their best song, it's hard to argue. (Rating: *****)
10. "Them That Got," Ben Folds
A live performance of a fragment of an old Ray Charles song. He promises the audience that he'll learn the rest someday. I hope he did, because the song is brilliant. (Rating: ****)
1. "I'll Stick Around," Foo Fighters
Our generation's version of Wings never really got better than their first two albums, did they? That's a real shame, considering how talented a drummer Dave Grohl is. (My rating: *****)
2. "Right Next Door to Hell," Guns N' Roses
This angry screed opens Use Your Illusion I. How angry is it, you ask? For no apparent reason, Axl lets loose a shrieking "Fuck you, bitch!" that drags the "you" out for almost fifteen seconds. 'Cause, see, he's angry. (Rating: ***)
3. "Someone Something," Spoon
Hey, it's your favorite part of the shuffle: this band you've probably never heard of is awesome, you should go buy the CD. In this case, the band is called Spoon. Oddly enough, their music is plastered all over Veronica Mars. Which is not a bad thing at all. (Rating: *****)
4. "Vienna," Billy Joel
This song features an accordion solo, which I wholeheartedly approve of. I think there should be more accordion in pop music. The only band I can think of that uses one regularly (other than Weird Al) is Counting Crows, and who takes them seriously? I mean, other than me? (Rating: *****)
5. "Limp," Fiona Apple
From the album with the hideously title. It's Fiona at her angriest and most ferocious: "It won't be long 'til you'll be lying limp in your own hands." The song is bloody fantastic, though. Remind me again why she isn't a worldwide superstar? Oh, right, she's insane. I remember now. (Rating: *****)
6. "People Just Love to Play with Words," Men at Work
Yes, I have a Men at Work album on my iPod. Actually, I have two. Not everything that came out during the '80s was throwaway crap, you know. A lot of it was, yes. But not everything. (Rating: *****)
7. "I'm Free," The Who
In Almost Famous, William's big sister leaves him all her albums. Attached to Tommy is a match and a note that says, "Listen to Tommy with a candle burning and you will see your entire future." Maybe if I listened to Tommy with a candle burning I might, ya know, like it. This song isn't bad, though. (Rating: ****)
8. "O Valencia!" The Decemberists
A passionate and tearjerking retelling of West Side Story (which is itself a retelling of Romeo and Juliet, of course) that's one of the best songs the Decemberists have yet recorded. Colin Meloy's voice is always superb, but it's in rare form here as he unfolds the tragic tale: the two lovers, members of rival gangs, are supposed to make their escape, but her sister rats them out. "All I heard was a shout of your brother calling me out/And you ran like a fool to my side/Well, the shot, it hit hard, and your frame went limp in my arms/And an oath of love was your dying cry....Oh, Valencia, with your blood getting cold on the ground/Valencia, and I swear to the stars, I'll burn this whole city down." Hmm? Oh, nothing...it's just...I have something in my eye.... (Rating: *****)
(That's actually a fan-made video, using band-supplied green-screen footage of themselves. It's much better than the actual video for the song.)
9. "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (live)," The Band
In last week's Hunter episode, Simon informed little Laura that the Band were "the band, the best band ever." After listening to this stunning version of their best song, it's hard to argue. (Rating: *****)
10. "Them That Got," Ben Folds
A live performance of a fragment of an old Ray Charles song. He promises the audience that he'll learn the rest someday. I hope he did, because the song is brilliant. (Rating: ****)
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Weekly iPod Shuffle: 9/9/07
1. "Falling for You," Weezer
From their best album, the underrated and little-heard masterpiece Pinkerton. It disappeared from view with the public because Rivers Cuomo decided to make a self-consciously uncommercial follow-up to the beloved "blue album" (hey, there's the Fleetwood Mac playbook again), and the result is an album buried in static, distortion and unpolished (and often off-key) vocals. Luckily, not even the raunchy sound can obscure the awesome songs beneath, and this one of the best. Some of the lyrics don't quite cohere, this being one of the tracks originally composed as part of a planned concept album based on Madame Butterfly, but it still rocks. (My rating: *****)
2. "Leave," Barenaked Ladies
All BNL albums feature Stephen Page and Ed Robertson sharing vocal duties, but Steve usually bares the brunt of the load (being the band's lead singer and all). Their US breakthrough album, Stunt, however, evens things almost equally. This is one of the songs sung by Ed, and is (allegedly) about him seeing the ghost of his deceased brother while on tour. As is the standard with the Ladies, you'd never know the song had such a dark genesis from the music itself, which is nice and shiny and features a wonderful "do do do do, do do do" sing-a-long chorus. (My rating: *****)
3. "With a Little Help from My Friends," The Beatles
On a recent episode of Storytellers, Ringo opened with a performance of this song (even though he didn't write it), saying that it had single-handedly allowed him to continue touring for forty years. And he's right -- I'd be willing to shell out for a ticket to hear Ringo sing "With a Little Help from My Friends." It's that good a song. (Rating: *****)
4. "Fight," The Tragically Hip
A grungy song about a frayed relationship. After a disagreement comes to a head, Gordie surrenders, but clears his motives first: "Do you think I bow how 'cause I think you're right, or 'cause I don't want to fight?" And while he's always been a great singer, this song features his wonderful voice especially well. (Rating: *****)
5. "White and Nerdy," "Weird Al" Yankovic
Just when I was thinking that Al was perhaps a little past his prime, he turns in this single, which became the biggest of his career. And it's one of his best parodies, turning quick phrases and funny lyrics with solid hip-hop skills. The only thing missing from his litany of nerdy touchstones (he picked up trivia mastery, Monty Python, D&D, the Renaissance Fair, bubble wrap, Wikipedia, and Star Trek) was World of Warcraft. But hey, the song is only three minutes long. (Rating: *****)
6. "Good Time (live)," Counting Crows
This is a smoky, jazzy-sounding live version that retains the unusual dynamics of the original. The verses and the choruses are both quiet and understated, but the guitar hook during the second half of the verse crashes in with a viciously distorted sound that vanishes as quickly as it arrived. Weird, but it's a great song. (Rating: ****)
7. "Am I Inside," Alice in Chains
This is from Sap, a five-track EP they released between albums. To expand their sound a little on this vaguely experimental record, they added a piano and brought in another Seattle native to sing backing vocals: Ann Wilson from Heart. If you're curious how she sounds harmonizing with Layne Staley's perpetually stoned moan, the answer can be found in your dictionary under "awesome." (Rating: *****)
8. "Mr. Blue Sky," Electric Light Orchestra
I don't know how or why this song became popular again over the last several years, but I'm not sorry it did. ELO isn't generally my cup of tea, but it's hard to dislike a song as this well-constructed and catchy as this one. It gets downright silly at the end, though. (Rating: *****)
9. "Hey Hey What Can I Do," Led Zeppelin
You know Hootie and the Blowfish covered this song? I've never heard their version, but I imagine it would be...interesting. (Rating: *****)
10. "Just Don't Give a Fuck," Eminem
I've waxed nostalgic about Em's heydey a few times before; no sense doing it again. Instead, I'll just provide some of his clever lyrics on display here: "I'm buzzin', Dirty Dozen, naughty rotten rhymer/Cursin' at you players worse than Marty Schottenheimer/You wacker than the motherfucker you bit your style from/You couldn't sell two copies if you pressed a double album....I'll diss your magazine and still won't get a weak review/I'll make your freak leave you, smell the Folgers crystals/This is a lyrical combat, gentlemen, hold your pistols/But I form like Voltron and blast you with my shoulder missiles....The looniest, spontaneous, sporadic/Impulsive thinker, compulsive drinker, addict/Half animal, half man/Dumpin' your dead body inside of a fuckin' trash can/With more holes than an afghan." Ah, the good ol' days. For some reason, though, my mom never got Eminem. Wonder why. (Rating: *****)
From their best album, the underrated and little-heard masterpiece Pinkerton. It disappeared from view with the public because Rivers Cuomo decided to make a self-consciously uncommercial follow-up to the beloved "blue album" (hey, there's the Fleetwood Mac playbook again), and the result is an album buried in static, distortion and unpolished (and often off-key) vocals. Luckily, not even the raunchy sound can obscure the awesome songs beneath, and this one of the best. Some of the lyrics don't quite cohere, this being one of the tracks originally composed as part of a planned concept album based on Madame Butterfly, but it still rocks. (My rating: *****)
2. "Leave," Barenaked Ladies
All BNL albums feature Stephen Page and Ed Robertson sharing vocal duties, but Steve usually bares the brunt of the load (being the band's lead singer and all). Their US breakthrough album, Stunt, however, evens things almost equally. This is one of the songs sung by Ed, and is (allegedly) about him seeing the ghost of his deceased brother while on tour. As is the standard with the Ladies, you'd never know the song had such a dark genesis from the music itself, which is nice and shiny and features a wonderful "do do do do, do do do" sing-a-long chorus. (My rating: *****)
3. "With a Little Help from My Friends," The Beatles
On a recent episode of Storytellers, Ringo opened with a performance of this song (even though he didn't write it), saying that it had single-handedly allowed him to continue touring for forty years. And he's right -- I'd be willing to shell out for a ticket to hear Ringo sing "With a Little Help from My Friends." It's that good a song. (Rating: *****)
4. "Fight," The Tragically Hip
A grungy song about a frayed relationship. After a disagreement comes to a head, Gordie surrenders, but clears his motives first: "Do you think I bow how 'cause I think you're right, or 'cause I don't want to fight?" And while he's always been a great singer, this song features his wonderful voice especially well. (Rating: *****)
5. "White and Nerdy," "Weird Al" Yankovic
Just when I was thinking that Al was perhaps a little past his prime, he turns in this single, which became the biggest of his career. And it's one of his best parodies, turning quick phrases and funny lyrics with solid hip-hop skills. The only thing missing from his litany of nerdy touchstones (he picked up trivia mastery, Monty Python, D&D, the Renaissance Fair, bubble wrap, Wikipedia, and Star Trek) was World of Warcraft. But hey, the song is only three minutes long. (Rating: *****)
6. "Good Time (live)," Counting Crows
This is a smoky, jazzy-sounding live version that retains the unusual dynamics of the original. The verses and the choruses are both quiet and understated, but the guitar hook during the second half of the verse crashes in with a viciously distorted sound that vanishes as quickly as it arrived. Weird, but it's a great song. (Rating: ****)
7. "Am I Inside," Alice in Chains
This is from Sap, a five-track EP they released between albums. To expand their sound a little on this vaguely experimental record, they added a piano and brought in another Seattle native to sing backing vocals: Ann Wilson from Heart. If you're curious how she sounds harmonizing with Layne Staley's perpetually stoned moan, the answer can be found in your dictionary under "awesome." (Rating: *****)
8. "Mr. Blue Sky," Electric Light Orchestra
I don't know how or why this song became popular again over the last several years, but I'm not sorry it did. ELO isn't generally my cup of tea, but it's hard to dislike a song as this well-constructed and catchy as this one. It gets downright silly at the end, though. (Rating: *****)
9. "Hey Hey What Can I Do," Led Zeppelin
You know Hootie and the Blowfish covered this song? I've never heard their version, but I imagine it would be...interesting. (Rating: *****)
10. "Just Don't Give a Fuck," Eminem
I've waxed nostalgic about Em's heydey a few times before; no sense doing it again. Instead, I'll just provide some of his clever lyrics on display here: "I'm buzzin', Dirty Dozen, naughty rotten rhymer/Cursin' at you players worse than Marty Schottenheimer/You wacker than the motherfucker you bit your style from/You couldn't sell two copies if you pressed a double album....I'll diss your magazine and still won't get a weak review/I'll make your freak leave you, smell the Folgers crystals/This is a lyrical combat, gentlemen, hold your pistols/But I form like Voltron and blast you with my shoulder missiles....The looniest, spontaneous, sporadic/Impulsive thinker, compulsive drinker, addict/Half animal, half man/Dumpin' your dead body inside of a fuckin' trash can/With more holes than an afghan." Ah, the good ol' days. For some reason, though, my mom never got Eminem. Wonder why. (Rating: *****)
Monday, September 03, 2007
Weekly iPod Shuffle: 9/2/07
1. "Possession," Sarah McLachlan
So here's an interesting story: McLachlan gets all these crazy letters from obsessed fans, right? She's creeped out. To cleanse her mind of the garbage, she writes a creepy pop song about the experience, called "Possession." It's written from a stalker's perspective, and features the type of whacked-out language you'd expect from such a person: "And I will be the one to hold you down/Kiss you so hard, I'll take your breath away/And after, I'd wipe away the tears/Just close your eyes, dear." So the song becomes a big hit, her first real success in America, and everyone's happy. Except one of her stalkers then sues her for royalties, claiming his letters were the basis for the song and she is using his intellectual property without permission. The Canadian legal system's head spontaneously combusts. Fortunately for them, the stalker committed suicide before the case could make it to a trial. (My rating: *****)
2. "Christmas at Ground Zero," "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Ground Zero" has a completely different definition in the American lexicon these days, but at the time Al recorded this song, it still referred to the site of a nuclear explosion. Surely, this is much funnier than the events of 9/11. (Actually, they seem to be, since this song is pretty funny.) (Rating: ****)
3. "Overkill," Colin Hay
As seen on Scrubs. I actually prefer the original Men at Work version, but this one's great, too. (Rating: *****)
4. "Savoy Truffle," The Beatles
Man, the Beatles could turn anything into a pop masterpiece, couldn't they? George Harrison wrote this one about Eric Clapton's love of chocolate. This same album (the "white album") featured songs about pigs, children's playground equipment (that's what a "Helter Skelter" is, a slide), tiger hunters, and "Birthday," in which the title word is spoken roughly 258 times. (Rating: ****)
5. "Party Man," Peter Gabriel
An obscure rarity from Pete, co-written by Tori Amos. It was featured somewhat prominently in the movie Virtuosity, which featured Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Louise Fletcher, and Ken Shamrock. One of these is not like the others. (Of course, Shamrock only appears in one scene, in the background, out of focus, and has no dialogue. Which, I can tell you after years of watching him on WWF TV, is precisely his range as an actor.) (Rating: ****)
6. "No Rain," Blind Melon
You may remember this as being the video with the bee girl. This, unfortunately, is the sum total of Blind Melon's impact on the cultural consciousness, because frontman Shannon Hoon thereafter fell into the pit of drug addiction and stayed there until his overdose two years later. (Rating: *****)
7. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," Jimi Hendrix
How the hell has this not made it into a Guitar Hero game yet? I mean, they put friggin' "Spanish Castle Magic," of all songs, in the first game (without the vocals, for reasons known only to them). (Rating: *****)
8. "Emaline," Ben Folds Five
An anomaly -- this is the only Ben Folds Five song to feature a guitar. As such, it sounds very odd and out-of-place, even on their rarities collection, Naked Baby Photos. It works better live, when Ben plays it solo on piano. (Rating: ****)
9. "Suffering Face," Elvis Costello
A bonus track on the King of America re-release. It's a simple vocal-and-acoustic-guitar arrangement, but the lyrics -- "You came in gentle as a lamb/And turned into a terror/And you left your love and other threats/In the steam fading on my bathroom mirror" -- are vintage Costello. You wouldn't know it from reading the liner notes, though: he credited all the songwriting on that album to his real name, Declan Patrick Aloysius MacManus (he actually added Aloysius to his legal name), and all the guitar playing is credited to the "L.H.C." -- the Little Hands of Concrete. He was in an odd frame of mind. (Rating: *****)
10. "What Makes You Think You're the One," Fleetwood Mac
So Fleetwood Mac makes Rumours, which sells about eighty bazillion copies and makes them all rich. Apparently, this pissed them off, so they returned to the studio and recorded Tusk, a deliberately un-Rumours double album that became infamous as a self-indulgent mess; it's the stereotypical disasterous follow-up record. Of course, all this ignores that Tusk is really, really good. (Rating: ****)
So here's an interesting story: McLachlan gets all these crazy letters from obsessed fans, right? She's creeped out. To cleanse her mind of the garbage, she writes a creepy pop song about the experience, called "Possession." It's written from a stalker's perspective, and features the type of whacked-out language you'd expect from such a person: "And I will be the one to hold you down/Kiss you so hard, I'll take your breath away/And after, I'd wipe away the tears/Just close your eyes, dear." So the song becomes a big hit, her first real success in America, and everyone's happy. Except one of her stalkers then sues her for royalties, claiming his letters were the basis for the song and she is using his intellectual property without permission. The Canadian legal system's head spontaneously combusts. Fortunately for them, the stalker committed suicide before the case could make it to a trial. (My rating: *****)
2. "Christmas at Ground Zero," "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Ground Zero" has a completely different definition in the American lexicon these days, but at the time Al recorded this song, it still referred to the site of a nuclear explosion. Surely, this is much funnier than the events of 9/11. (Actually, they seem to be, since this song is pretty funny.) (Rating: ****)
3. "Overkill," Colin Hay
As seen on Scrubs. I actually prefer the original Men at Work version, but this one's great, too. (Rating: *****)
4. "Savoy Truffle," The Beatles
Man, the Beatles could turn anything into a pop masterpiece, couldn't they? George Harrison wrote this one about Eric Clapton's love of chocolate. This same album (the "white album") featured songs about pigs, children's playground equipment (that's what a "Helter Skelter" is, a slide), tiger hunters, and "Birthday," in which the title word is spoken roughly 258 times. (Rating: ****)
5. "Party Man," Peter Gabriel
An obscure rarity from Pete, co-written by Tori Amos. It was featured somewhat prominently in the movie Virtuosity, which featured Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Louise Fletcher, and Ken Shamrock. One of these is not like the others. (Of course, Shamrock only appears in one scene, in the background, out of focus, and has no dialogue. Which, I can tell you after years of watching him on WWF TV, is precisely his range as an actor.) (Rating: ****)
6. "No Rain," Blind Melon
You may remember this as being the video with the bee girl. This, unfortunately, is the sum total of Blind Melon's impact on the cultural consciousness, because frontman Shannon Hoon thereafter fell into the pit of drug addiction and stayed there until his overdose two years later. (Rating: *****)
7. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," Jimi Hendrix
How the hell has this not made it into a Guitar Hero game yet? I mean, they put friggin' "Spanish Castle Magic," of all songs, in the first game (without the vocals, for reasons known only to them). (Rating: *****)
8. "Emaline," Ben Folds Five
An anomaly -- this is the only Ben Folds Five song to feature a guitar. As such, it sounds very odd and out-of-place, even on their rarities collection, Naked Baby Photos. It works better live, when Ben plays it solo on piano. (Rating: ****)
9. "Suffering Face," Elvis Costello
A bonus track on the King of America re-release. It's a simple vocal-and-acoustic-guitar arrangement, but the lyrics -- "You came in gentle as a lamb/And turned into a terror/And you left your love and other threats/In the steam fading on my bathroom mirror" -- are vintage Costello. You wouldn't know it from reading the liner notes, though: he credited all the songwriting on that album to his real name, Declan Patrick Aloysius MacManus (he actually added Aloysius to his legal name), and all the guitar playing is credited to the "L.H.C." -- the Little Hands of Concrete. He was in an odd frame of mind. (Rating: *****)
10. "What Makes You Think You're the One," Fleetwood Mac
So Fleetwood Mac makes Rumours, which sells about eighty bazillion copies and makes them all rich. Apparently, this pissed them off, so they returned to the studio and recorded Tusk, a deliberately un-Rumours double album that became infamous as a self-indulgent mess; it's the stereotypical disasterous follow-up record. Of course, all this ignores that Tusk is really, really good. (Rating: ****)
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Weekly iPod Shuffle: 8/26/07
1. "Like a Rolling Stone (live)," Bob Dylan
The most legendary performance of Dylan's most legendary song. Starting in the mid-sixties, Dylan would split his concerts in two -- the first half would be a solo folk set, merely Dylan with a harmonica and guitar, and the second would be an electric set with a backing band. While the folk crowds loved the acoustic songs, they loathed the rock set -- they felt Dylan was betraying the folk tradition by amping it up and pumping it through bombastic rock n' roll instruments. They would frequently boo and scream, throwing things at Dylan, calling him names, clapping at the wrong times to try to throw off his rhythm. At this show, at the Manchester Free Trade Hall in 1966, it came to an infamous conclusion. While the band is preparing to begin the final song, a fan yells out "Judas!" Several other people cheer and applaud. As Dylan starts to strum a few chords, he takes a moment to think, and then snarls at the heckler, "I don't believe you. You're a LIAR!" Then, he turns to his band and says, "Play it fucking loud!" And with that, they kick into the most acidic, most apocalyptic version of "Like a Rolling Stone" imaginable. The song is angry enough as it is, but the way Dylan howls out his vocals -- "You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't yoooooooooooooou!" -- is revelatory. A Bill Hicks-like instance of a performer turning the audience's antipathy into inspiration. And when it's over, everyone applauds. [My rating: *****]
2. "Midnight Star," "Weird Al" Yankovic
The jokes about tabloid magazines and their infamously goofy headlines -- "Your pet may be an extraterrestrial! The ghost of Elvis is living in my den!" -- are a little dated now, especially with the demise of The Weekly World News. But this remains one of Al's best original compositions. [My rating: *****]
3. "Another Girl," The Beatles
Paul taunts a disinterested lover by announcing that he doesn't need her, because he's got someone else, someone better than her, anyway. Paul's songs turned pretty bitter there in the mid-sixties, when his relationship with Jane Asher fell apart. See also "I'm Looking Through You." The sentiment in this song strangely reminds of a lyric in the new Kanye West single, "Stronger": "So how the hell could you front on me?/There's thousands of yous, there's only one me." [Rating: *****]
4. "It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World," James Brown
A very odd way to talk about the importance of women in our world: Brown argues, exhaustively, that men are responsible for everything -- they make everything, they run everything, they create everything, they have built the world and could destroy it if they wanted, but it would all be moot without women to stand beside them and be impressed. Uh, sure, if you say so. [Rating: ****]
5. "Blood of Eden (live)," Peter Gabriel
From his Secret World Live double-disc set, which remains one of my favorite live albums. The studio version of this song featured Sinead O'Connor on backing vocals; this live track has Paula Cole (who was famous for about fifteen minutes, you may recall), and is slightly superior. Pete's been working on a new studio album for about seven years now, but since it took roughly that long to make the last one, I'm not holding my breath. [Rating: *****]
6. "Beat It," Michael Jackson
Hey: when Michael was still Michael, and hadn't yet lost his musical inspiration -- to say nothing of his mind -- he made awesome music. "Beat It" is just as cool today as it was twenty years ago. So there. [Rating: *****]
7. "The Four Horsemen," Metallica
This song was one of several co-written by Dave Mustaine while he was still with the band. They reworked his riff and turned into this superlative track from their debut album, Kill 'Em All. Mustaine's band Megadeth recorded his "uncompromised" original version under the title "Mechanix" several years later. And advantage clearly goes to Metallica here, as they churn out one of their best songs and Megadeth merely bores you to death, as per usual. One of my favorite songs. [Rating: *****]
8. "Daredevil," The Tragically Hip
The Hip will write a song about anything -- anything at all. They've written songs about hockey, sharks, boating accidents, plane crashes, painters, colonial European oppression of the Indians, NAFTA, cops from the city in love with girls from the country, lines of longitude, or wrongly convicted murderers. This song is about someone going over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Hey, whatever works. [Rating: ****]
9. "Have You Seen Me Lately?" Counting Crows
For some reason, Crows singer-songwriter Adam Duritz developed a reputation as a whiny pop star angry at his own stardom. I can't imagine why -- it certainly had nothing to do with this song, which is a long, angry rant against his own stardom. He muses that the constant magazine articles about him paint a picture that isn't necessarily anything like him at all. "Could you tell me things you remember about me?" he asks. "And have you seen me lately?" I'd be a lot more skeptical of this attitude if the song weren't so fantastic. Which it is. [Rating: *****]
10. "You're So Vain," Carly Simon
One of the biggest mysteries in pop music, of course, is just who this song is about. Mick Jagger sings backing vocals, so a lot of people point the finger at him. But Warren Beatty has claimed that he's the real subject several times, which pretty much seals the deal: after all, Carly does point out that the target of her ire is so monumentally vain as to think the song about him. Pretty conclusive. [Rating: *****]
The most legendary performance of Dylan's most legendary song. Starting in the mid-sixties, Dylan would split his concerts in two -- the first half would be a solo folk set, merely Dylan with a harmonica and guitar, and the second would be an electric set with a backing band. While the folk crowds loved the acoustic songs, they loathed the rock set -- they felt Dylan was betraying the folk tradition by amping it up and pumping it through bombastic rock n' roll instruments. They would frequently boo and scream, throwing things at Dylan, calling him names, clapping at the wrong times to try to throw off his rhythm. At this show, at the Manchester Free Trade Hall in 1966, it came to an infamous conclusion. While the band is preparing to begin the final song, a fan yells out "Judas!" Several other people cheer and applaud. As Dylan starts to strum a few chords, he takes a moment to think, and then snarls at the heckler, "I don't believe you. You're a LIAR!" Then, he turns to his band and says, "Play it fucking loud!" And with that, they kick into the most acidic, most apocalyptic version of "Like a Rolling Stone" imaginable. The song is angry enough as it is, but the way Dylan howls out his vocals -- "You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't yoooooooooooooou!" -- is revelatory. A Bill Hicks-like instance of a performer turning the audience's antipathy into inspiration. And when it's over, everyone applauds. [My rating: *****]
2. "Midnight Star," "Weird Al" Yankovic
The jokes about tabloid magazines and their infamously goofy headlines -- "Your pet may be an extraterrestrial! The ghost of Elvis is living in my den!" -- are a little dated now, especially with the demise of The Weekly World News. But this remains one of Al's best original compositions. [My rating: *****]
3. "Another Girl," The Beatles
Paul taunts a disinterested lover by announcing that he doesn't need her, because he's got someone else, someone better than her, anyway. Paul's songs turned pretty bitter there in the mid-sixties, when his relationship with Jane Asher fell apart. See also "I'm Looking Through You." The sentiment in this song strangely reminds of a lyric in the new Kanye West single, "Stronger": "So how the hell could you front on me?/There's thousands of yous, there's only one me." [Rating: *****]
4. "It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World," James Brown
A very odd way to talk about the importance of women in our world: Brown argues, exhaustively, that men are responsible for everything -- they make everything, they run everything, they create everything, they have built the world and could destroy it if they wanted, but it would all be moot without women to stand beside them and be impressed. Uh, sure, if you say so. [Rating: ****]
5. "Blood of Eden (live)," Peter Gabriel
From his Secret World Live double-disc set, which remains one of my favorite live albums. The studio version of this song featured Sinead O'Connor on backing vocals; this live track has Paula Cole (who was famous for about fifteen minutes, you may recall), and is slightly superior. Pete's been working on a new studio album for about seven years now, but since it took roughly that long to make the last one, I'm not holding my breath. [Rating: *****]
6. "Beat It," Michael Jackson
Hey: when Michael was still Michael, and hadn't yet lost his musical inspiration -- to say nothing of his mind -- he made awesome music. "Beat It" is just as cool today as it was twenty years ago. So there. [Rating: *****]
7. "The Four Horsemen," Metallica
This song was one of several co-written by Dave Mustaine while he was still with the band. They reworked his riff and turned into this superlative track from their debut album, Kill 'Em All. Mustaine's band Megadeth recorded his "uncompromised" original version under the title "Mechanix" several years later. And advantage clearly goes to Metallica here, as they churn out one of their best songs and Megadeth merely bores you to death, as per usual. One of my favorite songs. [Rating: *****]
8. "Daredevil," The Tragically Hip
The Hip will write a song about anything -- anything at all. They've written songs about hockey, sharks, boating accidents, plane crashes, painters, colonial European oppression of the Indians, NAFTA, cops from the city in love with girls from the country, lines of longitude, or wrongly convicted murderers. This song is about someone going over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Hey, whatever works. [Rating: ****]
9. "Have You Seen Me Lately?" Counting Crows
For some reason, Crows singer-songwriter Adam Duritz developed a reputation as a whiny pop star angry at his own stardom. I can't imagine why -- it certainly had nothing to do with this song, which is a long, angry rant against his own stardom. He muses that the constant magazine articles about him paint a picture that isn't necessarily anything like him at all. "Could you tell me things you remember about me?" he asks. "And have you seen me lately?" I'd be a lot more skeptical of this attitude if the song weren't so fantastic. Which it is. [Rating: *****]
10. "You're So Vain," Carly Simon
One of the biggest mysteries in pop music, of course, is just who this song is about. Mick Jagger sings backing vocals, so a lot of people point the finger at him. But Warren Beatty has claimed that he's the real subject several times, which pretty much seals the deal: after all, Carly does point out that the target of her ire is so monumentally vain as to think the song about him. Pretty conclusive. [Rating: *****]
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