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Truffle Shuffle
Probably the greatest Ipod feature is "Shuffle Songs," which allows the listener to listen to what adds up to the world's greatest radio station, because you get all of the randomness and surprise of radio without the risk of hearing Maroon 5.
95% of my ipod time is spent on shuffle, and I love the endless progression of songs I a) had forgotten b) somehow never heard or c) totally love. Today, we do a variation on the monthly "Most Played" list, and I am going to put my ipod on shuffle right here at work and write about the next ten songs that pop up. (It's a slow day). This could prove terribly embrassing as I have 13,000 songs, no idea what's going to come up, and I have sworn to myself that I will be totally honest with you. Come. Shuffle with me.
"I'll Hold You In My Heart (Till I Can't Hold You In My Heart)" by Elvis Presley. A great start. Off Elvis's best album, "From Elvis In Memphis," (a few years past thin young Elvis, but a few years from eating coffee cakes on the toilet Elvis...just right), this little bluesy number is going along slow and steady and then Elvis really pours that heart out a few minutes in. His voice was at his best here, which is saying something. GOLD.
"To Sir With Love" by Al Green, Not as gay as it sounds, this song was written about a teacher as far as I know. Petula Clark did the original. This is better. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I think that Al Green can really sing!
"Wheels On Fire" by The Magic Numbers. One problem with the ipod is that when I get a new CD I tend to just put it on the ipod, go on listening to it on shuffle and never hear some really great stuff. I bought this album a while ago on the basis of some strong buzz, and it got buried in the bowels of the ipod. Then the other day their song "Forever Lost" popped up. I have probably listened to that song 100 times since. Beautiful. (Expect it on the next Most Played report). Did it inspire me to listen to the rest of the CD? No, I just kept shuffling. Never heard this "Wheels on Fire," it's very slow and pretty. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love a guy and a girl singing together.
"Wake Up Dead Man" by U2. Hmmm, this song doesn't really ring a bell. It's off of "Pop" so needless to say I haven't listened to it much. Although I am one of the few who would put "Zooropa" with their best work. Uh...this song's pretty cool, it makes me feel like doing heroin. It's not "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses," but it's nice.
"Turd On The Run" by The Rolling Stones, I'm just waiting for the ball to drop and something from the Josie and the Pussycats soundtrack (which totally rocks!) to sneak its way on here. This is an OK song from a great album, "Exile On Main Street," often (incorrectly, I think) called their best record. I've always been a "Sticky Fingers" man myself. Insert "jerkoff" joke here. Insert "insert" joke here as well.
"The Headmaster Ritual" by The Smiths. My Lord, I love The Smiths. Morrissey's voice is certainly an acquired taste, but I love it. 50% of today's "indie" bands are copying The Smiths, and looking all the more dull by comparison. Johnny Marr is one of rock's great guitarists, Morrissey one of its greatest lyricists. Glad they met. Although this is FAR from my favorite Smiths song.
"The Neverending Story" by Limahl. And the ball drops. I recently bought this five disc, 100 song 80s compilation for 20 bucks, and it's got some WEIRD choices. Like this one, by one of the 80s biggest stars. Honestly, any discussion of popular music of the 1980s includes three names: Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, and Limahl. Still, this song takes me back big time, to sitting Indian style on my living room floor, watching The Neverending Story again and again despite the fact that it scared the shit out of me, with its rock creatures and talking snails. Even the heroes were freaky, what's up with that big flying dog? And remember when that dude's horse drowns in the quicksand? FUCKED UP. This is going in the Netflix queue, I have to watch it again and see if it's everything I remember. ATREYU!!!!
"Love and Mercy" by Brian Wilson. Brian Wilson, what a sad story. One minute you're writing some of the world's most beloved songs, the next you're standing onstage in a sailor's cap like an assclown trying to keep from shitting yourself. Such is life. Read his autobiography, although you have to take it with a grain of salt since Brian Wilson is far from the most reliable narrator. His solo albums are hit and miss, but his first one is pretty solid, and this song is insanely good and sad.
"50 Candles" by Boyz II Men. YAHTZEE! Boyz II Men get nowhere NEAR the props they deserve. Their songs and certainly their singing TOWER above other "boy bands" both of that time and later. (Your NKOTBs, your Color Me Badds, your N'Syncs, your Backstreet Boys, your O-Towns, I could go on...) Their hits are certainly stronger than their album tracks--like "50 Candles," but I defy any two people to sit in the same room with this song playing and not fuck each other within an inch of their lives. The lyrics are hilarious, "As I kiss you in the place where your composure comes undone?" Yikes! "Holding your body like a plastic molding, your soul I'll be controlling?" Ouch. But the smooth harmonies pull it off. This song also features the B2M trademark: the spoken word interlude. (You know what I mean, something like, "Girl. I've been thinking a lot abowchoo lately"). Only them and Elvis are able to pull this off. No one else should try. I could devote an entire post to "End Of The Road," which is an emotional powerhouse and, I honestly believe, one of the greatest songs ever written.
"4th of July" by X. Man, this turned out to be a really good run of songs. Again, man and woman singing. X gets NO respect today. Nothing. No one listens to or talks about X. A husband and wife team, they made some of the best punk rock there is. Like, seriously, better than Good Charlotte! This song appears to be chronicling the end of their marriage, and it is pretty devastating. Listen to the lyrics on this thing, rough. Basically, the premise is that they're so busy fighting and holding grudges and all the bullshit that comes with the end of a relationship that they don't notice it is the Fourth of July. The guy, John Doe, is trying to convince his girlfriend to come outside with him and watch the fireworks and maybe they'll forget their problems. It's really sad, and extremely relatable.
And might as well close with a lyric from the next song that plays:
"I know I should get next to you, you've got a look that makes me think you're cool. But it's just sexual attraction, not something real, so I'd rather keep wacking."
Love it. If you guys get a few minutes, drop your shuffle list on here. I love reading stuff like that.
This is from a great song, "Why Bother?" by Weezer.
Yes, you can buy software that allows you to put DVDs on the ipod, but I
don't know specifics. I'm sure you can find something on the Web. There are
rumors that Apple will soon allow movie downloads on iTunes. And, Yes, I am
a nerd.
1. jane by ben folds five
2. honesty by billy joel
3. Gorgeous by Gene Loves Jezebel (?? no idea, never listened to before.
haha)
4. California dreaming by mamas and the papas
5. candy shop by 50 cent!
6. hot for teacher by van halen
7. up close from up close and personal soundtrack (instrumental! one of the
best film score pieces!)
8. Track 10 - Postal Service (from Give Up)(don't know the name)
9. Son Cuero Y Boogaloo (from my caribbean music class in college)
10. A Lo Cubano (a rap...another from caribbean music class)
As much as you may love Boyz II men they are absolutely terrible in
concert. Picture the spoken word interlude and insert that for about 10
minutes thoughout each song. Spanning 6 songs they actually performed.
And why did they stop doing burger king commercials? I really miss them,
The King really freaks me out.
Ben,
Well, STICKY FINGERS might have higher production value and smoother tunes,
but EXILE has that raw LACK of production value and broad range of song
styles that has allowed it to come to embody the Stones (and on a grander
scale, hard rock) so well. Plus it was a double-album, and you know
critics love a double album. I myself am an EXILE man, I have a soft spot
for purposefully poor (or spotty) production, and I love how low in the mix
(across the board on the album) Mick's vocals are. Which is not to say he
isn't among the very best rock vocalists of all time (as he is, of course),
but man, what a decision. Or lack of a decision. Beauty in chaos and
whatnot.
yes pat, there is a song called jane. It is off Ben Folds live album, not
ben folds five..."Ben Folds Live" haha. good album!
I saw Boys II Men in concert back in third grade, when they were opening
for MC Hammer in Dayton, Ohio. I hated them. But it probably didn't have
anything to do with their performance quality. That was impossible to judge
because I was too anxious for Hammer to bring down the house with "Can't
Touch This."
It must be said that "Jane" is also on the BFFive "Reinhold Messner" album.
Here we are:
Curry, "Planet of Sound" was (originally) on the album TROMPE LE MONDE.