I'm not feeling especially inspired, blog-wise, this morning, and I've got another couple of busy days on tap, so you get the fall-back post of the uninspired blogger: Ten random tracks from my iTunes library (the four-and-five-star playlist), with commentary. I'm tempted to just steal Kate's musical range idea, but she thought of it first, so go comment at her place if you're interested.
Today's random tracks:
- "Meadowlake Street," Ryan Adams & The Cardinals. The "Song Lotto" pick at the show I saw, part of the fantastic second set.
- "Loving Cup," The Rolling Stones. Off Exile on Main St., which is the best Stones album ever.
- "Buffalo Soldier," Bob Marley & The Wailers. Everybody sing: "Ai-yi-yo, Ai-yi-yi yo..."
- "Real Love," Al Green. A slow ballad off one of his recent comeback album. I can't sing in that register.
- "Say Hello 2 Heaven," Temple Of The Dog. I can't sing in this register, either: Chris Cornell paying tribute to the guy from Mother Love Bone whose death indirectly led to Eddie Vedder being famous.
- "Tonight," Ryan Adams & The Cardinals. Another song off Cold Roses. I'm not sure why the iTunes shuffle algorithm does this-- it goes on weird kicks where it throws up all sorts of tracks by one artist.
- "Crime Scene Part One," The Afghan Whigs. "Do you think I'm beautiful? Do you think I'm evil?" Opening track off Black Love.
- "She's Leaving Home," The Beatles. I go back and forth about this song-- sometimes, I think it's trying too hard, sometimes, I think it's a good tune. I'm leaning toward "trying too hard" at the moment.
- "Anthem," Leonard Cohen. Leonard Cohen is more successful intellectually than musically, for me. When I force myself to listen carefully, I like his stuff, but as soon as I stop giving it my full attention, I can't remember a thing other than "croaky and depressing."
- "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)," Arcade Fire. I have no idea what this is about, but it's a cool song.
- "Always The Last To Know," Del Amitri. The kings of the pretty song about people behaving abominably.
Special bonus track from later in the playlist, than I'm earwormed with without actually listening to: "Teenage Dirtbag," by Wheatus. Yes, I'm a dork.
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Laika was the first dog in space (and died there), and the song starts off with a relative leaving home. The chorus is "Our mother shoulda just named you Laika". So.
Also, the only Leonard Cohen song I've heard is "Hallelujah", and then only because I'd heard the Jeff Buckley version first. It didn't make me want to hear more. Buckley's version is way, way better.
I think you meant to say "best album ever" when refering to Exile on Main St.
A bunch of Temple of the Dog tracks recently got spattered into my daily mix through my live updating Smart Playlist of unrated songs (about 1 in 20 of the total tracks loaded daily onto the Nano, roundabouts), and it's funny how uneven an album it is. It has some songs I really enjoy, and some others that just make me wonder what these guys were trying to do.
I find it interesting that there are pieces of music which are dislikeable when listened to casually, but are really engrossing when one focuses on them and that there is music that sounds really great when you listen casually but hen you listen closely, well, there's little substance - like a great deal of Electronic music these days. Not that Electronic music is bad or anything.
I'm thinking I could apply what you said about Leonard Cohen to Tom Waits or a lot of Stephen Merritt's stuff... if you're not paying close attention, it's just tuneless or, um, weird.
Well done on the Whigs entry, glad to see they've penetrated the realm of physics :-)
I agree that Buckley's 'Hallelujah' is better than the original but Lenny C is still one of the best songwriters around. Try 'If It Be Your Will' for size...
Cheem said
I'm thinking I could apply what you said about Leonard Cohen to Tom Waits or a lot of Stephen Merritt's stuff... if you're not paying close attention, it's just tuneless or, um, weird.
I first fell in love with the Magnetic Fields from having the entirety 69 Love Songs playing on repeat as background music for about a week.