Ickmusic’s Friday Five: March 7, 2008
by Michael
Today’s very special episode of the Friday Five was pre-recorded live in front of a studio audience.
Hello… is it me your looking for? In anticipation of a hectic Friday afternoon I’ve opted to write up the five on Thursday night. Don’t hold it against me. Last week, while all over the map, had a unifying theme a good song is a good song, no matter who plays it. And a bad song is… well, only good if Richard Cheese covers it! I also discovered that there is a decent live version of “Stairway to Heaven” (thanks Jim). Okay, so for you first timer’s here’s the scoop I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and then show you my five with some words for each track.
Then it’s your turn!
Here are this week’s tracks:
1. Prince – Starfish & Coffee (from Sign ‘O the Times)
Word salad for the pop crowd, “Starfish & Coffee” stands as one of my all time favorite Prince tracks. There’s something so free and unabashedly simple about the tune that His Royal Badness rarely shows. Even when I suffer the “Purple Ear Fatigue” I can still pop this track on and enjoy.
2. Duke Ellington & His Orchestra – Take the “A” Train (MP3) (from Sir Duke)
This reminds me of growing up and hearing my Nana’s radio in the kitchen. I’ve developed a deep love for all manners of jazz over the years and the big band stuff is no exception. The melodies are timeless and recordings sound so warm and inviting.
3. Foo Fighters – On the Mend (from In Your Honor)
From the acoustic half of the two disc set this is one of my favorite tracks from the record overall. I’ve still got a bit of the afterglow of seeing these guys last month.
4. Elvis Costello – Night Rally (MP3) (from This Years Model)
For me, this is where I think Elvis Costello (with The Attractions here) shines. In searching for the retail link I see that this record recently got the “Deluxe Edition” complete with live, demo and alternate tracks. I’ll have to pick it up… thanks shuffle for reminding me!
5. Def Leppard – Bringing On the Heartbreak (from Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection)
Ahh the teenage angst filled memories. I’ve seen these guys more times then I care to admit and I will say that they are one of the most fun acts I’ve seen. Sure they are over processed but they manage to pull off sounding close to the recorded versions every time.
We’re opening the phone lines now, let us know what your ‘Friday Five’ looks like.
March 7, 2008 - 11:07 am
1. “Icehouse” by Icehouse, off the”Icehouse” album. I actually really like Icehouse. Reminds me of my college days.
2. “Pista 15″ from that Catalan version of “Sweeney Todd.” One would think that with 18,000 tracks in my iTunes, I wouldn’t keep getting songs from this all the time. Or the live performance of “The Sound of Music” from 1966. I bet something from one or the other of them has shown up in every Friday shuffle. This is the “Tower of Bray” portion of “Parlor Songs.” And actually, I should clarify–it’s the actors from the original Catalan production, but they’re actually singing in Spanish, because this was from a performance in Madrid. (Not that I can tell the difference by listening.)
3. “Bella Luna” by Venus Hum. I had no idea what this was until I listened to it. It’s quite mellow and sounds a lot like Clannad.
4. “Kansas” by Jesse Henry. This is one of those “One guy and an acoustic guitar” songs (except there’s an extra guy occasionally providing background vocals). It’s really nice. I should listen to it more often.
4. “The Sleep of the Just” by Ray Wylie Hubbard. I downloaded this from Amazon about six years ago, when Amazon had a bunch of free downloads.
March 7, 2008 - 2:45 pm
1. “They” by Jem from the 2004 album titled Finally Woken. I love this song and this album. What ever happened to Jem? If anyone knows, let me know.
2. “Star Witness” by Neko Case from Fox Confessor Brings the Flood. One of my favorite songs from Neko Case (and there are so many great songs to choose from!)
3. Watch Your Step by Elvis Costello. I love old Elvis.
4. “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith. So, the first three songs were great at least. I have to admit though, I really like Aerosmith although I prefer their older stuff.
5. “The Nicest Kids in Town” from the Hairspray soundtrack. What a great movie and a great soundtrack.
March 8, 2008 - 9:47 pm
It’s a Saturday Night Five, but if our host can do his on Thursday, I can do mine on Saturday.
1. “Blind Girl” by Etta James from “Deep in the Night,” 1978. A reworking of her classic “I’d Rather Go Blind.” The re-do is not bad, but it can’t touch the original.
2. “Longing in Their Hearts” by Bonnie Raitt from “Longing in Their Hearts,” 1994. Bonnie’s made some great records and she’s made some okay ones, but I’m not sure she’s ever made a bad record. “Longing . . .” falls somewhere in the middle, I guess, which means it’s better a lot of people’s best work.
3. “Smoking Gun” by Robert Cray from “Strong Persuader,” 1986. We seem to be in a blues vein here, which is fine.
4. “The Flood” by Old & In The Gray from “Old & In The Gray,” 2002. Well, some bluegrass for a change. Worth seeking out.
5. “Time On The Inside” by Alex Taylor from “Voodoo in Me,” 1989. Back to the blues and a pretty good album from the late Alex, brother to James, Livingston and Kate.