• Friday Five

    The Friday Five: October 30, 2009

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    Friday Five : ˈfrī-(ˌ)dā,-dē ˈfīv : On the sixth day of every week I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.

    The Five:

    Hanson – “MMMBop” (mp3) (from Middle of Nowhere, 1997)

    From The Osmonds to Taylor Swift every generation has its own batch of teeny-bopper talent. The ‘90s spawned the trio of Hanson brothers and their über-catchy blend of sunny post-grunge, alternative-pop and Motown informed harmonies and what could possibly be the most ubiquitous hit of the ‘90s. No small feat for a group of adolescents from Oklahoma. And for the record, yes this album is in my library.

    The Beatles – “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” (from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967)

    While I’ve just recently come up for air from my prolonged dive into the Beatles remastered collection I still cannot hear these songs enough. If you’ve not picked up any of the collection yet I cannot suggest strongly enough that you put the entire collection on your Mellowmas list.

    2Pac – “California Love (long radio edit)” (from How Do U Want It, 1996)

    California knows how to party… Proof!

    Everything But the Girl – “Time After Time” (mp3) (from Acoustic, 1992)

    I’m certain that I’ve said before that covers of a classic song can sometimes exceed the original performance. More often than not, the cover is merely a dutiful facsimile. Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” has been recorded by no less than 45 artists in the 25 years since its original release and of the versions that I’ve heard not one comes close to the original but this rendition by the British duo holds its own.

    Prince & The Revolution – “Raspberry Beret” (from Around the World in a Day, 1985)

    After the success of Purple Rain Prince surprised everyone by releasing the neo-psychedelia opus Around the World in a Day with little fanfare. The music was closer to the less radio-friendly fare of 1999 and showcased the increasing input of the members of the Revolution. “Raspberry Beret” itself was more straightforward pop than anything else and to this day gets play when Prince tours.

    Hit that shuffle button and drop yours in the comments!