The Friday Five: May 21, 2010
Friday Five : ‘frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes, then share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a 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:
“Lenny” by Stevie Ray Vaughn (from Texas Flood, 1983)
The story behind “Lenny,” the guitar and a song, is nothing short of beautiful. I’m not sure that I’ve told it before – and if I have, humor me – but it goes like this: Vaughn finds a ’65 Strat in an Austin pawnshop that, despite being refinished and looking every bit its age, he was smitten with. The problem was the $350 price tag was out of reach for the struggling blues man and his wife. With his birthday coming up, Lenora reached out to local friends and gathered the cash for the guitar and presented him with it at a birthday gig. That night he sat down and wrote the instrumental tribute to his wife Lenny on that same guitar, the rest is history.
“Got to Be Real” by Cheryl Lynn (from The Disco Years, Vol. 2: On the Beat, 1990)
I’m a sucker for a great disco tune. Knock it all you like; but there was some solid musicians driving those tunes that still don’t get the respect they deserve. Take Cheryl Lynn’s brilliant “Got to Be Real,” for example; a peek under the covers reveals Toto’s David Paich, Jeff Porcaro, and Ray Parker Jr. performing the Paich/David Foster penned track. Okay, maybe this was a bad example. Either way, I love this tune.
“I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5 (from Greatest Hits, 1971)
“Aw baby, give me one more chance,” an impassioned far beyond his age Michael Jackson pleads. How the hell he was able to muster up the cojones to sing like that is a mystery.
“Just not Just” by The Guggenheim Grotto (from Happy the Man, 2008)
I’m not going to mince words here, The Guggenheim Grotto just released their new record The Universe is Laughing and you can should purchase it here.
“Almost Paradise” – Mike Reno & Ann Wilson (from Footloose, 1981)
Most of you are aware of my friend and Popdose colleague Jason Hare. If you pay close enough attention you are also aware of his plethora of musical projects, but you may not be aware of his altruistic nature and huge heart. Those two worlds came together last Saturday night, when he played a benefit show to “KICK CANCER’S A**!” to raise money to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Jason, along with his wife Jessica, is running the 2010 NYC Triathlon and raising money in the process – you can learn more, and help here. At any rate, one of the highlights of the show was the Acoustic ‘80s performance of the love theme from Footloose by Jason, along with guest vocalist Jennifer Gembs. The tune has always been a favorite of mine, and I swear I squealed like a tween girl at a Justin Bieber concert when they started playing it.
What’s on your shuffle today?
Ickmusic’s Friday Five: November 7, 2008
A quickie this week…
For those who have not joined in the Five, here’s how it works: … I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five with a bit of insight for each track.
Then it’s your turn! Just share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments and see what your fellow readers are listening to as well.
Here are this week’s tracks:
1. U2 – Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (from Achtung Baby)
Apparently a young bikini-clad lady is the current answer.
2. Ani DiFranco – Providence (feat. Prince) (from To the Teeth)
I know that it’s a stretch, but listen to Ani‘s “You Had Time” (from Out of Range) and then Prince‘s “Eye Love U, but Eye Don’t Trust U Anymore” (from Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic, which Ani provides guitar work) and then this track and tell me that it does not form an unholy trinity of a single story arc about relationships gone sour and the unhealthy way we handle them. One of the most demure and restrained Prince guest performances I have ever heard.
3. Jay-Z – Can I Get A… (feat. Amil of Major Coins and Ja Rule) (from Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life)
Mmm-Hmm…
4. Mike Reno and Ann Wilson – Almost Paradise (Love Theme From Footloose) (from Footloose)
So do you think that they’ll get David Cook and Carrie Underwood to perform this tune for the upcoming remake of the film? Cheese factor be damned, I like this song a whole lot.
5. Trivium – Dying in Your Arms (from Ascendancy)
I could do without the cookie monster vocal during the breakdown, but outside of that this song is rather kick-ass.
Tag, you’re it!