Friday Five

Ickmusic’s Friday Five: April 4, 2008

https://ickmusic.com/pics/FridayFive.png

Face down in the gutter won’t admit defeat though his clothes are soiled and black, he’s a big, strong man with a child’s mind, don’t you take his booze away!

Is it April already? The first quarter of the year flew by and as a full time bean counter I’ve spent the last week up to my eyeballs in said beans so I’m ready for a fix (or five). We returned last week to a full house… Colin, Joe, Frank, the Tap! We had a few regulars and a few new faces in the fivers club. Membership is easy (and has its privileges); just follow my lead. Hit shuffle on the music player of your liking and share with the rest of the world!

That’s it, now onto the shuffle!

Here are this week’s tracks:

1. Erykah Badu – Stay (from Live)

One listen to Ms. Badu’s version of Chaka Khan’s brilliant “Stay” will make a true believer out of the most steadfast critic. And for those who have not picked up her latest realease New Amerykah, Part One (4th World War), click that link and remedy that situation now.

2. Sarah McLachlan – Shelter (violin mix) (MP3) (from Rarities, B-Sides, and Other Stuff)

Another vocal powerhouse, this is a sparse and hauntingly beautiful version of a track from her sophomore record Solace.

3. Sisters of Mercy – This Corrosion (from A Slight Case of Overbombing: Greatest Hits, Volume One)

Industrial, Goth, Electronica… there are a slew of labels that all somehow apply to the Sisters. If I had to pick one for this track it would be Grandeur. The pairing of Andrew Eldritch’s eloquence and view of the world and Jim Steinman’s over the top orchestration worked perfectly in this tune that can only be described as epic.

4. Madonna – Like a Prayer (from The Immaculate Collection)

Before the faux British accent and reliance on vocal enhancement software Madge had the ability to drop some shock and awe on the public conscious. Looking back it was all rather passé, but at the time shit was deep (burning crosses and making out with an African-American)! Truth be told, I prefer this model to her latest incarnation. I’m sure I’m not alone.

5. Guns N’ Roses – Paradise City (MP3) (from Appetite for Destruction)

It’s a damned shame that Axl Rose has allowed (some may say caused) the deterioration of the band’s reputation over the years. To me this still stands as one of the finest rock records ever committed to tape. I’ve burned out more than half a dozen copies of this album over the years and even 21 years later it sounds as vital and aggressive as it originally did.

So now it’s your turn, what’s closing your day?

11 Comments

  • Cam

    1. ‘Outfit’ Drive-by Truckers, from ‘Decoration Day’ (2003)

    Featuring then new Trucker, now solo artist Jason Isbell. Jason passes along his dad’s advice to him when he embarked on his career as a musician: “Have fun, but stay clear of the needle, call home on your sister’s birthday. Don’t tell them you’re bigger than Jesus, Don’t give it away.”

    2. ‘Boxing My Shadow’ K’naan, from ‘The Dusty Foot Philosopher’ (2005)

    Hailing from Mogadishu, Somalia, and now based in Toronto, K’naan has been called “one of the first of the hip-hop generation born outside the US or Europe”. Last I heard he was recording the follow-up to this, his first album, in Jamaica.

    #3: ‘White Ladder’ David Gray, from ‘White Ladder’ (2000)

    #4: ‘Exercise in C Major for Harmonica, Blues and Shufflers (Live)’ John Mayall, from ‘Jazz Blues Fusion (Live)’ (1972)

    Funny when you hit shuffle and get a tune with shuffle in the title! Elsewhere I’ve seen the name lopped off after Harmonica – no fun. Live, just in case you didn’t notice the name of the song, and album. Same with blues.

    #5: ‘Lonely Jackson Trigger’ Zubot & Dawson, from ‘Chicken Scratch’ (2002)

    A quirky jazz/blues/bluegrass number from this BC duo’s 3rd album together.

  • Jim

    Hey now, Hey now .. This corrosion, been a long while since I replayed that track.

    Love the Murphy’s link, needed that on my Friday

  • ljhord

    “Hideaway” by Freddie King
    “Don’t Answer Me” by The Alan Parsons Project
    “That’s The Way It Goes” by George Harrison
    “I Think It’s Going To Work Out Fine” by Ry Cooder
    “I Want You Back” by K.T. Tunstall

  • RobC

    1. Elvis Costello – My Dark Life (from Extreme Honey – The Very Best of the Warner Bros. Years (1997))
    -His stuff from this period is really under-rated (if you ask me!). It lacks the ‘punk’ feel of his earlier stuff, but it’s richer musically & still has the anger (see Tramp the Dirt Down if in doubt).

    2. Pixies – Mr. Grieves (from Doolittle (1989))
    -Everyone should own Doolittle & Surfer Rosa (at the very least). I’m still sad I missed them on the reunion tour in 2004.

    3. Fleetwood Mac – Think About Me (Single Version) (from The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac (2002))
    -Fleetwood Mac is one of the few bands that I enjoy no matter what mood I’m in.

    4. Ben Folds – Narcolepsy (Ben Folds Live (2002))
    -I really enjoy Ben, but I can’t get into this album. I don’t know if that reflects on his live show or not.

    5. Black Sabbath – War Pigs (from We Sold Our Soul For Rock N Roll (1976))
    -I actually heard the Faith No More version of this song first, believe it or not. This song is the sole reason I listen to Sabbath.

  • Michael

    Jim – I think that I may have seen you driving westbound on 84 a few weeks ago, and you are welcome for the Murphy’s… it’s a Friday favorite for me. Now where’s your five?!?

    RobC – I totally support your statement that everyone should own Doolittle & Surfer Rosa.

  • whiteray

    1. “I’d Love To Change The World” by Ten Years After, Columbia single 45457, 1971. “Tax the rich, feed the poor, ’til there are no rich no more” certainly dates the song, as does the winking reference to “dykes and fairies.” But, still, I’d love to change the world.

    2. “Good To Me As I Am To You” by Aretha Franklin from “Lady Soul,” 1968. For about four years, from 1967 through 1970, was there anyone better?

    3. “Bodhisattva” by Steely Dan from “Countdown to Ecstasy,” 1973. Maybe it doesn’t really mean anything at all.

    4. “Ain’t That So” by Roxy Music from “Manifesto,” 1979. This is another one where the mood matters, not the meaning.

    5. “I Ain’t Blue” by Koener, Ray & Glover from “One Foot in the Groove,” 1997. Just the blues and nothing more. But sublimely done by a trio that had been playin’ together since the early Sixties.

  • Jim

    Michael : 84 West in recent weeks would have been the Blue Corvette, sorry for blowing past you!

    The five:
    1. “Coin Operated Boy” Dresden Dolls” (seems I have a Boston Thing happening.)
    2. “Territorial Pissing” Nirvana, Banned for Life Bootleg.
    3. “Commissioning a Symphony in C” Cake, Comfort Eagle
    4. “A Length of Pipe” Holly Golightly, Painted On
    5. “The Gloaming” Radiohead, Hail to the Thief

  • KathyB

    I’m a little late, but in all fairness, these were the songs that came up when I hit the “Refresh” button on Friday afternoon. I’m actually not ashamed of them, for once.

    1. “Keep Breathing” by Ingrid Michaelson

    2. “Love Is Stronger Far Than We” by Astrud Gilberto

    3. “Don’t Panic” by Coldplay

    4. “Air” by the Owls. (GREAT song.)

    5. “Off the Tracks” by Charlotte Kendrick

    And I LOVE the sixth track that came up– “What’s Wrong with This Picture?” by Bourgeois Tagg.

  • Anne

    1. Dancing Days–Led Zeppelin from Houses of the Holy, 1973. I always enjoy it when some Zeppelin pops up.

    2. How to Save a Life–The Fray from How to Save a Life album, 2005. I have just a few songs from this album and I don’t listen to it too much.

    3. Lay Down (Ballad of Rigobero Alpizar)–Jeremy Fisher from Goodbye Blue Monday, 2007. This is one of those albums that I learned about on a blog. I really enjoy this album but I don’t think he has too much of a following. His music is somewhat folk, somewhat pop. Really good!

    4. That was Your Mother–Paul Simon from Graceland, 1986. Such a great album. It was great then, I still enjoy it. I esp. appreciate it whenever I listen to Vampire Weekend now!

    5. Letterbomb–Green Day from American Idiot, 2004. Everyone knows this album, I don’t need to add anything.

  • Jim Russell

    As usual, I’m bringing up the rear of the Fivers.

    I have to admit, ljhord’s list could easily have come up on my shuffle.

    Here’s mine:

    1. Yes / Roundabout (2002 live, from “Extended Versions”) – This song never gets old for me. The original “Fragile” version was one of my high-school staples, and one of the first songs I learned to play on guitar. (I can still play it without even thinking about it. Muscle memory.) Hearing Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman attack the instrumental break is always a pleasure.

    2. Chad and Jeremy / A summer song (1964, from “Yesterday’s Gone”) – Iconic ’60s song that has aged very well. Probably the best thing this duo ever recorded.

    3. Sly and the Family Stone / Thankful ‘n’ thoughtful (1973, from “Fresh”) – A bit past the Sly Stone prime, but still a nice bit o’ funk.

    4. Micky Dolenz / Sugar Mountain (1992, from “Micky Dolenz Puts You to Sleep”) – Yes, this is a cover of Neil Young’s song by the former Monkee. This CD is well worth hunting down. Micky did a “kids’ lullaby” album, but filled it with covers of songs by Young, Nilsson, Lennon, McCartney, and Simon.

    5. Squeeze / Take me I’m yours (1978, from “UK Squeeze”) – In retrospect, it’s kind of funny to think that Squeeze was originally looked on in the U.S. as a punk band. This, their first single, has a lot of the nice qualities of the Difford/Tilbrook songwriting partnership that would later lead to even better things.

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