Friday Five

The Friday Five: April 23, 2010

Friday Five

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:

“Nothin’ On You (feat. Bruno Mars)” by B.o.B. (from The Adventures of Bobby Ray, 2010)

I remember first hearing B.o.B. — aka Bobby Ray – back in 2008 with his track “I’ll Be in the Sky,” and just as abruptly as he appeared, he was gone. A deft amalgam of Andre 3000 and Kanye with the sensibility and flow of Q-Tip, Bobby Ray manages to sound fresh, despite bringing some classic hip-hop clichés to bear. All that shit aside, this track made me giddy like a 12-year-old girl the first time I heard it. Evoking the classic summer single, there just in time to shake off the cold and ready to bump at maximum volume with the car windows down, this cut definitely deserves all the spins it’s getting. It may be “what the kids are listening to,” but in this case, I’m down.

“Hole Hearted” by Extreme (from Extreme II: Pornograffitti, 1990)

Take a open major D chord and shuffle it up the fretboard of a well mic’ed 12-string guitar and you’ve got yourself the recipe for the classic coda to Extreme’s magnum opus Extreme II: Pornograffitti. Seriously, could it get any more extreme? Is it cheesy as hell? Of course it is, let’s look at the lyrics: “If I’m not blind why can’t I see / that a circle can’t fit / where a square should be.” Pass the Gouda, please.

“Head Crusher” by Megadeth (from Endgame, 2009)

If given the choice between listening to a new Megadeth record and a new Metallica record, I will always choose the Megadeth, because no matter who is playing behind Dave Mustaine, you know exactly what it is going to sound like. Hell, at this point, the worst song on a new Megadeth record is still better than the best that James, Lars and company have to offer.

“Ice Cream (feat. Ghostface Killah, Method Man & Cappadonna)” by Raekwon (from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, 1995)

Speaking of songs that scream “summer,” this track was the jam back in the day, when I had a stereo system in the car that was worthy of turning up. While it might just be me, does anyone else feel like the Wu-Tang fell off after this? Take Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Method Man’s Tical, Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s The Return To The 36 Chambers – The Dirty Version, Genius/GZA’s Liquid SwordsOnly Built 4 Cuban Linx…, and maybe Ghostface Killah’s Ironman – and that’s a big maybe – and you’ve got the makings of a legacy by which almost anything short of “classic” is really lesser. Sure, there have been shining moments after, but nothing that feels as raw and real as the freshmen releases.

“You Are the Woman” by Firefall (from Greatest Hits, 1992)

I’m not going to lie; I love this song. I love its stupid flute solo. I love just about every stupid thing about it.

What’s on your shuffle today?

13 Comments

  • Bill C

    Sarah in Summer – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Don’t think I have heard this song before but it is quite nice. Very sweet summer song.

    Folsom Prison Blues – Del Lords. OK, I love Johnny Cash, love this song, and love the Del Lords. So why don’t I love the Del Lords version of this song?

    Brown Eyed Girl-Van Morrison. Not much you can say. Still a beautiful song.

    I Felt the Chill Before the Winter Came. Elvis Costello. From his newest. A great disc, and a great song.

    Don’t Do Me Like That-Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Probably in my top 5 TP songs.

  • Mindy

    So I had “Electric Avenue” in my head all morning and now I just keep saying “THE ICE CREAM MAN IS COMING!”

    I think my co-workers are thinking of voting me off the island.

  • dopeburger

    “Let the Good Times Roll” – Slade
    “You Can Come to Me” – The Helio Sequence
    “Threads” – Or, The Whale
    “Blue Gene Vincent” – Havana 3am
    “Racing Like A Pro” – The National

  • Mike

    First off, I totally look forward to this every Friday. You and I have fairly similar musical tastes.

    Second? Here’s my five. For a little background flavoring, I’m on a bus as I type this!

    1) “Last Beautiful Girl” by matchbox twenty (from “Mad Season”, 2000)

    When Rob Thomas writes good songs, they’re great. When they’re bad, they’re not awful so much as generic and boring. This is one of his better songs. Just a really hooky, straight-up pop/rock track. This shoulda been a hit.

    2) “Days of Our Lives” by De La Soul featuring Common (from “The Grind Date”, 2003)

    When folks talk about the best rap group of all time, barely anyone mentions De La Soul, which sucks. From 1989 to 2003, they put out seven albums, all of which are at the very least solid, several of which are excellent. They may not be as iconic as, say, Run-DMC, but their catalog holds up better.

    3) “A Promise Ain’t Enough” by Daryl Hall & John Oates (from “Marigold Sky”, circa 1997…hey, I’m on a bus)

    Not a bad way to reintroduce yourself after seven years off. A very low-key vocal performance from Daryl here. Dude can saaang, but I tend to like him better when he’s not overemoting.

    4) “Fool’s Paradise” by Jesse Johnson (from “The Ultimate Collection, I’m not even gonna try to guess the date).

    I’d imagine it sucked being the guitarist in The Time. You’ve got all this talent and yet Prince plays all the guitar parts on your albums. He’s wicked talented, though. The solo at the end of this song is fucking amazing.

    5) “Baby Let Me Share My Love” by Terence Trent D’Arby (from “Symphony or Damn”, 1993)

    He could have been one of the all-time great soul singers of the modern era (well, he still is), but he was a little too odd (or too pretentious?) to sustain his success. Damn shame, too. I respect his adventurousness (is that a word)?

    Also…

    You’re kinda right about Wu-Tang falling off. Ghostface’s solo career is another issue entirely, but with so much talent, it’s strange that they’ve produced so much lazy/mediocre/shitty material since their initial blast.

    • Michael

      I’ll be honest, while I love Ghostface in the context of the Wu; on his own, he leaves no impression. It’s like empty calories.

      I have to make an exception to my earlier statement though, because O.D.B’s second record was nice as well. But that’s what, one out of nine members?

      Which reminds me, I need to check out “Wu-Massacre.”

      • Mike

        Really? I love Ghostface on his own. The thing I love most about him (and ODB) is that their rhyming is this weird mixture of completely surreal and totally precise. When I write up my top rappers of all time list, Ghost will be much further up than on the average survey.

        “Wu-Massacre” is good, but…there’s something missing. It’s really short, and the production is on point, but it doesn’t sound like a GREAT album. It sounds like an album that Method Man, Ghostface and Raekwon should make, if that makes any sense.

  • Anne

    1. Perfect Situation–Weezer
    2. Radio Orlando–Harlen Shakes
    3. Stroke Their Brains–Spoon
    4. Heading for Nowhere–Jets Overhead (who are they and where did I get this?)
    5. Sons and Daughters–The Decemberists

  • Shannon

    I only have my iPhone with me, which has a small fraction of what’s on my iPod. But here goes:

    U2, “Elevation” – Wow, I actually got an energetic zoomy feeling when this started up. It was on my workout playlist for so long that I kind of became neutral to it. But me likey again!

    Beck, “Rental Car” – I have mentioned before that I have a mild Beck addiction. I haven’t listed to this song a lot, though. It’s a good one, not one of his best, but sometimes I can’t resist some good hand-claps.

    Rosanne Cash, “Dreams Are Not My Home” – This is from Black Cadillac, a great record. I love Rosanne. From Twitter, I learned that she was pals with John Stewart, of “Gold” fame. I think I catch a little bit of that song’s vibe in this one. This is maybe one of the best songs on Black Cadillac.

    Iron & Wine, “Fever Dream” – Iron & Wine makes some of the best music for just “being”.

    Mark Knopfler, “Who’s Your Baby Now” – I love Mark, and Sailing to Philadelphia is a masterpiece. Love the jangly feel and the harmonized background vocals on this song.

    Happy Friday!

  • EightE1

    Has anyone ever had a Bushwhacker? It’s a mutant combination if 6 or 7 liquors, that when combined taste like the greatest milkshake in the world. I had three of them today, plus four or five beers, plus two Jack and Cokes at the house. I call this fair compensation for a shitty week. The buzz is exquisite.

    Oh, yeah, there’s my five to get to …

    Journey, “Wheel in the Sky.” Oh, maybe five or six years back, I introduced my then-kindergarten-aged son to the Journey videos DVD, including this one, where Perry had his shirt open as he sang. Shortly thereafter, I heard “Wheel in the Sky” coming from the boy’s bedroom, and when I barged in, I found him lipsynching to this track, in his PJ’s, with the shirt completely open. The only time I was prouder of him was when we came out of the local movie theater, to find the theater’s party room full of little girls his age. He kissed his forefinger and ring finger, then shot them the peace sign, as if to say, “Peace out, bitches!” I love my son.

    Queen, “Sail Away Sweet Sister.” I expound on my feelings about this great power ballad in Popdose (http://popdose.com/death-by-power-ballad-queen-sail-away-sweet-sister/). It’s a creepy song I love. Nothing wrong with that.

    Asia, “Don’t Cry.” Love this song. From the second Asia record, which most people feel (and I agree) sucked, but this track, the first single, was pretty damn cool. I remember hearing it on Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 in its debut week on the countdown. I don’t think the album fared all that well (it hit mayber 10 or 9), but fuck it. There’s something about hearing John Wetton, the voice of King Crimson’s hard-as-nails middle years, sing something like “I’ll hear you when you’re calling / I’ll catch you when you’re falling.” Like hearing Brian Johnson sing an Ace of Base lyric or something.

    Dave Matthews Band, “Ants Marching (Live).” How many fucking versions of this song do I own? This one’s fom the Live at Piedmont Park record, and it sounds like every other version I have.

    Mary J. Blige and the Roots, “Hard Times Come Again No More.” From the Hope for Haiti Now telethon, which paled next to the America: A Tribute to Heroes telethon. But I love this version of “Hard Times.” Blige sings the shit out of it. Gorgeous stuff.

  • KathyB

    I unashamedly love Firefall. My excuse is that I’m from Colorado and I’ve got to support the local artists. Or at least that’s what I tell people.

    1. “Yazoo Street Scandal” by Bob Dylan & The Band from “The Basement Tapes” (1975)

    2. “Lady of the Silver Moon” by Nels Andrews from “Off Track Betting” (2008) I really need to buy this album. I’ve loved everything I’ve heard off it.

    3. “California Blues” by Tim O’Brien from “Cornbread Nation” (2005)

    4. “Better Off Dead” by The Faders from “Plug In + Play” (2005) I have no idea what this is, why I have it or how I got it, but I’ve had it since 2006.

    5. “Tear the Roof off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk)” by Parliament/Funkadelic. A classic that I wish I liked more than I do because it would be a great track to say “HOW COOL THAT THIS SHOWED UP!” and instead I feel just “meh” about it.

  • Gonzo

    1. Misfits- Vampira
    2. A Tribe Called Quest – Separate/Together
    3. The Clash-Career Opportunities
    4. Dr. Dre-Ackrite
    5. Missy Elliot-Hot Boyz

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