Friday Five

The Friday Five: April 1, 2011

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:

Editor’s Note: I had considered a few different April Fools’ Day scenarios, but ran out of time to execute. I suppose the joke is on me! – Michael

“Band on the Run” by Paul McCartney & Wings (from Wingspan: Hits and History, 2001)
“Hard to Say I’m Sorry (single edit)” by Chicago (from The Best of Chicago: 40th Anniversary Edition, 2007)
“Goin’ Out of My Head” by Wes Montgomery (from Verve Jazz Masters 14, 1994)
“Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee” by Stockard Channing (from Grease, 1978)
“Take a Photograph” by Dropping Daylight (from Brace Yourself, 2006)

What’s on your shuffle today?

17 Comments

  • Chris Holmes

    1. Minus 8, “Recently at the Opera” (from Beyond) – Minus 8 (aka DJ Robert Jan Meyer) was one of the first acts I latched onto when I started exploring electronica more. He has some really good stuff and some really bad stuff. This is the former.

    2. Frank Ifield, “I Remember You” – AM Gold! I mean, AM Shit!

    3. Stevie Wonder, “Superstition / You Haven’t Done Nothin'” (bootleg concert, 1997) – Was there an artist who was more in the zone than Stevie in the mid-’70s?

    4. Smalltown Heroes, “11th Prayer” (from Lo, The Hard Times) – A review of this album referred to the group’s sound as “a rootsy mix of old-time country, folk and gospel.” That sounds about right. Decent stuff.

    5. Van Halen, “Jamie’s Cryin'” (from Van Halen) – Is there a better soundtrack for a weekend than classic VH? No. There is not.

  • terje

    1. Cyndi Lauper – “911”
    2. The O’Jays – “Shiftless, Shady, Jealous Kind of People”
    3. Randy Newman – “Feels Like Home”
    4. Stevie Wonder – “Tomorrow Robins Will Sing”
    5. Michel Legrand – “Hi Girls”

    Still waiting for those odd Norwegian new wave classics to appear in my Random Five. I’m practically Americanized, apparently, even though I’ve never been further west than West Sussex, UK.

  • Anonymous

    “Molly’s Vertigo” by Acrylics from Lives & Treasures (2011): Another record that will make my Best of 2011 list. I highly recommend you check this out. The chick in this band has a very Neko-esque voice.

    “Stone Cold Crazy” by Queen from Sheer Heart Attack (1974): I’ve been on a major Queen kick lately. I don’t listen to this album as much as A Night at the Races or A Night at the Opera, but I probably should.

    “Song from a Tour Bus” by Keren Ann from 101 (2011): This is such a wonderful album. Go buy it.

    “Sky Diver” by Poly Styrene from Translucence (1980): This is from her first solo record, a torch-y, jazz-y album that is long out of print. I’ve yet to listen to her latest solo offering, Generation Indigo, which just came out and, based on the few songs I have heard, looks to be really great. Love her.

    “I Wanna Life” by Goldfrapp from Head First (2010): I love this album so much. Not a single bad song on the whole record. One of my top 20 from last year.

  • Anonymous

    1) What a Fool Believes – The Doobie Brothers
    2) What a Fool Believes – Matt Bianco
    3) What a Fool Believes – Aretha Franklin
    4) What a Fool Believes – M People
    5) What a Fool Believes – Kenny Loggins

  • Pete

    Searched “fool” in iTunes, and here are the random results… such foolishness (loved your 5, Jason)….

    1. “Heaven Help the Fool” – Ratdog (great mid 90’s live version – jazzy/bluesy)
    2. “Fool Who Knows” – Little Village (love this album!)
    3. “Ship of Fools” – Grateful Dead / from Grateful Dead From the Mars Hotel (yes, studio Dead!)
    4. “My Foolish Heart” – Bill Evans / from Sunday at the Village Vanguard (I could listen to Bill tickle them ivories all day)
    5. “(Now And Then There’s) A Fool Such As I” – Elvis Presley (long live the King)

  • chris aguilar garcia

    1. killing me softly with his song – roberta flack — the only version that matters to me

    2. batdance (extended unreleased) – prince — just found this a couple of months ago. good stuff.

    3. heartbreak hotel – elvis

    4. tamborine – prince & the revolution

    5. we’ll be together again – anita o’day

  • Anonymous

    1. “Don’t You Know What The Night Can Do” – Steve Winwood
    2. “Macon Hambone Blues” – Wet Willie
    3. “May You Never” – John Martyn
    4. “Breakin’ Me” – Jonny Lang
    5. “Hideaway Girl” – Jimmy LaFave

  • de10ero

    Willie Nile-Cell Phones Ringing (In The Pockets Of The Dead)

    Bob Marley sang it…”so much trouble in the world…”

    Oysterband-Blood Wedding

    Easily the worst/best wedding of all time

    Archie Bell & the Drells-Tighten Up

    This is how they did it in Houston, Texas circa 1968

    Joe Ely-Fingernails

    …”I keep my fingernails long so they “click!” when I play the piano…”

    Rod Stewart-Italian Girls

    Rod the Mod before the slow decline into schmaltz

  • Mike Duquette

    Midtown madness edition:

    1. Diana Ross, “Upside Down” – this came up on shuffle the other day, and I was taken by two things: a) Tony Thompson’s percussion work, particularly in the second section (“Instinctively you give to me…”), and b) Nile Rodgers’ ending guitar solo, which starts on the melody and then increasingly improvs away. CHIC may not have been the best fit for Motown, but damn is this good.

    2. Rare Earth, “Get Ready (Part 1)” – a solid cover of The Temptations’ classic, stripped down and gussied up in the psychedelic soul style. This was a time of great experimentation on Motown, and the psych-soul revival is long overdue, I’d say.

    3. Crowded House, “World Where You Live” – this was one of those songs where the verses are good but only steady, until the chorus kicks in. Then it’s from “good” to “great.” Also, theory – Neil Finn : New Zealand :: Glenn Tilbrook : England? I’d say so.

    4. XTC, “The Ugly Underneath” – the middle of “Nonsuch” sags after a killer first batch of tracks (“Peter Pumpkinhead,” “My Bird Performs,” “Dear Madam Barnum”). Andy Partridge is in good voice but I don’t come away remembering much.

    5. Ben Folds, “Adelaide” – one of the stronger tracks off his all-over-the-place 2004 EPs. A good melody line (the likes of which I wish the guy would come back to) and an unintentional feeling of bittersweetness. I think he was living in Australia with his then-wife at the time of writing this. I’m glad I don’t know what it feels like to call somewhere home and then have to leave it when things go rough.

  • Anonymous

    1) You Dance – Eastmountainsouth
    2) Strangelove – Bat for Lashes
    3) The Same Way – The Damnwells
    4) We’ve Got Tonight – Bob Seger
    5) Rill Rill – Sleigh Bells

  • Shannon J.

    Here are my five for today:

    “Willow,” by Joan Armatrading from her 20th Century Masters collection.
    “Head Over Heels,” by the Go-Go’s from their 20th Century Masters collection. Hmmmm.
    “Once In A Lifetime,” by Talking Heads from their 20th Century… No wait. Actually, this one’s from their Sand In The Vaseline collection.
    “Sacrifice,” by Elton John, from his Greatest Hits 1970-2002. (OK, this is getting weird.)
    “Suite For 20G,” by James Taylor, from Sweet Baby James. Whew.

    Have a great Friday everyone!

  • Dennis Corrigan

    1. “977” by the Pretenders from Pirate Radio – this came on, and I had to go look it up. Completely unfamiliar with it. Maybe I need to listen to more than just the first two discs of this set.
    2. “Long Black Veil” by the Band from Music From Big Pink – back to comfort music. This version off A Musical History
    3. “It’s Too Late (Alternate Master)” by Derek & The Dominos from the Layla Sessions 20th Anniversary Box Set. Cue the rant about the recent release of the 40th anniversary box set & how I hate labels for releasing the different versions every few years. Do I really need it or will listening to it on Rdio suffice since I have most of the tracks already anyway? Of course, I just bought my third version of Bridge Over Troubled Water for the included DVD today. Yeah, I’m a sucker.
    4. “Up To Me” by Bob Dylan from Biograph. Looks like it’s box set night. Love this outtake from Blood On The Tracks
    5. “Gentle Tuesday” by Primal Scream from Children of Nuggets – and it’s five for five on box sets! Children of Nuggets is a worthy successor to the original Nuggets set. If you were in college in the mid/late 80’s like (ahem) I was, this set is like what you were listening to when not listening to R.E.M. or U2

    Hope spring has come to you, unlike me & Michael.

  • Shari Schultz

    Pride & Joy, Stevie Ray Vaughan ~Ripley’s Music Hall Philadelphia, PA
    Silver And Gold,U2~ Sun City
    Halloweenhead, Ryan Adams ~La Maroquinerie, Paris, France
    Best For Last, Adele
    Silver Wings, Roseanne Cash (featuring Rufus Wainwright)

  • EightE1

    Wilco, “Leave Me (Like You Found Me).” Content with being blue, honestly …
    Bob Dylan, “Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35.” I would not feel so all alone …
    Bee Gees, “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.” I could never see tomorrow …
    Thin Lizzy, “The Rocker.” She just looked at me and rolled them eyes …
    Donny Hathaway, “Flying Easy.” We drink the breezes as we drink wine …

  • Amy Petty

    1) Stay – Shakespeare’s Sister
    I listened to this song exclusively on repeat as I drove from Ann Arbor to a show in Cleveland when I was singing with Michigan Opera Theater. I’m sure everyone else was warming up with Puccini.

    2) I Go to Rio – Pablo Cruise
    My dad loved these guys.

    3) Gone Daddy Gone – Gnarls Barkley
    Not as good as the original.

    4) Hearing Aid – They Might Be Giants
    I never realized it until now, but I’m queen of the nerds.

    5) Good Morning Blues – Lead Belly
    A stranger handed me this CD in 1995. Seriously, just walked up to me on the street and handed me the CD. I said, “Um, thanks?” And he said, “You’ll thank me.”

    • Anonymous

      I absolutely LOVE “Stay” – First time I ever heard it was on a mixtape I got after a break-up. Fell in love with the song instantly.

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