“I spend too much time raiding windmills… “- Toad the Wet Sprocket

Today is a vacation day for me and in lieu of leaving the faithful fivers without an outlet to share what’s getting them through the day (or night as it may be) may I present the cliff notes version of today’s Friday Five. Here’s what came up in my shuffle before signing off today…

Onto the shuffle!

Here are this week’s tracks:

1. Kiss – Love Gun (from Double Platinum)

Classic guilty pleasure.

2. Michael Jackson – Man in the Mirror (from The Essential Michael Jackson)

How did no one cover this song during this week’s American Idol? Speaking of, how about that Jason Castro?

3. Toad the Wet Sprocket – I Will Not Take These Things for Granted (MP3) (from Fear)

I usually write the summary for the Friday Five before Friday (to ensure that I can get it done before the end of the day) and I swear it’s a great irony that a Toad track would come up in the shuffle today. This is a brilliant song from one of my favorite bands.

4. Chet Atkins & Tommy Emmanuel – Road To Gundaghi/Waltzing Matilda (MP3) (from The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World)

Continuing the tradition he started with his classic Chester & Lester records with Les Paul, this is the sound of two masters of the guitar doing what they do best.

5. A Perfect Circle – Judith (from Mer de Noms)

A heavy (in every sense of the word) track to close out the five.

So what’s coming up in your shuffle today?

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?

Guess who just got back today? Them wild-eyed boys that had been away, haven’t changed, haven’t much to say but man, I still think them cats are crazy.

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but we’re back! When we last met the five revealed my affinity for German industrial racket, Miles Davis, and deep catalog soul records. I found out we’ve inspired a Wednesday version of the five over at Septenary and a Facebook group. Our ‘faithful fivers’ rallied before the storm knocked the lights out of the site for a few days. So for you first timer’s… I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and then show you my five with some words for each track.

Then it’s your turn!

Here are this week’s tracks:

1. Colin Hay – Overkill (acoustic version) (MP3) (from Man @ Work)

This has always been my favorite Men at Work tune. Long before Zack Braff turned it into a theme song for Generation Y, I regarded this as one of those seminal tunes. I got to see Colin last summer and was blown away at how alive and current this tune still sounds.

2. Joe Jackson – Is She Really Going Out With Him? (acoustic version) (from Live 1980/86)

I guess the shuffle is digging the acoustic versions today! In this case however, the original far exceeds this lifeless version. I’m an unapologetic supporter of all things Joe Jackson but every once in awhile his attempts at being clever fall just short of the mark.

3. Frank Zappa – A Token of My Extreme (from Joe’s Garage: Acts I, II & III)

“This is the CENTRAL SCRUTINIZER…” from the record that every self-respecting music fan should own at least one copy of (if not multiple), this is one of the transitional tunes meant to further the story. Even in these tracks Frank displays a sense of musicality and composition that had not been see in rock music before and has not been seen since. To say I’m a Zappa fan would be an understatement.

4. Spinal Tap – Hell Hole (MP3) (from This is Spinal Tap)

It’s been said that “parody is the highest form of making fun of someone else’s shit” and no truer words have been spoken when referring to Spinal Tap so I won’t even try. So say us all… “Tap into America!”

5. Brand Nubian – Hold On (from Everything Is Everything)

Revolutionary Hip-Hop dropping knowledge over the tender hook of Simply Red’s “Holding Back the Years”. While I’m sure many aficionados will decry the overt commercialism of this track I’ll admit to it being the hook that reeled this suburban white boy in and expanded his mind.

Time to shuffle on and now it’s your turn, what comes up in your shuffle?

Today’s very special episode of the Friday Five was pre-recorded live in front of a studio audience.

Hello… is it me your looking for? In anticipation of a hectic Friday afternoon I’ve opted to write up the five on Thursday night. Don’t hold it against me. Last week, while all over the map, had a unifying theme a good song is a good song, no matter who plays it. And a bad song is… well, only good if Richard Cheese covers it! I also discovered that there is a decent live version of “Stairway to Heaven” (thanks Jim). Okay, so for you first timer’s here’s the scoop I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and then show you my five with some words for each track.

Then it’s your turn!

Here are this week’s tracks:

1. Prince – Starfish & Coffee (from Sign ‘O the Times)

Word salad for the pop crowd, “Starfish & Coffee” stands as one of my all time favorite Prince tracks. There’s something so free and unabashedly simple about the tune that His Royal Badness rarely shows. Even when I suffer the “Purple Ear Fatigue” I can still pop this track on and enjoy.

2. Duke Ellington & His Orchestra – Take the “A” Train (MP3) (from Sir Duke)

This reminds me of growing up and hearing my Nana’s radio in the kitchen. I’ve developed a deep love for all manners of jazz over the years and the big band stuff is no exception. The melodies are timeless and recordings sound so warm and inviting.

3. Foo Fighters – On the Mend (from In Your Honor)

From the acoustic half of the two disc set this is one of my favorite tracks from the record overall. I’ve still got a bit of the afterglow of seeing these guys last month.

4. Elvis Costello – Night Rally (MP3) (from This Years Model)

For me, this is where I think Elvis Costello (with The Attractions here) shines. In searching for the retail link I see that this record recently got the “Deluxe Edition” complete with live, demo and alternate tracks. I’ll have to pick it up… thanks shuffle for reminding me!

5. Def Leppard – Bringing On the Heartbreak (from Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection)

Ahh the teenage angst filled memories. I’ve seen these guys more times then I care to admit and I will say that they are one of the most fun acts I’ve seen. Sure they are over processed but they manage to pull off sounding close to the recorded versions every time.

We’re opening the phone lines now, let us know what your ‘Friday Five’ looks like.