The Friday Five: June 12, 2009
Friday Five : ˈfrī-(ˌ)dā,-dē ˈfīv : On the sixth day of every week I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have 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:
Willie Nelson – “Always on My Mind” (mp3) (from The Essential Willie Nelson)
I may be committing an act of blasphemy, but this is – in my opinion – the quintessential version of this song. Released in 1982, this earned Willie a Grammy award (Best Male Country Vocal Performance) and the songwriters Johnny Christopher, Mark James and Wayne Carson Thompson the Song of the Year and Best Country Song statues. This tune is easily in my top 10 favorite ballads.
Incognito – “Rivers Runnin’ Black” (mp3) (from Life, Stranger Than Fiction)
Not my favorite Incognito record, but this is a specifically strong (mostly instrumental) track. This band never lacks for groove.
Chrisette Michele – “Playin’ Our Song” (from Epiphany)
This record, while good in it’s own right, was a disappointment for me. After the power and range displayed in her debut I Am, this record feels flat. It’s a decent modern R&B record but suffers from the input of her songwriters trying to hard to sell a ‘hit”. The biggest offender here is the track “Another One” which is essentially Beyoncé‘s “Irreplaceable” with different lyrics. Oh, and the real rub here is they were both written by Ne-Yo.
Janet Jackson – “That’s the Way Love Goes” (from Design of a Decade: 1986-1996)
Mmm… Good Tune!
Old Californio – “From the Mouths of Babes” (from Westering Again)
You may recognize Old Californio from Pete’s Ick Pick column (link). This is actually one my favorite cuts from that record and has stood up to multiple listens. As a matter of fact I think that I’m going to go listen to the whole record again now.
What tunes are brightening your day?
The Friday Five: June 5, 2009
Friday Five : ˈfrī-(ˌ)dā,-dē ˈfīv : On the sixth day of every week I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have 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: It’s a busy day here in the Northeast but The Five is still playing in the background… here’s what is spinning with some twitter-sized thoughts:
Frente! – “Labour of Love” (from Labour of Love)
Aussie acoustic-pop act better known 4 their intimate cover of New Order‘s “Bizarre Love Triangle”. I actually like this record quite a bit.
Metallica – “Battery” (from Master of Puppets)
& now 4 something cmpletly difft! ive 2 admit that I dont listen 2 enough classic Metallica. I hold their present against their past glory.
ALL – “Hot Rod Lincon” (from Allroy’s Revenge)
Punk tribute to the Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen classic.
Prince – “The Arms of Orion (feat. Sheena Easton)” (from Batman)
Mama said if you ain’t got nuthin’ nice to say don’t say nuthin’ at all.
Johnny Cash – “A Boy Named Sue (live)” (from The Legend of Johnny Cash)
This 1 brings back memories of sitting the back of the family station wagon. Johnny, Waylon, Willie & the boys were always the soundtrack.
What’s keeping your day rolling?
The Friday Five: May 29, 2009
Friday Five : ˈfrī-(ˌ)dā,-dē ˈfīv : On the sixth day of every week I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have 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:
Toad the Wet Sprocket – “Nothing Is Alone” (mp3) (from 1992-09-16: Fox Theater, Boulder, CO, USA)“And now the song so happy that Todd had to sing it.” From 1990’s Pale this remains one of my favorite Toad songs.
Stevie Wonder – “Sir Duke” (from Songs in the Key of Life)
To say that this song is one of the nearest and dearest to my heart would be an understatement. This song is truthfully sunshine for the soul. Don’t believe me? Next time you are having a bad day, put it on. You’ll thank me later.
Just to prove my point, here’s the set up. Glen Phillips (of Toad the Wet Sprocket, see what I did there?) has played so long that the venue has sent him and the crowd out into the streets where Glen along with Nickel Creek bring the encore to the streets and close the evening with a joyful rendition of Stevie’s classic “Sir Duke” (mp3).
Chaka Khan – “I Feel for You” (from Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, Volume One)
Okay, so this is a Prince track featuring Grandmaster Melle Mel – that’s him on the “Ch-ch-ch-chaka-chaka-chaka Khan” – and Stevie Wonder on Harmonica. I mean really, how can you go wrong?
Prince – “Sexy Dancer” (from Prince)
Hey, look at that. It’s almost as if iTunes is paying special attention today. Stevie, Chaka, Prince… this could rank in my top 10 fives!
Jamiroquai – “Virtual Insanity” (mp3) (from High Times: Singles 1992-2006)
With the exception of the Toad the Wet Sprocket tune that kicked us off, this has turned out to be one damned funky five. The futuristic blend of soul, acid-jazz and funk of Jamiroquai has always resounded with me and this track is no exception.
**BONUS**
Down to the Bone – “Greedy Fingers” (mp3) (from Supercharged)
Okay, I’ve only done this once before… but the sixth track to shuffle up was just so good and fit the overall shuffle so well that I simply had to include it. More soul, acid-jazz and funk only this time of the instrumental variety. If you’ve never heard of the UK’s Down to the Bone consider yourself schooled in coolest collective of UK’s jazz groove.
Okay, I’ve shown you mine, now show me yours!
The Friday Five: May 22, 2009
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have 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 more the merrier!
The Five:
Last week my father-in-law commented that my shuffle seems to ignore the music of his generation, which I do actually have quite a bit of thanks to the “Oldies but Goodies” collection, so Sal… this one is for you…
Bob & Earl – “Harlem Shuffle” (from Oldies but Goodies, Volume 5)
For a moment I thought that I had hit the wrong playlist… I do quite like The Rolling Stones version of this tune.
The Supremes – “Where Did Our Love Go” (from Oldies but Goodies, Volume 8)
Classic. Classic. Classic.
Leslie Gore – “It’s My Party” (from Oldies but Goodies, Volume 3)
My least favorite tune out of the five.
Dion – “Runaround Sue” (from Oldies but Goodies, Volume 7)
Truthfully, this is one of my favorite songs ever. It’s downright infectious and you will be singing it in your head for days on end.
The Newbeats – “Bread and Butter” (from Oldies but Goodies, Volume 2)
Another ear-worm that will stick in your head for days on end.
What’s on deck for your holiday weekend?
The Friday Five: May 15, 2009
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have 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 more the merrier!
The Five:
Van Halen – “In a Simple Rhyme” (mp3) (from Women and Children First, 1980)
Earlier this week our friends over at Addicted to Vinyl posted an incendiary Van Halen related article that sent me on a listening spree. In the last week I’ve listened to every record from Van Halen I to 1984 and still disagree with the assertion that “Jump” was in any way a stretch (or sell out) and that it was really a part of the natural progression of the band.
Primus – Tommy the Cat (mp3) (from Sailing the Seas of Cheese, 1991)
It has been a long time since I’ve heard this tune. Les Claypool is easily one of the funkiest bass players ever. Juxtaposed against the brash beats and dueling vocals with Tom Waits the band picked up the torch dropped by Funkadelic, dropped some Metal on it and moved it along.
Madonna – “Borderline” (from The Immaculate Collection, 1990)
I make no bones about it; I absolutely love nearly everything Madge did prior to the turn of the new millennium. These days it’s all one can do to avoid her pathetic clawing at staying relevant, compounded only by her odd public/private life and her preclusion to much younger men.
Rage Against the Machine – Freedom (mp3) (from Rage Against the Machine, 1992)
While I do really like guitarist Tom Morello‘s current project Street Sweeper Social Club, nothing can replace the sound and the fury of the original Rage Against the Machine record. Born of the first Bush presidency, the record captured the angst and social unrest that was brewing just below the surface; that and the hearts and minds of drunken frat boys from coast to coast.
James – “Laid” (from Laid, 1993)
In researching this tune I discovered that this record was produced by the legendary Brian Eno. It does not necessarily surprise me. One of the best parts of doing The Five week after week is spending a little bit of time getting to know the tunes in my collection a little bit better.
So what’s on deck in your shuffle this week?
The Friday Five: May 8, 2009
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have 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 more the merrier!
The Five:
“Winter Hill” (mp3) by Doves (from Kingdom of Rust)
I’ve listened to this record quite a few times and it’s yet to leave any lasting impression on me beyond “the lead singer (Jimi Goodwin) sounds like a cross between Chris Martin of Coldplay and Kele Okereke of Bloc Party.” Overall it’s a solid indie rock record that I’m sure will grow on me, it’s just not there yet.
“Oh! Darling” by The Beatles (from Abbey Road)
Wringing every bit of soul his slight British frame could muster, “Oh! Darling” is as close to 50’s Rhythm & Blues (à la Fats Domino) as Paul McCartney and The Beatles could manage. In a 1980 Playboy interview John Lennon said of the song “‘Oh! Darling’ was a great one of Paul’s that he didn’t sing too well. I always thought I could have done it better – it was more my style than his. He wrote it, so what the hell, he’s going to sing it.” It’s hard not to agree as John clearly had the more soulful voice.
“To ‘B’ or Not to ‘B’” (mp3) by Chet Atkins & Tommy Emmanuel (from The Day Finger Pickers Took Over the World)
The mentor and the apprentice, though to call Tommy Emmanuel an apprentice is like calling Kobe Bryant an ‘okay’ basketball player. This entire record is a celebration of the style that the legendary Chet Atkins loved and championed his entire career. It’s fitting that this would be his final recording before passing in 2001. This specific tune has a ‘club jazz’ feel and is beautifully orchestrated.
“Soul Clappin'” by Sly & The Family Stone (from Dance to the Music)
Come on… ya’ll know how to ‘soul clap’… on the one!
“Talkin’ ‘Bout a Revolution” (mp3) by Afro Fiesta (from Playing for Change: Songs Around the World)
By now I’m sure that you’ve all seen the video produced by the group of filmmakers who compiled buskers, street performers, choirs and the odd (and frankly out of place) superstar (yes, I’m looking at you Bono) from around the world and worked them into a single performance of “Stand by Me” (Pete posted it a while back). The group has released a record, the proceeds of which will go to the Playing for Change Foundation (Official Site) whose mission is simply “building and connecting music/art schools around the world” which is certainly a worthwhile cause. The album itself falls a little flat in places without the visual aspect to support it, but not to worry as there is a DVD included capturing the performances. This particular performance stood out to me and is one of my favorites from the record.
That’s it for me, what’s next on your shuffle?
The Friday Five: May 1, 2009
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have 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 more the merrier!
The Five:
“Beautiful” (mp3) by Flickerstick (from Causing a Catastrophe – Live)
They may have played their last show, but this band will live on as one of my favorites of the first decade of the new millennium.
“Daughter of the Everglades” by Rory Gallagher (from Big Guns: The Very Best of Rory Gallagher)
Armed with his ‘well loved’ sunburst 1961 Stratocaster Rory brought common man earnestness to every tune that poured from his soul. In doing my research I found this quote, which I think is quite telling… “How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world? I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher.” – Jimi Hendrix.
“Watermelon in Easter Hay” by Frank Zappa (from Joe’s Garage: Acts I, II & III)
Behind “Pink Napkins” this is my favorite bit of Zappa guitar bliss. The composition itself is simple, the delivery is sublime.
“Mystify” (mp3) by INXS (from Kick)
I’ve been on an INXS kick the past few days. See what I did there? I never did understand how this wasn’t a single.
“Anotherloverholenyohead” by Prince (from The Holy Casino)
I so want to share this excellent live version of the Parade classic, but alas, the purple one (rather his lawyers) would kick my ass. Just trust me; it’s a really good version.
I’ve shown you mine, now show me yours!!
The Friday Five: April 24, 2009
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have 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 more the merrier!
The Five:
“Love Song” by 311 (from 50 First Dates)
On occasion a cover song reimagines the original to such a point that it becomes its own unique entity (see John Cale‘s “Hallelujah” and Jimi Hendrix‘s “All Along the Watchtower”) and far surpasses the original. This is one of those cases. As much as I love the original, 311‘s sun-drenched take on The Cure track captures the essence for me.
“Love Left Us Strangers” (mp3) by Space Needle (from The Moray Eels Eat the Space Needle)
In the late 90’s I worked for a little record store in upstate New York. Anders Parker of Space Needle (and Varnaline) was a former employee and this record was the soundtrack to the winter of 1997.
“Song That Jane Likes” by Dave Matthews Band (from Remember Two Things)
“I’ve got a little sister named Jane and this is the ‘Song That Jane Likes’…”
“Like It Is” (mp3) by The Damnwells (from One Last Century)
Easily a contender for one of my favorite records of 2009, this one came at the recommendation of Jeff from Popdose and it’s been in constant rotation ever since. If you like what you hear you can download the entire record (legally) from the band’s official website (and really it’s free, so why wouldn’t you download it?)
“Don’t Get Me Wrong” (mp3) by Lily Allen (from Radio 1: Established 1967)
Sometimes the song just fits. I don’t think that I’ve exposed my deep seated hatred of The Pretenders on Ickmusic yet. Despite that I absolutely adore this reading of their 1986 classic. Miss Allen adds her signature ska-lite lilt to the tune while staying spot on in her rendition of Chrissie Hynde‘s delivery.
Tag! You’re it… what’s the soundtrack to your afternoon?
The Friday Five: April 17, 2009
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have 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 more the merrier!
The Five:
“Body Movin’ Remix (Fatboy Slim mix)” (mp3) by Beastie Boys (from Best of Grand Royal 12’s)
The classic remix that, in my opinion, was superior to the original cut.
“Let Me Clear My Throat (Old-School Reunion remix)” (mp3) by DJ Kool (from Let Me Clear My Throat)
Biz Markie and Doug E. Fresh bring the old school flavor to the late 90’s club smash. I’m doing the Ed Lover dance as this plays; you all can join me…
“I Wish U Heaven” by Prince (from Lovesexy)
For some reason Lovesexy never clicked with me. I’ve listened to it numerous times and “Alphabet St.” is definitely among my favorites from that era but as a whole work it never made an impression.
“Mercy Mercy Me” by Marvin Gaye (from Number 1’s)
Oh, mercy mercy me
Oh, things ain’t what they used to beAlmost 40 years later and nothing has changed (for the better).
“Cholly (Funk Getting Ready to Roll!)” by Funkadelic (from One Nation Under a Groove)
The shuffle ends on a funky note today, good vibes from the original fathers of the funk.
So tell me, what’s funkin’ you out to the weekend?
The Friday Five: April 10, 2009
For those who have not joined in the Friday Five here is all you need to know; each Friday I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five and drop a little knowledge and insight for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes we have 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 more the merrier!
The Five:
“Oh Sherrie” (mp3) by Steve Perry (from Street Talk)
Perry’s first foray away from Journey ended up sounding more or less like, well, a Journey record (albeit with less Neal Schon). I fondly recall this tune being absolutely everywhere the summer of 1984.
“Workin’ for a Livin'” by Huey Lewis & The News (from Time Flies… The Best of Huey Lewis & The News)
Between “Takin’ Care of Business” and “Workin’ for the Weekend” this completes the perfect trifecta of “Workin’ Man” songs that for some reason always remind me of 80’s Michael Keaton.
“U Don’t Have to Call” by Usher (from 8701)
Between 8701 and Confessions Usher Raymond cemented himself as the go-to Pop/R&B guy. Sure, he may not have Musiq‘s or Raphael Saadiq‘s soul or Brian McKnight‘s velvety voice, but the ladies love him and he can dance his ass off.
“The Humpty Dance” by Digital Underground (from Sex Packets)
Ya’ll know this… time to do the Humpty Dance!!
“Ask the Lonely” by Journey (from Greatest Hits)
Apparently iTunes is in the mood to hear Mr. Perry’s voice. I’ll abide…
What’s shuffling up on your player today?