2:28
A lot can be accomplished musically in two minutes and twenty eight seconds. What brought this to mind was a Little Feat tune I heard on my way to work recently: “Feats Don’t Fail Me Now”. It funks and it rocks & rolls and grooves…makes me wanna strut down a crowded street with a sweet hat and some big fat shades – a grin on my face. “GIT the hell outta my way people, I’m coming THROUGH!”
I sorted my iTunes by Time, and found 37 tunes in my online collection that clock in at 2:28 (three of ’em by Jim Croce, go figure). Here’s that sweet-ass Little Feat tune and eight other nuggets of under 2:28 goodness…
If you’ve got a spare 22:12, listen to ’em all now…
Little Feat – Feats Don’t Fail Me Now (mp3) – from Feats Don’t Fail Me Now
Steve Earle – South Nashville Blues (mp3) – from I Feel Alright
Reverend Horton Heat – Baddest of the Bad (mp3) – from Liquor in the Front
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Who’ll Stop the Rain (mp3) – from Cosmo’s Factory
Old 97’s – Coahuila (mp3) – from Drag It Up
The Byrds – I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better (mp3) – from Mr. Tambourine Man
Calexico – Sunken Waltz (mp3) – from Feast of Wire
Jim Croce – Time in a Bottle (mp3) – from The Definitive Collection
Paul Weller – Spring (At Last) [mp3] – from Illumination [Limited Edition w/ Bonus DVD]
Ick’s Pick: Laughin’ and Cryin’ with the Reverend Horton Heat
Jim Heath and his power psychobilly trio Reverend Horton Heat are like the damn Energizer bunnies of rock & roll – they keep on a goin’. It wouldn’t surprise if they’re out on the road 300 days out of the year. And this has been going on for 20 years… I’ve seen ’em many times, and it’s always an experience.
The Rev’s 11th studio album, Laughin’ and Cryin’ with the Reverend Horton Heat was released just a few weeks ago, along with its unsettling cover (especially for you coulrophobics out there… yeah, had to look it up). The new record is stocked full of the types of tunes and lyrics that endear him to his cult following. Songs about drinkin’ and cigarettes, Vegas, using his growing belly as a beer holder…even an ode to Arizona’s Saguaro cactus.
With Jimbo slapping hard on his stand-up bass, and the Rev pickin’ mean on his Gretsch, the album gives us high dosages of rockabilly, punk, and the ever-present humor. A case in point found in this tune, featuring the standout line: “His dirty feet might dangle like it’s [??] / But it’s not a grocery basket if there’s booze inside”. Kudos to whoever can nail those missing lyrics there…
Reverend Horton Heat – Please Don’t Take the Baby to the Liquor Store (mp3)
Buy Laughin’ and Cryin’ with Reverend Horton Heat
Links: Official Site | MySpace
Oh hell, if you haven’t heard “400 Bucks”, then you need to… this song is the best part about seeing the Rev live, in my humble opinion.
Reverend Horton Heat – 400 Bucks (mp3)
From the still amazing 1993 album, The Full Custom Gospel Sounds of the Reverend Horton Heat
Motivation
So I’m in the early stages of getting back in the gym groove. With all this dying in the celebrity world lately, and all this talk about failing hearts, it was time to drag my sorry ass back into some sort of routine. I started last week.You see, I’ll turn 39 next month…
I eat like a horse.
I love Mexican food.
I love pizza and wings.
I love ginormous plates of spaghetti with garlic bread.
I love Crunch Berries, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cookie Crisp, and many other cereals of the junk variety.
I enjoy an occasional beer or four.
And I haven’t exercised regularly in a good 5 months.I’m 6’4″, and roughly 270 pounds. 250 is my target, though I guess my optimal weight is less than that.
Point being, I’m scared shitless of dying, and I’d like to stick around for a while with my wife and two daughters. Hence the self-ass-kicking that is the gym. The one highlight of my gym experience – like many of you – is the chance to hear and feel music in a totally different perspective. The pairing of energetic music with exercise is a match made in heaven, and is always something to look forward to.
In my few trips to the gym this go-around, these are some of the tunes that have kept the blood pumping. Wish me luck in this latest endeavor, and may the motivation stick around for good this time. By the way, that corporate logo up there? There’s something to it. It’s such a simple & powerful mantra, and it’s what I tell myself over and over when I even think about blowing it all off…
[Click on the album covers to check ’em out.]
Lotus – Age of Inexperience (mp3) – The only song I can think of that has a chorus of “I stone teenagers for fun” – at least that’s what I hear. This is a great album. If you like electronica, funk, with a bit of that jam band vibe, you’ll like it too.
Velvet Revolver – Sucker Train Blues (mp3) – Would you believe I hadn’t heard either of the Velvet Revolver albums until a few days ago? “Sucker Train Blues” has everything I love about the Guns n Roses Use Your Illusion era.
Aceyalone feat. Jah Orah – Master (mp3) – Indie L.A. rapper’s reggae/rap fusion record. Jah love.
Reverend Horton Heat – Marijuana (mp3) – I won’t endorse the mary jane before or during the act of exercise. But the song? Absolutely. God Bless the Rev (and Jimbo).
RJD2 – Sweet Piece (Cadence Weapon Remix) [mp3] – This sweet little groove will make you move schmoove.
Happy New Year! An Ickmix just for You…
So how was 2007 for you guys and gals? I can’t complain here. I’m blessed with a beautiful wife and two precious girls, I have a steady job (knock wood), and my family and loved ones are healthy.
I thought I’d punt the blog into 2008 with my premiere podcast on Ickmusic. I used Garageband for the first time, and it made podcast makin’ a breeze. I’ll have to figure out some of the bells and whistles so I can include sound effects and some DJ action next time. For now though, we stick strictly to music – some tunes that will get you kick started for a great New Year’s Eve, even if it only involves sitting at home. That’s what I’ll be doing! Woo hoo!
Enjoy, and I’ll see you on the other side.
Download: Ickmusic’s New Year’s Eve Ickmix (mp3 – about 42MB)
Playlist (30:35):
Reverend Horton Heat – “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin'” – from Liquor in the Front
The Ramones – “Surfin’ Bird” – from Rocket to Russia
The Clash – “Lose this Skin” – from Sandinista!(Tymon Dogg on vocals, in case you’re wondering)
Trouble Funk – “Trouble Funk Express” – E Flat Boogie
Shaggy – “O Carolina” – from Oh Carolina
Buckwheat Zydeco – “Ma ‘Tit Fille” – from The Big Easy: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Old 97’s – “W. Texas Teardrops” – from Too Far to CareA Psychobilly 2 for Tuesday
About 10 years ago, my friends and I would frequent this cool bar in Tempe, AZ, that went by the name of 6 East, or “the Beast”. They had probably the best, most diverse jukebox I’ve ever happened across in a bar.
So I’m in there putting back a couple one night, and I hear this strange sound emanating from the speakers. Loud, aggressive, hip, twangy, just downright strange. I had just been introduced to the Reverend Horton Heat. The song was “I’m Mad”. I marched right out the next day and picked up the CD, “Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em”. And I soon discovered that the Rev is a slave to the road, so I’ve had the chance to see him, Jimbo (standup bass), and their drummer multiple times over the years. If you want a high energy, soul-cleansing psychobilly experience, go see the Rev live.
Here’s a couple from the Rev:
Reverend Horton Heat – I’m MadReverend Horton Heat – Baddest of the Bad(mp3) – from ‘Liquor in the Front’See the Reverend Horton Heat Official Web Site
Buy the Rev’s music on Amazon
Find out the Rev is coming to your town
