The 17 (September 24)

The 17

Tuesday, September 24, 2013


Bus Stop (The Hollies): Nice, upbeat start to the playlist this week. Love story on a bus stop. It's one of two songs in my collection mentioning a bus stop (Don't Stand So Close To Me by The Police being the other).
http://youtu.be/It75wQ0JypA



Cabaret (Louis Armstrong): I'm seeing many movies in the next couple of weeks at the Milwaukee Film Festival. The films are a great escape, which Armstrong encourages in this song.


Abacab (Genesis): I've started liking this song again, particularly the last few minutes.


Man (Neko Case): From her latest, The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You. Case is a singer that I can usually handle for a few songs, but her voice grates on me after a while. I like the rebellious tone in this one, though.

Introspection (MGMT): Another new song, this one from MGMT's self-titled latest. I listened to the entire CD, and there's very few catchy hooks, but this one reminded me of an early 70s song.

Kids (MGMT): This one has a very unique music video, and it's probably MGMT's second catchiest song (after "Electric Feel")

http://youtu.be/It75wQ0JypA



The Orchids (Califone): The only Califone song that I like, it's a song about appreciating what's around.

http://youtu.be/4e1jgqX0Y8g



Out of Touch (Hall And Oates): To the 80s! My favorite Hall & Oates song.

It's The End of The World As We Know It (REM): Speaking of singers I can only take in small doses, this is my favorite REM song.

My top 5 REM songs:

1. It's The End Of The World As We Know It

2. Drive

3. Bang And Blame

4. I Don't Sleep, I Dream

5. The One I Love

The Great Divide (The Mowglis): I think this might be the last time on the playlist for this song. I liked it the first couple times, but it's a little too shouty.

Fragments of Time (Daft Punk): There's just something about this song off Random Access Memories that I really love. It's kind of retro and chill.

Perfect World (Huey Lewis And The News): My favorite Huey Lewis song, and I like me some Huey Lewis.

http://youtu.be/7NltTUWU-y4


You Don't Know Me (The Polyphonic Spree): Unlike "The Great Divide", this one has grown on me.

Get Back (The Beatles): Time for some classics with some whoopin' Paul.

You've Got To HIde Your Love Away (The Beatles): Probably my favorite song from the movie Help!. It's a forlorn song from John, but a heartfelt one.

Ants Marching (Dave Matthews Band): I'm probably not going to any more Dave Matthews Band shows (I just haven't like what I've heard of them on live recordings since LeRoi Moore passed away and Tim Reynolds joined the live lineup), so it's a shame that I didn't get to hear this one in my four shows.

California Dreamin' (The Mamas And The Papas): When I put this playlist together, a little autumn chill was in the air. Man, did it change again. It won't be long before we're dreaming of the summer weather again.

The 17 (September 10)

The 17

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

 

Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes (Paul Simon):  I had this song from Graceland in my head after seeing a very interesting 25^th anniversary special.

 http://youtu.be/uf4YyXVoWeA

 

You Can Call Me Al (Paul Simon): This was the first Paul Simon song I ever liked.  Couldn’t hear it enough as a kid, and glad it’s in my collection.

 http://youtu.be/uf4YyXVoWeA

 

Go Insane (Lindsey Buckingham):  This is from the Bass Performance Hall live CD.  It’s almost cheesy near the end, but still OK.

 

 

Mad World (Tears For Fears):  I hadn’t heard this in a while, but this may be one of my favorite TFF songs.

 http://youtu.be/3gFl2OXySs8

 

Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey (John Mayer):  Ah, Born and Raised.  Maybe whiskey, whiskey, whiskey can make me forget about Paradise Valley.

 http://youtu.be/zM1SWzYNzzM

 

Ghost Story (Sting):  This song and Big Lie, Small World are two underrated songs off Brand New Day.

 http://youtu.be/zM1SWzYNzzM

 

Golden Years (David Bowie):  My  favorite song right now.

http://youtu.be/HRD0ghlFSgk

 

 

 

She Blinded Me With Science (Thomas Dolby):  I never got into this song before, but I love everything about it right now.  SCIENCE! 

http://youtu.be/nMWGXt979yg

 

 

Some Days Are Diamonds (Amos Lee):  Love this cover of a John Denver song.

 

 

 

Ice Storming (Aloha):  A nice mood song, even if the mood is kind of bleak.

 http://youtu.be/V4TPPmKlA8M

 

Natural Blues (Moby):  Play is a great album, and this is my favorite song from it.

 

 

Linus And Lucy (David Benoit):  After a few more somber songs, time for a classic, and David Benoit’s version is solid.

 

 

I’m So Afraid (Fleetwood Mac):  Back to somber.  I had never heard the studio version of one of my favorite Fleetwood Mac live songs.

 http://youtu.be/nN5Wx9YR0oc

 

World Turning (Fleetwood Mac):  My dad’s favorite Fleetwood Mac song.

http://youtu.be/nN5Wx9YR0oc

 

 

Reggatta De Blanc (The Police): 

 

 

 

Bring On The Night (The Police):  Two solid Police songs

 

 

 

The Afterlife (Paul Simon):  Paul Simon’s version of the afterlife?  It starts like a visit to the DMV:  fill out a form first, and then wait in a line.

 

http://youtu.be/1y6j593KJHc (live on Jimmy Fallon)

The World's End

It was a dark and stormy afternoon.  Well, maybe not the entire afternoon, but the clouds did gather early Saturday afternoon and the rain poured down just as I left for the Times Cinema.  I arrived at quarter to one and found my seat smack dab in the middle of the theater.  I was the first to arrive, and as the thunder rumbled and the minutes passed and the previews showed, I found myself still alone.  Someone will come, I thought to myself (although I could have said it aloud, as there was no one there).

The theater darkened completely, and for the first time in my life, I was seeing a movie completely alone.  It's a strange feeling, sort of like having your own private showing, and it was kind of a shame.  Kind of a shame because The World's End is one of the best moviegoing experiences of the year and would have been a blast with a huge crowd. 

The World's End is directed by Edgar Wright and features Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.  Pegg plays Gary King, a man who never really grew up.  Many years ago, Gary and his friends set out on an epic pub crawl.  Their goal was to drink a pint at all 12 pubs in town, all within walking distance of each other.  They never finished, and for Gary, it's served as a lifelong regret, so he decides to try to get the friends all back together.  None of them really wants to, as they've all moved on to successful, safe lives, but Gary cons all of them into trying again.   I'm going to stop with the plot summary there, as there are twists and turns that I don't want to give away.

Wright, Pegg, and Frost have constructed a masterpiece.  The World's End is the most fun I've had in the theater since The Avengers.  This is a tale about reliving the past and the hazards of doing so, the passage of time and what happens to those who choose not to change as time goes by.  It's so successful because at no time does it come off corny or maudlin (and there are many chances for it to go in those directions), and the action and suspense keep coming.   Finally, despite some rough language, it's not gory or obscene. 

Go now and see it.  Don't let the theaters be empty for such a great film!

 

The 17 (August 30)

Wow, today is September 1.  Good luck to those who will learn, to those who will teach, and those parents who might use parts of their brains they haven't used in a while.  My parents still flinch at the word diorama, and I don't think think dioramas were the hardest things they helped me with.  Anyway, happy September!

On to the songs for this week!

Hocus Pocus (Focus): http://youtu.be/MV0F_XiR48Q

Red Red Wine (UB40): I had "Hocus Pocus" in my head and tried to think of a song totally unlike it, so after some yodel-rock, why not some reggae-rap?

Angel Dance (Robert Plant): I was never a big Zeppelin guy, but I do love Raising Sand, Plant's duets album with Alison Krauss, and Band Of Joy (featuring this song) is pretty solid as well.
http://youtu.be/9dPwd9JgbT0



Mysterious Ways (U2): I remember that I couldn't hear this song enough when it first came out. Still holds up just as well today.



Outside (The Fixx): This is from 1011 Woodland, and it's just a nice spaced-out jam.
 http://youtu.be/yB341J0kM4g



First And Last Waltz (Nickel Creek): The instrumental interlude is back this week. It slots in well after "Outside", and provides a great bridge to..
 http://youtu.be/_UCyvyZa92o

Stairway To Heaven (Rodrigo Y Gabriela): Again, not a big Zeppelin fan, but I love this version. I've really enjoyed just about all of Rodrigo Y Gabriela's work. Their latest, Area 52, finds them working with a 13-piece Cuban orchestra and reworking some of their originals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEk8wTB7UfU



The Storm (Tedeschi Trucks Band): This is a fierce, grooving jam with great guitar and driving vocals by Susan Tedeschi. One of my favorites off their latest.



After The Storm (Mumford And Sons): I don't usually like to put songs together just because they have similar titles, but this one fit well after "The Storm". It's my favorite Mumford and Sons song. (They're in Milwaukee on Tuesday.  I saw them at The Riverside, and now they're playing the Marcus Amphitheater).
 http://youtu.be/EMsTSdHIJds



Spirits In The Material World (Paco Banton and Sting): From Reggatta Mondatta, which is a reggae tribute to Sting and The Police. Haven't listened to this version in a while, and it comes off a little cheesy, but a good alternate version.

Tea In The Sahara (The Police): Some of my favorite songs set a mood really well. The opening notes make you feel like you might be in the desert, and the lyrics are haunting.

Here Comes The Rain Again (Eurythmics): We're still in the eighties with my favorite Eurythmics song.

Woman In Chains (Tears For Fears): I was excited to find my copy of The Seeds of Love. Another song I haven't heard in a while, this song about the injustice of oppressing women features a greatvocal by Oleta Adams and drums by Phil Collins.

Running For Cover (Ivan and Alyosha): This may be one of my favorite songs of the year. I love the vocals.
 http://youtu.be/jJN1A_DHtsM

Summer Lawn (Aloha): Summer is fading, so here's a sprawling song about the passage of time.
http://youtu.be/9ArrN0wOWZg



The Sound of Silence (Simon and Garfunkel): My favorite S & G song.



Gentle On My Mind (Glen Campbell): I think this is my favorite song that I heard for the first time this year. So poetic and beautiful.
 http://youtu.be/cFIRTtn_ZSE



I Still Care For You (Ray LaMontagne): A great song from Gossip In The Grain. I love the drumming in this song.
 http://youtu.be/JODKEqp4nYI