Random iPod Walk
Spent the day cleaning up my iTunes library, chiefly fixing Genre fields so as to make automated playlists more useful.
So what's on the iPod? Here's a random shuffle:
1. Eric Clapton, "Hard Times" from "24 Nights" - Man, I loved this two-album set when it came out. Clapton did a 24-night stand at London's Royal Albert Hall, and experimented with a variety of band formats. This is from his blues band, a 9-pc combo if I remember correctly. Love that old Ray Charles number, delivered with considerable passion by Slowhand here.
2. Neville Brothers, "Maori Chant" from "Family Groove" - In the mid-90s, the Neville Brothers released a strong comeback album, notable for their excellent cover of Steve Miller's "Fly Like an Eagle." They were clearly in the multiculti groove here---this will sound incredibly dated in a few years, even more than it does now.
3. Iron Maiden, "Another Life" from "Killers" - Yes, I'm a Maidenhead ("Up the Irons!") This is a killer track from the band's early, pre-Bruce Dickinson days witht the underrated Paul Di' Anno on vocals. Driving proto-metal of what soon would become the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.
4. Kim Wilson, "Baby Please Don't Lie To Me" from "Essential Texas Blues" - Kim Wilson is the lead singer and harp player for The Fabulous Thunderbirds. He's got a very suave delivery, which may be surprising for those who remember him as the slightly goofy guy in the beret from the "Tuff Enough" video. Love them T-Birds, though I do prefer Jimmie Vaughan on guitar to either Kid Ramos or Duke Robillard.
5. The Babys, "Back on My Feet Again" from "Anthology" - Before Jon Waite became a two-hit wonder, he fronted the New York band The Babys. These guys were a supergroup minus the superstars---lots of anthems, lots of power ballads. This is a great tune I'd forgotten about. It's got the soaring guitars, the power chords, the vocal histrionics, the piano. Now if only they'd lose that godawful synth...
6. The Pixies, "Bone Machine" from "Surfer Rosa" - YES! YES! YES! I made my wife let me play The Pixies at our wedding. I'd tried for "Gouge Away" but settled for "Here Comes Your Man" instead. This one's got a great wedding lyric too --- "You're so pretty when you're faithful to me." Frank Black is The Man.
7. Junior Wells, "Country Girl" from "Best of the Vanguard Years" - You can tell Junior Wells from the first note he plays on harp---he's that distinctive. He's in great voice here, too. Its a crapshoot with Junior---wildly erratic output. Still, that harp---it's like Little Walter lived on.
8. Falco, "Rock Me Amadeus" from "Falco 3" - I'll be lucky if this is my only guilty pleasure cut. What can I say? Wordgirl and I are big 80s fans. This is a fun, dumb 80s tune.
9. Belly, "Red" from "King" - Don't know much about this 90s alt-rock band, but this is a pretty catchy track, warbling and all.
10. Lou Reed, "The Blue Mask" from "Between Thought and Expression" - Okay, I cop to it---I like Lou Reed enough to have bought his boxed set twice (cassette and digital". I even own "Metal Machine Music" --- his "f--- you" to the record company --- and listened to it once all the way through. He's a hell of a lyricist and a gifted musician despite singing like Tom Brokaw.
So what's on the iPod? Here's a random shuffle:
1. Eric Clapton, "Hard Times" from "24 Nights" - Man, I loved this two-album set when it came out. Clapton did a 24-night stand at London's Royal Albert Hall, and experimented with a variety of band formats. This is from his blues band, a 9-pc combo if I remember correctly. Love that old Ray Charles number, delivered with considerable passion by Slowhand here.
2. Neville Brothers, "Maori Chant" from "Family Groove" - In the mid-90s, the Neville Brothers released a strong comeback album, notable for their excellent cover of Steve Miller's "Fly Like an Eagle." They were clearly in the multiculti groove here---this will sound incredibly dated in a few years, even more than it does now.
3. Iron Maiden, "Another Life" from "Killers" - Yes, I'm a Maidenhead ("Up the Irons!") This is a killer track from the band's early, pre-Bruce Dickinson days witht the underrated Paul Di' Anno on vocals. Driving proto-metal of what soon would become the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.
4. Kim Wilson, "Baby Please Don't Lie To Me" from "Essential Texas Blues" - Kim Wilson is the lead singer and harp player for The Fabulous Thunderbirds. He's got a very suave delivery, which may be surprising for those who remember him as the slightly goofy guy in the beret from the "Tuff Enough" video. Love them T-Birds, though I do prefer Jimmie Vaughan on guitar to either Kid Ramos or Duke Robillard.
5. The Babys, "Back on My Feet Again" from "Anthology" - Before Jon Waite became a two-hit wonder, he fronted the New York band The Babys. These guys were a supergroup minus the superstars---lots of anthems, lots of power ballads. This is a great tune I'd forgotten about. It's got the soaring guitars, the power chords, the vocal histrionics, the piano. Now if only they'd lose that godawful synth...
6. The Pixies, "Bone Machine" from "Surfer Rosa" - YES! YES! YES! I made my wife let me play The Pixies at our wedding. I'd tried for "Gouge Away" but settled for "Here Comes Your Man" instead. This one's got a great wedding lyric too --- "You're so pretty when you're faithful to me." Frank Black is The Man.
7. Junior Wells, "Country Girl" from "Best of the Vanguard Years" - You can tell Junior Wells from the first note he plays on harp---he's that distinctive. He's in great voice here, too. Its a crapshoot with Junior---wildly erratic output. Still, that harp---it's like Little Walter lived on.
8. Falco, "Rock Me Amadeus" from "Falco 3" - I'll be lucky if this is my only guilty pleasure cut. What can I say? Wordgirl and I are big 80s fans. This is a fun, dumb 80s tune.
9. Belly, "Red" from "King" - Don't know much about this 90s alt-rock band, but this is a pretty catchy track, warbling and all.
10. Lou Reed, "The Blue Mask" from "Between Thought and Expression" - Okay, I cop to it---I like Lou Reed enough to have bought his boxed set twice (cassette and digital". I even own "Metal Machine Music" --- his "f--- you" to the record company --- and listened to it once all the way through. He's a hell of a lyricist and a gifted musician despite singing like Tom Brokaw.
Labels: Music
posted by Teflon at 6:13 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
I never would have pinned you down as a Maiden or Pixies fan. Pretty cool.
My fondness of Maiden has waxed and waned over the years but there is a section of songs that I enjoy every time I hear them. Most of them come off Powerslave and Piece of Mind. While I like Killers, Dickenson will always be the voice of Maiden to me.
I adore the Pixies. What more can I say?
Oh, I can say this ... years after the Pixies, when Kim Deal and her band The Breeders was supporting their second album, they were touring with Nirvana (supporting their highly successful followup to Nevermind). My wife (then fiance) and I went to see them at the UNO Lakefront arena. In retrospect it's nice to be able to say that I got to see Kurt Cobain in his last concert series, but in reality I was there to see the Breeders. If I had it to do over again they're still the band I'd be there to see.
First concert I ever saw was Maiden's "Somewhere on Tour", followed shortly by AC/DC's "Heatseeker" tour and Maiden's own "Seventh Tour".
Never got to see The Pixies, unfortunately, but I have their live DVDs.
The Breeders are supposedly reuniting, so maybe there'll be a chance to catch them live.
Post a Comment
<< Home