"The making of a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention. Then you got to take it up a notch, but you don't wanna blow your wad, so then you got to cool it off a notch. There are a lot of rules. Anyway... I've started to make a tape... in my head... for Laura. Full of stuff she likes. Full of stuff that makes her happy." - High FidelityCheck out the awesome playlist Brady sent me from afar for Valentine's Day, full of stuff I like, stuff that makes me happy, even if it meant bucking up and purchasing a Semisonic song on iTunes*, and admitting defeat, if only for one day, in our longstanding "Sweet Child O' Mine" vs. "Welcome to the Jungle" feud.
If that's not love, I don't know what is.
"Tennessee Blues" - Steve Earle
"River Deep, Mountain High" - Ike and Tina Turner
"Bring It On Home To Me" - Sam Cooke
"Way Down in the Hole" - Steve Earle
"My World Is Empty Without You/I Hear a Symphony" - Afghan Whigs
"You're Not So Easy to Forget" - Carol Sloane (from Song of the Thin Man)
"Closing Time" - Semisonic
"Dark End of the Street" - Afghan Whigs
"Caledonia" - B.B. King
"You Send Me" - Sam Cooke
"Chick Habit" - April March
"Sweet Child O' Mine" - Guns N' Roses
"Hey! Little Child" - Alex Chilton
"Troubled Times" - Fountains of Wayne
"Botch-A-Me" - Rosemary Clooney
_________________
* In 1998, I knew who I wanted to take me home, and it was the lead singer from Semisonic.
5 comments:
Wow, between the Sam Cooke love and the theme song from one of my favorite shows (Steve Earle's "Way Down in the Hole" from "The Wire") you gotta love this list!
Erik Greene
Great-nephew of Sam Cooke
www.OurUncleSam.com
Thanks! What can I say, my baby's got great taste!
I have it on good authority that "You Send Me" is indeed the greatest slow dance song ever recorded.
And, I should also add, that - as per Mr. Hornby's theory of the mix tape - my playlist should have started with the Afghan Whigs covering "My World Is Empty. . ." - which is kicking off with an attention-grabber big time - but iTunes jumbled it up somehow.
Also, as far as The Wire goes, I started to put the NoMaJe version on there..or maybe the Blind Boys...or the original.. .but it wouldn't let me unless I bought the whole soundtrack record, which I intend to do at some point, but wasn't up for then.
But I should have snuck "Body of an American" on there, in retrospect.
Also, wow, I need to learn how to not obsess about music.
Eh, who am I kidding?
So, on to why the Beatles are merely the second-best of all the British invasion bands at any given musical task, mop-topped Jacks of all trades but masters of none:
The Kinks' Muswell Hillbillies & Villiage Green > "Eleanor Rigby," "Uncle Albert," etc.
The Stones' "Let's Spend the Night Together" > "I Want to Hold Your Hand"
The Who's "Quick One While He's Away" > Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band
Discuss.
A guy from Bellingham who bought a book from me is also good friends with Bruce Hornsby. He mentioned Bruce's love and admiration for Sam's music, so it must be true. I guess great talent recognizes great talent.
Erik
Post a Comment