Good Luck, Goodbye - Bobby Jean by Bruce Springsteen

Article 6, Paragraph 2 of the Mix CD Axiom states that it is not advisable to use a cornerstone song in multiple Mix CDs. However, I have broken my own rule only once for Bruce Springsteen's "Bobby Jean". In my defense, the sentiment held true both times, and the fact that it was recycled didn't diminish the feeling behind it.

The common misconception about the song is that it's written for ex-girlfriend. It makes sense if you read the lyric sheet. In the novel High Fidelity by Nick Hornby, Rob Gordon refers to the song by name as a send off to an ex-girlfriend. However, in the movie version, Rob mentions his quest to see all of his former lovers was like a generic Springsteen song. The Boss even has a cameo for the film. I have a hunch that the name of the song was removed from the script because Springsteen told director Stephen Frears "you know Bobby Jean's a guy, right?"



The song was actually inspired by the departure of Steve Van Zandt from the E Street band in 1984. Van Zandt had not only been an original E Streeter, but had played in some of Springsteen's earlier bands. Now that E Street has reunited, they frequently play this song, with the jumbotron camera squarely trained on "Little Stevie".

In the song, Bobby Jean is leaving town without telling anyone. Springsteen tells the tale of the history of the friendship with great sentiment. The best part of the song is the conclusion of the tune. The Boss notes that his thoughts are always with Bobby Jean.

Maybe you'll be out there on that road somewhere
In some bus or train traveling along
In some motel room there'll be a radio playing
And you'll hear me sing this song
Well if you do you'll know I'm thinking of you and all the miles in between
And I'm just calling one last time not to change your mind
But just to say I miss you baby, good luck goodbye, Bobby Jean

When you live in a college town and you're not a student, the cast of characters change frequently enough, you start to think that you're on Law and Order. Bloomington, Indiana is nothing more than a way station for women of great potential, and the sooner you realize it, the better off you are.

I met the first Bobby Jean in the winter of 1997 during a remote broadcast from IU. I was working at the top 40 station, and she was in charge of the event we were promoting that day. My first impression was that she was very charming and very cute, and it stopped there. I was in a relationship, and I figured that even if I wasn't, I would probably only see her again for the final remote, and that would be the end of it. However, we started talked more and more, and before you knew it, we were starting something. I don't know what, but it was something.

On paper, we didn't really have anything in common. She came from a well established family in the south, and I was the son of a middle class family in Evansville. She was a little country, I was a little Rock N' Roll. But when you're 23, all you really need is a certain level of what my friend Trace called "serious heat and electricity". There was no indication that our tryst would have nothing more than a very short shelf life, but I dove into that pool head first. By the time we did get together, we only had a couple of months before she uprooted and moved back home.

The first Bobby Jean will hold the distinction as the first girl (and one of only two) who ever made me a mix. On the mix I made for her, Bobby Jean was the closing track. Although I wished more than anything that we could have had a real shot, I knew that she wouldn't come back to me. All I could do was say I miss you, baby. Good luck, goodbye.

Several years later, I was hitting an all time low. Within a month, I was temporarily moved off of nights at WTTS, had my job threatened every day, my parents had just split up, and I had just been dumped. But the good thing about a losing streak is that it allows one to have a personal renaissance. This is when I started to hang out with the second Bobby Jean.

It only takes an average of eight seconds for any heterosexual man to fall in love with this girl. She is very smart, very funny, very charming, oh yeah—and rather attractive. She has this gift of making people feel like that they are the most important person in the world. It's not flirting or teasing, it's genuine interest and a love of life. I swear to God, she should be in politics. This is the kind of person you need in your life when you hit rock bottom.

The second Bobby Jean and I never dated, and there is a large part of me that thinks that it was the best thing that could have happened. For as intoxicating as it is to be in her presence, I would have been crushed when she left (a lesson I learned from the first Bobby Jean). I once told her that if the situation were different, I'd be chasing after her at full speed.

"If the situation were different, you wouldn't have to," she responded.

It didn't matter if she told the truth or not. I felt like such a man.

She was also the driving force behind Radio Radio. I honestly believe that if I didn't know her, I never would have finished the first draft of the book. On the first Mix CD I made for her, I decided to use the Springsteen song again. More than any other, this song conveyed what I was feeling (with the possible exception of the first track, "Crimson and Clover"). I wouldn't try to change her mind, but just miss her terribly.

I never lost contact with the second Bobby Jean. She was living in Chicago, then moved to LA, and then back to Chi-town. On a trip to the region to do some last minute planning for the wedding, D and I met up with her for dinner on the north side. A few months later, she attended my wedding. She sat at the table with my friends from Minnesota, charming the socks off of everyone with whom she broke bread.

The first Bobby Jean disappeared for many years. I had tried on several occasions to find her online, to no avail. About a year ago, I spotted her on Facebook. She's married now, and has two beautiful daughters. I'm really happy that she found what she was looking for, and wish her the best.

I still think fondly of both of them when I hear that song. It's interesting that I only knew these women for short amount of time. They both had a tremendous impact on my life, and I thank them for that, and note that they both have a very special place in my heart. And now with the magic of the internet, I can leave out the "goodbye" part. Just the good luck part only applies, and I get the added bonus of catching up with my old friends online.

Although in the past, I've played the game of what if, I'm happy that things turned out the way they did. I have a wonderful wife who is very supportive, and very understanding. She's the one, but that's another Springsteen song for a future post.

It’s Time To Move On, Baltimore

There is nothing but hate in the town of Baltimore. Even after 26 years, the bile from the fan base continues. When the name "Bob Irsay" is uttered, the bad memories come rushing out as if the Mayflower trucks had pulled out just yesterday. Now that the Colts have beaten the Ravens 20-3 in the divisional playoff game, I doubt that the anger will go away.

In an column in the Baltimore Sun titled "Ravens' Victory Would Be Sweet for Fans, Franchise on Several Levels" written by the aptly named Peter Schmuck, the ghosts of football franchises past are referred to again, and the pain and agony of losing a pretty bad football team who wouldn't win a playoff game for another 11 years is highlighted. Schmuck tells tales about how a Ravens victory would have been the second biggest win in franchise history, first of course being the Super Bowl win 9 years ago. Yes, Baltimore was the home of the Vince Lombardi Trophy before Indianapolis.

One fan replied in prose…

Winning this game will dim that fateful night, when that pig Irsay stole our Colts with out giving us a chance to fight.
Knock that horseshoe off their helmets and compare them no more, to the legend of Johnny U, Berry and Moore.
Our team is ready to hit and tackle, a win would bust that Indy shackle.
The Super Bowl would be nice and great to win, but beating the Indy colts tonight would give it to Irsay, right on the chin.

I guess that fan didn't hear that Bob Irsay has been dead for 14 years.

So I have a few things that I would like to request. In the future when these two teams meet in the playoffs, could we please stop fighting the battle of who could care less.

To football fans in Baltimore: It's been 26 years. Perhaps, you should move on.

To ESPN and the sensational media: Every time the Colts and Ravens play, stop showing the Mayflower Trucks.

To the people who insist on bringing this up every single time these two teams play: Tell the whole story.

• The Colts have had a vagabond history. Originally the Dayton Triangles, the team lifted anchor and moved to New York and became the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1930. The team then changed the name to the Brooklyn Tigers. The next year, the Tigers merged with the Boston Yankees. In 1949 the Boston Yankees moved to New York to become the New York Yanks. The team moved again in 1952, this time to Dallas, and became the original Dallas Texans. The Texans moved to Baltimore in 1953, and changed the name to the Colts. So if you're keeping score at home, that's six relocations in the team's 80 years.
  
• The Colts had been threatening to relocate as early as 1971 if they didn't get a new stadium.
  
• Memorial Stadium "featured" non backed bleachers…in the 1980s.
  
• Attendance had been dropping at Memorial Stadium steadily for 7 years.
  
• Baltimore got the Ravens in the same manner Indy got the Colts. Nobody seemed to mind then.

So to the huddled masses in the greater Baltimore area, just stop talking about it. Stop officially referring to the Colts as "The Professional Football Franchise from Indianapolis." Get off your high horse (yes, every pun intended). The people of Cleveland have forgotten that your Ravens are nothing more than the Browns in purple. In fact, both sports franchises in Baltimore originated in other cities (the Baltimore Orioles were once the St. Louis Browns…ironically enough).

Just stop the noise.

The Mix CD Axiom

There have been many guidelines posted on the internet on the dos and don'ts for making a Mix Tape/CD. Some of these are good tips, but most of these lack a certain touch. This humble post is not exactly the Marquees of Queensbury Rules of making mix CDs, but it can make the difference between a good mix, and a classic playlist (not to brag, but I have put together some awesome CDs in the past). Here is a list of rules that I have come up with over the years.

Article One: The Purpose of the Mix
You need to figure out why you are putting together the mix. Is this something you're putting together to impress a girl? Are you trying to expand somebody's musical horizons? What feeling are you trying to convey? Once you have figured this part out, you need to come up with some appropriate songs.

Article Two: Know Thy Listener
You have to remember, if the mix is for someone else, they must like the music. Period. If not, your intended purpose will not be realized. This is where a lot of people go off the rails. The tendency is to load it up with songs that you like. While it's true that you need to have at least an appreciation for what's included, you have to ask the question, "will the person listening like this". This requires a lot of recon. When talking about music, listen for what that person likes, and go from there. If you're listening to a radio station or another CD, judge the other person's response to a certain song. You don't have to make this a compilation of someone's favorite songs, but use noted favorites to sketch the playlist. If your target likes Talking Heads, then they may like Bell X1.

An 80 minute CD holds anywhere between 17-22 songs, so you are going to have to come up with 25-30 songs as a candidate list. Once you have the list, you must rank the songs for impact. There should be 5 or 6 cornerstone songs that have the highest ranking. These are the best songs in the list, and they should contain the heart of your motive. The others are filler songs (not to say that these are throw away songs, but ones that establish the ebb and flow of the mix). Once you have the nominees…

Article Three: Playlist Structure
To make a great mix, one must apply the Hornby Law of Playlist Structure. In the Nick Hornby novel High Fidelity, the story's protagonist, Rob Gordon states that you have to start of the Mix Tape (it was written in the 90s after all), you must start off with a great song, and then kick it up a notch. After the second or third song, you have to cool it off to prevent burnout. This is the same strategy that a distance runner would employ during the race. You need to get off to a good start, but you need to slow down at some point, or else you'll find the finish line. It sounds silly, but it's true. So your skeleton for an 18 song playlist should look like this…

Opening Track: A Corner Stone Song. This one should be a familiar song for the listener. For example, if one of your goals is to turn somebody on to the Neko Case song "People Got a Lot of Nerve", don't lead off with Neko Case. Put something that the person will know, and most likely enjoy. The purpose of this song is get your listener's attention. If you lead off with a song that your audience won't like, then your weeks of work may end in 7 seconds. Make sure that the song or artist is well known, but not overly popular. You run the risk of boring your listener if your opener isn't unique enough. If you must insist on opening with a U2 song (which I would NEVER recommend), don't make it "Vertigo" or "Even Better than the Real Thing". Use something like "When Love Comes to Town" or their version of "All Along the Watchtower"

Song 2: Another Corner Stone Song. I usually like to reserve the strongest song of the CD for this position. In many cases, it's the song I've designed the mix around, although that song may be moved to another place because of the ebb and flow. This song need not be upbeat, but have some sort of power behind it. Song 2 should not be a ballad, unless it's for someone you're already dating.

Song 3: A Cornerstone. This song should serve as the transition into the Filler Songs.

Song 4-15: Filler Songs (see Article Four for expanded coverage)

Song 16: The Transition Cornerstone Song. This is the lead in to the grand finale.

Song 17: This should be a song much like the opening track. One of the stronger songs, but specifically
geared to set up the last song.

The Closer: The Signature Song. This is the last chance to impress your listener. This is the no holds barred song. Whatever you want to say in a mix CD, this is where you do it. Every track leads up to this song. Example: Years ago, I closed a mix for a girl with the song "Better Be Home Soon" by Crowded House. Not only does this song beg to be at the end of any CD, the underlining theme was "please figure out what you want, because I'm planning to move on soon" (which eventually I did).

Article Four: The Fillers
Remember that the term Filler is used because of a lack of a better term. Think of these as the middle relievers of your playlist. It still needs to be solid in order to make it a great CD. The last thing that you want to do is to lose the listener's attention. Filler songs should maintain the same feeling that the cornerstone songs have.

Article Five: Transitions and Sequence
While it's true that you want your cornerstone songs to flow together, it is especially critical that your fillers transition well. If you are going to put a song that is unfamiliar to the listener, place it next to a song that has a similar sound. For example, D really likes Landon Pigg's "Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop". Knowing this, I decided to add Nick Drake's "Place to Be" right after Landon for the mix CD Chevelure. They both are slower acoustic guitar centric songs, and just flow together. Resist the urge to go directly from a slow song to a hard upbeat song. Bridge that gap.

Do not jolt the listener by abutting two vastly different songs back to back. Never play "Black Friday Rule" by Flogging Molly back to back with "Caravan" by Van Morrison. I don't care if they are both Irish, those two songs don't belong together.

Another transition strategy is to group songs written by the same artist. It's no secret that I am a huge Tom Waits fan, and I have on more than one occasion put several songs written by Waits together.

It is also fun to have common bonds link songs together. Again, on several occasions, I have put Diana Krall back to back with Elvis Costello (or as she calls him, her husband).

Article Six: Other Rules and Guidelines
Never use the same artist twice in the same CD. You may also not use a variation of the same artist on the same disc. For example, you may not use "Who Are You" by the Who and "Slit Skirts" by Pete Townshend in the same playlist.

Although it is not a concrete rule, you should not use the same cornerstone song for different mixes.

Titles should be clever, and should have something to do with the theme of the mix. If not, it should at least be an inside joke with the person for whom you have made the disc.

Never repeat the name of a mix.

Never reveal the contents of the playlist to the target person until that have listened to the entire CD. If the intended listener recognizes a song before listening to the whole thing, the temptation will be for that person to skip ahead to that song.

Always write liner notes to the CD. Mark the significance of certain songs, or write why you chose to make the mix.

Never make a mix shorter than 72 minutes. It's just a waste of space.

Anthology X1 - The Demon Barber of Seville

This is the 11th edition of the “Anthology Series” (as described in the December 26th blog entry). The original series (Anthologies 1-6, “From DNA to 26”) was completed in May 2000. Since then, a new chapter has been added every two years.

“Anthology X1 – The Demon Barber of Seville” is the music that has been the backdrop and inspiration to my life from 2008-2009.

Here are some of the songs that are missing…

Canon in D – Sharp Jimmy and the Dammit Five
Matter of Time – Los Lobos and Elvis Costello
Jump Into the Fire – Harry Nilsson
The Rainbow Connection – Willie Nelson
Thanksgiving – Poi Dog Pondering
Norwegian Wood – Jeremy Messersmith & Zach Coulter

The Andy Dufresne List of the 00s Part 2: The Top 10 of the First 10

Happy New Year! We continue the Andy Dufresne List, already in progress.

10. Super Theory of Super Every Thing – Gogol Bordello (2007)
The first time I heard this song was in July 2007. D was in town as she was prepping to move to Minnesota (because in the summer, it seems like a good idea). We were on Lake Street on the way back to my apartment when we heard this Ukrainian goofball talking about the first time he had read The Bible. This was not our first exposure to lead singer Eugene Hutz.

If you have ever seen the movie Everything Is Illuminated, he plays the role of Alex, the not so premium translator for Jonfen in Odessa. In fact, when we heard this (not knowing that Hutz was "singing"), D said "Wow, that sounds like 'Alex'!"

9. Paranoid Android (Live) – Brad Mehldau (2000)


In the interest of full disclosure, I never really bought into the whole "Thom York is a genius" philosophy. I liked Pablo Honey and The Bends, and then Radiohead went down the rabbit hole. I always felt that the first release from their third album was a little disjointed. I was never convinced that "Paranoid Android" was actually a good song that was just poorly recorded. Fast forward to 2000 when a jazz pianist named Brad Mehldau grabbed a hold of it, shook it up, and laid it out in a stunning 9:23 make good for everyone who wanted this to be a great song, and were let down by the author.

8. If I Ever Leave This World Alive – Flogging Molly (2002)
Any song from the album Drunken Lullabies could have made this list, but If "I Ever Leave This World Alive" has the edge over the title track, "What's Left of the Flag" and "Rebels of the Sacred Heart". The song speaks of a very close friendship that starts as an acoustic number. After the second bridge, the song picks up to a rockin' tribute that out Pogues the Pogues.

7. Skinny Love – Bon Iver (2008)
When I first heard this song, I was really getting into Beck's Sea Change CD. I was re-introduced to "Lost Cause" and exclaimed that it was his best work. A week later, I heard "Lost Cause" again on the Current, and they played it back to back with this new song called "Skinny Love" by some guy from Wisconsin. Not only was I floored at the pure genius of the playlist, but I was also taken by the structure of the song. I immediately went home and bought it on Amazon. Since then, it's been one of the songs that I play whilst I am working on the second novel.

6. Up From The South – The Budos Band (2006)
I first heard about this band was after I read an article in the Star Tribune about the 2007 SXSW music fest in Austin. The writer of the piece said that one of the highlights for him was this funk/soul band from Staten Island called the Budos Band. Starving for some new music, I looked them up on iTunes, and previewed the first song on their self entitled CD. In 30 seconds, I was sold on the bass, rhythm, and brass. I promptly bought the songs and listened to it over and over again. The song was fast tracked on the VBC, and became a staple of the playlist. You may have heard it, as it was featured on a commercial for the NFL Network.

5. In The Sun – Joseph Arthur (2000)


This is probably not the only list in which this song has appeared. This beloved song (as my friend, Andie, likes to call it—"the God Song") has appeared in such films as The Bourne Identity and Saved and television shows including The L Word and Scrubs (it has also appeared in Grey's Anatomy, but since I mentioned it was in Scrubs, it's assumed that "GA" grabbed a hold of it too, as it has ripped off the half hour comedy show countless times). It's been covered by Peter Gabriel, Michael Stipe and Howie Day. The song is usually noted for the line "May God's love be with you", however, it certainly not a spiritual song. In fact, it takes the position of the agnostic ("I'm not even sure if there is anyone who is in the sun will you help me to understand").

4. Time – Tori Amos (2001)


Strange Little Girls wasn't what I would call a solid effort for Tori Amos. Again, it's not an original concept; an entire album of covers. Annie Lennox and Shawn Colvin had already done this, and Tori had made a career of doing awesome covers. I don't think I had a great appreciation of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" until I heard her take on it. So why do this album? Why risk the reputation with an unconventional line up (I'm still trying to figure out why she did Eminem's "97 Bonnie and Clyde"). She was already the queen of the covers, she had nothing to prove. On first listen, I was about to give up in this album until track 7 played. At the time, I was still immersing myself in the Tom Waits catalogue; digesting songs slowly, but I was not well versed yet. Although I didn't recognize the song at first, I recognized that it had to be Tom's work. I sat back, smiled, and played the song again and again. To date, it is the only cover of a Waits song that I like better than the original.

3. Your Ex-Lover is Dead - Stars (2005)
I usually don't buy a CD just by hearing it at a record store, but it has happened a few times (this is how I came to own a Me First and the Gimme Gimmes CD). I was rifling through the Elvis Costello stack at Cheapo Records when I heard this song that started off imitating a small chamber orchestra. It then shifted gears with a rhythm guitar riff that crawled out of a Lou Reed song book. As I had received some news about an ex-lover (that she was moving out of town), I was struck by a particular passage (which I quoted in a Episode 2 of the Neil Casey series).

There's one thing I want to say, so I'll be brave
You were what I wanted
I gave what I gave
I'm not sorry I met you
I'm not sorry it's over
I'm not sorry there's nothing to save

After I caught my breath, I asked the guy behind the counter what this was. He preceded to hand me a copy of Set Yourself On Fire by Stars, a band out of Montreal. As soon as I got home, I listened to the entire album twice in a row. Without a doubt, it's one of my top CDs of the 2000s. Hands down.

2. The Way it Is – Nicole Atkins (2007)


What the hell is it about New Jersey and its talent pool. You have Sinatra, Springsteen, and this young lady from Neptune City (which is the title of her 2007 CD). If you have ever asked yourselves the question "If Chrissy Hynde and Roy Orbison ever has a love child, what would she sound like?" you would have your answer. My first introduction to "The Way it Is" was when I was auditioning songs at the VBC. Nicole is agonizing over a guy who clearly isn't into her as she is into him. Simply beautiful.

1. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) – Arcade Fire (2004)


As with many songs that I have obsessed over, this story starts off with Todd saying "you've got to hear this song." Thus was the case for another band from Montreal when I was on a return trip to WTTS. There really isn't much I can say about this song. At this point words fail me to explain why this song hit me so hard. It just—fits.

Honorable Mention: It Keeps Rainin' – Robert Plant and the Lil' Band O' Gold (2007), Don't Know Why – Norah Jones (2002), List of Demands – Saul Williams (2004), Baby Please Don't Leave – Buddy Guy (2000), Happy As Can Be – Cut Off Your Hands (2009), Blitzed – The Raveonettes (2007), Fresh Feeling – Eels (2002)