This is a blog about my passions, including (but not limited to) music, writing, Vegas, poker, my homeland Indiana (mostly sports), and any little thing that strikes my fancy. I publish new posts at 11:20 (Central) on Tuesdays and Thursdays with an occasional Saturday post. I do, however, reserve the right to add a big story as it happens.
When D and I were getting ready for the wedding last summer, we had a clear division of responsibility. I took care of the music, photography, tuxes and rings. She did the rest. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I got off light. While D was wrestling with the cake lady, the hall, invitations and people who sent specific seating demands, I listened to music.
Doesn’t seem fair, does it?
I was also responsible for the creation of the slide shows. Normally, the song that accompanies grainy baby pictures is some kind of sappy song, such as any random Dashboard Confessional tune. I know that weddings are emotional events, but this is a pictorial of somebody’s life. Does the groom really want "Vindicated" to his theme song?
I, however, went in a different direction. I decided that I wanted a song that not only was upbeat, but was a little more self-descriptive. I chose “(What’s so Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” by Elvis Costello and the Attractions.
It’s not what I would call a wedding song; it’s not even close. It has a very pessimistic point of view. Why in the name of all that’s good and holy would I want to use that song…to describe my life?
I’m sorry, have we not met?
Not to sound too corny or sappy, but that song pretty much summed up my attitude in the pre-D era. Sure, life kicks everyone every now and then, but I was pretty sick of it. It wasn’t just me, either. I watched my friends, some of the best people on the planet, get treated the same way a baby treats a diaper.
As I walk through
This wicked world
Searchin for light in the darkness of insanity.
I ask myself
Is all hope lost?
Is there only pain and hatred, and misery?
Since the photos (most of them) came from this era, the song made sense. This is who I was at that point. It took meeting someone on the stairs of my apartment to make the change, and make me believe again.
For many years, I just called it the “museum song”. That’s really how I knew it. In the one John Hughes film that didn’t make me want to throw things (a topic for a future discussion…maybe in August), there was this acoustic guitar and saxophone song that played as Ferris, Cameron and Sloane took their day off to the Art Institute in Chicago. It’s one of those film moments that will live in my memory forever.
Years had passed until I watched the film again; borrowing it from my then roommate. Seeing it again for the first time in over fifteen years, I was stunned when I realized it was a cover of “Please, Please, Please Let me Get What I Want.” When I mentioned it to her (which, by the way, she is a self professed Smiths fan), she argued with me that it wasn’t. Even after playing the scene for her and the song back to back, she still didn’t believe me. (Side note: She has since denied that this happened. However, D was a witness to this and can verify the story).
The Dream Academy cover was released exclusively in the UK. This is a little treat that Hughes gave us for the movie (as well as The English Beat’s “March of the Swivelheads”). It’s a song that I listened to many times before my own trip to the Art Institute last winter. The song ran through my head as I stood in front of Seurat’s “Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte".
Since then, another cover of this song has surfaced, and was a part of another movie. The latest version, recorded by She and Him, features a female vocalist.
However, as the days get nicer, I look out my window at work and think about having my own day off. Maybe I could con D’s boss so I can get her out of work and we could go to the Minnesota Institute of Art.
I was working on some admin stuff for Praxis Magazine in a coffee shop Friday night. As I was waiting for a couple of files to upload, I looked out the window and saw snow falling. Snow in May is nothing new in Minneapolis. However, after not having any snow in March (the first time since 1876) and April, it was a little jarring and disappointing. I’m not ashamed to admit it; I kept thinking “I should have moved to LA when I had a chance.”
I’ve never publically admitted this until now; it almost happened. Much like the Lakers and the Vikings (oh, it will happen), I was an angel’s breath away from lifting anchor in the City of Lakes and heading west. While D was living in the OC, there was a major upheaval at Brown, and a vital member of our team was laid off. I was angry and ready to quit. While ranting to D over the phone, she said “Whatever you want to do, I’m behind you.” It was her way of telling me that she was willing to stay in SoCal and I could move in with her, as opposed to her relocating to MSP (which had been a long brewing plan).
I decided to stick it out after my boss (who had correctly guessed that I was about to bolt) called me into her office and talked me off the ledge. She talked about how I was part of the future of the school and I had unfinished business with the on-line radio station. Then 18 months later, I was laid off.
Oddly enough, no song makes me think about that decision more than Soul Coughing’s “Screenwriter’s Blues” from their debut CD Ruby Vroom. Mike Doughty’s beat poet like vocals backed with a jazz progression outline a cynical tale of a shallow society built on self aggrandizing and aesthetics. Even though these are attitudes that I hate, the song makes me long to be a screenwriter, sitting at a Starbucks with 17 other screenwriters, choking on smog.
Los Angeles beckons the teenagers to come to her on buses; Los Angeles loves love
LA is the prime example of style over substance. The city, much like the majority of its inhabitants, are beautiful, yet soulless. As Dennis Miller once put it, “it’s a town where 'let’s do lunch' actually means ‘you’re dead to me’.” The unemployment rate in SoCal is near 13%, and has no shortage of writers and celebrity wannabes (which is really all I’m qualified to do). There is a possibility that Radio Radio wouldn’t have been finished if I moved there. I wouldn’t have met some great people, and I wouldn’t have accomplished all that I did at the VBC.
I’m not much for prime time television, but there is one show that stands out to me--NBC’s “Chuck”. This isn't a save “Chuck” post, and I won’t bother writing one. Clearly, NBC couldn’t care less about my taste in TV shows (a possible subject for a future post). Besides, I don’t catch the show enough to be completely invested in it. However, I like the story line of a dork turned cool, hard ass actor Adam Baldwin (from “Firefly” fame) and the smokin’ hot blonde (which is saying a lot, since I’ve always preferred brunettes and redheads). But this is not why I really enjoy the show.
The most compelling part of "Chuck" for me is the music selection. In the past, I’ve been blown away that a prime time network show would feature music by bands such as Glasvegas and Bon Iver. No other show (with the possible exception of "Scrubs") had a better grasp of music and its involvement in the story.
A few months ago, I was watching Chuck with D. At the end of the show, as Sarah and Chuck were seemingly separated forever (again), this haunting tune sung with a Scottish accent played.
“Do you know who this is?” D said excitedly.
I hadn’t heard the song before. “No.”
“It’s Frightened Rabbit.”
I’m not ashamed to admit it, this was a huge turn on (by the way, D’s also a brunette). It was just more evidence that I married the right woman. Slowly but surely, I’ve been turning her into an audiophile. The student had become the master.
After absorbing the song on the show, I bought the CD, The Winter of Mixed Drinks. I’ve been obsessing over this band ever since. Although “Swim Until You Can’t See Land” may not be my favorite of their songs (the clear leader is “Keep Yourself Warm”…also featured on “Chuck”), but it is the one that has stuck with me the most.
The song is inspired by a Ben Kingsley film called The Wackness. Kingsley attempts suicide by swimming in the ocean so far, that he would eventually drown. He changes his mind and swims back to shore.
The song is about recovering from a horrible time. According to lead singer Scott Hutchinson, “It's about losing your mind in order to reset the mind and the body. Forget what's gone before and wash it out.”
The sea has seen my like before though it's my first
And perhaps last time.
Let's call me a baptist, call this the drowning of the past
She's there on the shoreline
Throwing stones at my back
Outside of getting married last September, the past 18 months or so have been a struggle. My wife and I have endured a layoff, health issues, family drama and a precarious personal financial future. As it says in the song, “now the water's taller than me, and the land is a marker line.” It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the stresses that have come to pass.
The best line of the song is the hook of the song, “are you a man, or a bag of sand.” It’s sink or swim. Do you have the strength to make it to the next day, or are you too tired to fight the tide?
Am I a man or a bag of sand? Sometimes, I wished to God I knew.
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.
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.
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)
As we are in the final hours of the first decade of the 21st Century, there are tons of lists to give you the "Best Of" of the 00s. Many times, you take a look at these lists and think "What the hell was this guy thinking." Lists like that are completely subjective, and has a heavy basis of the writer's bias. Most of these writers are self important, more interested in looking cool than show their work, and boast that their list (for whatever the subject matter) is "the definitive list". These guys make me nuts.
So why am I doing one? You ask.
I make no bones about it…this is my opinion. I don't claim to be the all knowing expert. I haven't heard every song that has been recorded since January 2000, and there is no hip hop or country music in this top 20. I'm just not well versed in hip hop, and I can't justify the honoring any song that shares a radio playlist with "Chicken Fry" by Zac Brown. This list only notes the 20 songs that knocked on my ass and made me pause. It's kinda like that scene in The Shawshank Redemption, when Andy Dufresne plays "Che Soave Zeffiretto" from Mozart's Le Nozze Di Figaro over the PA system, and the prisoners stand in stunned silence. In one way or the other, I had the same reaction the first time I heard each of these songs. I stopped what I was doing and just listened. Some of these songs may lack the same sense of beauty that is carried in The Marriage of Figaro, but they all reminded me why I love music so much.
But, before we get to the list, I really want to toss this little nugget into the best of stream of consciousness.
The Best Inside Joke of the 00s – "It's My Life" by Paul Anka (2005)
On first listen, there is nothing special to the 2005 CD Rock Swings by Paul Anka. The concept wasn't revolutionary; an entire compilation of taking songs from one genre and rearranging them to fit another. By 2005, not that many people knew/remembered who Paul Anka was, besides that he was the pit boss in the first five minutes of that crap Vegas movie 2000 Miles To Graceland. Plus many thought that if he was going to catch lightning in a bottle, he was eight years too late to cash in on the swing revival (thanks to Jon Favreau).
What endears the song to me is not that it's an improvement to a Bon Jovi song (which as it turns out, the secret is to have someone besides Jon Bon Jovi singing it), is the chorus of the song.
It's my life
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said, "I did it my way"
It's a nice little nod from one Jersey guy to another. But if you look at the back story of "My Way", you find that Sinatra didn't write it. "My Way" was composed by (wait for it) Paul Anka. So in essence, Paul Anka is quoting Jon Bon Jovi, who is quoting Frank Sinatra, who is quoting Paul Anka. It goes around in a circle, just like Pop Up Video. Thanks Paul for making me and other music geeks smile at that.
And now, as Casey would say, on with the countdown.
20. If Only She Knew – O.A.R. (2001) Before they hit the main stream in 2008, this Columbus, Ohio band was the darling of college rock radio stations. Still riding the dying wave of ska, the band released Risen in 2001. The fourth track of that CD opens with an acoustic guitar solo then erupts with horns and a ska/reggae rhythm. The song speculates on what would happen if the object of the storyteller's affection knew his true feelings. While the song may not have the real emotional depth that one would expect with a list such as this, it harkens back to feelings that I'm sure anyone who has a Y-Chromosome can recall. If this song doesn't conjure a specific memory involving quarter beer night, skipping a philosophy class, and really wanting to go to bed with the hot girl d' jour, then you're just not trying.
19. Papercut – Linkin Park (2000)
It's hard not to be impressed with the opening track of Hybrid Theory. The haunting lyrics about an individual's paranoia give you not only an uneasy feeling of angst, but the hope of normalcy. After listening to this, you get the feeling that this is what the Beastie Boys would sound like if they had taken performance enhancing drugs and spent four months in a room with no windows. Truly stunning.
18. Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me – The Pipettes (2007) Sure, you can say that Brit-pop from late 2005-2008 was pretty much all the same. You have girls with cockney accents trying to relive the early 60s music with modern themes. There's a bit of a repetitive drab you get from Lily Allen, Duffy and Amy Winehouse that seems to make this era across the pond a one trick pony. While The Pipettes do fall into this pattern, their delivery on "Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me" seems flawless. Unlike Winehouse's, the song isn't a darker, almost farcical version of classic music. Of course, Shirley Bassey never sang about going to rehab, and I never really wondered what it would sound like if she did. That's why I like the Pipettes so much. This song is just a throwback, and it's quite refreshing.
17. The Devil Went Down To Georgia – Johnny Socko (2000) OK. You've got me. There is a Hoosier State bias on this one. I have seen Johnny Socko live countless times, many of there shows were at the Bluebird in Bloomington. In fact, I was at the live show that was recorded for their triple live CD. However, the version of this song that I am talking about isn't the live dance song, but part of a sampler for their Quarto CD (which ironically enough, it's not on Quarto). This era for Johnny Socko served as a transition period, as the band started to move away from the horn heavy sound to a more guitar centric feel. They also get bonus points for riffing "Sweet Child of Mine" in the Devil's solo, proving that Guns and Roses (Axel Rose, by the way is another Indiana guy, but he's from Lafayette) has got to be the soundtrack to Hell.
16. Baby Fratelli – The Fratellis (2006) This song has a couple of deep meanings for me. Firstly, I heard it for the first time on WOXY.com (while they were still headquartered in Oxford, OH) as an advance single for their CD Costello Music, which was already released in the UK. Secondly, this is how I learned that you can't access iTunes UK from the colonies. So I had to wait for two months until it was officially released in the United States. God, I hate the record industry.
15. Hate It Here – Wilco (2008) I want to lead off this one by suggesting that Chicago based Wilco is the most underrated band from the last 30 years. They have had arguably two of the best albums of the 2000s (Yankee Foxtrot Hotel and Sky Blue Sky). "Hate it Here" starts with Jeff Tweedy singing about keeping busy after his girlfriend has left him. The song then takes a sharp right turn into "Come Together". It then goes back and forth with Tweedy waiting in vain for his beloved to come back, and telling us that he hates being in their home alone.
14. Stuck Between Stations – The Hold Steady (2006)
Honestly, if I didn't live in Minnesota, I'd still be all about these guys. I was originally turned on to this Minneapolis band by fellow Cub sufferer The Reach right after the CD Boys And Girls in America was released. The opening of the song almost makes you think that this is going to be an 80s pop metal tribute song, then the keyboards come in. The lyrics start off quoting On The Road—
There are nights when I think Sal Paradise was right.
Boys and Girls in America have such a sad time together.
—And then it launches into a Springsteen-esque aria about poet John Berryman's suicide in 1972 who leapt from the Washington Street Bridge in Minneapolis. Lead singer Craig Finn, truly a lover of great literature and poetry. Now, if he would just read my book…
13. I and Love and You – The Avett Brothers (2009) The only reason that this song doesn't rank higher is that it's too new. I just can't justify putting a song in the top 10 of a decade after only being exposed to it for just two months. I fear that my current obsession with this song might cloud my judgment, and proclaim it better than songs that have settled in the musical stream of consciousness. If this song had a couple of more years on it, then it may finish much higher (or a lot lower…who knows). As I had written in my November 20th post, the song hit me like a ton of bricks on the way home from my wife's school's Fall Ball.
12. Fallen For You – Sheila Nicholls (2000) If "Funkytown" (1979) can be played on a bunch of 80s stations, then "Fallen For You" qualifies for this list. Yes, I recognize that the source album Brief Stop was released on November 16, 1999, but it wasn't until its appearance in the 2000 film High Fidelity that most people in The States had heard it. This heartbreaking love confession interruptus is only backed up with a piano. Sheila stops short of letting out every detail of her feelings when she realizes that her love is not requited, and that her interpretations of romantic gestures by the man of her dreams (or woman, Sheila is bi after all) were actually intended for another woman.
11. Diablo Rojo – Rodrigo y Gabriela (2006)
So you have a duo from Mexico that plays traditional Spanish Flamenco guitars that earned their notoriety after relocating to Ireland. It sounds less like a story about an up and coming band and more like a World Cup of Soccer schedule. Diablo Rojo takes its name, and feel, from a roller coaster (named Red Devil) in Denmark. The song starts off slowly, and then takes off at breakneck speed. The thing that you have to keep in mind is that there are just two people playing. There are no backup studio musicians, or multi track overlays in the song. They recorded it as if they are performing live. Gabriela's mano-dexterity and unshakeable rhythm is unearthly, and Rodrigo's hypnotic melody line adds to a true musical treat.
It started in early 2000. I was helping my friend Todd move when he threw down the proverbial gauntlet as he tossed me a six CD wallet filled with store sampler discs.
"I bet that you can't fill this wallet with the music of your life," he challenged.
Todd and I had recently discussed the Robert Fulgham book Words I Wish I Wrote. The passage in question revolves around Fulgham's thoughts on a soundtrack of a person's life (incidentally, Todd has written on this topic as well).
If your life were made into a movie, and that movie had an appropriate soundtrack, and I went to a record store to buy a CD of the music, what would be on it? What mood would it leave me in when I played it? The questions necessarily impose limitations. The music must fit on a single CD; choices must be made. No defense of choice is necessary. It's assumed the selections will be idiosyncratic, combining some music in the common realm with bits and pieces of melody patched together from who knows where. The music of the soundtrack of a life will not be original, but it has passed into us, left its sound in the jukebox of the mind, become part of us, and we will likely pass it on.
"Six CDs", I scoffed. "No problem."
"There are rules," Todd said.
"Sure."
"It must be chronological as an autobiographical work."
"OK. Easy enough."
"And you can't use the same artist twice in one CD, or variations of the same artist. For example, you can't have the Beatles and solo Lennon or Wings on the same disc."
"You bastard!"
To make things more difficult, the challenge was to make six CDs, not tapes. In 2000, that capability was very new to me, and I had yet to put together a successful mix CD. Keep in mind, this was in an era before iTunes for Windows, so it's not like I could rip a CD and just keep a playlist. I had to approach this as I did with a mix tape. I had to write down all of the nominated songs on a legal pad, and mark the significance (not part of the wager, however it was good for a defense, just in case Todd demanded me to show my work upon completion).
Another obstacle was that most of the songs that I wanted to include were archived on cassette or vinyl, so I would have to make more than 50 digital copies of songs…in real time.
From conception to end, the project took three months, 96 songs, and ten 74 minute CDs (I had several false starts and disc errors). This was the beginning of what I called the Anthology Project. The first six volumes were titled From DNA to 26. The first three were completed in April 2000, and the last three were finished in June 2000. Since then, I have added four new volumes (which have all been a two disc set), one every two years. I have also reissued the first nine volumes two years ago, adding a bonus track per CD to take advantage of the 80 minute CD capability.
Yes, I am a music geek.
As tradition would dictate, the list of nominations concludes the day after Christmas every odd year. I'd then spend the next week reviewing every song, and making cuts from the list. Then I would burn the CD and release the track list on the day after New Year's Day of an even year.
As this is not a mix CD, but rather a chronicle, this collection falls out of the rules of the Mix CD Axiom (rules that Todd and I came up with a long time ago, which I have modified over the years…it will be the feature of a future post in 2010).
I'm debating whether or not to post the previous 10 playlists. Until I figure that out, here are some fun facts about the project thus far.
Each volume opens with the Fox Fanfare performed by Helm and Heik (available on iTunes), followed by Robert Fulgham reading the excerpt about the soundtrack (From the audio book of Words I Wish I Wrote). However, the line about the soundtrack fitting on one disc has been edited out (for obvious reasons).
There are 243 actual songs on 14 CDs.
Van Morrison and Elvis Costello are tied for the most songs (5). Tom Waits, Tori Amos, and Bruce Springsteen are second (4).
William Shatner appears twice, which is once more than The Rolling Stones, ELO, The Smiths, Louis Armstrong, and John Lennon.
Fittingly, more songs reference Todd (16) than anyone else, and he is referenced on the most volumes (5). D has the record for most songs per volume (8 songs on Anthology X).
Only one other person has all ten volumes (besides me). I gave D a copy when we got engaged. I figured that if she wanted to spend the rest of her life with me, she was entitled to the backstory.
No song is repeated, or ever will be. An alternate version or a cover may appear.
There are 47 songs that have been nominated in the past two years. It runs at 3:04:17, and needs to be edited to 2:38:30. Some songs deal with loss and death, while others signify pure joy. Three weddings are referenced and new friends and old ones are honored in this list. And The Nominees for Anthology X1 – The Demon Barber of Seville are…
z - One Week – Barenaked Ladies
Zip Gun Bop – Royal Crown Review
z - Remember The Rain – Brad Terry & Lenny Breau
z - All The Time – Johnny Mathis
z - Fever – Buddy Guy
Falling Slowly – The Swell Season
Blitzed – The Raveonettes
z - Mother Mary – Foxboro Hot Tubs
Mercy – Duffy
z - Skinny Love – Bon Iver
z - Don't Stand So Close To Me – The Police
Where Is My Mind? – The Pixies
St. James Infirmary – Cab Calloway
z - The Way It Is – Nicole Atkins
She's My Best Friend – The Velvet Underground
My Way – Gary Oldman (From Sid and Nancy)
Janine – Soul Coughing
z - Never Going Back Again (Live) – Lindsey Buckingham
z - Ring The Bells – James
I Found a Reason – Cat Power
Trash – New York Dolls
Breath Me – Sia
You're Going To Make Me Lonesome When You Go – Madeleine Peyroux
Sad Professor – REM
z - The Great Defector – Bell X1
z - A Thousand Eyes – Crystal Antlers
z - Canon In D – Sharp Jimmy and the Damn It Five
American Wedding – Gogol Bordello
Percussion Gun – White Rabbits
Matter of Time – Los Lobos and Elvis Costello
z - Jump Into The Fire – Harry Nilsson
I Put a Spell On You – Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop – Landon Pigg
House of the Rising Sun – Nina Simone
z - Straight To The Top (Vegas) – Tom Waits
z - Happy As Can Be – Cut Off Your Hands
z - 40 Day Dream – Edward Sharp & The Magnetic Zeros
F.N.T. – Semisonic
The Rainbow Connection – Willie Nelson
z - Never Forget – Dropkick Murphies
I'll Follow The Sun – Glen Phillips
z - I and Love and You – The Avett Brothers
Take Me Home – Holly Cole
Sloop John B. – Joseph Spence
Thanksgiving – Poi Dog Pondering
z - Grass – XTC
Norwegian Wood – Jeremy Messersmith and Zach Coulter z – Already Guaranteed a Spot
This is the first of a two part series. I know that there are other songs that are miscast. However, now that this is the holiday season, I thought that I would focus on two "Christmas songs" that really aren't Christmas songs.
A little more than a year after the VBC launched, I added the song "2000 Miles" by the Pretenders into the regular rotation. Not too long after it stated to play, someone (their identity will remain safe) pulled me aside.
"Why are you playing this song?"
"It's a great song. Why wouldn't I play it?"
"It's February," the person said slowly.
"And?"
"It's a Christmas song."
All I could do is take a deep breath, and shake my head.
To say that "2000 Miles" is a Christmas song is to say that The Godfather is a holiday film. It has to be. There is one scene when Al Martino's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" plays. It's right before Luca Brasi started sleeping with the fishes.
"2000 Miles" is actually about a long distance relationship. At the beginning of the song, Chrissie Hynde's opening line "He's gone," is utterly heartbreaking. Her lover has just left, and that moment has just become the longest possible amount of time before she will be reunited with him. The next time that they will be together will be on Christmas.
That's the only thing that the song has to do with Christmas.
The song has a bit of significance to me. When D and I first got together, we were a long distance relationship. I lived in Minneapolis, and she resided in Costa Mesa, California. We were literally 2000 miles away (according to Google Maps it's only 1,935 miles, but still). "2000 Miles" was the opening track to the second mix CD I made for her, which by the way was not a Christmas CD. Plus, I live in Minnesota. The line "The snow is falling down, it gets colder day by day" can be ANY day…not just "Christmas time". The song pretty much summed up the first few chapters of our relationship, until she moved out here (which when we're at this time of the year, we both wonder why I didn't move to California, Uber Allas).
The song was also miscast in 2007 in an episode of Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip. I loved that show (and apparently, only one of 12 people in the country that did), and Aaron Sorkin usually does a great job of using music in his stories, but he really missed the mark for this one. At the conclusion of "The Harriet Dinner Part 2", Danny and Jordan finally get off the roof of Studio 60(and get it on), Matt gets rejected by one of the Bombshell Babies about an hour after he found out that Harriet was considering sleeping with his old rival, and the stage of the Addison Theater gets ripped up because a viper, coyote, and a ferret are trapped underneath. None of these plot points have anything to do with a long distance relationship…or Christmas. To be fair, I know that Sorkin is a fan of the Pretenders, He used "Hymn to Her" in an episode of Sports Night (again, its uses is a stretch for the plot).
The song has been covered a couple of times. KT Tunstall released it couple of years ago for a holiday EP, and Sheryl Crow and Coldplay have taken a crack at it.
Don't get me wrong. I certainly can feel the spirit of the season while listening to "2000 Miles" and sipping on some egg nog or wassail…or whatever's handy. I'd just like to hear a radio station play it during the other 11 months of the year.
About a month ago, D had possession of the remote and landed on the History Channel. We saw this big bald guy dressed in all black buying a 1982 Harley Davidson off of a guy who looked like he didn't get the memo that ZZ Top had broken up. This show is called "Pawn Stars", and it has quickly become my favorite reality television show (except when the Colts are on, of course).
So here's the main point of the story. Rick Harrison runs the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, north of the strip in Las Vegas (the official Ian Shane preferred vacation spot). It's actually owned by his father "The Old Man", and he is grooming his son, "Big Hoss", to one day take over the family business. Corey's best friend, Chumlee, is the Pawn Shop's "village idiot" who is pure unintentional comic relief.
Now most people think of pawn shops as the one seen on Trading Places, seedy and run by Bo Diddley who says things like "In South Philly, it's worth 50 bucks." The show is not quite like that. It's more like "The Antiques Road Show", but people actually sell stuff. Some of the items are very rare and extremely cool. From Leon Spinks' IBF Heavyweight Title Belt to a 1950's Coke bottle dispenser, it's obvious that the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop is a haven for serious collectors. What separates this show with other reality shows is that each minute is a teachable moment. Rick usually knows the value and history of each item, but sometimes he calls in experts to tell more about the merchandise.
Plus if you're into the drama of a reality show, there is plenty of that. The Old Man has a hard time adapting to the changing times. He doesn't understand why everyone is dressed in jeans, and he refuses to admit that he is getting old (like the time he miss identifies a Carson City minted coin, because he couldn't see the "CC" on the bottom of the coin. It's the difference of $50 and $500). Rick struggles to keep things going while in the down economy. It's not that people aren't bringing things in, it's that the collecting market is down. And Big Hoss struggles to earn the trust and respect of his father (buying a boat for $16,000 without consulting his father).
I highly recommend this show. Season 2 starts tonight on the History Channel.
It's been a month since I first heard this song, and I can't get enough of it.
I first heard "I And Love And You" when I was driving D home from a very long day. I had a wedding to go to, D had a school dance to set up. We then met up for the "Ghost, Graves and Caves" tour of St. Paul with our friend Anna. The three of us had some Indian food, and then D and I went to close out the school dance and strike the set (for lack of a better phrase…it's my old high school drama lingo coming back).
It had been a nice day and the windows were down (rare for Minnesota in October) on the drive home. We were both exhausted, and I turned on 89.3. I heard this haunting piano melody backing a beautiful harmonized story about a guy who is leaving town and leaving his girlfriend a note. He has the hardest time telling her "I love you."
As soon as I got home, I went to the computer and bought the song on Amazon. Every time I hear it, I can't but help think about the ending of my book, and if it ever became a movie, it'd be a perfect song to close out the story (And that's all I'm going to say about the tie in. If you want to know what I'm writing about buy the book).
The song is a shoe-in nomination for Anthology X1, which should be compiled in the first week of January. I should have the track listing posted as soon as it is done.
When you're a kid, there are certain benchmarks that define the year. For me, the summer always had an ebb and flow with some major annual events.
Memorial Day Weekend – Indy 500 and the unofficial start of summer Last Week of June – Thunder on the Ohio Fourth of July – Midpoint of summer Last week of July/First Week of August – Family Vacation August 17 – My Birthday Labor Day Weekend – Frog Follies and the unofficial end of summer
As I have gotten older and moved away from Indiana, Thunder and the Follies have become more of a nostalgic concept rather than a seasonal marking of time, and I haven't had a full family vacation since 1987. However, I still view my birthday as the white flag for summertime. This summer was a lot like watching Casino, I sat around and waited for it to start and then it was over. Don't get me wrong. In my old age, and living in an apartment that lacks air conditioning, I'm not overjoyed by sweltering days with 1000% humidity. I'm not really ready to let go of this summer. Not just yet. I really like the fall, but I can put it on hold for a little bit. It's not like my 35th year was not all roses. D and I had to push back the wedding again, and I became victim 3, 593, 293 of the economy. I really need a fresh start to a new year.
Since I first got Automatic for the People, I have always equated the song "Night Swimming" to my birthday. It's a sentimental song about the end of an era. The song, and the day never used to hit me that hard until about 4 years ago.
There are many things that I am going to miss. I'm going to miss riding my bike in decent weather. I'm going to miss the smell of sun screen. I'm going to miss trying to figure out when the Cubs are going to blow it again. I'm going to miss not hearing from the blowhards in this state go on and on about the stinkin' Vikings. The unbelievable feeling of drinking a cold glass of water will be lost soon, and I'm going to deal with space heaters and frozen cars.
Now, my major events run like this.
October 15 – The average date of the first day of snow May 3rd – The latest day of snow in my 7 years in Minnesota June 1st – The first of a maximum of 115 days where doing something outside doesn't suck
As REM said in that song "September's coming soon." Happy Birthday to me.
Usually, I would get excited about going to Las Vegas. I pepper my blog with Pre-Vegas themed entries (such as Top 5 Vegas Movies, and Vegas Tips). That is if I know if I am going in advance. I found out about the latest and third trip to the real city that never sleeps about an hour and a half before takeoff. I had plans with my fiancée to celebrate her birthday (Thursday), wander around the Uptown Art Fair (Friday), and see one of my favorite bands, Flogging Molly, at the Irish Fair (Saturday). But first, we were going to pick up a friend of hers from high school at the airport on Wednesday night.
When we get there, I spotted my best man and one of my poker buddies. Confused, I asked the natural question.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"You're going to Vegas."
"I'm not going to no Vegas. I'm not packed."
"Yeah, you are," D said as she popped the trunk and pulled out my suitcase, and my computer bag (which I still want to know how she did that without me knowing). "It's your bachelor party."
It slowly started to dawn on me that D's plans for a weekend were not only a cover, but prevented me from making other plans. There was no friend of hers at the airport; it was just to get me to drive out there with her. So three friends of mine (and one we'd meet with out there) flew away to the Ian Shane preferred vacation spot. Lots of things were going on for the trip, so I'll just give you the Reader's Digest condensed version of the trip.
-Had a great room at the Luxor, however I found it amusing that they were trying to brand themselves as the "green" casino by installing energy efficient lights and a requesting that we re-use towels to save water. Keep in mind that this is the casino that has 7 high powered lights that shoot a beam into the air for no real reason.
-Playing poker in Vegas is not as scary as you would think. The prevailing logic is that the best of the best go there to play. It's poker Top Gun, and if you are a middle of the pack kind of player (which I am), then you'll lose quickly and you won't have any fun. The truth is that you're not going to find Dan Harrington playing a $52 dollar buy in tournament at the Lux, or a 1-2 no limit game. The fact is poker rooms are usually populated with drunken rubes and first timers. These are the people who watched maybe one or two WSOP tape delays and thought "This is easy. Anybody can do this." The way they play makes you believe that they would be more than willing to give you their money directly, but since poker room rules prohibit such acts of charity, they'll limp into a pot with a pocket Jack/4. If you play a patient game (which I admit, I didn't the last night there…fatigue was starting to set in.) you can walk away with a bit of money. I was up 100 bucks in 45 minutes in 1-2 no limit the first time I played.
-I don't care what the "How to Play Blackjack" books say about odds, when a dealer shows a six, nine times out of ten, the under card is a five, and the dealer will pull a face on the draw. Conversely, when you have an 11 and you double down, you'll draw a two 90% of the time.
-Never, never, NEVER play roulette. It's a game specifically designed to draw in newbies and rubes who think that they can beat the odds.
-Girls who wear the "Las Vegas Hottie" T-shirts aren't fooling anyone.
-Las Vegas is Spanish for "The Buffet". Which if you are looking for a great place to have a reception dinner after your Vegas wedding, it's not a bad place to be. You're paying 26 bucks a person, and you let the guests decide what they want. You don't have to painstakingly go through menu options. As long as your jerky guests don't do the annoying clinking of the glass to get the bride and groom to kiss, then you're welcome anytime.
-Pound for pound, I still say that Fremont is the place to be. I love the old school Vegas. We played poker at the Fitz, and it was the highlight of the gaming portion of the trip (although it may be the highlight because I finished better than everyone else in the party, and sixth out of 33 entrants).
-Trip highlight was the Diana Krall show at the Palms. The show was great, and her version of "Jockey Full of Bourbon" was lights out. If there's a Tom Waits song being performed by someone other than Waits, then it damn well better be Diana.
By the time we got on the plane, I was ready to leave that wretched place, and looking forward to the next time I go.
Several years ago, my friend Jeff told me that he had a great idea for a screenplay. It was a spoof of a zombie movie.
"It's time for one," he said.
Then he went to see a movie called Shaun of the Dead, and he saw his movie play out in front of him. Jeff sat there in horror as he saw three or four things that he had already written in his unfinished screenplay (all of which prompted great laughter by the audience.)
He told me that it was the worst feeling he ever had as a writer, and he hoped that it would never happen to me.
Let's fast forward to 2007. I had started to put together my first feature length screenplay. It was the result of nine years of research. I had downloaded FBI files, and read biographies. I was 30 pages into a screenplay titled Public Enemy. It started in Tucson, Arizona January 30, 1934 as John Dillinger was set to be extradited to Indiana to face charges that he killed a police officer during a bank robbery in East Chicago.
I was feeling pretty good about the story and what I had written, until D and I went back to Indiana for the holidays. As we were on the way back to Minnesota, I heard a report on Wisconsin Public Radio about how Badger State favorite son, Michael Mann, was going to be in the state shooting a film. I like Michael Mann, so the story caught my attention.
"The untitled film stars Johnny Depp and focuses on the life of John Dillinger."
What did that reporter say?
It was just another excuse to hate Wisconsin.
I immediately put the project on the back burner. My friends who were aware of the project urged me to reconsider, and to continue to work on it.
"It could be totally different than what you're writing," DeAnna said. "He could screw it up. Michael Mann isn't infallible. Look at Heat."
I held on to that hope, but still had the project in suspended animation. I would take a wait and see approach.
Then I saw the trailer, and I wept.
Like Jeff, I sat in horror as I saw one scene exactly as I had envisioned, and one as I had written. I knew what he was feeling in that California movie theater five years ago.
I haven't seen Public Enemies yet. But I will sometime, and I'm going to be keeping notes. I know the history, and I will be the movie's toughest critic. I already have some problems with it. Christian "Good For You" Bale is not who I would cast as Melvin Purvis. And for as much as I love Marion Cotillard (she would be in a laminated list), who is certainly beautiful enough to play Billie Frechette, I still can't figure out what her accent is all about. Research, Michael!
Until then, Public Enemy is a dead project. It may be resurrected in 10 or 15 years, but I don't hold out much hope for it.
So, it's been almost two years since I have put together an actual mix CD. Since then, I have added to the Anthology Collection (which doesn't count as a mix CD), a couple of iTunes playlists, and a Facebook playlist. Still, nothing compares to sitting down and making the list, listening to it, make a rough draft disc, and figuring out what works and what doesn't. There were some songs that didn't make the cut to this on (Ray Charles's version of Eleanor Rigby, for one).
There is a bit of a pattern here, as there has been in some of my more recent mixes. There is a Tori Amos cover, an Elvis Costello song (also a cover), and Tom Waits. Sounds oh so much like every mix I've put together since 2002. However, since D likes all three, they are in (she is the one I'm making this for—and that she likes all three is more proof that I am marrying the right woman). There are eight covers on this CD (unintentional at first, but then it became a game of how many I could fit in), vocals by an Evansville native, and a couple of songs that I have rediscovered because of the huge CD backup project (which is still in progress).
Track List
House of the Rising Sun – Nina Simone Sweet Home Chicago – Robert Johnson I Put a Spell on You – Screaming Jay Hawkins Baby, Please Don't Go – Them Lady Godiva's Operation – The Velvet Underground Angel – Jimi Hendrix Behind Blue Eyes – Sheryl Crow Oh Darling – Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (with John Cowan) Let's Get it On – Jack Black You Are The Best Thing – Ray LaMontagne Falling in Love in a Coffee Shop – Landon Pigg Place To Be – Nick Drake The Drugs Don't Work – Ben Harper For You – Format War Torn – Nicole Atkins Thoroughfare – Rebecca Martin All Through the Night – Tori Amos Mama Told Me Not To Come – Randy Newman Innocent When You Dream – Elvis Costello Straight to the Top (Vegas) – Tom Waits
Chevelure (am I right?) Playlist created 7 June, 2009 for his beautiful fiancée. An Ian Shane Joint.
This last weekend was one of mixed emotions at the Ian Shane compound. We added, and then had to subtract to the cast of characters.
D and I adopted a seven year old Jack Russell Terrier (or Jack Russell Terrorist) on Saturday. Her name is Claire, and she has already made herself at home. She is a little overweight, but I think that D and I will have her down to ideal weight in no time. We got a good start by taking her to the Uptown Art Fair and walking her for a good portion of the afternoon. She and our other dog, Abbott seem to be getting along.
Saturday night, however, we lost our last surviving rat, Louise. She died of complications from an apparent stroke she suffered last week. Her cage mate, Thelma, passed away two months ago.
I am an author and freelance writer. I have published a novel titled Radio Radio, written a full length screenplay, four short films and a pilot for a television show. I am a two time Script Frenzy winner and the music columnist for Praxis Magazine. In between cheering for my beloved Indianapolis Colts and playing in online poker tournaments (as IndianaShane on PokerStars), I’m working on my second novel and screenplay (they are the same story). I live in Minneapolis with my very beautiful and extremely cool wife, DeAnna, our two dogs and pet rat.
