In normal times, I tend to snipe at people for oversharing, especially with their many lists of songs. However, this past month has been anything but normal. This week has been bizarre, at best. And so, I just can't seem to get past this need to give you a list of randomly played music. I know you don't care, but I insist.
There's just something about the shuffle feature that makes for truly bizarre combinations that aren't altogether entirely unpleasant. I have a strict rule when I hit "shuffle". I'm not allowed to skip any songs. Ever. I don't care if my son just walked into the room in the middle of Liz Phair's "HWC" ("Hot White Cum", for the uninitiated). At best, I will turn something down, but never, ever do I skip it. And, yes, that means I occasionally end up with Lowell Fulson singing "I Want To Spend Christmas With You" (note to self: find Eric Cartman singing "Oh Holy Night") in the middle of July. Or even Christopher Walken and the SNL gang looking for more cowbell. Maybe even a little "Special Fred" from Stephen Lynch. That's just how it goes.
Because of my "no skip" rule, the mix is always unique and "different". On the other hand, there are times when there seems to be a theme running through the list. Look at today's "First 40" on the old editing "soundtrack":
- "Desperado" - The Eagles
- "Key to the Highway" - Carey and Lurie Bell
- "Around the World" - Stoney Curtis Band
- "Song Inside Me" - Michele Lundeen
- "Please Baby" - Nathan James and Ben Hernandez
- "Wolf in the Henhouse" - Anthony Gomes
- "This Year's Love" - David Gray
- "Your Love Amazes Me" - John Berry
- "Blues is a Feeling" - Michele Lundeen
- "Mack the Knife" - Bobby Darin
- "Needles and Pins" - Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks ("uh")
- "Bad Whiskey and Cocaine" - David Honeyboy Edwards
- "Fence Climbin' Blues" - Scott Henderson
- "Freight Train Blues" - Trixie Smith
- "The Boys Are Back in Town" - Thin Lizzy
- "Shur Fine Woman" - Cash Box Kings
- "20 Men Waiting" - Cathy Segal Garcia
- "Bourbon" - Rory Gallagher
- "Few and Far Between" - Shannon Curfman
- "Skank" - Lance Lopez
- "You're So Evil" - Corey Stevens
- "Still Wish" - Leif Garrett
- "Roll and Tumble Blues" - David Honeyboy Edwards
- "Don't Lie" - Griff Hamlin
- "Too Little Too Late" - The Groove Hogs
- "Qualify My Love" - Michele Lundeen
- "South Forest Boogie" - Little Pink Anderson
- "China Grove" - Doobie Brothers
- "Boogie Chillun" - John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins, Bobby Bland, Jimmy Reed, James Cotton, and Otis Span
- "The Loop" - Rory Gallagher
- "Pains My Heart to Love You" - Nathan James and Ben Hernandez
- "Rock Me" - Carey and Lurie Bell
- "Starting Over" - Michele Lundeen
- "World Where You Live" - Crowded House
- "Anything But Love" - J.D. Souther (shortest entry)
- "Bull Cow Blues/Robert Nighthawk Story" - David Honeyboy Edwards
- "Something I Can't Do" - Corey Stevens
- "Waiting on You" - The Groove Hogs
- "Use Me" - Jason Whitton
- "If Heartaches Were Nickels (Live)" - Joe Bonamassa
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Connie Phillips
Nice article, Joan! You have amazing self-control, I'm always hitting the next button on iTunes and the iPod, not necessarily because I don't like the song, but because it clashes with my mood on a given day. Drives everyone around me crazy.
Very interesting list, lots of great songs and yeah, I wonder about too about an MP3 player that can be that tuned into your moods.
2 - Mark Saleski
i can't believe she made it 40 tracks in before the Joe Bonamassa showed up! ;-)
3 - Joanie
MoodPod is more appropriate when talking about iPods. I don't have anything so fancy. Nope, I have to rely on the computer or the boombox.
I don't even have a car stereo - pathetic, isn't it? It was stolen in September of 2004 and I've been far too broke to replace it.
Mark, I don't control the random shuffle. Joe came into play when he came into play. Considering that I have a couple thousand songs on here, it's amazing that he came up at all, or that Michele Lundeen came up four times, Nathan and Ben came up twice, and Honeyboy came up twice.
Had I been thinking "Joe" a little harder, I have no doubt that he'd have popped up more.
4 - Steve
I found it curious that I had only heard of about 9 of the 40 artists/songs on your list...until you mentioned Blues music...then I realised...out of 12,000 songs in my collection, only about 50 fit into the Blues category!!!
5 - Joanie
Stick with me, Steve. I'll get you educated. First, you need to tell me what sort of music gets to you - rock? Smooth, easy-listening tunes? I can steer you in the right direction if give me some idea of what floats your boat.
6 - Matthew T. Sussman
They got to you too, Joan. I have no one left.
(Puts hands in pockets, walks outside dejectedly into the rain to the sound of one lone harmonica)
7 - Joanie
Matt, sweetie, I'll still play with you. I just had to post this one...teeny...weeny list. Promise.
8 - Steve
Well, Joanie, here are stats from my music collection - the four most popular genres of mine are -
1) Pop = 7,000 songs
2) Rock = 3,000
3) Soul & R&B = 1750
4) Dance = 1500.
I do prefer Jazz over Country music also.
On closer examination, Blues Rock and Piedmont (East Coast) Blues would be my two favorite kinds of Blues, I think, Joanie.
9 - Joanie
Okay Steve, here is your mission - go forth and discover:
And that, Steve, is your introduction to just a few of my favorites. 20 artists you can find online one way or another. If you're stumped on any of them, just let me know and I'll get the music to you.
10 - Steve
Thanks Joanie, I will look into that tomorrow.
John Lee Hooker Jr.?? Son of the late same name??
11 - Joanie
Oh, and Steve, for something completely different, you should also check out Billy Watson. I dare you to listen to "Allergy Blues" off his Numero Cinco CD without smiling and/or laughing.
12 - Mark Saleski
is Little Pink Anderson the same Pink Anderson of Pink Anderson & Floyd Council?
13 - Joanie
And, yes, John Lee Hooker, Jr. is the son of THAT John Lee Hooker. I also have a CD from JLH's daughter Zakiya Hooker. Both of these artists are as talented as their father.
14 - Joanie
Little Pink is the son of Pink Anderson...yes, indeedy. Very nice man and excellent musician.
I've seen him perform a couple times and the last time I saw him, he sang "St. James Infirmary" and dedicated it to his father and Cootie Stark.
The tears flowed. I'm not ashamed to admit that.
15 - Steve
I actually have a couple of David Gray albums and a best of Crowded House, by the way. No Eagles but some Don Henley albums and a couple of Glenn Frey tunes. Also a couple of albums by Stevie Nicks, and a couple of Tom Petty tunes, and a couple of tunes by the late lead singer of Thin Lizzy, Phil Lynott, as well as a tune by John Lee Hooker (Sr.).
16 - Steve
Re. The Hookers (ouch that doesn't sound so good out of context lol), thanks for the info, Joanie, will check out some of those artists later today.
17 - Scott Butki
Funny you should mention Liz Phair because I was just yesterday helping a woman i've been flirting with choose some songs to download from Ruckus, this free download service we get via the university I attend.
She asked if Liz Phair had anything good and I steered her toward Phair's first album and blushed as I told her to download "fuck and run" and other naughty song titles.
18 - Joanie
Phair isn't bad, nor is she one I tend to listen to a lot. However, I do like the occasional song. I just don't make it a regular thing.
19 - Rodney Welch
I bought Phair's first CD and sold it back to the store not long after. I found her voice horribly grating from the start. The CD totally contradicted my longheld belief that if a cute girl has a filthy mouth she's automatically interesting.
20 - Joanie
Rodney, you've just earned yourself the official "First Laugh of the Day" award.
Thank you!
21 - Mark Saleski
rodney, you talkin' about Exile in Guyville? dang, i think that's a great record.
though if you don't like a voice, you plain don't (just and me & dj radiohead).
22 - Rodney Welch
Thanks, Joanie and yes, Mark, I'm afraid so. The voice just set my teeth on edge -- and I never thought I was all that into voices, either.
23 - Scott Butki
I can overlook a voice that irks. Otherwise I could never listen to Dylan's music.
24 - Steve
Re. comment #9, Albert Cummings was ok, the rest of the top 5 on your list were sort of what I call stereotypical kind of blues, which doesn't really appeal to me. Am going to check the rest of your list in the order you typed them, see what I think of the rest. Doing it gradually in parts so I don't lose my typing page here lol.
25 - Steve
Re. comment #9 again, I went to a site called www.allmusic.com to hear snippets of the artists and here are the results -
John Lee Hooker Jr. - I liked his voice, just wish he was singing another genre lol.
Anthony Gomes had a good voice too...almost liked his music. Same with Nathan James.
Couldn't find any Shane Dwight, Vdelli, Ben Hernandez, Michelle Lundeen, Robin Henkel, Jake's Obsession, Eric Lindell.
Audio I found did not work for Brad Wilson, Ray Book Binder, Louisiana Red, C.C. Adcock, Honeyboy Edwards.
I liked some of Shemekia Copeland's jazzier tunes.
If you could link me to audio of any of the artists I missed, it would be appreciated.