Every week, I end up with a fully new playlist of stuff I listen to on repeat over and over, all week long. I burn a quick and dirty CD of it to take in the car with me and then I start over. I wear songs out from overuse and then like the fickle creature I am, I move on.
These discs, not by design, are full of musical whiplash. I give not a damn for genre, artist, mood or any other theme with them. I merely pile up a plateful of whatever I feel like listening to, and if they go together or if they clash horribly makes no difference to me. Some will have more music than others; it's all part of the variety thing.
I thought it might be a fun idea to share them. So, weekly mixes for everyone!
Here's the first, and you can either click on the song titles to download the individual songs, or click
here to download the whole thing as a zip file.
Weekly Mix 1: Dirty Hippies & Musical Theater, Among Other Things1)
Time Of The Season - The ZombiesI don't know why I'm in such a sixties mood again all of a sudden. I spent my last two years of high school listening to nothing but the assorted works of the 1960s, and haven't really been back often. Until now. Is it just me, or are the Zombies everywhere these days?
Buying
Odessey & Oracle really would not be a bad investment.
2)
Incense & Peppermints - Strawberry Alarm Clock I love the schizophrenic word salad psychedelic lyrics.
If you want the
whole album, it's $7, it's got great vintage cover art, and it has a song named "Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow" on it too. What's not to love?
3)
The Fish Cheer & I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag - Country Joe & The FishOh, maybe that's why I'm all into the hippie music this week. An ever-sharper sense of nihilism and despair with the government and the war? Yup. I'll bet. I know this song started the hippie trip, and I chose it because it felt exactly right.
Buy
I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die here.4)
Casey Jones - The Grateful DeadHippie'd out yet? Hang on, there's still more.
Buy
Workingman's Dead here.5)
Mercedes Benz - Janis JoplinA little more.
Buy
Pearl here.
6)
Whatever Gets You Thru The Night - John LennonAlways loved this. It takes me back to the '70s. Dad & I would go out on the backyard patio, sit down on those rickety metal lawn chairs with the webbing, turn on the radio and listen to the Reds games together on hot summer nights. After the game, he'd switch over to music. I always associate this song with those nights.
Buy
Walls & Bridges here.7)
I've Been Everywhere - Johnny CashI'm new to this. I didn't think I liked Johnny Cash. But I'm falling for this song, and I can see it maybe being a forever thing.
Buy
Unchained here. 8)
Suicide Is Painless - Manic Street PreachersYes, still.
Buy
Forever Delayed here. 9)
That Lady - The Isley BrothersIt's a summery song. Hot, steamy weather rolls off this song in waves.
Buy
3 + 3 here.
10)
Bruces' Philosopher Song - Monty PythonI'm pretty sure it's the only Monty Python song I can stand. I love it though, because it's fun to sing, and because at one time in college, I actually knew all about everyone mentioned in this song; indeed, I had it memorized even then and used to sing it while walking home from the neighborhood bar.
Buy
Monty Python Sings here. 11)
She's A Rainbow - The Rolling StonesIn my youth, I naively thought it was just about a girl who liked to wear colorful ensembles. Now I'm pretty sure it's about her movements leaving psychedelic trails of color because somebody took something.
Buy
Their Satanic Majesties Request here.
12)
Cold Cold Ground -- Tom WaitsI have a fairly limited vocabulary anyway; combine that with my neophyte-level knowledge of Waits, and I have no way to accurately describe why I love this song. It's melancholy and ominous. I wouldn't call it catchy, but it settled comfortably into my brain after the first hearing.
Buy
Franks Wild Years here.13)
What Is This Feeling? - Idina Menzel & Kristin ChenowithI have it totally memorized now. If I could sing, I could handle Glinda's part, I think.
Buy
Wicked here.14)
Sultans Of Swing - Dire StraitsThey seem to be reviled lately. I've no idea why. They produced
this, this quiet little rock and roll song about a jazz band, and it would probably find its way onto my perfect 100 songs list, if I ever sat down and thought it out.
Buy
Dire Straits here.15)
My Baby Just Cares For Me - Nina SimonePiano & vocal jazz from someone who, like Tom Waits, I'm only just getting to know. So far, this, "Sinner Man", & "Feelin' Good" are my favorites. This is upbeat and mellow at the same time, it's just as much Saturday afternoon music as it is Sunday morning music.
Buy
Little Girl Blue" here. As it also has her lone top 40 hit, "I Loves You Porgy" and "Don't Smoke In Bed," which might well be featured here later, it's a good buy.
Plus, original, gorgeous '50s era cover art!
16)
There Once Was A Man - Harry Connick, Jr. & Kelli O'HaraYep. Listening to it on repeat again. What?
For God's sake, would you go buy
Harry On Broadway?
17)
Hernando's Hideaway - Harry Connick, Jr. & The Pajama Game cast8 minutes of fun, including Harry singing and playing piano. Buy it at the link above.
And that about wraps it up.
So anyway, after reading that, I had a very hard time imagining how anyone could possibly put together a Broadway musical from it. For one thing, it's a little dark. For another, I had a hard time envisioning where the hell the musical numbers could be wedged in. I got my hands on the soundtrack and gave it a listen, and the music's not bad. I mean, most of the things I don't like about musicals are there in full force (at least there's a blessed lack of Andrew Lloyd Webber!) , but still, the songs are enjoyable. In fact, I admit, I spent an entire day listening to it on repeat.
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