Setlist Society

Sorry about the late post, but at least I got it in...

1. "City of Blinding Lights" from How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb by U2
2. "Two Weeks" from Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear
3. "Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys)" from The Blueprint 3 by Jay-Z
4. "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" from Sound of Silver by LCD Soundsystem
5. "Manhattan" from Once Upon a Summertime by Blossom Dearie
6. "When I Fall in Love" from Portrait in Jazz by the Bill Evans Trio
7. "New York City (Radio Edit)" from New York City by Norah Jones & The Peter Malick Group
8. "I'm Waiting For The Man" from The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground
9. "Pretty Baby" from Parallel Lines by Blondie
10. "Judy is a Punk" from Ramones by The Ramones
11. "Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head" from They Might Be Giants by They Might Be Giants
12. "Digital Love" from Discovery by Daft Punk
13. "The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) from The Empire Strikes Back by John Williams
14. "Rhapsody in Blue" from Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue/An American In Paris by George Gershwin, perf. Leonard Bernstein & The Columbia Symphony Orchestra
15. "Theme from New York, New York" from Trilogy: Past Present Future by Frank Sinatra
16. "The Only Living Boy in New York" from Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel
17. "Seattle" from Seattle by Perry Como
    

Notes in the comments.

This week I decided to go easy on the ordering and just put them in (mostly) chronological order. Maybe that will be interesting. Here's the list:

1. "Original Faubus Fables" from Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus by Charles Mingus
2. "Let's Get Together" from The Parent Trap by Hayley Mills
3. "Blowin' In The Wind" from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan
4. "Like a Rolling Stone" from Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan
5. "Taxman" from Revolver by The Beatles
6. "Fortunate Son" from Willy and the Poor Boys by Creedence Clearwater Revival
7. "Volunteers" from Volunteers by Jefferson Airplane
8. "Compared to What" from Swiss Movement by Les McCann & Eddie Harris
9. "What's Going On" from What's Going On by Marvin Gaye
10. "Think About It" from Flight of the Conchords by Flight of the Conchords
11. "Live and Let Die" from Live and Let Die by Paul McCartney & Wings
12. "Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man)" from Good Old Boys by Randy Newman
13. "Sheena is a Punk Rocker" from Rocket to Russia by The Ramones
14. "Bad Reputation" from Bad Reputation by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
15. "Love is All Around" from Greatest Hits by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
16. "What If We All Stopped Paying Taxes" from Impeach the Precedent by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
17. "Ewok Celebration/Finale" from Return of the Jedi by John Williams

Ok, a few notes. First off, you get the version of Faubus with the lyrics that Columbia wouldn't let Mingus use. I know you have to listen to it twice, but it's a good track. It's a little known fact that the next track is an anti-cold war protest song hidden inside of a Disney movie. Think about it. #4 is my choice for Electric Dylan sticking it to the masses at Newport, among other things. #9 and #10 are a kind of parodic call and response, and one of two places where music appears out of chronology. #11 challenges the societal notion that we should live and let live, which also happens to be an excellent intro to one of my least favorite Bond flicks. I like #15 because I think it works on a couple of levels - it's both Punk and speaks to feminine empowerment (though I'm a man, so what would I know?). And finally, we've got a track that both celebrates the Rebellion's victory over the evil Man that is the Empire, and should be the anthem of those of us who want proper versions of a trilogy that we love. Enjoy. I hope I haven't inflicted too much of my strange humor on you this week.

I'm not going to lie, this was one challenging list. I'll explain myself at the bottom.

1. "Amazing Grace" from The Gang's All Here by Dropkick Murphys
2. "Rock and Roll" from Led Zeppelin IV by Led Zeppelin
3. "Hanging on the Telephone" from Parallel Lines by Blondie
4. "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces" from Whatever & Ever Amen by Ben Folds Five
5. "Tessie" from Tessie - EP by Dropkick Murphys
6. "The Distance" from Fashion Nugget by Cake
7. "Sinnerman" from Pastel Blues by Nina Simone
8. "Country Mile" from Let's Get Out of This Country by Camera Obscura
9. "Waterloo Sunset" from Something Else by the Kinks by The Kinks
10. "Beast of Burden" from Some Girls by The Rolling Stones
11. "These Days" from Chelsea Girl by Nico
12. "Linger" from Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? by The Cranberries
13. "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You" from Transcendental Highway by Colin Hay
14. "No Woman No Cry" from Legend by Bob Marley & The Wailers
15. "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" from Hatful of Hollow by The Smiths
16. "Whole Wide World" from Wreckless Eric by Wreckless Eric
17. "My Lament" from Evanescence by The Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra
18. "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation XVIII: Andante Cantabile" from Rachmaninov: Rhapsody On a Theme of Paganini composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff and preformed by The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, dir. Arthur Rubinstein
19. "Here Comes the Sun" from Abbey Road by The Beatles
20. "Buonanotte Fiorellino" from Rimmel by Francesco De Gregori

So, when it comes to music helping me through the hard times there are mainly two ways it works - either by letting me live vicariously through it, or by calming me and helping me to clear my mind. When I'm in the mood for one form of treatment, I'm usually not in the other, but in this list I've tried to make them play nicely. It shouldn't be hard to figure out where I'm going in this list - get the bad feelings out, hit the inevitable post-rockout crash, and clear my mind. It even ends on a happy note. Consider it therapy on a disc. More notes in the comments.

I contend that I'm still cool, just busy. And here's my list - every shameful bit.

1. "Doctor Jones" from Aquarium by Aqua
2. "C'est la Vie" from B*Witched by B*Witched
3. "I Just Want You To Know" from Never Gone by The Backstreet Boys
4. "Toxic" from In The Zone by Britney Spears
5. "Ven Conmigo (Solamente Tú) from Mi Reflejo by Christina Aguilera
6. "Hello" from Can't Slow Down by Lionel Ritchie
7. "I Want You" from Savage Garden by Savage Garden
8. "Wannabe" from Spice Girls by Spice Girls
9. "In The Navy" from The Best of the Village People by The Village People
10. "Woo Hoo" from Bomb the Twist by The 5.6.7.8's
11. "Put Your Records On" from Corinne Bailey Rae by Corinne Bailey Rae
12. "We Are The World" from We Are The World - Single by USA for Africa
13. "Fly" from Floored by Sugar Ray
14. "Hung Up" from Confessions On a Dance Floor by Madonna
15. "Stay (I Missed You)" from Tails by Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories
16. "Waiting On the World to Change" from Continuum by John Mayer
17. "A Little Respect" from The Innocents by Erasure
18. "Escapar" from Escape by Enrique Iglesias
19. "Not Ready to Make Nice" from Taking the Long Way by The Dixie Chicks
20. "Tubthumping" from Tubthumper by Chumbawamba

I didn't bother to order these this week. You'll find notes in the comments, once I have time to get them there.

• "American Girl" from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• "Where The Streets Have No Name" from The Joshua Tree by U2
• "I Get Around" from All Summer Long by The Beach Boys
• "Rebel Rouser" from Have 'Twangy' Guitar Will Travel by Duane Eddy
• "She Wolf" from She Wolf by Shakira
• "Eleanor" from The Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands by The Turtles
• "Jessica" from Brothers and Sisters by The Allman Brothers Band
• "Colorado" from A Sky Underground by Paper Bird
• "Graceland" from Graceland by Paul Simon
• "When I Go" from When I Go - Single by Slow Club
• "Skinny Love" from For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver
• "On and On" from The Sound by Mackintosh Braun
• "Stepping Stone" from Rockferry by Duffy
• "Summer Wind" from Strangers in the Night by Frank Sinatra
• "Jolene" from Jolene by Dolly Parton
• "Search and Destroy" from Raw Power by The Stooges
• "Fortunate Son" from Willy and the Poor Boys by Creedence Clearwater Revival
• "Don't Stop Belevin'" from Escape by Journey
• "Sexual Healing" from Midnight Love by Marvin Gaye
• "It's All Too Much" from Yellow Submarine by The Beatles
• "America" from The Jazz Singer by Neil Diamond
• "Knight Rider Theme" by Stu Phillips
  

There's no getting around it, my list is a roadtrip in a nutshell. When picking the songs, I took in to account several factors, including Americana, a sense of movement, sing-a-long-itude, and handshakefulness. OK, so I've been watching a lot of 30 Rock lately. Basically, it starts out as exciting and fun as any roadtrip, with great songs to sing along to and to encourage you to do some speeding, silly pop song of the moment included (this will become the anthem of the trip whether you like it or not). After a few long jams and odes to our nation, the trip transitions into the part where everyone has decided it would be better to sleep than to keep you company (usually around Idaho). Inevitably, you begin to join them, and decide to wake everyone up with some hard hitting stuff, followed by the requisite power ballad. As soon as those two kids in the back seat (you know who you are) begin to display a bit too much affection for a small car, you call on Marvin to embarrass them out of their sinful ways. Once the palate is cleansed, everyone sings along to the guilty pleasure song of the trip that serves to bind the group together with a secret shame, like conspirators in a murder plot as the black Camaro that is your trip fades into the sunset.

I'm submitting my post early this week, since I'm taking off for Italy tomorrow. My holiday music collection is probably pretty anemic compared to most, but I think there's enough unique stuff in here to keep things interesting.

1. "White Christmas" from Home Alone by The Drifters
2. "Melekalikimaka" from Christmas With The Beach Boys by The Beach Boys
3. "Please Come Home for Christmas" from Please Come Home for Christmas / Funky New Year - Single by Eagles
4. "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" from Santa Claus is Comin' to Town - Single by Bruce Springsteen
5. "Run Rudolph Run" from Run Rudolph Run/Pressure Drop - Single by Keith Richards
6. "Feliz Navidad" from Feliz Navidad by José Feliciano
7. "That Spirit of Christmas" from The Spirit of Christmas by Ray Charles
8. "Blue Christmas" from Harry for the Holidays by Harry Connick, Jr.
9. "Santa Baby" from Platinum & Gold Collection: Eartha Kitt by Earha Kitt
10. "Baby, It's Cold Outside" from Elf by Zooey Deschanel and Leon Redbone
11. "Sleigh Ride" from A Christmas Festival by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra
12. "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" from 20th Century Masters - The Christmas Collection: The Best of Brenda Lee by Brenda Lee
13. "Jingle Bell Rock" from For Christmas by Johnny Mathis
14. "Jingle Bells" from Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas by Ella Fitzgerald
15. "What Are You Doing New Years Eve" from Christmas Songs by Diana Krall
16. "Christmas Time Is Here" from A Charlie Brown Christmas by The Vince Guaraldi Trio
17. "I Have a Little Dreidel" from Barenaked for the Holidays by Barenaked Ladies
18. "Frosty the Snowman" from Harry for the Holidays by Harry Connick, Jr.
19. "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" from Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas by Ella Fitzgerald
20. "Sussex Mummer's Christmas Carol" from Percy Grainger Plays Grainger by Percy Grainger
21. "Little Saint Nick" from Christmas With The Beach Boys by The Beach Boys
22. "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" from Greatest Hits: Still Squeaky after All These Years by Alvin & The Chipmunks
23. "The Christmas Song" from 20th Century Masters - The Millenium Collection: The Best of Mel Tormé by Mel Tormé
24. "Christmas TV" from Christmas TV - Single by Slow Club
25. "Last Christmas (Studio Version)" from Christmas EP by Jimmy Eat World
26. "Sleigh Ride" from A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector by The Ronettes
27. "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" from A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector by Darlene Love

Sorry about the pops and hisses on "Run Rudolph Run," they're not supposed to be there. This version of "White Christmas" is my all-time favorite and is might be my favorite Christmas song of all time. Plus, it's featured in Home Alone which plays a pivotal role in my personal history, being one of the first movies I ever saw without my parents. Harry's version of "Blue Christmas" isn't as good as the one I heard two years ago at the JALC Orchestra's Red Hot Holiday Stomp, but it's as close as I could get in a recording. The Mel Tormé track is included more for historical reasons, since the guy composed the song. I think I like the Nat King Cole version better, but I don't own it. Finally, "Jingle Bell Rock" will always remind me of my Mom. Anyway, Merry Christmas to all of you!

So, this week's list was fun to put together, and I got a little eclectic with my choices. Hope you're feeling a bit adventurous (not much, just a little). Yes, I've got a dupe from Cabeza's list, but I think it's deserving of a double listen. African Dream is a band I heard on the street in Cape Town last year. I bought their CDs and they became the soundtrack for that trip. As for the classical tracks, #1 is the 1984 Karajan recording, #10 was done in 1959 with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra (really the New York Philharmonic) and #12 was done in... well, I'm not sure. And I'm 99.999% certain that every bit of this list is acoustic. Enjoy folks.

1. "Prelude (Sonnenaufgang)" from Also Sprach Zarathustra, Op.30 by Richard Strauss performed by Herbert von Karajan and the Berliner Philharmoniker
2. "O Death" from O Brother, Where Art Thou? by Ralph Stanley
3. "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" from An Evening with John Denver by John Denver
4. "Down By the Riverside" from The Best of the Early Years by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band
5. "I'll Fly Away" from O Brother, Where Art Thou? by Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch
6. "Malted Milk" from Unplugged by Eric Clapton
7. "Oliver James" from Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes
8. "The Times They Are A-Changin'" from The Times They Are A-Changin' by Bob Dylan
9. "Mug Shots: Wild Coffee" from Charms of the Night Sky by Dave Douglas
10. "Rhapsody in Blue" by George Gershwin performed by Leonard Bernstein with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra
11. "La Paloma Azul" from Bravo! Brubeck! by Dave Brubeck
12. "Fanfare for the Common Man" by Aaron Copland performed by Aaron Copland and the London Symphony Orchestra
13. "Homeless" from Graceland by Paul Simon
14. "Uthando Lkakhe" from Uhambo Lwethu by African Dream
15. "Sufi Bhakti" from Calcutta Chronicles: Indian Slide Guitar Odyssey by Debashish Bhattacharya
16. "Wigwam" from Self Portrait by Bob Dylan
    

Sorry I'm late folks. Here's this weeks goodness:

1. "Hey Jude" from The Royal Tenenbaums by The Mutato Muzika Orchestra
2. "Everyday" from Stubbs The Zombie: The Soundtrack by Rogue Wave
3. "Starman" from All Day by Mates of State
4. "Heroes" from War Child - Heroes by TV on the Radio
5. "Forever Young" from Casino Twilight Dogs by Youth Group
6. "Overkill" from Man @ Work by Colin Hay
7. "Inside and Out" from Let It Die by Feist
8. "Your Song" from Moulin Rouge by Ewan McGregor and Alessandro Safina
9. "Silly Habits" from Mel Tormé and Friends by Mel Tormé (and presumably, his friends)
10. "Mona Lisa" from Take a Break by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
11. "Common People" from Has Been by William Shatner
12. "Waterloo Sunset" from Live Sessions (iTunes Exclusive) -EP by The Submarines
13. "Louie, Louie" from Funky Kingston by Toots & The Maytals
14. "With a Little Help from My Friends" from With a Little Help from My Friends by Joe Cocker
15. "Money (That's What I Want)" from With The Beatles by The Beatles
16. "This Land is Your Land" from Naturally by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
17. "Hold On! I'm Comin'" from Riding with The King by Eric Clapton and B.B. King
18. "Ziggy Stardust" from The Life Aquatic - Studio Sessions featuring Seu Jorge by Seu Jorge

So, I've got Wes Anderson to thank for the bookends of this list, which happens to include 3 Bowie covers. #7 is a Bee Gees cover (I didn't know that at first). #9 is another track from that Mel Tormé album that I can't more highly recommend. The rest is pretty self-explanatory, I think. Enjoy!

This was a really fun list to put together, and it's made me real happy. I hope you enjoy as well. Notes in the comments.

1. "Midnight Star" from In 3D by Weird Al Yankovich
2. "Fletch Theme" from Fletch by Harold Faltermeyer
3. "Graceland" from Graceland by Paul Simon
4. "Free Fallin'" from Greatest Hits by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
5. "Loch Lomand" from Live at Carnegie Hall by Benny Goodman
6. "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" from Flood by They Might Be Giants
7. "Stayin' Alive" from Saturday Night Fever by Bee Gees
8. "Today" from Siamese Dream by Smashing Pumpkins
9. "Mr. Jones" from August and Everything After by Counting Crows
10. "Blue Train" from Blue Train by John Coltrane
11. "Winchester Cathedral" from Winchester Cathedral by The New Vaudeville Band
12. "Wedding Dance" from Fiddler on the Roof by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick
13. "The Stripper" from Tease: The Best of Burlesque by David Rose
14. "Wonderful Tonight" from Slowhand by Eric Clapton
15. "Torn" from Left of Middle by Natalie Imbruglia
16. "Zorba's Dance" from Zorba the Greek by Mikis Theodorakis
17. "Un Sueño" from Un Sueño by Los Angeles de Charly
18. "Rayando el Sol" from Unplugged by Maná
19. "Swing Down Sweet Chariot" from Amazing Grace: His Greatest Sacred Performances by Elvis Presley
20. "9 to 5" from 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs by Dolly Parton
21. "Take a Letter Maria" from R.B. Greaves by R.B. Greaves
22. "Adios, Au Revoir, Auf Wiedersehn" from Champagne and Romance by Lawrence Welk

1. "Eruption" from Van Halen by Van Halen
2. "Etude No. 3 in G-sharp monor, S 141 'La Campanella'" by Franz Liszt
3. "Doggin' Around" from The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz by Count Basie
4. "Jack the Bear" from Highlights From The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition (1927-1973) by Duke Ellington
5. "I Got Rhythm" from The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz by Don Byas and Slam Stewart
6. "St. Thomas" from Saxophone Colossus by Sonny Rollins
7. "Giant Steps" from Giant Steps by John Coltrane
8. "Blue in Green" from Kind of Blue by Miles Davis
9. "Bemsha Swing" from Conversations With Myself by Bill Evans
10. "Bags' Groove [solo section]" from Bags' Groove by Miles Davis
11. "Song For My Father" from Song For My Father by Horace Silver
12. "Moody's Mood for Love (I'm in the Mood for Love)" from At The Jazz Workshop by James Moody
13. "Love For Sale" from Mel Tormé and Friends by Mel Tormé
14. "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" from 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Flatt & Scruggs by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs
15. "Moto Perpetuo, Op. 11" from Carnaval by Wynton Marsalis
16. "Layla" from Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek and the Dominos
17. "San Francisco Bay Blues" from Unplugged by Eric Clapton
18. "Free Bird" from Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd by Lynyrd Skynyrd
    

So, oddly enough, this post is a lot more biographical than the last one. First of all, you either know or might have guessed that I'm a big jazz fan, and that I played in jazz bands through college. So, the jazz entries in this list tend to be either textbook examples of well crafted solos or personal favorites I've studied on my own. And, since I'd like to explain why I picked some of them, here are my list notes: #3 - Compare Basie's solo at the end to the previous track. It's amazing how space can be just as effective in conveying an idea. #4&5 - Ellington gave Jimmy Blanton the first bass solo, which eventually paved the way for many others, including Slam Stewart. #6 - Good solos all around. Rollins' is a great example of structure and Max Roach shows that it's really about how you use your drum kit, not how many pieces it has. #7 - Very difficult chord changes to solo over, which leads to a very great solo (when you happen to be that good). #8 - Amazing examples of lyrical soloing. Pay attention to Bill Evans' piano at the end, I happen to think it's very beautiful. #9 - Bill Evans overdubbing himself, twice. #10 - This is only the solo section, played by Thelonious Monk, and it's an amazing example of how to build a solo. #11 - Amazing Joe Henderson solo, which contains one of my favorite licks of all time. #12 - Vocalese, which takes instrumental solos and mirrors them with lyrics for vocalists. #14 - I was, at one time, an aspiring young banjo player (though I played Dixeland, not Bluegrass). #15 - more technical than musical, but as a trumpet player, I've got to give credit to anyone who has the technical prowess to pull this off. #17 - J. knows why I picked this one.

19. "You Can't Hurry Love" from The Supremes A' Go-Go by The Supremes
20. "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" from Higher and Higher by Jackie Wilson
21. "Crossroads" from Wheels of Fire by Cream
22. "Here Comes the Sun" from Abbey Road by The Beatles
23. "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight" from Abbey Road by The Beatles
24. "Heroes" from Heroes by David Bowie
25. "A Heart in New York" from The Concert in Central Park by Simon and Garfunkel
    

There are some brutally obvious holes in this list. It's no easy task reducing myself musically to one CD. My life could easily be a double album. But I do feel that it gives an accurate view of who I am musically. I hope you enjoy it. If you're not familiar with a song, you can play it in the widget (except for the Beatles tracks, which I'm guessing you all know).