Setlist Society

I assumed the worst when Christina suggested a list to cope with a terrible day, week, whatever. And the worst means that there will be a few stages of coping.

First comes the need to drown out sorrow with hard-hitting riffs and licks. A little build-up at first, perhaps, but then it's drive, drive, drive. The hard-hitting sounds get more and more jaded in their lyrics, until...

Stage two completes the journey from hard-hitting sounds to hard-hitting lyrics. It's the blue phase of coping. Life is hard. I kind of feel like whining. I need a hole to just hide in. But this too shall pass into...

Stage three brings me up out of my hole and reminds me that there are lovely things that still soothe the soul. It ends with some resolve that I should go ahead and plan on getting out of bed tomorrow and try to be optimistic. Who doesn't want to feel good after going through all that?

1. "The President's Dead" from The President's Dead [single] by Okkervil River
2. "Dope Nose" from Maladriot by Weezer
3. "Flathead" from Flathead [EP] by The Fratellis
4. "Rumble in Brighton" from Guitar Slinger by The Brian Setzer Orchestra
5. "Everything Went Numb" from Everything Goes Numb by Streetlight Manifesto
6. "Scott Farcas Takes It on the Chin" from Hello Rockview by Less Than Jake
7. "Cabrón" from By the Way by Red Hot Chili Peppers
8. "The Likes of You Again" from Swagger by Flogging Molly
9. "My Friends Over You" from Sticks and Stones by A New Found Glory
10. "Five Long Years" from From the Cradle by Eric Clapton
11. "Kiss with a Fist" from Lungs by Florence and the Machines
12. "The Modern Leper" from The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit
13. "Mean Old World" from The Blues [Disc 1] by Eric Clapton
14. "The Pharaohs" from Middle Cyclone by Neko Case
15. "Dig Me a Hole" from Fireproof by Dawn Landes
16. "Horses on the Range" from Citsuca by Timmy Curran
17. "Into the West" from The Lord of the Rings - Return of the King soundtrack by Howard Shore with Annie Lennox
18. "Sweetness Follows" from Automatic for the People by R.E.M.
19. "3. Saturday Night Waltz" from Rodeo by Aaron Copland
20. "Pick Yourself Up" from When I Look in Your Eyes by Diana Krall
21. "Bright Spring Morning" from Rump Shaker by Suburban Legends

1. "Party in the U.S.A." from The Time of Our Lives (EP) by Miley Cyrus
2. "Gonna Make You Sweat" from Gonna Make You Sweat by C+C Music Factory
3. "Hard Habit to Break" from Chicago 17 by Chicago
4. "Are You Giving the Least to Those Who Matter Most?" from Sound Tracks by Michael McLean
5. "Karma Chameleon" from Colour by Numbers by Boy George and the Culture Club
6. "Weekend in New England" from This One's for You by Barry Manilow
7. "Rock Lobster" from Rock Lobster (single) by The B-52's
8. "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" from White Lines (Don't Don't Do It) (single) by Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
9. "In the Navy" from In the Navy (single) by The Village People
10. "Ten Feet Tall and Bulletproof" from Ten Feet Tall and Bulletproof by Travis Tritt
11. "Afternoons and Coffeespoons" from God Shuffled His Feet by Crash Test Dummies
12. "Mormon Rap" from Mormons Are Crazy by Walter Hayes Band

Make sure you check the comments. One of them includes a link to the "Mormon Rap."

1. "No Repy" from Beatles for Sale by The Beatles
2. "Mystery Train" from I Forgot to Remember to Forget (single) by Elvis Presley
3. "Route 66" from Route 66 (single) by Nat King Cole
4. "Diner" from Black Sheep by Martin Sexton
5. "Express Crossing" from Jump Start and Jazz by Wynton Marsalis
6. "Hobo Blues" from Thicker than Water by G. Love & Special Sauce
7. "America" from Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel
8. "Freight Train Blues" from Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan
9. "Roll My Blues" from Catalpa by Jolie Holland
10. "Southern Cross" from Daylight Again by Crosby, Stills, and Nash
11. "Five State Drive" from Hello Rockview by Less Than Jake
12. "Chicago" from Illinoise by Sufjan Stevens
13. "Hearts and Bones" from Hearts and Bones by Paul Simon
14. "Wagon Wheel" from O.C.M.S. by Old Crow Medicine Show
15. "Never Did No Wanderin' " from A Mighty Wind by The New Main Street Singers
16. "I'm a Steady Rollin' Man" by Robert Johnson
17. "Wandering Boy" from Soon Be Time by Bruce Molsky
18. "Sweet City Woman" from Sweet City Woman by The Stampeders
19. "So Long to the Red River Valley" from Timeless by The Quebe Sisters Band
20. "Black Water" from What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits by The Doobie Brothers
21. "Take the 'A' Train" from Study in Brown by Clifford Brown & Max Roach Quintet
22. "King of the Road" from King of the Road (single) by Roger Miller

The first track is an homage to the immortal Stars on Long Play cassette released by the group Stars on 45. That tape was a staple of Gillins family road trips for as long as I can remember. The rest of the tracks are either songs that have to do with traveling, or songs that make me feel like driving, or maybe both. A lot of songs about trains and a lot that have the word "blues" in the title. Hmm.

Also, I just realized that Shark already used Less Than Jake's "Five State Drive" in another playlist, but I offer no apology. It's a great highway driving song.

1. "O Tannenbaum" from A Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi
   
2. "A Cradle in Bethlehem" from The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole
3. "Christmas in Killarney" from Merry Christmas by Bing Crosby
4. "Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)" from The Complete 50's Masters (Disc 3) by Elvis Presley
5. "O Come O Come Emmanuel" from It's a Cool, Cool Christmas by Belle & Sebastian
6. "Wexford Carol" from Spirit of the Season by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
7. "The Christmas Song" from Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas by Ella Fitzgerald
8. "The Bells of Dublin/Christmas Eve" from The Bells of Dublin by The Chieftains
9. "Come On! Let's Boogey to the Elf Dance" from Songs for Christmas by Sufjan Stevens
10. "Away in a Manger" from The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole
11. "Christmas" from This Warm December: A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 1 by Rogue Wave
12. "Silver Bells" from Merry Christmas by Bing Crosby
13. "Cantos para Pedir las Posadas" from A Dave Brubeck Christmas by Dave Brubeck
14. "Like an Angel Passing through My Room" from Spirit of the Season by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir with Sissel
15. "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" from Sweet Tracks 2005 by Feist
16. "White Christmas" from Merry Christmas by Bing Crosby
17. "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" from The Complete 50's Masters (Disc 3) by Elvis Presley
18. "Zat You Santa Claus?" from It's Christmas Time by Louis Armstrong
19. "River" from Blue by Joni Mitchell
20. "In the Bleak Midwinter" from Spirit of the Season by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir with Sissel
21. "Santa Bring My Baby Back (to Me)" from The Complete 50's Masters (Disc 3) by Elvis Presley
22. "No Christmas for Me" from This Warm December, A Brushfire Holiday, Vol. 1 by Zee Avi
23. "Silent Night" from The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole
24. "Angels, from the Realm of Glory" from Spirit of the Season by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir with Sissel

A few notes: I'm actually not a big fan of #1, but I love this rendition of it. Way to go, Guaraldi. I wish #2 were more standard in the Christmas music canon; I think it's a beautiful song. I love the vibes on #7. In #9, the line "Santa Claus is coming, hear the banjos strumming" just gets me pumped up for some reason. Merry Christmas! God bless us, every one.

1. "I'll Fly Away" from O Brother, Where Art Thou? by Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch
2. "To Sing for You" from What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid by Donovan
3. "Streets of Laredo" from American IV - The Man Comes Around by Johnny Cash
4. "Sunshine Lady" from Open Field by Taken by Trees
5. "Emo Gold" from The Ska that Broke the Camel's Back by Button Hooked
6. "Fields of Gold (New Version)" from Songs from the Labyrinth by Sting
7. "Fare Thee Well Blues" from Soon Be Time by Bruce Molsky
8. "Variations for the Healing of Arinushka" from The War: A Ken Burns Film by Arvo Pärt, performed by Kalle Randalu
9. "Blue Eyes" from Citsuca by Timmy Curran
10. "Lullaby" from A Sky Underground by Paper Bird
11. "Mr Hanelei" from The Bruce Lee Band by The Bruce Lee Band
12. "Hey Hey" from Unplugged by Eric Clapton
13. "Gerkin for Perkin" from Study in Brown by Clifford Brown & Max Roach
14. "Walking Blues" from Robert Johnson: The Blues Biography by Robert Johnson
15. "Birds and Ships" from Mermaid Avenue by Billy Bragg & Wilco with Natalie Merchant
16. "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" from Red Headed Stranger by Willie Nelson
17. "Demon Lover Improv" from Catalpa by Jolie Holland
18. "Balloons" from Left Right Wrong by Julia Nunes
19. "Limehouse Blues" from The Best Of Django Reinhardt by Django Reinhardt
20. "You Alone" from FIREPROOF by Dawn Landes (bonus track--"I Won't Back Down," a Tom Petty cover)

A few notes:
Yes, #5 is a parody. Take that, Dashboard Confessional!
#6 is perhaps the best re-recording of a song by an artist ever. Two lutes instead of the original version, which was muddied by over-arranging and poor instrumentation.
If you don't understand #11, you may be too young, or you just didn't watch nearly as many reruns growing up as I did.
#15's album, Mermaid Avenue, is a worthy purchase. Woody Guthrie songs that he never recorded. Brilliant stuff.

1. "Across the Universe" from the Pleasantville soundtrack by Fiona Apple (The Beatles)
2. "It Ain't Me Babe" from It Ain't Me Babe by The Turtles (Bob Dylan)
3. "The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) from Mighty Quinn by Manfred Mann (Bob Dylan)
4. "A Whiter Shade of Pale" from Medusa by Annie Lennox (Procol Harum)
5. "Astral Weeks" from various concerts by The Swell Season (Van Morrison)
6. "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" from b-sides and rarities by Cake (Kenny Rogers)
7. "Frankie & Johnny" from A Prairie Home Companion by Lindsay Lohan (traditional)
8. "How Can I Keep from Singing?" from Shepherd Moons by Enya (Shaker hymn)
9. "Take Me Home Country Road" from Facing Future by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (John Denver)
10. "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" from YouTube by First Aid Kit (Fleet Foxes)
11. "Young Folks" from Young Folks by Dawn Landes (Peter Bjorn and John)
12. "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" from Raising Sand by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss (The Everly Brothers)
13. "Dedicated to the One I Love" from Deliver by The Mamas and the Papas (The Shirelles (who covered it off of The "5" Royales))
14. "Honky Tonk Women" from Blue Light Boogie by Taj Mahal with James Cotton (The Rolling Stones)
15. "Tiny Dancer" from Ben Folds Live by Ben Folds (Elton John)
16. "A.C.D.C" from Sinner by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (Sweet)
17. "On the Outside" from Dead Band's Party by Suburban Legends (Oingo Boingo)
18. "Major Tom (Coming Home)" from On the Cover II by MXPX (Peter Schilling)
19. "There Is Nothing Like a Dame" from Vacationing in Palm Springs by Reel Big Fish (South Pacific)
20. "She's an Angel" from The Bruce Lee Band by The Bruce Lee Band (They Might Be Giants)

Like Shark, one of these songs is actually not in my library--but it would be if I could get it. I saw The Swell Season recently and Glen Hansard's amazing strumming on "Astral Weeks" blew all of us away. I've embedded a video below the playlist. I also couldn't find Dawn Landes' cover of "Young Folks" on Grooveshark, but I figured that instead of uploading it I'd let you all watch the video she put up on YouTube, which features some delightful old gentlemen. Oh, and you can find the First Aid Kit song on YouTube, but someone happened to put it in Grooveshark too, so I put it in the widget for your convenience and pleasure.

1. "Eight Days A Week" from Beatles for Sale by The Beatles
2. "I Get Around" from All Summer Long by The Beach Boys
3. "The Christmas Waltz" from Christmas Portrait by The Carpenters
4. "Super Chicken" from Super Chicken by Sheldon Allman
5. "Do You Love Me" from Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance) by The Contours
6. "The Cold Miser Song" from The Without a Santa Claus by Cold Miser
7. "Hard to Say I'm Sorry/Get Away" from Chicago 16 by Chicago
8. "Go West" from Very by The Pet Shop Boys
9. "Theme from Rocky XIII" from In 3-D by Weird Al Yankovic
10. "Sloop John B" from Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys
11. "Road Movie to Berlin" from Flood by They Might Be Giants
12. "It's Alright with Me" from We Are in Love by Harry Connick, Jr.
13. "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" from God Shuffled His Feet by Crash Test Dummies
14. "Lightning Crashes" from Throwing Copper by Live
15. "Blue Rondo a la Turk" from Time Out by Dave Brubeck Quartet
16. "Superman" from The Bruce Lee Band by The Bruce Lee Band
17. "Bogoroditse Dievo, Raduysia" from Vespers by Sergei Rachmaninoff, performed by the Lake Washington High School Choir (1997)
18. "All of Me" from August End by Jon Schmidt
19. "America's Wang" from The Ska That Broke the Camel's Back by Button Hooked
20. "Endless Love" from Endless Love by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
21. "Mess Around" from Mess Around by Ray Charles
22. "We Used to Be Friends" from Welcome to the Monkey House by The Dandy Warhols

Like Shark, I've got way too much to say about these to put it all in an over-long post. So I'll stick some notes in the comments. Just know that I tried to order my list based on order of nostalgic memories, starting from the earliest, then working my way up through junior high, high school, and college. Trip.

1. "Five Long Years" from From the Cradle by Eric Clapton
2. "How High the Moon" from Ken Burns' Jazz: Ella Fitzgerald by Nancy Hamilton and Morgan Lewis, performed by Ella Fitzgerald
3. "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing" from The Great American Songbook - Live at Michael's Pub by Duke Ellington, performed by Mel Torme with John Colianni (piano) and John Leitham (bass)
4. "Cottontail" from The Great Summit by Duke Ellington, performed by Louis Armstrong & His All Stars with Duke Ellington (clarinet solo by Barney Bigard, trombone solo by Trummy Young)
5. "Let Me Off Uptown" from The War: A Ken Burns Film - I'm Beginning to See the Light: Dance Hits From The Second World War by The Gene Krupa Orchestra with Anita O'Day (trumpet solo by Roy Eldridge)
6. "M'appari, tutt'amor" from Martha, Act III by Friedrich von Flotow, performed by Mario Lanza
7. "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" from 9:30 Club - Washington, DC 11/23/2007 by They Might Be Giants (solo by Dan Miller)
8. "Far More Drums" from Time Further Out by Dave Brubeck Quartet (solo by Joe Morello)
9. "Let It Be" from Let It Be by The Beatles (solo by George Harrison)
10. "Lester Leaps In" from Ken Burns' Jazz: The Story of America's Music by Count Basie's Kansas City Seven with Lester Young
11. "Time of the Season" from Odessey and Oracle by The Zombies (solo by Rod Argent)
12. "Body and Soul" from The War: A Ken Burns Film, Sentimental Journey, Hits From The Second World War by Coleman Hawkins
13. "Wait Until Tomorrow" from TRY! - John Mayer Trio in Concert by John Mayer Trio
14. "Jimmy Olsen's Blues" from Pocket Full of Kryptonite by Spin Doctors (solo by Eric Schenkman)

The list starts out with the song that gave me the idea for the week's theme. Clapton's extended guitar solo over the bridge melts my soul. Tracks 2-4 are explorations into different scatting styles, then 4 goes together with 5 so that the listener can observe the trumpet stylings of two different masters. I placed track 6 right there to kind of cap off the vocal solos set and also change it up after several jazz pieces. I actually found this aria watching a sadly forgotten movie called Breaking Away (1979). Great piece, great vocal by Lanza.

Shark and I were there for Dan Miller's amazing acoustic guitar intro to track 7. Notice how he gets annoyed with the audience clapping. They're throwing off his groove. Track 8 is pretty much a song-length drum solo for Morello. 9 is to give praise to George Harrison (and prove that The Beatles can be found on Grooveshark if you search creatively). 10 and 12 are tributes to two saxophone greats with 11 in there to both break it up a little and to pay homage to the Hammond B3 organ. Love that old-timey sound.

I stuck 13 and 14 on the end to try and shake some stereotypes while simultaneously showcasing some great electric guitar solos. John Mayer is, above all else, a masterful guitarist. He made me cry when I saw him play "Crossroads." And the Spin Doctors are much more than "Two Princes." Enjoy!

1. "The Littlest Birds" from Catalpa by Jolie Holland
2. "Get Rhythm" from The Complete Sun Singles by Johnny Cash
3. "Blackbird" from The Beatles [The White Album] by The Beatles
4. "I'm Old Fashioned" from Blue Train by John Coltrane
5. "Watch the Girl Destroy Me" from Possum Dixon by Possum Dixon
6. "America" from Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel
7. "Exquisite Dead Guy" from Factory Showroom by They Might Be Giants
8. "Great Pumpkin Waltz" from Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits by Vince Guaraldi Trio
9. "Alleluia" from Choose Something Like a Star composed by Randall Thompson, performed by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
10. "Both Sides, Now" from Clouds by Joni Mitchell
11. "Concorde" from Concorde by The Modern Jazz Quartet
12. "For the Good of Your Country" from Ride On by Count Basie & His Orchestra
13. "Belles of Blackville" from The Essential Chieftains by The Chieftains with Bela Fleck
14. "Dig Me a Hole" from FIREPROOF by Dawn Landes
15. "The Twist" from The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit
16. "Better Git It in Your Soul" from Mingus Ah Um by Charles Mingus
17. "Yeh Yeh" from Mink Car by They Might Be Giants
18. "I'm Only Sleeping" from Revolver by The Beatles
19. "Coffee in the Pot" from Road to Rouen by Supergrass
20. "Bright Spring Morning" from Rump Shaker by Suburban Legends
21. "Getting Better" from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles
22. "Fingertips" from Apollo 18 by They Might Be Giants

David and I were chatting and we determined that we took different takes on this assignment. He composed a setlist to describe his musical self; I tried to make a setlist that described me in general. Kind of fun--I'm hoping to see even more takes.

Hopefully the widget embedded above works for you. Like David, I wasn't able to get any of the Beatles tracks on mine, plus I couldn't find the Randall Thompson "Alleluia," the Count Basie number, or the Chieftains/Bela Fleck collaboration. If you can, find yourself a copy of these tracks and take a listen. Great stuff.

Oh, and a note--the last 20 tracks on the embedded widget are all part of the last song listed on my setlist: "Fingertips." It's a montage piece.