Random 10, 1/14/11

Prashanti Ravi Shankar & Philip Glass
Cult of Personality Living Colour
Xanadu The Mills Brothers
Straight to Hell The Clash
Lost in the Stars Elvis Costello and the Brodsky Quartet
I Think It's Going To Rain Today UB40
Kung Fu Christmas Christopher Guest and Gilda Radner
The Vatican Rag Tom Lehrer
Trouble Man Marvin Gaye
Born Under A Bad Sign Albert King

Wandering all over the 20th Century today! Sorry the Mills Brothers and Elvis and the Brodsky don't get repped, but always glad to see Marvin Gaye, The Clash... heck, all these folks.

A fun trivia note about Born Under A Bad Sign. While the first version is by that great blues man Albert King, it was written by Booker T. Jones and William Bell when they were very young men not even 25 years old. I love every version I've heard, even the one by Homer Simpson, but Albert King is still the standard by which all others must be measured.

Random 7, 1/7/11. Padre Mickey rule invoked

Águas de Março (Waters of March) Antonio Jobim & Elis Regina
Now Let The Weeping Cease The Blind Boys of Alabama
Superman R.E.M.
More Than This Roxy Music
Strange Ones Supergrass
Lonesome Suzie The Band
Patricia Pérez Prado

And there we stop because it isn't going to get any better. A nice symmetry starting with the King of Bossa Nova and ending with the King of the Mambo.

Watchoo list'nin too?

Random 10, 12/24/10

Not Fade Away The Rolling Stones
Hallelujah Patricia O'Callaghan
Pidgin English Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Back Stabbers The O'Jays
Take the K.A.S.H. Wreckless Eric
Sons of the Silent Age David Bowie
There's A Place The Beatles
Diamonds Are Forever Shirley Bassey
Roses Outkast
Be Still Los Lobos

Not a bad 10, though not holiday themed. Only missing one song from The You Tubes, one of my favorites from Imperial Bedroom, still one of my favorite albums by The One True Living Elvis. The Patricia O'Callaghan and Outkast recordings are from this century, while everything else is from the rock and roll era of the second half of the 20th Century.

Random 10, 12/18/10

When Somebody Thinks You're Wonderful Fats Waller
Monkey's Paw Laurie Anderson
Will Anything Happen? Blondie
Se Tu M'ami (Parisotti) Cecilia Bartoli
Semaphore Signals Wreckless Eric
Valse #3 Opus 34 in F major (Chopin) Claudio Arrau
Heat Wave Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
All This Useless Beauty Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Share What You've Got (But Keep What You Need) William Bell
Anytime Lisa Was (Not Was)

Interesting if not super inspiring Random 10 this week. Only six of ten on The You Tubes, which is ridiculously low for late 2010. Two classical songs, also one from Fats and one from Elvis, two of my favorite songwriters. Nothing from the 21st Century.

Random 3, 12/11/10 Padre Mickey rule invoked

God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind) Randy Newman

Pata Pata Myriam Makeba



Raspberry Beret Prince

And there we stop, because it's not going to get any better. I almost closed it off with Myriam's great hit, but the Purple One found the trump card and the hand was over.

I understand Padre Mickey's irritation with himself when his music list doesn't include a song from the 21st Century, but I console myself when listening to a 25 year old Prince song by realizing that nobody wrote or recorded a better song yesterday, and that is true for the vast majority of yesterdays between 1985 and now.

Whatchoo listening to?

Random 10, 12/5/10

Join the Navy The Wonders of Science
The Hill Markéta Irglová
No Surprises Radiohead
Mammal They Might Be Giants
New Parchman Mose Allison
Sea Cruise Rico
Spesso Vibra Per Suo Gioco (A. Scarlatti) Cecilia Bartoli
Rock The Casbah The Clash
Smut Tom Lehrer
Ooh Baby Baby Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

Only seven of ten from The You Tubes this week, kinda pathetic for late 2010. Of course, I only have myself to blame for any Wonders of Science songs that aren't on YouTube yet, seeing as the Padre and I founded the band. There's only one song from the 21st Century, but in my defense, there's a song from the 18th Century too, so there!

Whatchoo listening to?

Random 10, 11/19/10

Big Tears Elvis Costello & the Attractions
Forever Blue Chris Isaak
St. Elmo's Fire Brian Eno
Just One Look Doris Troy
Do You Want My Job? Little Village
The Dream Before Laurie Anderson
Inoculated City The Clash
Twilight Time The Platters
It Was A Very Good Year Frank Sinatra
Little Wonder David Bowie

Not a bad list, but definitely an old list. The newest song is the last and it was recorded thirteen years ago. A couple of artists who have only one song each on my computer (Doris Troy and Frank Sinatra) show up, but there are also visits from artists I listen to a lot, like Elvis, David and The Clash.

As for clear Padre Mickey influence, that would be Brian Eno for sure.

Watchoo listenin' to?

Random 10, 11/5/10

Cemetery Polka Tom Waits
Red Rain Peter Gabriel
Sunday Kind of Love Etta James
Children Will Listen Bernadette Peters
My Evil Twin They Might Be Giants
It's Over Roy Orbison
Reet Petite (The Finest Girl You Ever Want To Meet) Jackie Wilson
Pressure Drop Toots & the Maytals
In Germany Before The War Randy Newman
The Imposter Elvis Costello & the Attractions
Bonus non-random 1:
Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When you Smile) Van Morrison

This was very close to a one and out. I love Cemetery Polka. But there's a heck of a lot of songs on this list I love. Etta sings one of my favorites, and so does Bernadette. They Might Be Giants and Toots & the Maytals put forward a couple of their strongest tracks. Then we have the Royal Orb followed by Mr. Excitement! himself, two of the greatest voices in pop music in the last 50 years. Reet Petite is such a great tune about being in love, Van Morrison decided he had to write a song about a song.

"Jackie Wilson said she was Reet Petite
The kinda love knocks me off my feet..."

Have a great day and listen to a couple tracks.

I'm in heaven when you smile.

Random 10, 10/29/10

This House Is Empty Now Elvis Costello with Burt Bacharach
Pain In My Heart Otis Redding
Glowworm The Mills Brothers
(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher Jackie Wilson
Sunday Girl Parallel Lines
Baltimore Randy Newman
Bluebird Buffalo Springfield
My One And Only Love Rickie Lee Jones
Take Me To The River Talking Heads
Mystery Train The Band

As Padre Mickey and I have to admit time and again, this is a music list from an old person's computer. Usually, I see the Good Padre's influence in my musical tastes, but I knew about all these artists before I met him. There are two recordings less than twenty years old, but one is Elvis writing a song with Burt Bacharach in Burt's style, and the other is Rickie Lee Jones doing a standard from the American Songbook.

Not a bad list by any means, just not a new list either.

Random 10, 10/23/10

The People's Limousine Elvis Costello and T-Bone Burnett (The Coward Brothers)
Can Your Monkey Do The Dog? Rufus Thomas
Low Symphony - Warszawa (Philip Glass) Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra
Money Don't Matter 2 Night Prince
Cry A While Bob Dylan
Shake, Rattle & Roll Big Joe Turner
The Flying Dutchman Raphael Boguslav
If You Want Me Markéta Irglová and Glen Hansard
Standing Anthony Stewart Head
Beginner's Luck Fred Astaire

My lists are never as all over the map as Padre Mickey's, due in large part to not having any local music from Panama or 14th Century plainsong, but this one travels far and wide for the music from a hermit's computer. The three songs from the 21st Century, one from Bob Dylan and two from soundtracks, don't sound super modern, but the Low Symphony kinda does. I think my next project on The You Tubes is to get some of the music of Raphael Boguslav up and available. He was a folk musician in the 1950s and 1960s who became a top calligrapher. He passed away earlier this year. I bought his album on eBay a few years back and I got in touch with him through e-mail. He was a very gracious answering a fanboy's questions.

Random 10, 10/15/10

Big Chief Professor Longhair
All Falls Down Kanye West feat. Syleena Johnson
Bad Girl Smoky Robinson & The Miracles
Crawling From The Wreckage Dave Edmunds
My Girl The Temptations
All Along The Watchtower The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Lost Chord (Topsy Turvy) Eleanor David
Paper Doll The Mills Brothers
That Lucky Old Sun Ray Charles
Sugar Daddy Blues La Vern Baker

One song from the 21st Century, but also one from the 19th and a whole lot of stuff that predates rock and roll. Sorry La Vern's song isn't on the You Tubes and surprised the song from Topsy Turvy is missing.

If you only have time to watch one video, watch the Temptations dance and lip synch. I love their dance routines, as do all right thinking people everywhere.

What's playing where you are at?

Random 10, 10/8/10

I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington
Let Down Radiohead
Deep Dark Truthful Mirror Elvis Costello with Allan Toussaint
Suavecito Malo
Texas Girl At the Funeral of her Father Randy Newman
Little Wonder David Bowie
A Porter's Love Song (to a Chambermaid) Fats Waller
Jesus Was Way Cool King Missile
The Masochism Tango Tom Lehrer
God's Away On Business Tom Waits

I have a boatload of songs by Elvis Costello, Tom Waits and Fats Waller on my computer, so it's only a matter of time until all three show up on the same Random 10. I also have a passel of David Bowie and Tom Lehrer, but if I was tempted to stop this Random 10 because it just wasn't going to get any better, I would have stopped in at the Radiohead tune, which I love like crazy.

What's playing where you are?

Random 10, 9/24/10

Red Rain Peter Gabriel
All I Have To Do Is Dream The Everly Brothers
Sound and Vision David Bowie
Waiting In Vain Bob Marley and the Wailers
When I Paint My Masterpiece The Band
Tired Of Waiting The Kinks
Valse #3 Op. 70 (Chopin) Claudio Arrau
I Almost Had A Weakness Elvis Costello and the Brodsky Quartet
Tomorrow Never Knows The Beatles
Ask The Lonely The Four Tops

Tunes from the computer of an old person. The newest song, the one where the one true living Elvis sings with a string quartet, was recorded seventeen years ago.

Not a bad list, some nice mix and match, just not very surprising for my money.

Watchoo list'nin' to?

Random 10, 9/17/10

Fish and Bird Tom Waits
Valse No. 1 Op. 69 (Valse de l'adieu) Claudio Arrau
London Town Spanic Boys
Don't Explain Etta James
I Ain't Got Nothing But The Blues Mose Allison
Done Somebody Wrong Elmore James
Baby's Got A Brand New Hairdo Elvis Costello and the Attractions
I Want You Back Jackson Five
In The Street Big Star
Purple Haze The Jimi Hendrix Experience

This one starts with slow tunes, picks up the beat when we get to Elmore James and ends with three great songs from when I was in high school in the late sixties and early seventies.

Random 10, 9/10/10

10 songs presented without comment.

My Eyes Laurie Anderson
Yakety Yak The Coasters
Alabama Song David Johansen, Ellen Shipley, Ralph Shuckett, Bob Dorough
Behold! The Lord High Executioner Martin Savage & chorus
Dirty Old Town The Pogues
It Hurts To Be In Love Gene Pitney
Will The Wolf Survive? Los Lobos
Let The Good Times Roll Shirley & Lee
Logozo Angelique Kidjo
(Get Up) Sex Machine James Brown

Random 9, 9/3/10 Padre Mickey rule invoked

Flower's Grave Tom Waits
Rider in the Rain Randy Newman
Enchanted The Platters
Reconsidering Our Love Matthew Hubbard and Michael Dresbach
Your Mind Is On Vacation Mose Allison
Ramon Laurie Anderson
The Golddigger's Song (We're in the Money) Fred Astaire
Children Will Listen Bernadette Peters
September Gurls Big Star

Kind of a quiet mood from the Random DJ this morning. Surprising how many songs aren't up on The You Tubes for late 2010. I didn't expect that Hubbard and Dresbach thang to be there, but Laurie and Fred are big stars and they should be represented. Speaking of big stars, Big Star shows up with a song more jangly than the rest of the Random 10, but the title fits the date so well, I'm going to invoke Padre Mickey's rule and make this one a Random 9.

Random 10, 8/27/10

007 (Shanty Town) Desmond Dekker
Days Elvis Costello
Exodus Bob Marley and the Wailers
Semaphore Signals Wreckless Eric
It Hurts Me Too Eric Clapton
Pressure Drop Toots and the Maytals
Se Tu M'ami (Parisotti) Cecilia Bartoli
Christmas Must Be Tonight The Band
Biology Joe Jackson
Spiderwebs No Doubt

I have my doubts that the random selection process in the iTunes on my Mac would actually pass muster if checked for randomness. I might have a total of twenty reggae tunes on my computer out of 1,200 songs and three of them show up this morning.

Not complaining, just sayin'.

Random 2, 8/20/10, Padre Mickey Rule invoked

Another Nail From My Heart Squeeze
I Wanna Be Your Lover Prince

I listened to the eight songs that would have filled out the list. There were some good ones, but nothing as good as this early hit from The Purple One. It's a great example of a simple groove with layer after layer of hooks. It was his first big hit, and while I won't say it's his very best, I will say this guy is one of the ten best American songwriters of the past fifty years.

Random 10, 8/13/10

This Old Heart of Mine Tammi Terrell
Lonely House Teresa Stratas
In The Backroom Brian Eno and John Cale
Ask The Lonely Vonda Shepard
Just One Cornetto Pookiesnackenberger
Papa's Got A Brand New Bag James Brown
You Don't Have To Say You Love Me Dusty Springfield
Hand In Hand Elvis Costello and the Attractions
Respect Aretha Franklin
Fingertips, Part II Little Stevie Wonder

Whenever I put together a Random 10, my old buddy Padre Mickey is never far from my heart. I wouldn't have heard Tammi Terrell's fantastic version of This Old Heart of Mine, much more up tempo than the hit versions by the Isley Brothers or Rod Stewart. I wasn't listening to pop music much in the 1970's and without the Good Padre, I wouldn't know about Brian Eno. While he didn't exactly turn me on to Pookiesnackerburger, we did discover Stiff Records at about the same time, and Just One Cornetto is off the Stiff Records Box Set, a great collection of music. I was very close to invoking the Padre Mickey rule after Mister James Brown sings his great signature hit, one of many to be fair. But also being fair, Aretha singing Respect and Little Stevie ripping up Fingertips, Part II. They don't get kicked off stage for noBODY and that's a fact!

This is the Word of the Lord.

Random 10, 7/30/10

In Every Dream Home Joe Jackson
I Can't Turn You Loose Was (Not Was)
Low Symphony: Some Are (Glass/Bowie/Eno) Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra
I Hold You Hand In Mine Tom Lehrer
Breakaway Tracey Ullman
I Must Be I Love The Rutles
In The Backroom Brian Eno and John Cale
Picture This Blondie
Just a Girl No Doubt
Get The Party Started Pink

Interesting patterns in the randomness this week. We get three songs by funny people in the middle of the list with Tom Lehrer, Tracey Ullman and The Rutles, featuring Eric Idle and Neil Innes. At the end of the list, we get, listed in chronological order no less, three hot chicks who are supposed to be kinda tough chicks.

I think they are hotter than they are tough. Your mileage may vary. The inclusion of the song by Pink means we do have one tune from this century, but the bulk of this list is about twenty to thirty years old, which is par for the course when listening to iTunes on an old person's computer.

Whatcoo listenin' to?