So, I was not even scheduled to work on Wednesday. Naturally, that meant I went in to help set up the kitchen, get the initial batch of food cooked and staying until the scheduled help showed up. A bit of stress, due to one of the other volunteers (nobody can apparently stand her working in the outside food area, so they send her to the kitchen. It is great to have a volunteer, unless they are of the attitude of "I'm a volunteer, that means nobody can order me around"!)

Last night's playlist was kind of interesting in the sequencing. For example, "Taxman" by The Beatles was followed by "The Ugly Underneath" by XTC (on the album Nonsuch, which was purposefully-Beatles sounding throughout). For some reason shuffle mode keeps concentrating on a few artists. Why so many Sara McLachlan sounds (not that I mind) when I only have two albums by her? Why so much by R.E.M. when other artists (Steve Roach, David Bowie, for example) have many more albums on the iPod? Why go from one track to another on the same album (Forgotten Gods by Suspended Memories) when the iPod holds several days worth of music to randomly select from?

It's a mystery! Last night I heard... The Alan Parsons Project: "The Turn of a Friendly Card/Snake Eyes" (Turn of a Friendly Card).

The Beatles: "Carry That Weight" (Abbey Road). "Get Back" (Let It Be). "Taxman" (Revolver). "Nowhere Man" (Rubber Soul).

David Bowie: "It Ain't Easy" (Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars).

Kate Bush: "Breathing" (The Whole Story).

The Cars: "All Mixed Up" (The Cars).

The Clash: "Train in Vain (Stand by Me)" (London Calling).

Collection: "Leave Your Body" (The Grid) (Ambient: A Brief History of Ambient). "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" (Aretha Franklin) (The Big Chill). "Fleeting Smile" (Roger Eno) (Compounds + Elements: An Introduction to All Saints Records). "Medley: The Age of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine" (The Fifth Dimension); "Hound Dog" (Elvis Presley) (Forrest Gump). "La Bas" (Lisa Gerrard) (Heat). "I am a Man of Constant Sorrow" (John Harford) (O Brother, Where Art Thou).

(Ambient: A Brief History of Ambient is another album that is on my iPod all the time. A double album, it looks like they made it to cash in on the techno/atmospheric music crazes. Lots of good stuff on it, great for the shuffle mood or extended car trips. "Leave Your Body" is not very ambient, but is a nice track!)

(I think I've only seen the movie Heat once. But I've listened to the soundtrack album hundreds of times. The movie was good; the music is fantastic. A good example of a mix, often very different on their own, that works well together.)

Dead Can Dance: "Ocean" (Dead Can Dance). "The Spider's Stratagem"; "The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovejoy" (Into the Labyrinth).

(Good albums, but as you listen to the respective members of the band, you wonder how such different styles stayed together so long. A lot of the tracks they produced seemed to be by one member or the other, very few had both singing.)

Dire Straits: "Fade to Black" (On Every Street).

Brian Eno: "Zawinul/Lava" (Another Green World).

Eno Moebius Roedelius: "Foreign Affair"; "Lutschlosee" (After the Heat).

Eurthymics: "Thorn in my Side"; "Who's that Girl?" (Greatest Hits).

Donald Fagen: "Snowbound" (Kamakiriad).

Fleetwood Mac: "I Know I'm Not Wrong"; "That's All for Everyone" (Tusk).

Philip Glass: "Mina's Bedroom"; "The Three Consorts of Dracula" (Dracula).

Jade Warrior: "Rainflower" (Elements).

(A double CD containing their four best albums. How can you go wrong?)

King Crimson: "Thela Hun Ginjeet" (Discipline). "Book of Saturday" (Lark's Tongues in Aspic).

Mark Knopfler and Chet Atkins: "I'll See You In My Dreams" (Neck and Neck).

Annie Lennox: "The Gift"; "Precious" (Diva).

Sarah McLachlan: "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy"; "Mary" (Fumbling Towards Ecstasy).

Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden: "He's Gone Away" (Under Missouri Skies).

(I only have one other album by Pat Metheny. Although it probably sold a lot better than this, and others have done well...none of them have really grabbed me. Except for this album. I could listen to this one on an endless loop for an entire day and still find new things in it.)

Tom Petty & the Hearbreakers: "Wooden Heart" (Playback).

Pink Floyd: "Burning Bridges" (Obscured by Clouds).

R.E.M.: "Get Up" (Green). "King of Comedy" (Monster).

Renaissance: "At the Harbour" (Trip to the Fair).

(A bit jarring to hear this one, as it came after the Dead Can Dance track!)

Steve Roach and Vir Unis: "Cave of the Heart" (Body Electric).

Paul Simon: "Gumboots" (Graceland).

Steely Dan: "Your Gold Teeth" (Countdown to Ecstasy).

Sting: "All Four Seasons" (Mercury Falling). "Seven Days" (Ten Summoner's Tales).

Suspended Memories: "Saguaro"; "Snake Song" (Forgotten Gods).

Talking Heads: "The Book I Read"; "Crosseyed and Painless" (The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads).

10,000 Maniacs: "I'm Not the Man" (MTV Unplugged).

The Traveling Wilburys: "End of the Line" (Traveling Wilburys, Volume 1).

Utopia: "Jealousy" (Ra). "Swing to the Right" (Swing to the Right).

Steve Winwood: "One More Morning" (Roll With It).

XTC: "Helicopter" (Drums and Wires). "It's Nearly Africa"; "Melt the Guns" (English Settlement). "The Ugly Underneath"; "Wrapped in Grey" (Nonsuch).

Hanz Zimmer: "Ashes to Ashes"; "Bakara" (Blackhawk Down).

(Blackhawk Down is pretty much on the iPod on a permanent basis. Well before I saw the movie...and it is one of my favorites, as the book is one of my favorites...I heard the soundtrack. Good stuff.)

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 05:08 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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