Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door – Warren Zevon – You might claim any body with a terminal illness would natural add a certain je ne sais fucking quo to Dylan’s overplayed classic. But Zevon was always the only 70s SoCaler who could play with the big boys and by the time Zev is demainding “open up, open up, open up” he has reached a place where dark and light meet that Dylan never intended.
Crawling From The Wreckage – Dave Edmunds – It’s not that it cuts Graham Parker’s original. It doesn’t as a song, but as it does as a rock and roll artificate: that guitar break is exactly while we are all sitting around obessessing about sound.
El Nino – Agnelli amd Nelson – Old fasjioned modern dance, all drum machine and synth and a relentless programmer.
If I Didn’t Love You – Hank Williams – It’s not the vocals that introduce the man, it’s that guitar!
You Don’t Love Me – The Kooks – There is a whole stratum of Limey bands that just aint good enough. This is that.
Suavemente – Elvis Crespo – Huge hit for the King of Merengue a dozen years ago; nearly broke him pop Stateside.
Morning Light – Ida Marie – Quirky in a Regina meets early Bjork but rockier vibe.
Graceland – Paul Simon – Unplugged but not so used notice.
So Long – Brian Wilson – Off a boot and with Gary Usher producer. Whodda thunk it would feel like a golden age?
Chocolate Box – Prince – He can do this shit in his sleep and apparently decided to do so.
Silver Bullet – Ryan Adams – Off one of his weaker efforts, a sorta sleepy country lullabye.
See A Little Light – Bob Mould – Off the great Workbook -hard rock with a backbone of melody.
Helpless Dancer – The Who – A mid-Quadrophenia story mover that disappears a little next to stuff like “5:15”.
Say You Will – Kanye West – Geez -this is depressing and genius, somebody called it emo hop!! It is so thoroughly doctored, auto-tuned, multi layered, it’s as though a machine is poring its heart out to you.
Fortune – Midlake – My fave by this suburban depressants is also their most melodic. No surprise there, right?
Bye Bye Blackbird – Miles Davis And John Coltrane – Why is it on all the Davis-Coltrane team ups, all I hear is Coltrane?
Come As You Are – Nirvana – from Unplugged, Cobain sounds doubled over in pain and the pain reaches out to you. Today, the entire Unplugged session is overwhelmed by sadness and sinked in hindsite.
The Fear (Acoustic track) – Lily Allen – Best song off her last album in a useless acoustic version.
The Wind – Cat Stevens – Takes me straight back to my days as a boarder in High School. I don’t usually suffer from nostalgia but this tugs at my memories. I don’t think people really are that nostalgiac but rather they appreciate the ability to travel back in time and recreate the exact feelings.
Extraordinary Machine – Fiona Apple – “If there was a better way to go it would find me…”