5 Song Shuffle Vol. 7

My iTunes library, as of September 29, 2010, has 20,723 songs in it. Some are novelty downloads, some i have because i'm a completionist, some i rarely (if have ever) listened to. So, in this new blog segment, i will let shuffle pick out random songs (without personal editing to hide embarrasing and/or lame songs), and i will write about what i think of them, plus any details i an give about how it was procured. At current rate (and if my iTunes never repeats a song...) this will be the seventh in at least a 4,000 part series.

Song #1 - "Go Get a Wig" - The Ideals

This is from a compilation called Jump and Shout that i got from donating to WFMU in 2005 - its a really great collection of late 50's/early 60's rock and soul stuff. Based on the title, you can guess what the song is about - needing to get a wig.

Song #2 - "It Ain't Easy" - David Bowie

Maybe my least favorite song from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, but even saying that, it is a pretty good song. I'm saying nothing new here, but Bowie is one of those artists that's quality fluctuates so extremely from project to project, and even from song to song sometimes. People always say that Madonna is always changing, but Bowie makes Madonna look stagnant.

Song #3 - "Shwingalocate" - De La Soul

Almost all of De La Soul's catalog, somehow, is out of print. So i had to track down this album, De La Soul is Dead, as well as Three Feet High and Rising, their two most acclaimed albums, online via some mp3 blogs.. I've heard so many good things about De La Soul from smart hip hop fans - yet, i'm not blown away by their stuff. I like it, and i see why in 1992 this would've been the coolest thing to play at a party, but it hasn't changed my life. I also fully admit that i haven't spent a ton of time with this record, and it probably deserves more of my attention than i give it. What's funny about hip hop, to me, is that the really good stuff is meant to sound improvised/tossed off, but requires a lot of time with it to really absorb it, whereas the super-slick produced FM radio hip hop sounds great the first few times you hear it, then becomes unbearably boring.

Song #4 - "Tales of the Exonerated Flea" - Horacee Arnold

This is the title track from this album, but out by Rock and Groove Records which, for a short time, was both a store and a reissue label. I have 2 of the 4 records they reissued (this one and Bell & Arc, another self-titled release) - this one is a jazz-fusion record with some of the best jazz flute this side of Ron Burgandy. I used one of the other songs on this on my Fall mix, which i will write about later today (i promise).

Song #5 -"Punahele" - Sonny Lin

With an iTunes gift card, the day after the 2004 Grammy Awards, i bought this compilation, Slack Key Guitar, Vol. 2. I was inspired by the open-tuning, finger picked stuff i had heard during the brief clip they played at the Grammys, so i took a chance on the album. It is a nice record, but one i rarely listen to. Very mellow - almost John Fahey-like in parts.

'Til next time,
Brian

Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6