Even More Ipod Fun

I haven’t done this for awhile. Here are the first 25 songs that come up on my Ipod shuffle.

1. Come Dancing, The Kinks – I have gotten into the Kinks more and more. This sweet little popish 80’s tune always puts a smile on my face. I will always think back to the video as well, with the kid using the tennis racket as a guitar.

2. The Stranger, Billy Joel – This song is further proof of my theory about Mr. Joel. His 70’s stuff is so good that you can only assume he really died in a plane crash in like 1981 and the guy calling himself Billy Joel now is an imposter. I mean how else can you explain Uptown Girl. This is Joel at his best. The Stranger might be my favorite album he put out.

3. Shower the People, James Taylor – I am not a huge James Taylor guy. I don’t dislike him but it is hard to jam to the guy. You definitely need to be in a certain mindframe to listen to him. This song is the one I danced to with my Mom at my wedding so of course it does have a special meaning.

4. Let Love Rule, Lenny Kravitz – Is there any more polarizing figure in music then Kravitz? Some people love him and others I know just despise him. I am somewhere in the middle. I don’t think he is any musical visionary but, I do cop to liking a number of tunes he has helmed, this being one of them.

5. Killer Queen, Queen – Well, what red blooded male of my age doesn’t like Queen? Freddie Mercury was quite possibly the best showman to lead a rock band behind that killer sound that Brian May led. This is not their best track my any stretch but it is still catchy enough and doesn’t hurt.

6. Eight Days a Week, The Beatles – I am a big Beatles guy and won’t apologize for it. This is them at their pop song early best. Yes, it does not have a lot to say but, hell if it isn’t a great song that you cannot help but sing along to.

7. Flowers on the Wall, The Statler Brothers – I snaked this one off of the Pulp Fiction soundtrack. I am not a huge country guy by any stretch of the imagination. However, I do enjoy this song, sue me.

8. Heart and Soul, Huey Lewis and the News – Shit. Well, it is on my Ipod so, I guess I have to try and defend it. I am not sure that I can. I have stated on many occasions my affinity for a lot of bad 80’s music. I grew up in the era with MTV and a lot of the songs of that time period always seem to bring back a flood of memories and a smile on my face. There were certainly worse things to come out of the 80’s, like Bon Jovi. (You know I will never get sick of ripping that hack.)

9. Bloodletting, Concrete Blonde – Most people will remember their much, much bigger hit, Joey. This is off of the same album. I bought the CD back in the day and actually quite enjoyed it. This song in particular is really good. Not sure why they never were able to back up this record with another one.

10. American Idiot, Green Day – OK, I know all the negatives about Green Day so spare me. I like them. I know that angers a lot of people but fuck it. I dig what they do and sure they aren’t the Ramones or the Clash but so what. For what they are they are pretty good. I really dig this CD and won’t apologize for doing so.

11. Rockabilly Boogie, Robert Gordon – Robert Gordon is one of my favorite rockabilly guys. He never reached the heights of a Brain Setzer but, Gordon is pretty good in his own right. If you like the genre I suggest you give him a try.

12. Nothing but Flowers, Talking Heads – Oh how I used to love this band. I still pretty much do. This is one of my favorites from them. Sure, it wasn’t the most popular tune they ever crafted, but there is something about this one that speaks to me.

13. Here Comes My Baby, Cat Stevens – Grabbed this one off of the Rushmore soundtrack. (Which is in my top 5 soundtracks of all time.) This is a rather upbeat little ditty from the usually melodw Stevens.

14. Mony, Mony Tommie James and the Shondell’s – I dig the original much more then the Billy Idol version. Of course the Billy Idol version when played at a wedding becomes a vulgar filled drunken anthem. So, you have to respect that.

15. Go Cubs Go, Steve Goodman – Okay I think every Cubs fan should have this on their Ipod. I am a baseball and more to the point a Cubs geek. So, yes when the Cubs win I play this song. Make fun of me all you want. I actually feel bad for the Cub haters because they just don’t get it and never will.

16. Kicks, Paul Revere and the Raiders – This is one of my favorite tunes to come out of the 60’s. Paul Revere and the Raiders actually had a couple of hits, but this is probably their most popular. It has been covered a gazillion times but you can’t beat the O.G.

17. For What it’s Worth, Buffalo Springfield – I think my Ipod is stuck in the 60’s. Neil Young and Steven Stills were members of the band so by default I have to like them. This was by far their biggest hit. That opening guitar riff has been used to flashback to the 60’s on every shitty movie and TV show that has been made in the last 10 years.

18. Changes, David Bowie – As I get older, I dig Bowie more and more. I mean I have always been a fan but lately I have re-discovered his music and find myself really enjoying it. Changes is not my favorite Bowie track, but I do dig it on some level.

19. Not One of Us, Peter Gabriel – I have the entire “Melt” record on my Ipod and with good reason. It is probably my favorite disc of Gabriel’s entire rather impressive catalog. This song always seems to put a smile on my face as it reminds of the time I first got into his music sometime in the late 80’s.

20. Boys Don’t Cry, The Cure – I threw up a link to this video on my Facebook page a couple of weeks back. I know I am a girl, but I really love this song for some reason. I didn’t meet a girl in the 80’s that didn’t like Depeche Mode and The Cure. I get the Cure thing while I never understood why anyone would willingly listen to Depeche Mode.

21. Lonely is the Night, Billy Squier – My wife is an unabashed fan of this album. I am not as enthusiastic, but I will admit this is the best track on Don’t Say So.

22. Pilot Can at the Queer of God, The Flaming Lips – I am on record in stating my love of this entire album. This song is track 2 and hits the right cord after coming down from Turn it On. And now she has helicopters can mean so many things.

23. Soul to Squeeze, Red Hot Chili Peppers – This should have been the first sign that the Peppers were about to make a left turn from their funk early roots, because this song is about as un-funk as you can get. Yet, I still dig it. It appeared on the Conehead’s soundtrack of all places. Please don’t ask why I own that disc.

24. London Calling, The Clash – If there is a better beginning to a record I am not sure what it is. London Calling is the title track to a album that I consider the best ever made. It still sounds fresh 30 years after its release. It was the perfect storm for The Clash, when everything just worked. Just a magnificent achievement.

25. Tonight, Tonight, The Smashing Pumpkins – You know I am not really a Smashing Pumpkins guy. So, I am not sure what this song is doing on my Ipod. But it is on there for some reason. A lot of people got into them in the early 90’s but I never really thought they were that great. To each their own, but they are just not my cup of tea.