Music is personal, and in crafting such a list the CoS folks run a risk similar to kicking someone's dog or calling their kid ugly: They invite criticism, hatred, even action. But being a pacifist, and not learning from their traipse into the danger zone (hi, Kenny), I've decided to put together my own list. And as I don't take direction well, mine is not a straight-forward list of 100 songs: I offer you a categorized list of a certain number of songs which I haven't even bothered to tabulate. Take it or leave it--it's my story and I'm sticking to it. (...though as soon as this is posted, I'll think of something I'll wish I'd added.)
WHAT THE HELL? HOW DID YOU LEAVE THESE ARTISTS OUT?
* The Kinks--let's go with "Lola"
* Van Morrison--I'm good with either "Brown-eyed Girl" or "Into the Mystic"
* The Doors--let's go with EVERYTHING
* Dire Straits--I favor "Sultans of Swing" but refuse to live without "So Far Away"
* Red Hot Chili Peppers--I'm going with "Under the Bridge"
* Journey--makes me cry: "Lights"
* Arlo Guthrie--I sing it in the grocery store and I don't care who hears me (besides, I sing it really f-ing well): "City of New Orleans"
* Stone Temple Pilots--one of my anthems: "Interstate Love Song"
* Queen--how do you leave out Queen? For the children: "We Are The Champions"
* Jimmy Buffett--for the husband: "Come Monday"
* The Pretenders--gotta have "Middle of the Road"
* Kiss--you can't leave out Kiss and I choose the very un-Kiss "Beth"
* Blue Oyster Cult--SHAME! More Cowbell! My picks: "Don't Fear the Reaper" and "I'm Burnin' for You"
* Janis Joplin--my god, how do you not include the woman? Obviously, "Me and Bobby McGee"
* two words: BOB MARLEY--pick your fave, it'll be worthy
* Green Day--I'll make it easy and go with "Warning"
* a crime for no: Grateful Dead
* and for no: Phish
* how easy to add: Elton John
* and: Billy Joel
RIGHT ACT, WRONG SONG (check the link, you may agree):
* The Who--"My Generation" and "Baba O'Riley" are perfectly nice songs, but "See Me, Feel Me" is stronger than than any gospel song in any church hymnal!
* Jimi Hendrix--Now, see here: thou shalt not mention JH withoutst thou dost include "Hey, Joe" because there has never been, will never be a better walking base line. PERIOD! You can have sex with the thing, for heaven's sake. And you may get pregnant.
* The Beatles--my turn at blasphemy here, I DON'T LIKE THE BEATLES. There, I've said it. But if I HAD to include them (and yes, I think you should), I'd have gone with "In My Life"
*Otis Redding--also makes me cry, "(Sittin' on the) Dock of The Bay", but "Try a Little Tenderness" doesn't do it for me.
*Bob Dylan--no, no! Here's another you pick, it'll be okay. (I do a nice impression of Willie Nelson doing "Lay, Lady Lay" if you're interested...)
* Stevie Wonder--oh lord, "Superstitious"? You gotta go with "Higher Ground" (wah-wah-umha-wah-wah)
* Prince--he'll change his name to Symbol or The Artist again if you can't come up with better!
* Michael Jackson (rest him)--"Man in the Mirror"? Really? "Billie-freaking-Jean"? The poor man deserves better.
* John Coltrane--I'm sure that "A Love Supreme Part One: Acknowledgment" is lovely, but just listen to "After the Rain" one time and tell me if you'll ever get it out of your heart.
* The Ramones--how in this world do you ignore "I Wanna Be Sedated"? You don't!
* The Smiths--and " " " " " " " " " " " "How Soon Is Now"? No way, man!
* Portishead--"Roads" is an important song, but can't we have "Sour Times", too? Those of us who fondly remember "The Wild, Wild West" can really get off on that one.
That's enough for now; you wouldn't believe how long it's taking to put this post together. (Imagine if I'd done it well.) I'll give you such nuggets as these in the follow-up post which we'll call "The Refrain":
#Songs To Seize To#
#Speeding Ticket Songs#
#Songs I Wanna Sing With My Tyla#
#Songs I Believe Have the Power To Kill Me#
#Songs To Test Speakers To#
#Songs From Perfect Albums#
* Dire Straits--I favor "Sultans of Swing" but refuse to live without "So Far Away"
* Red Hot Chili Peppers--I'm going with "Under the Bridge"
* Journey--makes me cry: "Lights"
* Arlo Guthrie--I sing it in the grocery store and I don't care who hears me (besides, I sing it really f-ing well): "City of New Orleans"
* Stone Temple Pilots--one of my anthems: "Interstate Love Song"
* Queen--how do you leave out Queen? For the children: "We Are The Champions"
* Jimmy Buffett--for the husband: "Come Monday"
* The Pretenders--gotta have "Middle of the Road"
* Kiss--you can't leave out Kiss and I choose the very un-Kiss "Beth"
* Blue Oyster Cult--SHAME! More Cowbell! My picks: "Don't Fear the Reaper" and "I'm Burnin' for You"
* Janis Joplin--my god, how do you not include the woman? Obviously, "Me and Bobby McGee"
* two words: BOB MARLEY--pick your fave, it'll be worthy
* Green Day--I'll make it easy and go with "Warning"
* a crime for no: Grateful Dead
* and for no: Phish
* how easy to add: Elton John
* and: Billy Joel
RIGHT ACT, WRONG SONG (check the link, you may agree):
* The Who--"My Generation" and "Baba O'Riley" are perfectly nice songs, but "See Me, Feel Me" is stronger than than any gospel song in any church hymnal!
* Jimi Hendrix--Now, see here: thou shalt not mention JH withoutst thou dost include "Hey, Joe" because there has never been, will never be a better walking base line. PERIOD! You can have sex with the thing, for heaven's sake. And you may get pregnant.
* The Beatles--my turn at blasphemy here, I DON'T LIKE THE BEATLES. There, I've said it. But if I HAD to include them (and yes, I think you should), I'd have gone with "In My Life"
*Otis Redding--also makes me cry, "(Sittin' on the) Dock of The Bay", but "Try a Little Tenderness" doesn't do it for me.
*Bob Dylan--no, no! Here's another you pick, it'll be okay. (I do a nice impression of Willie Nelson doing "Lay, Lady Lay" if you're interested...)
* Stevie Wonder--oh lord, "Superstitious"? You gotta go with "Higher Ground" (wah-wah-umha-wah-wah)
* Prince--he'll change his name to Symbol or The Artist again if you can't come up with better!
* Michael Jackson (rest him)--"Man in the Mirror"? Really? "Billie-freaking-Jean"? The poor man deserves better.
* John Coltrane--I'm sure that "A Love Supreme Part One: Acknowledgment" is lovely, but just listen to "After the Rain" one time and tell me if you'll ever get it out of your heart.
* The Ramones--how in this world do you ignore "I Wanna Be Sedated"? You don't!
* The Smiths--and " " " " " " " " " " " "How Soon Is Now"? No way, man!
* Portishead--"Roads" is an important song, but can't we have "Sour Times", too? Those of us who fondly remember "The Wild, Wild West" can really get off on that one.
That's enough for now; you wouldn't believe how long it's taking to put this post together. (Imagine if I'd done it well.) I'll give you such nuggets as these in the follow-up post which we'll call "The Refrain":
#Songs To Seize To#
#Speeding Ticket Songs#
#Songs I Wanna Sing With My Tyla#
#Songs I Believe Have the Power To Kill Me#
#Songs To Test Speakers To#
#Songs From Perfect Albums#
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