e.g. mix 2007.07: Like Oxygen

I've decided to do hour-long mixes. I find I get a more satisfactory listening experience from them, and they tend to be tighter overall than mixes that take advantage of the full CD capacity.

Curve by The Mermen from the album Songs of the Cows (1996). Best. Opening track. Ever.
Wynona's Big Brown Beaver by Primus from the album Tales From the Punchbowl (1996). I love Primus. I went to their concert at Nautica in support of this album. They opened with "Here Come the Bastards," and it was fucking hella awesome, one of my favorite concert memories. After a few songs I came up from the pit for a rest and ended up standing next to this couple who were watching the proceedings with a certain bemusement. They were a little preppy; I distinctly remember khaki shorts on either the man or the woman. They didn't seem to be enjoying themselves, and I wondered what they were doing there. Then, the band started playing "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver," which was, of course, the big single from Punchbowl. Not that we should hold this against the song; it's a great little number. Anyway, they played this song, and the couple perked right up, doing that little concert bounce to the rhythm that people do. It was kinda cute. Then the song was over and they went back to their bemusement. I left them to go back down to the pit for "Jerry Was a Racecar Driver." I like to think that the Primus concert was a positive, mind-opening experience for them, that perhaps they were a little more, oh hell, I don't know. Tolerant of us freaks, I guess.
Lounge Fly by Stone Temple Pilots from the album Purple (1994). Just another of the many STP songs that mentions dogs. I like this piece's moody atmosphere.
I'm Gonna Crawl by Led Zeppelin from the album In Through the Out Door (1979). This song has one of my favorite Jimmy Page solos, and it's a sentimental love song, too. Now, some sentimental loves songs are just big piles of poop. But there are others that really touch me. This is one of those others.
Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover by Sophie B. Hawkins from the album Tongues and Tails (1992). Speaking of sentimental love songs, this may well be my favorite song of all time. Is it so surprising? This track has it all. Cue the list.
- Overstated, ass-kicking drumbeat. Bomp, cha! bomp, bom-bom cha! Gold.
- The words "wish" and "lover" in the chorus. Those are great big words that frame great big ideas.
- The word "damn" in the chorus. Keepin' it real and planted in your guts.
- The word "shucks." I like a song that can use the word "shucks" with a straight face.
- It's sung by a woman. Nothing necessarily against men, but I generally prefer women. Now, yeah, I'm hetero, but I'm not really talking about fucking. For some reason, I just like women, and I tend to enjoy hanging out with them more than men. Consequently, I'm generally more favorably disposed to songs by women. Sophie Ballantine Hawkins, in addition to being a woman, has a voice that is pleasant to my ears, and perfect for this song.
- Holding the note over multiple chord changes, such that the note and the chord progression resolve simultaneously on the final chord. I love that shit.
- Fading everything but the drums and then starting in on another verse. It's dramatic and affecting, and this is a brilliant use of the technique.
- It mentions grooving to the Rolling Stones.
- It's a rare person who can't relate to the plight of the narrator.
- It mentions riding a camel uptown.
There you go.
Tie Dye on the Highway by Robert Plant from the album Manic Nirvana (1990). In an earlier incarnation of the July '07 mix (now discarded), this was the opening track. But in playtesting the mix, the unavoidable fact became clear that this is not a good opening track. You might think it would be, but trust me: it's not. Fortunately, I found a good spot for it on the current incarnation, because I love this song. It's probably my favorite Robert Plant solo track. I love the drum riff, kissing cousin as it is to the previous track's drum riff. The hi-hat work makes it extra special. The guitar riff is likewise powerful and rockin', and the track overall is instilled with a sense of awe and wonder. This is one of the best songs to drive to that I know. The title refers to a sunset. The quote at the beginning is from Woodstock, uttered by Wavy Gravy (Wikipedia).
Walk Like an Egyptian by The Bangles from the album Different Light (1986). Bubble-gum one-hit-wonder or no, this is actually a pretty solid song. Easily grasped and amusing premise, clever lyrics, catchy melody, creative percussion, and whistling. Dig it.
Don't Stand So Close to Me '86 by The Police. This was the last studio recording the Police did. They were supposed to be working on their next album, but all they could come up with was a rehash of an older song. I like this version better than the 1980 version, but that might be because this is the one I heard first. Including this track on this mix has triggered an interest in reading Lolita, the "famous book by Nabakov" to which the lyrics allude. Maybe I'll just do that.
Dead Souls by Nine Inch Nails from the album The Crow (1994). I've never heard the original version of this song by Joy Division. I sure like Trent's version, though.
Sisters by Steve Vai from the album Passion and Warfare (1990). If you're going to get one and only one Steve Vai album, Passion and Warfare is the way to go. I know that, and I haven't even heard all of his other albums. Passion and Warfare is just that good. This is the quiet, pensive number. It's complex, evocative, and exotic-sounding, all while maintaining pop sensibilities. Delicious.
You Broke My Heart by Lavender Diamond from the album Cavalry of Light (2005). The celebratory tone and exuberant drumming really sold me on this track. To say nothing of the ethereal vocals. How complex are human emotions that heartbreak can wring forth such joy.
In Shock by Kristin Hersh from the album Learn to Sing Like a Star (2007). Kristin Hersh was the lead singer of Throwing Muses, which is a band I've heard of but never heard. This song is on the "pretty damn" end of the "good" scale, until you get to the end where they cut everything but the string quartet. Then it pushes up into "awesome." What pure conceit. It's fabulous.
Hawkmoon 269 by U2 from the album Rattle and Hum (1988). This is another one of my favorite love songs. It's the raw, powerful imagery that gets me. Well, that and the timpani.

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