e.g. mix 2010.01: One Come a Day

2010 marks a move to a slightly longer mix, from 60 minutes to 70. The 60-minute limit was beginning to feel a little cramped.

For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) by AC/DC from the album For Those About To Rock We Salute You (1981). The opening guitar riffs to this song are fun as hell to play. The title of this mix was almost "Fire."
Trompe Le Monde by The Pixies from the album Trompe Le Monde (1991). I don't like much of what I've heard of the Pixies (and I haven't heard much), but what I like, I really like. In particular with this song, I love the high, trilling guitar line over the latter half of each stanza. It gives the track a celebratory feeling.
Limelight by Rush from the album Moving Pictures (1981). Considering how different Rush is from the Pixies, I thought this went surprisingly well after "Trompe Le Monde." It was while listening to this track that I decided that this mix would be a heavy mix. That is, all the tracks would be intense in musicality, theme, or both. Some might smirk at the notion of Rush being considered heavy, but whatever.
Why Pt. 2 by Collective Soul from the album Blender (2000). With my new "heavy" mandate, I instantly thought of this song, which features the heaviest guitar sound I've ever heard. It doesn't really seem possible that those chords are coming from wood and wire. A masterful use of effects. Fortunately, it went well enough after the Rush for me to include it.
Stop by Jane's Addiction from the album Ritual de lo Habitual (1990). The mix takes its title from this, one of Jane's Addiction's heaviest tracks. Well, the driving middle part is heavy; the beginning and ending, less so. This is the first song on the album, incidentally, and the same level of intensity is maintained throughout. Truly an amazing album.
...And Justice For All by Metallica from the album ...And Justice For All (1988). This album was the end of the beginning for Metallica. After this album, they had a different producer, and a conscious effort was made to have a looser, more commercial sound. It had been years since I'd listened to this, and it struck me how heavy the midrange is on this album. I'm not a fan of midrange frequencies, but I am a fan of kick-ass metal and stinging-yet-simplistic social commentary, so this track satisfies.
Issachar by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones from the album Don't Know How to Party (1993). I went and saw these guys when they were touring in support of this album. It was, hands down, the roughest, craziest crowd I've ever seen. From time to time, someone would shout, "Play Issachar!" The Bosstones didn't play it, which is a good thing, because I'm certain the place would have exploded, leaving nothing but rubble in a quarter mile radius.
No More Tears by Ozzy Osbourne from the album No More Tears (1993). I absolutely love the guitar work on this track. The soaring, melodic lines; the crunching, ballsy riffs; the masterful use of trills and pinch harmonics — fuckin' A. I also love the "Don't Fear the Reaper"-esque middle portion. Well played.
Superman's Dead by Our Lady Peace from the album Clumsy (1997). There are two basic ways to sing: from the belly, and from the throat. This guy sings from the throat, and is pretty damn good at it. I love the quick jumps to the higher register during the "world's a subway" segment of the song. This song has always had a strong emotional effect on me; I'm not exactly sure why. It used to come on the radio when I was driving my car to a job that I hated. Superman was dead, and I could really feel it.
Cover Me by Candlebox from the album Candlebox (1993). I first heard this song on the radio, and I thought it was so-so. Then I heard the unedited version, and was blown away. Those two F-bombs just make this song for me.
Surprise! You're Dead! by Faith No More from the album The Real Thing (1989). A fabulous little thrash track from a surprisingly versatile band. The time signature switch from 4/4 to 6/8 just slams. Lots of fun.
Swlabr by Cream from the album Disraeli Gears (1967). From this website: "As someone who actually has spoken to Pete Brown [lyricist], perhaps I can offer a couple of pieces of information. Firstly, Disraeli Gears is a corruption of "derailleur gears", which many of us had on our racing bikes in those days. Yes, Disraeli was a UK prime minister in the Victorian era, but the album name was just a play on words. ... Secondly, S.W.L.A.B.R . stands for She Walks Like A Bearded Rainbow. According to Pete (who after all, was the lyricist), the song title came from an incident when flowers were delivered one day to his flat. Jack Bruce [lead vocals, bass] had ordered them for his then girlfriend, but hadn't specified the type of flower. When the bouquet arrived, the chemically-enhanced pair of songwriters were impressed. Pete was particularly taken by the way the long stems of the flowers swayed around. He told Jack that the flowers reminded him of the way girls walk. The flowers turned out to be Irises &mdash a variety known as "Bearded Rainbow". The rest is in the song. — Alan, LONDON, England"
Black Dog by Led Zeppelin from the album Led Zeppelin IV (1971). Hard Lovin'. Robert Plant was 19-20 when he joined Led Zeppelin. At that age, he was thrust into a world where he earned plenty of money for singing in front of crowds of adoring, worshipful fans, after which he could engage in copious amounts of drugs, booze, and sex. That sort of situation is bound to have profound impact on one's developing personality, and I think it explains this song a bit.
N.F.A. by The Special Goodness from the album Land Air Sea (2004). Lovin' hard.
My Morning Song by The Black Crowes from the album The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion (1992). Nothing too complicated here. Just some excellent retro-rock to round out the mix.

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