10.30.08 - Morning Music List

Today's playlist was just a joy.

"I Call It Love" - Lionel Richie
"Fight The Power" - The Bare Naked Ladies
"California" - Joni Mitchell
"Won't Get Fooled Again" - The Who
"Baby, I'm An Anarchist!" - Against Me!
"Death Bros." - Cancer Bats
"Here Comes The Feeling" - Asia
"Desperado" - Langley School Project


So what kinds of things to talk about from a list like that. How about recommendations to start. If you've never heard the Langley School Project album Innocence and Despair, you should try and seek it out. This made a splash a few years back after being touted on NPR and other hipster places. It is a record from a high school back in the 70's. The music director loved pop and rock music and so the school choir sang everything from Bowie to The Eagles. The rendition of "Desperado" by Sheila Behman's is sublime. Her voice may not be perfect, but the emotion and feeling is.


Next up I'm going with the safe bet, Joni Mitchell. "California" is from her classic record "Blue". It is simply a must in any self respecting music lover's collection. Her lyrics are great and her delivery and melodies are like nothing else. One of my favorite lines from this song I only recently learned the full meaning of. The line is "I'll even kiss a Sunset pig". Until just a couple years ago I didn't make the connections of what that all meant. The pig is a pig in the police sense and this reference is to the police that were hassling hippies and other young people along the Sunset strip during this time. Before learning that I guess I always just shrugged it off as some sort of surrealistic imagery.


And the last thing I think I'll comment on is about "Won't Get Fooled Again". The whole song is pretty near perfect. The one part I absolutely love is toward the end when there is just the pulsating of the electric piano or organ and then drum runs start fighting their way into the song. Little by little until the full song breaks back in full force. I love the anticipation and the final release in that moment of the song.


Hey, that felt good getting that all out before starting work. I hope it give you something to think about for the day as well.

Cheers!