This proved to be a solid stretch of tunes. Amos Lee came up next, and it brought back visions of seeing them live for the first time when they opened for Dylan in Detroit a couple years back.
Andrea Bocelli chimed in with a random interlude... but provided another positive recall since I danced with my mom to a Bocelli track at my wedding.
Then, Andrew Bird who I had somehow forgotten about.
Aqualung came next and whenever I hear that word, I think about the part of Anchorman when Ron Burgandy plays the jazz flute and then growls, "AAAAQQQUUUAALUNG." I recall buying this album without hearing a track off of it. It was one of those impulse purchases driven by "I heard this was good." Oftentimes, I cannot remember who told me that or where I read it, which results in a risky play. When in doubt, however, you can generally confirm good reviews by the album cover. This album cover was ok, so it passed the test. Very mellow, but very enjoyable.
Arcade Fire chimed in next, and I absolutely love them. It was perfect for a Friday afternoon at work. Seeing them live is a must.
Our friends, Andy and Jess, came over Friday night and although I was hesitant to subject them to my whims, they heard about my plan and immediately wanted in on the action. It's often difficult to predict which artist will come next so I was a bit worried that some terrible guilty pleasure would emerge, but the ipod treated me [and our guests] pretty well. Arcade Fire finished, then the Archies rocked out some "sugar, sugar" followed by Architecture in Helsinki and the Arctic Monkeys.
I met Ari Hest once... solid guy. Arrested Development reminded me of grade school then there was some Art Brut and the Ataris.
I raked leaves to Audioslave on Sunday. That all aligned perfectly. I was actually punishing each leaf individually.
All in all, this was the best stretch so far.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
ahmad to amelie soundtrack
So the bookends that mark the titles of these blog entries are pretty embarrassing, but that's how it goes. The morning greeted me with the rest of the Ahmad album. This put me in a bad mood but it prompted me to fire up the ipod immediately to get it over with. The album concludes with not one, but two remixes of the hit track, "Back in the Day." One of these is just the remix, but the other is the Jeep Mix. It does not bump as hard in a Fusion. Maybe something magical happens when you listen to it in a Jeep. I've spent too much time on this album, but I must conclude by saying that it never should have been made a cd... it should have ended as a cassette.
I only have one Air Supply song. More surprisingly, that fact upset me a little bit because I wasn't ready to move on after just one track.
On to one of my newer albums, The Airborne Toxic Event, and then Al Green. I love Al Green more than I thought I did. Could easily listen to him at any time of any day.
Alice Cooper, Alice in Chains, Alicia Keys, the Allman Brothers Band, and then Amelie. I've never even seen Amelie so it's a mystery as to why I actually have the soundtrack.
I only have one Air Supply song. More surprisingly, that fact upset me a little bit because I wasn't ready to move on after just one track.
On to one of my newer albums, The Airborne Toxic Event, and then Al Green. I love Al Green more than I thought I did. Could easily listen to him at any time of any day.
Alice Cooper, Alice in Chains, Alicia Keys, the Allman Brothers Band, and then Amelie. I've never even seen Amelie so it's a mystery as to why I actually have the soundtrack.
aaliyah to ahmad
It is seriously disappointing that the journey starts with an artist that isn't exactly reflective of my primary musical interests but, hey, when Timbaland laces the track...
Things took a turn for the worse after 3 aaliyah joints as the swedish answer to the beatles, abba, took over the airwaves. I don't like abba. This is my first lesson. I picture carebears high on speed linking hands while sliding down a rainbow. I prefer carebears chilling in a field I guess... otherwise, it's sensory overload. Maybe that's just me. It didn't help that the song was a tricked-out techno version of "take a chance on me."
The day got better with AC/DC and Aerosmith and in between was a blast from back in the day: Acoustic Junction. Hearing them made me think about high school but nothing specific... just high school generally with a little bit of Colorado. Weird.
In the middle of refilling my coffee mug, Afro Man came on, which was a little awkward at work. Then, Aha, which made me think of the always awesome Mega 80s coverband here in the Detroit area.
Terrible hip-hop is no way to end a day, but it happened: Ahmad. I think I scooped this up when I was trying to quench my hip-hop desires back in grade school but had to settle for albums that weren't laced with profanity so I could play them loudly in my room. This will be deleted. It's really not good.
Things took a turn for the worse after 3 aaliyah joints as the swedish answer to the beatles, abba, took over the airwaves. I don't like abba. This is my first lesson. I picture carebears high on speed linking hands while sliding down a rainbow. I prefer carebears chilling in a field I guess... otherwise, it's sensory overload. Maybe that's just me. It didn't help that the song was a tricked-out techno version of "take a chance on me."
The day got better with AC/DC and Aerosmith and in between was a blast from back in the day: Acoustic Junction. Hearing them made me think about high school but nothing specific... just high school generally with a little bit of Colorado. Weird.
In the middle of refilling my coffee mug, Afro Man came on, which was a little awkward at work. Then, Aha, which made me think of the always awesome Mega 80s coverband here in the Detroit area.
Terrible hip-hop is no way to end a day, but it happened: Ahmad. I think I scooped this up when I was trying to quench my hip-hop desires back in grade school but had to settle for albums that weren't laced with profanity so I could play them loudly in my room. This will be deleted. It's really not good.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
alphapodding rules
1) Listen to your ipod alphabetically by artist. Don't do this alphabetically by song; that would allow you to avoid the pain of realizing that you have, for hypothetical example, 7 britney spears's songs.
2) Every time you play your ipod, no matter what the context, you must pick up where you left off. It's sad and embarrassing when the songs don't match the occasion but that's how it goes.
3) Do not skip any track along the way, no matter how painful it may become or how awkward it may be to listen to Frank Sinatra while lifting weights. The only exception to this rule is when you find that your ipod has exact duplicate tracks. This does not mean remixes or different versions of the same song. When the song is precisely the same as one you've already listened to, you may skip to the next track.
4) No updating of the ipod is permitted until alphapodding is complete. This is harsh, I know. I guess you can add artists that start with a letter that you have not yet gotten to, but that's a matter of personal conscience.
5) Start a blog?
2) Every time you play your ipod, no matter what the context, you must pick up where you left off. It's sad and embarrassing when the songs don't match the occasion but that's how it goes.
3) Do not skip any track along the way, no matter how painful it may become or how awkward it may be to listen to Frank Sinatra while lifting weights. The only exception to this rule is when you find that your ipod has exact duplicate tracks. This does not mean remixes or different versions of the same song. When the song is precisely the same as one you've already listened to, you may skip to the next track.
4) No updating of the ipod is permitted until alphapodding is complete. This is harsh, I know. I guess you can add artists that start with a letter that you have not yet gotten to, but that's a matter of personal conscience.
5) Start a blog?
Background
These days, I spend at least two hours each day commuting to and from work. The drive affords me ample opportunity to think about stuff. Generally, I try to think of what I would write if I ever wrote a novel. But, as soon as I have one remotely interesting idea, my thoughts turn to lamenting the fact that I don’t have a Dictaphone to record my ideas. Then I think about whether buying a Dictaphone is even worth it. Then I think about how I should research Dictaphones on my lunch break. Then, I contemplate what percentage of my paycheck would actually be spent on a Dictaphone. Then, it all ties back up nicely because I inevitably think about writing a novel about a character obsessed with Dictaphones. It’s circular and neurotic but before I know it, I'm at work.
I love my job, incidentally. Without getting into it too much, the majority of my days is spent researching, reading, and writing. I generally listen to my ipod all day at work, and with all facets of life, I prefer listening to music than not listening to music. So whether it’s work, working out, kicking it at home, reading, whatever… my ipod is usually on.
On November 19, 2008, I was listening to my favorite morning show, Mike in the Morning on WRIF, and they were interviewing Scott Weiland of the Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver. Immediately I decided that I would begin the workday by playing my entire STP catalog. You see, over the years, I’ve amassed a healthy selection of tunes and it dawned on me that I had grown complacent—scrolling to the mainstays or recent purchases and forgetting about the rest. I decided then and there, that after exhausting the STP catalog, I would listen to my entire ipod—all 7,945 songs—alphabetically by artist without skipping a single track.
The concept certainly is not a novel one and since declaring this commitment, several friends have told me that they have tried but ultimately given up. One way or another, I was egged on. Some were supportive and asked what I would call my quest: I said, “podding,” he countered with “alphapodding.” Thank you for the blog name, Jonathan. Between comments that it was impossible, that it was torture, and that it would take several months or more, my friend Katie, who is often prone to ingenuity, told me that I should start a blog devoted to my cause to share my experience. Thank you for the idea, Katie; here it is.
I'll try to update this daily with where I started, where I ended, and what happened in between. Because this post is long, I'll throw down another with my personal rules and I'll have to catch up on the progression thus far tomorrow, so check back. In the meantime, I will spend my commute thinking about what my alphapodding has taught me.
I love my job, incidentally. Without getting into it too much, the majority of my days is spent researching, reading, and writing. I generally listen to my ipod all day at work, and with all facets of life, I prefer listening to music than not listening to music. So whether it’s work, working out, kicking it at home, reading, whatever… my ipod is usually on.
On November 19, 2008, I was listening to my favorite morning show, Mike in the Morning on WRIF, and they were interviewing Scott Weiland of the Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver. Immediately I decided that I would begin the workday by playing my entire STP catalog. You see, over the years, I’ve amassed a healthy selection of tunes and it dawned on me that I had grown complacent—scrolling to the mainstays or recent purchases and forgetting about the rest. I decided then and there, that after exhausting the STP catalog, I would listen to my entire ipod—all 7,945 songs—alphabetically by artist without skipping a single track.
The concept certainly is not a novel one and since declaring this commitment, several friends have told me that they have tried but ultimately given up. One way or another, I was egged on. Some were supportive and asked what I would call my quest: I said, “podding,” he countered with “alphapodding.” Thank you for the blog name, Jonathan. Between comments that it was impossible, that it was torture, and that it would take several months or more, my friend Katie, who is often prone to ingenuity, told me that I should start a blog devoted to my cause to share my experience. Thank you for the idea, Katie; here it is.
I'll try to update this daily with where I started, where I ended, and what happened in between. Because this post is long, I'll throw down another with my personal rules and I'll have to catch up on the progression thus far tomorrow, so check back. In the meantime, I will spend my commute thinking about what my alphapodding has taught me.
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