You Are Only As Good As Your Playlist

(2004)
You are only as good as your Playlist. With the advent of the Apple Ipod playlist function, we now have another vehicle by which celebrities (culture whores) can impose their awful taste on us. Like parasites they feed on our insecurities. They suck us in with their obscure choices in music, and before you know it you find yourself scouring the local record store for an album Kevin Bacon listens to while he is eating his cereal in the morning.

The folks at Apple are not creating anything new with the Playlist. The concept takes us back to the days of the mix tape. You remember sitting in your dorm room trying to make the perfect tape for that special someone you were trying to impress; carefully picking through your collection for that perfect song. Because after all, artists have a way of saying what we want to say better than we could ever say it. Without knowing it, we were dorm room producers carefully sequencing each track so that it fits just right.

Not much has changed in the past 8 years or so. I’m still up late at night trying to make that perfect playlist for that perfect moment. Well, I think I’m close. Well for now anyway. These songs may not mean much to you. A few of the selections are obvious. I’m not some rebel fighting against commercialism in music. I enjoy a catchy pop tune on the radio just as much as the next guy, but I still hold a special place in my heart for the independent spirit of music. Enough of the small talk…here is the list.

The Perishers “Sway”
I’ve always been a dreamer. I’ve had myself above the clouds. Won’t you be my solid ground. This song evokes feelings of longing and escapism in a way that is truly unique. It’s like one of those songs you heard when you were a kid, and imagined falling in love to. I can’t get enough of this one.

Peter Gabriel “Solsbury Hill”
The first time I heard this song was in the movie Vanilla Sky. It’s just another one of those songs you imagined you would fall in love to when you were a kid. This song is great to play before a first date. If you are feeling a bit sour or bitter over your relationship life, play this song in repetition. If you don’t feel better, play it again.

Queen “Under Pressure”
This song is epic. It’s an anthem. When I hear it, I imagine large crowds of people chanting the lyrics to this song in unison. If you are able to listen to this song without thinking about Vanilla Ice, please let me know how you do it. Ok, its not a great song because it makes me think about Vanilla Ice, it’s a great song, because it’s a great song. I should be able to come up with a better adjective than great, but great works fine. I like great. This song is great! Tony the Tiger sold millions of boxes of cereal using the word great, so I can’t think of a better word to sell this song.

Red Hot Chili Peppers “Zephyr Song”
John Frusciante is a genius. I’m so glad he came back from the dead to join the group again. I grew up with the Chili Peppers. This song more than any, showcases the maturity in their music. It’s a great song to wake up to in the morning.

Radiohead “Talk Show Host”
This was my first Radiohead song. I heard it played in the Romeo and Juliet movie and I had to go out and find it. At the time I was working in a CD store, and we only had a copy of Radiohead’s OK Computer. I did not know the name of the song, but there was a track on OK Computer called “Exit Music (for a film)” I figured this had to be it. Was I ever wrong. In my quest to find this song, I stumbled on what most critics call the album of the 90’s, and one of the greatest of all time.