As the temperature plunges to single digits, I wonder if it was this cold 5 years ago when I put this mix together. Because it sure sounds wintry.
We start with a kicking drum beat over downbeat synths, backing the surprisingly affective story of Notorious B.I.G.'s "Everyday Struggle". Then, we get a little more existential with the stabbing melody of "Spirits In The Material World" by The Police, which kicks off their Ghost In the Machine album. In 5th grade, I owned this and The Rolling Stones' Tattoo You on cassette and that's it. It was a full year before I owned any other cassette tape. So, Sting's words and the lush instrumentation of his band's third album are burned into my brain.
There's always been speculation that "Fixing A Hole" by The Beatles refers to heroin addiction, but who knows. I like the harpsichord and the overall mood.
Next: Pavement's blissful "Range Life", Neil Young's beautiful "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and finishing the warm, countryish vibe is Beulah's "I'll Be Your Lampshade".
Now, the temperature drops a bit more with the next few songs. The frosty "No Surprises" by Radiohead is followed by Broadcast's lovely "Winter Now". The 80s British band Felt were the Television of their time and I particularly like the icy, middle of the night feel of "Hours Of Darkness Have Changed My Mind".
I have never been a huge fan or follower of Moby and the ubiquity of his music in television commercials a few years back was mildly annoying. The one song of his that completely bowls me over is "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?" That vocal sample, the piano over the driving beat, the build to those gospel back up singers--it's all so very moving.
If you love an artist's work, you enjoy even their most fallow periods. Late period Sly & The Family Stone is evidence of his squandered talent, but among the gems is the deep and funny "The Same Thing (Makes You Laugh Makes You Cry)". Love that vocoder.
Speaking of artists I love who have occasionally fallen off their game, The Rolling Stones followed up their magnificent double album Exile On Main Street with the mediocre (some say terrible) Goat's Head Soup. I think it has a handful of really great songs, and I get a kick out of the ode to groupies "Star Star".
Another superstar British rock band from the same period, Led Zeppelin, is here with the sweet and wistful "That's The Way". Also from the same time period, Earth Wind & Fire's angelic "That's The Way Of The World" I followed that with Lenny Kravitz's "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over", which owes so much to the sounds of Earth Wind & Fire and Curtis Mayfield.
Digging around for info on Chicago's obscure soul group The Lost Generation, who are here with the wise and sweet "The Sly, Slick And The Wicked", I found out that a number of other groups renamed themselves "The Sly, Slick And The Wicked" to claim ownership of the song.
David Shire's "Manhattan Skyline" is from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and has a bittersweet yet uplifting feel.
Speaking of Manhattan skylines, the lyrics to Laurie Anderson's unlikely early 80s hit "O Superman (For Massenet)" are oddly prescient given the 9/11 attacks many years later.
