The Van track was a bonus track off a re-released album, as is Beck's "Strange Invitation". The original called "Jack-Ass", off his breakthrough album Odelay, directly sampled the backing track from Van Morrison's band Them, with their recording of the Dylan song "It's All Over Now Baby Blue". The version Beck has here is completely different, instead with acoustic guitars and strings and bells. The aforementioned Dylan track appears here in a live rendition by The Grateful Dead. Dylan is covered again by jazz singer Cassandra Wilson singing "Shelter From The Storm."
Also here: early 30s ditty "On A Steamer Coming Over" by The Three Ginx, an alternate version of The Velvet Undergound's "Rock & Roll" with doo-wop vocals, Clipse tackling 50 Cent's "Hate It Or Love It", Stevie Nicks' duet with Tom Petty on "Stop Dragging My Heart Around", Brigitte Bardot's winsome "Everybody Loves My Baby", the menacing "Niggas Bleed" by Notorious B.I.G., the witty "Divorce Me C.O.D." by Merle Travis, Lloyd Charmers' reggae take of The Temptations' "Just My Imagination", the cute "Anyone Else But You" by The Moldy Peaches, and a stunning cover of Van Morrison's "Caravan" by Lorraine Ellison.
The clip "Omar's Comin!" will have very little meaning for you if you haven't seen the television show The Wire. And if you haven't done that, your life is poorer for it. Jump off this blog and start watching from season 1. At the time of this mix, we were well into the last season.
Lastly, "Livin' Life" was written by eccentric cult musician Daniel Johnston. I have his chaotic original on here as well as the wistful Eels cover. Once upon a time a girl fell in love with that song not long after she fell in love with a guy, and as these things happen, the song became meaningful for them. One night, after they had broken up for good, exhausted but relieved, they tacitly agreed to have one more light and romantic night before they retreated to separate time zones. Laughing and dancing and kissing and whispering and other things . At the end of this bittersweet evening she asked him to play that song for her as she fell asleep. While she slept and the song continued to repeat, he wondered if she could hear and what she was dreaming about.
The end.
