Like a Friday afternoon five o'clock whistle on a Middle American classic rock station, this mix from last year kicks off with Loverboy's "Workin' For The Weekend".
A few songs are featured more than once this week.
First, Randy Newman's "Love Story" which was recorded by Rick Nelson. Listening to Newman's demo, you realize Nelson left off the last stanza of lyrics.
Also, Aaron Neville's deep "Tell It Like It Is", which is given a stunning rendition by Nina Simone. I decided that it was my favorite song last year.
Also here are two different versions of Bob Marley's "Wages Of Love", including a rehearsal take with The Soulettes. It is supposed to be the only Marley rehearsal take extant, as tapes were expensive in Jamaica and musicians usually erased practice takes.
Other stuff: the infectious "Metal Guru" by T. Rex, Patsy Montana's catchy "My Poncho Pony", Dillard & Clark's yearning "The Radio Song", Clipse's instructional "Definition Of A Roller", Jerry Butler's funky "One Night Affair", Father MCs sweet Cheryl Lynn-sampling "I'll Do For You", a DJ Premier remix of Ohio Players' "Skin Tight", Ghostface Killah's Wu-Tang collaboration "9 Milli Bros.", the carvival-evoking production of Stevie Wonder on his onetime wife Syreeta's "Your Kiss Is Sweet", Glen Campbell and Anne Murray's duet melody "I Say A Little Prayer/By The Time I Get To Phoenix", and Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's romantic "Your Precious Love".
In between, a mixture of live songs in the concert in heaven (or some other afterlife). Early Police with a live version of "Next To You", Mudhoney's "Touch Me, I'm Sick" in Berlin, Nirvana performing "Breed", Marlene Dietrich introducing Burt Bacharach before singing "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face", and Bob Dylan delivering a bewilderingly jaunty version of "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" on his reviled Budokan tour.
Soon after that tour, he became a born-again Christian. But to me, this tour is its own kind of heaven--Bob as Vegas showman: white pancake make-up, gratuitous use of flute, songs stripped of meaning or at least radically reinterpreted, odd patter between songs.
I would have liked to have seen it.
