Mixing It Up 1: Immortal Tunes

“I believe that when you’re making a mix tape or CD, you’re making history. You ransack the vaults, you haul off all the junk you can carry, and you rewire all your ill-gotten loot into something new. You go through an artist’s entire career, zero in on that one moment that makes you want to jump and dance and smoke bats and bite the heads off drugs. And then you play that moment over and over.

A mix tape steals these moments from all over the musical cosmos, and splices them into a whole new groove. We music fans love our classic albums, our seamless masterpieces, our BLONDE ON BLONDES, and our TALKING BOOKS. But we love to pluck songs off those albums and mix them up with other songs, plunging them back into the rest of the manic slipstream of rock and roll. I’d rather hear The Beatles “Getting Better” on a mix tape than on SGT. PEPPER any day. I’d rather hear a Frank Sinatra song between Run-DMC and Bananarama than between two other Frank Sinatra songs. When you stick a song on a tape, you set it free.”

–Rob Sheffield, LOVE IS A MIX TAPE (via)

Immortal Tunes

These are the songs that are immortal, in the sense that they “never get old”; songs that I can listen to over and over again. There are probably lots more of these, but this is the set that sprang to mind that fits on a disc.

Tom Waits • Hold On (from Mule Variations)

This is probably my favourite song of all time. It’s everything I love about Tom Waits. And, as an added bonus, I secretly wish that I lived the kind of life that would justify a posthumous biography entitled “You Don’t Meet Nice Girls In Coffee Shops”. (I have ranted in the past about how much I hate the idea of jewelry made from cutlery–even that plague seems less painful after being featured in this song.) Video

P.J. Harvey • You Said Something (from Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea)

This is the song I’ve listened to the most often in the last five years. Polly’s love song to New York City, and it captures everything that’s right about travelling. It’s that wild feeling of being free that comes from being somewhere that’s new to you, with no ties and a sense that important things are happening all around you. Live Performance

The Boomtown Rats • Diamond Smiles (from The Fine Art of Surfacing)

A pretty little suicide song. All is not as it seems. Geldof absolutely savages society with his laughing delivery of the “how many real men any of us know” line. This is the perfect skewering of the style-over-substance society. Also, isn’t that the best album title ever? Sir Bob does his live in 2004–man his voice is really different than it was back in the day, eh?

The Allman Brothers Band • Melissa (from Eat a Peach)

Don’t believe them if they try to tell you this song is about romantic love. Melissa is the Gypsy’s sister. I’m sure of it. A lady once revealed this to me and it was like everything in the universe took a single step to the left–it all still looked the same, but something was different somehow. Once you decipher the Allman mumble, the lyrics are brilliant. You don’t need to decipher the playing to understand that these guys knew their instruments. A modern lineup live version–I prefer the old lineup.

Elvis Costello & The Attractions • All This Useless Beauty (from All This Useless Beauty)

This is the Elvis I listen to the most, although I think I would say God’s Comic is actually my favourite of his stuff. This is worth the listen just for one of the obvious Hollywood burns “It won’t even make sense but you can bet / If she isn’t a sweetheart or plaything or pet / The film turns her into an unveiled threat” There’s a lot of genius songwriting going on in a few minutes here. Danny Michel turned me on to this one, and brought me back to Elvis after I had abandoned him for a while there in the 90s. Elvis sings this live, at Burt Bacharach’s request.

Jerry Jerry and the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra • Banner Day (from Don't Mind If I Do)

A not-so-gentle reminder that life is meant to be performed, not endured. I believe Jerry is the performer I have seen drink the most while on stage (and I’ve seen Shane MacGowan, Ministry, and a couple of bands with John Sjogren in them!)

Sloan • Underwhelmed (from Smeared)

This has been on my list a lot longer than I’ve been a “local”–it was a common Mazola Pony cover, back in the day. This song is just clever—in the good way, not in the pejorative sense. Affection definitely has two F’s. For non-Nova Scotians, “L.C.”==”Liquor Commission”==”booze store”. Live performance from last year with a very special guest.

Kate Bush • Jig Of Life (from Hounds Of Love)

I don’t know what Kate had in mind, but every time I hear this I see young Kate sitting at a mirror talking to her reflection, which is old Kate. Old Kate is begging young Kate to live and age, and essentially to let Old Kate come to be. And then the Unseelie guy comes at the end and leads young Kate off under the hill, where she will never age…

Danny Michel • Fireworks (from In the Belly of a Whale)

A bunch of Tom Waits characters get loose in one of Bob Dylan’s story dreams. Dangerous women in ex-president masks commit felonies and run ragged over poor travelling salesmen.

Bob Dylan • Shelter From the Storm (from Blood on the Tracks)

For comparison, my favourite Dylan. Worth the listen for the line “I bargained for salvation an' they gave me a lethal dose.” line alone, but there’s lots more in there. Also, that album has the highest “great songs per album” ratio of anything in my collection. I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I bought Blood On The Tracks after reading some of this song’s lyrics in a Steven King book. Live in 1976

Ben Harper • Another Lonely Day (from Fight For Your Mind)

Everyone likes a nice, bitter just-broke-up song, right? It wouldn’t have worked out anway. Just keep telling yourself that, Ben. This is also one I owe to Danny, who used to cover it back in the day. Live performance

Jane's Addiction • Jane Says (from Nothing's Shocking)

The song that named a band. Paints a very vivid picture of someone we’ve all known at one time or another. Plus steel drums and buzzy guitars—that’s pretty brilliant really. Live at a press conference.

Barlow • How Low Can You Get (from Barlow)

I must admit, I’ve never bummed smokes off a homeless guy—about the lowest I’ve been was that time I had to take a cash advance on my Canadian Tire credit card in order to pay enough rent to keep from getting turfed—but the song works for me. Actually, there isn’t a bad song on the whole album; Married By Elvis could just as easily have been on this mix.

Richard Thompson • 1952 Vincent Black Lightning (from Rumor and Sigh)

I’ve probably got a half a dozen covers of this tune in my music collection, and yet most people have no idea who Richard Thompson is. I guess he’s a musician’s musician. Anyway, how can you go wrong with a classic bike, a charming 21-year old criminal, a tragic love, and Red Molly? (Oh, and in case you didn’t know, from 1948 through to somewhere in the mid-70s, the Vincent Black Lightning was the fastest production bike. Google it sometime—it’s a giant engine barely holding onto the wheels. Not for dabblers.) RT playing in a living room (up close)

Blackie and the Rodeo Kings • Had Enough Of You Today (from Bark)

There are so many ways I connect to this song. I’m never there to take the blame. I’m getting old before my time. I want you to shut up. I have supernatural in my hair… wait, maybe not that last one. Tom told me he wrote this while pissed off at his ex-wife, and it almost didn’t go on the album. I’m very happy he changed his mind.

Bruce Springsteen • Thunder Road (from Born To Run)

The Boss’ best lyric. Who else could get away with “You ain't a beauty, but hey you're alright”? The very essence of the “it has to be better somewhere else” song. The Boss unplugged

Laura Branigan • Spanish Eddie (from Hold Me)

I heard this on the radio back in the 80s, and for some reason it stuck with me. It seemed like a sordid story, involving drug dealers and sweaty tenement parties. It’s pop, but I like it. However, if you YouTube up the video for it, you will see that apparently it’s also about guys in leg-warmers dance-fighting. Sigh.

Pulp • Common People (from Different Class)

I grew up in high-density, government-subsidized housing; ex-military townhouses. My background is relentlessly blue collar. However, I went to university with the children of privilege, and for the most part I hated them (or at least their incredibly naive and narrow worldview). Now I live surrounded by the high end of middle class; I’m probably the only person in my postal code who votes NDPThis is hyperbole. There is at least one example of much more actively left dude down the block from me–a philosophy professor. or believes in the social safety net. I have secret class rage, despite now being part of the problem. So the song works. (And I owe this one to Kathleen, who used to always make Adrian play it at the bars.) Video