Elvis' Playlist

People will often say to me; Elvis, what kind of music do you listen to? What are your favorite songs? I really can't answer that question. I love all kinds of music. Classical, rock, jazz, country, big band, electronic, alternative, blues, folk, showtunes, metal. Even the odd rap or polka tune can strike my fancy once in a while. I'd say that I even like fusion, but I don't know what it is.

But I can tell you what is on my iPod playlist at the present time. Warning note to cubicle dwellers; music will automatically begin playing if you click some of the links to the artist's websites. Turn your sound down so that The Man doesn't learn that you've been surfing the web on company time.

Jacket That You Never Wore – Joe Sibol
An excellent example of how independent artists shame the mainstream, pre-packaged, distributed and vertically marketed crap that fills today’s radio waves. Joe writes and sings his own songs for the love of music. Compare his vocals to that of any American Idol and tell me if talent matters in today’s world.

Love Me Like You – The Magic Numbers
I can’t remember where I ran into this brother-sister group from the U.K. Doesn’t matter. It’s a fun, upbeat and catchy tune.

Pin a Rose On Me – Chuck Prophet
Heard this on NPR’s World Café. See, even some of us who lean to the right listen to NPR. I’m not sure how to classify this guy but he’s got a unique voice that slides musically up and down throughout the song. Good deck music for a late evening chai.

Sunshine Superman – Donovan
Take a groovy trip, baby! A classic example of the 60’s psychedelic style. What do the lyrics mean? I guess you need to be in a drug-induced haze to figure them out. They might call him mellow yellow but this is easily Donovan’s best song.

Get Ready – The Blenders
An a cappella group from Fargo, North Dakota, covering a Temptations song. What else do I need to say? Except to point out that the vocalized drum break to end the song is pretty cool.

Keep the Customer Satisfied – Simon & Garfunkel
For all of us that are involved in sales in some form or another (And really, that would be all of us, wouldn’t it?). Great brass throughout this classic from 1970. This song was somewhat lost on the album that included; Bridge Over Troubled Water, The Boxer, Cecilia and El Condor Pasa. So why do we all know the lyrics?

Sun is Shining – Funkstar Deluxe
A remix of a Bob Marley hit. I dislike Bob Marley music. I love this song. My brain hurts if I think about that too much.

Fine Line – (Sir) Paul McCartney
A nice song from McCartney’s 20th post-Beatle album. You can take your Bono’s, Mick’s and Bruce’s, for my money, Sir Paul sits alone at the top of modern music, and has been there for 40+ years. If you ever get a chance to see him perform live, do it. For heavens sake, the guy was a Beatle.

Wild Week-End – NRBQ (New Rhythm and Blues Quartet)
If you’re not familiar with NRBQ look them up. There is a lot of good stuff in their collection. I like this song because it harkens the beach with it’s bluesy guitar riffs. Come on, Annette, let’s dance! Surf’s up, dude!

Channel Z – The B52’s
From the group that brought us Rock Lobster and Love Shack - so it’s got the familiar up-beat, funky sound. And you gotta love Fred Schneider’s vocals.

The Captain of Her Heart – Double
I’m feeling up the cantaloupes at Piggly Wiggly, looking for a nice, ripe sample when I hear this song drifting softly from the overhead sound system. Hadn’t heard this in years but after hearing it I couldn’t get it out of my head for days. I didn’t like the song when it came out in 1986, now I love it. Funny how much things can change in 20 years. Double was one-hit wonder from Switzerland. Name another one.

Eli’s Coming – Maynard Ferguson
I was in the jazz band in high school (trombone) and Maynard Ferguson was a favorite jazz artist for his jazz-rock blends and his hard hitting brass section. This song is the best example of Maynard’s style; calm opening sequence, moving to the full band build-up with a couple of instrument solos, and finally to Maynard’s screaming trumpet. Ahhh! Brassy jazz just doesn’t get any better than this. And a Three Dog Night cover to boot!