My Celebrity Playlist

I’m not an actual celebrity; I don’t even have a Wikipedia page. But after reading Alton Brown’s Celebrity Playlist I got to thinking that if I were some kind of celebrity and Apple did happen to come calling, what would I put on my list? I spent the last month (yes it’s been exactly one month since I started this post) compiling a list of ten songs from my library of nearly 7,000. Behold, in stunning blog glory, my celebrity playlist:

1. Song: The Load Out/Stay
   Artist: Jackson Browne
   Album: Running on Empty

   The song of life on the road and wanting to continue playing after the show is over. I really like the lyrics and how the song shifts into Stay by the Four Seasons. Too bad it’s not available on iTunes.

2. Song: The Wino and I Know
   Artist: Jimmy Buffett
   Album: Living and Dying in 3/4 Time

   My celebrity playlist would not be complete without something from Buffett. I’ve been a Parrothead for at lest a decade and while I celebrate the entire catalog, a playlist calls for a specific song. The Wino and I Know has been my favorite song by Jimmy Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band since the moment I heard the first riff. It’s got fun lyrics, a killer bridge, and a sound that just draws you in. How can you possibly go wrong?

3. Song: The Skies Won’t Fall
   Artist: Foundation
   Album: Foundation

   Foundation is a solo project by Ann Beretta frontman, Rob Huddleston. While Ann Beretta is upbeat and at times hard core, Foundation is soft and acoustic. It’s really hard to pick one song from the only Foundation album in existence (2001’s self-titled debut) but The Skies Won’t Fall is just as good as any. The song showcases the bands smooth sound that just demands to be repeated over and over again. According to Foundation’s MySpace page a new album is in the works which is very cool news!

4. Song: Where the Streets Have No Name
   Artist: U2
   Album: Joshua Tree

   If there is a song that speaks of more hope I don’t know about it. Someday we’ll find the place where we can take shelter from the poison rain. No matter what crap we go through, there is always hope for something better. For me, it’s where the streets have no name. Bono captures that ultimate hope in this wonderful song.

5. Song: When Your Mind’s Made Up
   Artist: Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova
   Album: Music From the Motion Picture ‘Once’

   I’ve talked about Once before. The movie is incredible mainly because the music is so good. The song that is brought up every time the movie is mentioned, the one that won them the Oscar, is Falling Slowly. In my opinion, which is what makes up everything I write here, that’s not the best song in the movie/soundtrack. When Your Mind’s Made Up is nothing but pure passion and emotion on the part of Glen Hansard that’s translated to the listener. In the film, Glen and Marketa have finally saved up enough money to record. This song grabs the attention of the sound guy and shows the world (and themselves) that they really have something to be proud of. They’ve made it; they’ve done what it takes to chase their dreams. What’s happened in the past doesn’t matter and what will happen in the future is irrelevant. All that matters at that moment is the music.

6. Song: Blinded by the Light
   Artist: Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
   Album: The Roaring Silence

   Originally written and released by Bruce Springsteen but made popular by Manfred Mann, this song has some of the most intense lyrics ever written. Written about Springsteen’s early career, it’s like a crazy trip through dive bars in Jersey complete with very strange characters and situations.

7. Song: Move Away and Shine (In a Dream)
   Artist: Tim DeLaughter (The Polyphonic Spree)
   Album: ‘Thumbsucker’ Original Soundtrack

   I’m pretty sure The Polyphonic Spree is a cult. I remember seeing them on Conan years ago dancing around in their colored robes playing instruments and hitting beach balls in the air. That’s pretty cultish. Though, just because they are a cult doesn’t mean they can’t make really, really good music. Like another song on this list (that’s what they call a teaser) it’s impossible to listen to anything The Polyphonic Spree does without being put into a good mood (which might be how they get people to join their cult). This song was, more or less, the theme song for a little indie flick that I couldn’t tell you about if I tried. The song, however, is much more memorable. Don’t be afraid to break your comfort zone, get out there and shine. How can you not like that?

8. Song: Call Me, Call Me
   Artist: 菅野よう子 (The Seatbelts)
   Album: Blue

   In case you didn’t know, I’m a geek. I dig the internets, video games, and yes, some anime. One such work that I am especially fond of is Cowboy Bebop. It’s a short, 26 episode series about a group of bounty hunters who are forever broke in the year 2071. Call Me, Call Me plays during the climax of the series and wraps up one of the main characters story lines. It’s such a happy and sad moment that is heightened by the emotion in the song. One of the few songs The Seatbelts do that are in English, Call Me, Call Me is about looking for someone long ago lost, and hoping that they’re alright; something all of us can relate to.

9. Song: Along for the Ride
   Artist: Mates of State
   Album: All Day

   Mates of State is an interesting band. It consists of a husband and wife who play the drums and keyboard respectively. Needless to say this produces a very unique sound. They’ve been featured, of all things, in an AT&T commercial and in a prior post here. The first time I heard Along for the Ride was at a concert on Election Night 2004 in Tallahassee. They played the song with fellow touring group Bishop Allen. Like most of their music, it’s a fun, upbeat, song that is hard not to like.

10. Song: Walk of Life
    Artist: Dire Straits
    Album: Brothers in Arms

    It’s pretty impossible to hear this song and not be put into a good mood. I rediscovered this song after watching Space Camp with some friends a while back. I regret forgetting about it in the first place. It is now my ringtone and every time I get a phone call my coworkers start humming. It’s one of the most contagious songs out there. Good thing it’s a pretty good one.

There you have it, my ‘celebrity’ playlist. Like something here? Don’t like something here? Just want to argue about it? Let me know in the comments below.