This has been done many times, but Kevin Smith has thrown down the gauntlet. This would be my Celebrity Playlist (for today, at least) if I had been asked by Apple to actually submit one. I suppose this is more about songs I’d like everyone to experience rather than my actual favorites. Most of my favorites are pretty standard tunes that the general population finds pleasing. These are slightly off (or not at all on) the Top 40 charts, past and present. Regardless, hit me with you list via trackback.
TRACK: Rearview Mirror ARTIST: Pearl Jam ALBUM: Vs. COMMENTS: My favorite Pearl Jam song. Filled with the typical vocals that only Eddie Vedder can scream while still conveying the somber emotion of the song.
TRACK: The Willing Well IV: The Final Cut ARTIST: Coheed & Cambria ALBUM: Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness COMMENTS: The guitar solo in this song alone puts it on my list. The last time I saw these guys in concert, this was the final song of the encore. They played for at least 20 minutes with sections of the guitar solo being played with a violin bow by Claudio.
TRACK: The Rabbit of Easter ARTIST: David Sedaris ALBUM: You Can’t Kill the Rooster COMMENTS: David Sedaris is a genius. The first time I heard this I laughed until I cried. Sometimes a comedian can set me off to laughing uncontrollably and this is one of those tracks.
TRACK: Jesus of Suburbia ARTIST: Green Day ALBUM: American Idiot COMMENTS: In my opinion, an epic. One of Green Day’s best tracks.
TRACK: Birdhouse in Your Soul ARTIST: They Might Be Giants ALBUM: Flood COMMENTS: My favorite song. Everytime I hear this track it takes me back to junior high and high school. Richard and I used to cruise around and scream along with this album at the top of our lungs.
TRACK: Sympathy for the Devil ARTIST: The Rolling Stones ALBUM: Beggars Banquet COMMENTS: The Stones had me when the bongos started playing.
TRACK: Clamour for Glamour ARTIST: The Ark ALBUM: State of The Ark COMMENTS: A post-glam, glam-rock song. My friend Brian turned my on to these guys. An interesting song to say the least, it has to be heard to be taken (not-so) seriously.
TRACK: Red Sky ARTIST: The Big Wu ALBUM: Tracking Buffalo Through the Bathtub COMMENTS: The last two and a half minutes of this song make me smile every time.
TRACK: April 29, 1992 (Miami) ARTIST: Sublime ALBUM: Sublime COMMENTS: The backing tracks in this song are fantastic.
TRACK: Road Outside Columbus ARTIST: O.A.R. ALBUM: In Between Now and Then COMMENTS: Although I didn’t hear this song until sometime in 2004, this song reminds me of college. It should… since, you know, it’s about college. It puts my mind in a nice place.