Before I go on, I should mention that I selected this music because of what it means to me. You may have heard a fair bit of it before, or you may not have... I really have very little idea how mainstream most of this stuff is. I have included live or remixed versions of the songs when I felt that the alternate version did a better job at description.
So, here is the collection of music that I selected for this compilation. 83 Megs of Joshness and Joshicity. Enjoy.
"Hold On", by Sarah McLachlan. Taken from "The Freedom Sessions". This song originally appeared on "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy", published in 1993. I think that this is a much better version than the one on the normal album. Sarah McLachlan is another of the singers who have ridden the wave of popularity of female vocalists to stardom. I don't know why that upsets me... Probably because I've been listening to Sarah McLachlan for years and years, and now its popular. That annoys me for some reason. Also, it seems that some people try to attribute her popularity to the fact that she is a woman who happens to sing, in a time where that seems to afford some advantage. As if she's just a talentless hack who happens to have been in the right place at the right time. She is a profoundly talented woman who has a beautiful voice, and a gift for lyrics. My life is a brighter place because of her music.
"Roads" by Portishead. Taken from "Dummy", published in 1994. A profoundly great album, that I've only recently discovered. Why didn't anybody tell me about this group earlier?!? Anyway... This song tares at my heart and soul. Beth Gibbons has a wondrously satiny voice that plays havoc with my emotions. Just the first line of vocals pulls me in, and I'm lost to the world for the rest of the song. Everyone BUY THIS ALBUM! Right NOW! Get it at amazon here.
"The Box", by Orbital. Taken from "The Box" single. This song original appeared on "In Sides", published in 1997. This rendition is the vocal remix of one of my favorite Orbital songs. This is one of those songs that I just played over and over, until I was threatened with severe bodily injury. I love the haunting vocals, and the underlying Techno. Orbital is one of the very best pure Techno bands out there today. I want their new album, damnit! One day, I will just break down and import the damn thing!
"Raining in Baltimore", by Counting Crows. Taken from "Across A Wire", a live album. The song originally appears on "August and Everything After", published in 1993. I love the Counting Crows' stream of conscience lyrics. They succeed in evoking emotions and images in me, the mark of truly good stream of conscience writing (As opposed to confusion, the much more common effect of stream of conscience writing). I really like the imagery in this song. Some consider Adam Duritz's voice to be whiny. I disagree, but can see the point. Give this song a chance, regardless.
"Patterns", by Simon and Garfunkel. Taken from "Collected Works". This song originally appeared on the album "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme", published in 1966. This is a particularly good example of Paul Simon's really great lyrics. Almost all of his songs are not just great music, but also great poetry. I have a huge amount of respect for Paul Simon, and like most of his songs both early and more recent.
"No Need to Argue", by The Cranberries. Taken from "No Need to Argue", published in 1994. Beautiful song, and a very talented group. I'm quite fond of their first two albums. A great sound with lyrics that hold my heart.
"The Pretender", by Jackson Browne. Taken from "The Pretender", published in 1976. The inclusion of Jackson Browne was a foregone conclusion for this collection. (His music is, after all, a major component of my Religion: The Church of Sunday Morning Waffles and Jackson Browne Music.) His lyrics are consistently superb. He has the insight of one who has suffered long. But as John Lennon said, "Genius is pain". I can't say enough about his biting societal commentaries and songs of love lost. I chose this particular song because it completely contains my life's ambitions. "I'm going to find myself a girl / Who can show me what laughter means. / And we'll fill in the missing colors / in each other's paint by number dreams / And then we'll put our dark glasses on / and we'll make love until our strength is gone. / And when the morning light comes streaming in / We'll get up and do it again." I love the sentiment of "I know all this is bullshit. I realize that what everyone else thinks of as 'life' is completely meaningless. It just doesn't matter that it's meaningless, because obsessing about its lack of meaning doesn't help a thing. So I'm just going to pretend that it has meaning, and get on with my life."
"Since I've Been Loving You", by Led Zeppelin. Taken from "III", published in 1970. This is truly classical rock. Great guitar, great lyrics, great singing... (Well... Distinctive singing... a few sound clips could fit into the game "Plant or Animal") I really like the line "Oh, my tears / they fall like rain" -- so much so, that the line made it into a poem of mine.
"Kalifornia" by Fat Boy Slim. Taken from "You've Come a Long Way, Baby", published in 1998. A really talented Techno-DJ that has recently happened onto the scene (his debut album came out in '97). Some of his songs are probably getting over-exposed by commercials and random MTV background music, but he really does kick ass. This song makes me want to dance, and that is a very very unusual thing. His debut album "Better Living Through Chemistry" is also quite good. (The title of the debut album, BTW, is a tribute to the Chemical Brothers, who he cites as an influence)
"Spoonman", by Underworld. Taken from "Dubnobasswithmyheadman", published in 1994. This song was a very difficult choice. I wanted something from this album (which is their best, IMO), but I couldn't decide. The obvious choice would be "mmm skyscraper i love you" (which was one of those songs that I couldn't stop playing, and still can't figure out why I love so much). The other possible choice was "dirty epic". I decided that this was probably the best representative song. This album is another one to buy if you like this song. Buy it from Amazon here.
"Little Fluffy Clouds", by The Orb. Taken from "The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld", published in 1991. The Orb is another of the very best of Techno. It is a bit odd that this song has suddenly become popular (due to the recent popularity of Techno, and the song's use in a VW Bug commercial), but it is a really neat song. This ranks up there with "mmmm... Skyscraper, I love you" as a song that I am obsessive about, and yet can't place why I like it so much.
"Salamandrina", by Einsturzende Neubauten. Taken from "Interim", published in 1993. Einsturzende Neubauten (EN for short) is one of the founding groups of the German Industrial movement. This song is somewhat atypical of their music (just in case this causes you to run out and but some). This is a profoundly beautiful song, that has a very unique sound. Warning: This song is habit Forming.
"Tear in Your Hand", by Tori Amos. Taken from "Little Earthquakes", published in 1991. I really like Tori Amos's voice, piano (and Harpsichord) and lyrics. The themes in her music are often brutal and raw, but she also can make playful songs. I find that I either identify with her songs, or find them so completely foreign that I can't listen to them. In either case, she is an example of a truly great contemporary musician.
"Prince of Darkness", by The Indigo Girls. Taken from "Indigo Girls", published in 1989. Great, great music. Both Amy Ray and Emily Saliers have beautiful voices, and a talent for good lyrics. A bit of Folk for your day.
"Weathercock", by Jethro Tull. Taken from "Heavy Horses", published in 1978. Really full and different instrumentation. I love the flute and mandolin. Jethro Tull is another innovating band that doesn't really get enough credit (IMNSHO). Another song that reminds me of a really profoundly happy time in my life.
"The One I Love (Live)", by R.E.M. Taken from a special edition of "Document". The song is from circa 1987. I'm quite fond of R.E.M. in general, particularly their older works. This recording is purely acoustic. The song is really nice, both lyrics and instrumentation.
"I've Seen All Good People" by Yes. Taken from "The Yes Album", published in 1971. Done in classic Yes style (currently a Local Band, by the way. They recorded their last album in SLO). I like the chess-life metaphor. Note that the song is (partly) from the viewpoint of a bishop. ("Move me onto any black square"). Also a fair bit of chess and life advice. ("Don't surround yourself with yourself"). This reminds me of a really nice portion of my life.
"Tetsuo", by Geinoh Yamashirogumi. Taken from the "Akira" sound track, published in 1990. (Actually, I think the movie is from the late 80s, but anyway). This is a really interesting, and non-western sound. I love the sound track, with its sudden tempo and mood shifts. The percussion (bell) component is very similar to Balian music, as well.