First In a Series
Please enjoy a collection of songs culled from my own CDs, albums from friends, stuff I've checked out from the library (God bless 'em) and, of course, records I've downloaded from all the corners of the internet. I wish I could credit the myriad blogs where I gathered so much of my collection, but I'm sorry to admit I haven't kept track of each file's specific source. I'm talking about the blogs that specialize in posting out-of-print (or never-in print-on-CD) music, generally exotica, lounge, space-age, library music, etc. -- I will create a list of such sites and post it with the next batch of songs here.
I'd suggest downloading this now, if you're interested, as, according to the host site's small print: "A file becomes inactive if it has not been downloaded at least once during a 30 day period" and I probably won't re-up this stuff.
Anyhow -- no grand themes or ideas, just me adding a song to a playlist when it catches my ear as it comes up randomly on my iTunes, then assembling an hour or so of titles from the bunch.
Here's the first bunch:
1. "Baleines" by Francois de Roubaix, from Le Monde Electronique de Francois de Roubaix
Roubaix is one of my favorite soundtrack composers. Apparently this track is from the score to a Cousteau film about Antarctica, though I can't seem to verify that as a fact. It sure sounds right, though, reminding me a bit of the similarly submerged quality of the Sven Libaek tunes Wes Anderson grabbed for his Life Aquatic.
2. "Woodgrain" by Wilco from More Like the Moon EP
I like Wilco well enough, I guess, though at times Jeff Tweedy annoys me.
3. "Mornin' Glory" by Bobbie Gentry from The Delta Sweete
Ah, Bobbie Gentry, one of the loveliest women ever to appear on a record sleeve, and, more importantly, one of the most talented. Sweete is an amazing, uh, suite of songs mostly written by Gentry herself -- I wonder if she composed the yawn at the :46 mark? Regardless, an incredible touch.
4. "Opus Magnum - Part I" by William Sheller from Lux Aeterna
This is the third track from Sheller's amazing 1972 album of "rock orchestration" -- or whatever you'd like to call it. It's a great record, anticipating groups like Air, etc.
5. "Helpless" by Electric Light Orchestra from Flashback disc 3
6. "Tournoi" by Art Zoyd from Marathonnerre II
7. "Fattig Man Soker Efter Mat" by Hans Edler from Elektron Kukeso
8. "Somebody Come and Play (vocal)" by Joe Raposo from Reach, Touch, Feel, Find, Love - The Music Of Joe Raposo
This song means as much to me as any hymn or anthem.
9. "Nachaison" by Liliental from Liliental
A project involving the great Dieter Moebius.
10. "Talk-Talk-Talk-" by The Bell Sisters
I guess stuff like this drives some people crazy... I love it.
11. "Family Story" by Andre van Duin from Andre van Duin - 2
I'm unsure if that's really the name of the album the song came from.
12. "Myopic Books" by American Music Club from Love Songs for Patriots
13. "Pretura" by Arawak from Background Music N. 4
One of countless library music albums, unfortunately I know no more about it than what appears at the link.
14. "Second Aspect of the Same Thing" by The Durutti Column from The Return of The Durutti Column
One of my favorite records, by a very talented band. This track isn't necessarily indicative of the others, but they're all very "chill".
15. "Untitled (track 7)" by Nuno Canavarro from Plux Quba
A real enigmatic masterpiece.
16. "Kepler" by Nobukazu Takemura from Scope
All right, this is the song where you can take a bathroom break.
17. "Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter" by Nina Simone from Anthology disc 2
18. "Meeting Palermo" by Peter Thomas from Moonflowers & Mini-Skirts
I must have about a billion records by Peter Thomas, and I have to admit a fair amount of them are unremarkable. But this song is nice, and the compilation it appears on is solid.
19. "Meeting Across the River" by Bruce Springsteen from Born to Run
There was a time when I really hated Bruce Springsteen, and I still have all sorts of problems with a lot of his music as well as his public persona, but he's made some undeniable records, particularly this one and Nebraska. I hear something of Tom Waits here.
20. "I'll Be on the Water" by Akron/Family from Akron/Family
21. "All the X's Have Wings" by Helium from The Dirt of Luck
One of my favorite "rock and/or roll" bands of the 1990s. I especially like their second album The Magic City. And I love the image the title of this song conjures up, very evocative.
22. "Conversation at the Soda Fountain " by Aaron Copland from Music for Piano