The 4th Great CD Mix Exchange - The Revenge!

Yes, it's all over with but the shouting. The shouting along to the songs, that is. The CDs in the 4th Great CD Mix Exchange are winging their way around the country as we speak. I've gotten a fair share of mine already, and the fun is in full swing. There are still a few I haven't listened to yet, but with a very long car trip ahead of me this weekend, they'll be welcome carmates. And I already have a few numbers from the ones I've listened to picked out for iPod loading.

But that's not why I'm here. I'm here because I'm assuming that by this time everyone's received my CD, and now all that's left is to come right here to Betland to read the track listings. So without further ado:

The Revenge!

1. Song with a day of the week in the title: "Friday on my Mind," by David Bowie. Yes, Ziggy Stardust himself doing a fine cover of the old Easybeats song. When thinking up the song that would supposedly be the opening credits on the soundtrack of the movie about my life - which I fretted a great deal over - I don't know why I didn't think of this one. Because, man. Friday Chill Nights. I love old David Bowie. 80s David Bowie and above, not so keen. But he'll always have a soft spot in my heart.

2. Song you disliked as a youngster that you like now: "Take Me to the River," the Talking Heads. Boy, I can remember vividly when this song came out. I was maybe in my first year of college, maybe even my last year of high school. I was listening to a completely different kind of music, kept hearing how this Talking Heads band was supposedly the greatest thing since sliced bread, and then I heard this song. "This??" I kept saying. "This is what all the fuss is about? How boring!" Thankfully, my tastes changed, probably within the next year. Thank you, Elvis Costello.

3. Sellout - song from a TV commercial: "Pink Moon," Nick Drake. I can remember seeing this commercial and falling in love with it. Especially this song, which I'd never heard before. I searched around, surely with the help of Mike the blogless, and found it was "Pink Moon." I immediately bought the album. Still love it, and kind of miss the commercial. It was a commercial for Volkswagen, with some kids driving along at night in a convertible. They're just driving along, listening to the music. They get to where they're going, which is a big raucous party with a bonfire, all look at each other, and back out of the parking lot and keep driving on. It's about 10 years old, the song is much, much older.

4. The return of the kickass cover song: "Lust for Life," the Bad Livers. I'm very fond of the Bad Livers. Their "Hogs on the Highway" is a classic. Again, Mike the blogless sent me a copy of this kickass bluegrass cover of the Iggy Pop punk anthem. It cracks me up. When the fiddle starts in, I'm usually rolling in the floor.

5. Musical question: "What Time is It?," by Marshall Crenshaw. Good old Marshall. I can't remember if I've used him before in a Mix Exchange, but I've been a fan forever, and this is one of my favorites. It's also a cover of an old 50s doo-wop song, but I can't remember who the original is by.

6. And answer - title of this song answers the question of the last: "It's Late," by Ricky Nelson. Ricky Nelson is one of the most underrated artists in rock and roll history. So there.

7. A third person song - song told in the third person, as opposed to the first or second: "Excitable Boy," by Warren Zevon. Good old Warren. This song tells the story of a, well, an excitable boy. So they say. Actually, in the past month or so, this song has become incredibly timely, hasn't it?

8. Unplugged - a favorite accoustic song: "Casimir Pulaski Day," by Sufjan Stevens. As I put on the CD sleeves, I swear I thought there was a song category, "Song whose title is not mentioned in the lyrics of the song." I had this chosen for that, and for quite some time! It seems all of a sudden that category disappeared, and then Stennie told me we'd just discussed that and it was never on the song list. I'll try to believe her. Sufjan, the man whose voice makes me cry, sings a very, very sad song.

9. A song about food: "Banana Puddin'," by Southern Culture on the Skids. Everyone needs to hear them some SCOTS. What a band. In fact, one could devise a pretty hefty menu with all the food songs they have, but I chose this one. My sister and I often sing it to my mom, aka Granny, who reportedly makes the best banana pudding in the Free Fucking World. I wouldn't know, I don't like the stuff. Love the song, though. And a special mention of that Southern classic, sweet tea. You get sweet tea in the South. Everywhere else, you have to put in your own sugar.

10. Planes, trains, & automobiles - a song about a mode of transport: "Southbound Passenger Train," by Doc & Merle Watson. I had a tough time with this one, because I had a couple of great car songs. But I kept going back to this one, because it's just a fun song. Great vocals, great harmonies. And that's Doc himself doing the low voice. And getting the laughs.

11. A song that cheers you up: "Ruby Pearl," by the Hackensaw Boys. I didn't find a slot in the others to put in my Boys, but by damn, this spot was perfect. Who cheers me up more, huh? I had a couple in the queue, but this one has the added attraction of stomping along, and that absolutely perfect chorus shout of, "Oh my goodness, oh my God, oh my Ruby Pearl."

12. Media - song about radio, TV, newspapers, etc: "Cover of the Rolling Stone," by Dr Hook and the Medicine Show. I can't help it. I loved this song when it came out in the 70s, and I've loved it every year since, up to this very day. It cracks me up.

13. Add it up - song with a number in its title: "Twenty Flight Rock," by Robert Gordon and Link Wray. This was a maddening choice. Not this particular song, but I had one song I knew I wanted to use, and had to find the next two (see below) to fit with it. I discovered this one while recording some vinyl to mp3 the other Friday. I've always loved it, and hadn't heard it in years. Glad I picked it out.

14. Add it up - another song with a number in its title: "Twenty Naked Pentecostals in a Pontiac," by Cornerstone. This was the number song I knew I wanted to use. I figured everybody needs to hear this song at least once in his or her life, and maybe only once. So I tailored everything around this number, and after it was done, realized - this is also a car song!

15. Add it up - song whose number in the title is the total of the above two numbers: "The Ballad of Forty Dollars," by Tom T Hall. I had to scramble around for a Forty song. I found three. Hated one, loved one, and had this one, which just reminds me of my childhood. I don't know, I didn't much like it as a child, but it made me giggle this time around. So I guess it would fit for #2.

16. Banned! A song that is, or was in its day, controversial: "Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag," by Country Joe and the Fish. Recorded right from Woodstock. Well, the Woodstock recording, I wasn't there or anything. I knew I wanted to go old school with my banned song, and had several anti-war ditties. This one won.

17. Song about a family member: "Great Grand Dad," by Alan Arkin. Yes! No less a person than Alan F Arkin himself. I found a great 10-inch album, recorded sometime during the mid-50s, called "Once Over Lightly," filled with folk songs, nothing but Alan, a guitar, and a smile. When I realized it contained this family number, I knew I had to. Really. I had to.

18. A favorite song you've discovered since the last CD Mix Exhange: "Gonna Move," by Paul Pena. I discovered Paul from watching a documentary about him, "Genghis Blues." It tells the story of this blind, diabetic blues singer who becomes interested in Tuvan throat singing, and travels to Tuva to do some of it. Such a sweetheart of a fellow, and sadly, passed away about a year ago. He also wrote the big hit for Steve Miller, "Jet Airliner." This song is from the early 70s, but I think it sounds both old and very current.

19. A song that reminds you of an old friend: "Brown Eyed Girl," by Van Morrison. For Kurt. Kurt played bass in the world's best cover band, in B'burg, called Nervous Romance. When I changed my song for this category to Kurt, I wanted to make it a favorite from the Nervous Romance days. "Rattle My Bones" had been used before, I didn't have "Cherry, Cherry" (though I bet Stennie does!), and I almost used the Peter Gunn Theme. But I left it with this one. They used to change the line "behind the stadium" to "behind Lane stadium." The stadium at Virginia Tech where the Hokies play.

20. Amnesty song - song you can use because it didn't fit here or on any other of the Mix Exchanges: "Medley: I Like it Like That/Hot Corn, Cold Corn," by Run C & W. Oh, yes. The medley. Last Mix Exchange contained "a medley," and I searched far and wide, high and low, and couldn't find a thing to use. I put on some lame number, well it's a fine song, but it was only a medley in the sketchiest sense of the word. Then, after the CDs were in the mail, I thought of this one. Perfect medley, hilarious, funky, and - well, it just amazes me that songs from two completely opposite ends of the spectrum are actually the same song!

And that's it. May a good time be had by all.

Betland's Olympic Update:
* Going to see the Hackensaw Boys this weekend! Woo! Therefore, if Picture Sunday is absent, forgive me. I'll be having fun.