41. The Mekons, “If They Hang You”
A sprightly country-punk number, from the Mekons’ absolutely essential 1987 album Honky Tonkin’, about how cool it was that Dashiell Hammett refused to testify before the House Un-American Activities Commission. This album is the third in a trio of increasing countrification, which starts with the legendary (but comparatively weak) Fear and Whiskey, peaks with Edge of the World (Sally Timms’s debut and one of the greatest albums ever made), and ends with great dignity. It helped me through a bad time in the summer of 1998.
42. Elvis Costello and the Attractions, “(What’s So Funny About) Peace, Love and Understanding”
Don’t worry, I used the real version, from Armed Forces (1979). “Elvis Costello and the Imposters” is right. Yeesh.
43. The Crystals, “Uptown”
Listening to Phil Spector-produced records now requires the same mental discipline/willed denial as does listening to Michael Jackson. (Oh, and we’ll get to him presently.) But, well, Gesualdo strangled his wife, and he still owns at Renaissance polyphony. Great artists aren’t always nice people, blah blah blah, and anyway … those clacky drum things they use!
44. Over the Rhine, “Sea and Sky”
Sigh.
That’s the Over the Rhine I fell in love with: a kind of intensely sensual, mysterious, contemplative early-’90s college rock that actually still remembers how to rock. Like T.S. Eliot’s “Four Quartets” as fluently translated into melodic Lanois/Eno-style postpunk by Emmylou Harris, with an assist by REM. Also, “You and me and a couple of dusty volumes,” and “You and me a strong sense of forever” is pretty much the marriage I hope Ashley and I will have, reduced to two phrases.
45. The Verlaines, “Take Good Care of It”
The xylophone break at the end of this song is everything I love about the Verlaines in a single moment. I’m coming to think that Bird Dog (1987), from which this song is taken, is the high point of ’80s Kiwi Rock. I hope someday Communion or Flying Nun or whichever label is sitting on this gem rereleases it, at least electronically, so that I don’t have to be recommending an album only available via quasi-legal download to like everybody I know.
46. Echo and the Bunnymen, “The Killing Moon”
A bit of an ’80s block begins here, with the exception of the Hon. Mr. Wright and his Orchestra. All of these songs were ones I’d liked well enough, till a quasi-indie film brought out the dramatic/theatrical qualities that were probably always there. This song makes me think of Donnie Darko racing on his bicycle to his doom, with his face “set like flint” (Christ reference intended), in the ravishingly strange movie of the same name (and no, Richard Kelly’s subsequent work has done nothing to reduce my awe of Donnie Darko).
47. Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, “Express Yourself”
It’s not what you look like when you’re doing what you’re doing. It’s what you’re doing when you’re doing what you look like you’re doing.
48. INXS, “Don’t Change”
Poor Michael Hutchence. This song still has the lushness of early INXS: a bar band that can’t quite believe their luck.
I was always more of a “The One Thing”/”What You Need”/”Listen Like Thieves” guy, and I can’t say I really heard this song till Greg Mottola dusted it off for the end credits of Adventureland, a film I loved. Now, of course, thanks to Calvin the Crazy Sexton and his you-have-fifteen-minutes-to-get-your-ass-out-of-this-reception-hall meltdown, I’ll always remember it as what played over our end-credits montage: it was the last item on the playlist that I heard as we walked out.
49. Tears For Fears, “Head Over Heels”
Which means that if Calvin the Sexton could’ve just held his water for five more minutes, my sister and I could’ve had the dancing-to-Tears-For-Fears moment we’ve been waiting since like 1992 for. DAMMIT! At least we’ll always have Roland Orzabal’s mullet to savor.
St. Phillip’s Durham is a really pretty church, and the rector and flower lady turned out to be wonderful, but you have to deal with some crazy-ass people if you want to get married there. Last-minute threatened fee changes (till the rector stepped in), a choirmaster who condescended to our soloist, a sexton who was so rude, and demanded so much extra money just to do his job, that I’m still finding words for the angry letter I intend to write … I can’t recommend it.
50. Cat Power, “Living Proof”
Chan Marshall Goes To Memphis, Gets Awesomeness Injection.
so great reading these annotated playlists. it’s like reliving that reception all over again, except I can turn the music up this time.