Desert Island Discs: The Gauntlet Has Been Thrown
Got an e-mail today from Simeon, one of my five favorite non-DNA-sharing folks (and twice the music freak I am). And I’ve let him down. Back in March, I published my version of Desert Island Discs.
Not sure what I’m talking about? On BBC Radio’s Desert Island Discs, celebrities select eight songs they’d want with them on a deserted island, those eight songs they couldn’t live without.
Being a right proper Brit, Simeon admonished me for not playing the game correctly. I hate disappointing Simeon. He demanded that I try again, and this time I’m to follow the rules. As he said, “If I could narrow mine down I'm sure you could.” I can’t back down from a challenge. Or disappoint Simeon for one more day.
I worked on the list all day (when I should have been writing sizzling newsletter copy on the new evaluation form or developing a communication campaign on the binder recycling program; damn, my job is exciting). And it was agonizing. Excruciating. Just plain wrong. How can I leave off Zevon or The B-52’s … Elvis Costello or Bowie … the Stones or Beck? A life without Sam Phillips or Oasis, “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” or “Thirteen” is merely an existence, a post-apocalypic hell that only Philip K. Dick could dream up. But I persevered.
My Desert Island Discs. Simeon, I hope you’re proud of me.
- R.E.M.: “Turn You Inside-out”
- Jeff Buckley: “So Real”
- Al Green: “Love and Happiness”
- Nina Simone: “Feeling Good”
- The Replacements (featuring Peter Buck): “I Will Dare”
- Prince: “My Name Is Prince”
- Rufus Wainwright: “Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk”
- Nanci Griffith: “Morning Song for Sally”
Now you have to do it. List your DIDs in my comment box … post them on your blog … or e-mail them to me.
And could someone please include “Radio Free Europe,” in case we’re stuck on the same island?
* * * * * *
Labels: Desert Island Discs, music, Simeon
posted by Cup @ 10:28 PM
47 comments
47 Comments:
Patrick, you're just sucking up. I see, what, five of my Top 50s on your list? But The Eagles? THE EAGLES? You lost 30 points on that one, my cute friend.
OK - talk about an eclectic mix! I had to think long and hard about this... I could listen to each of these songs over and over and over...
Prince: Kiss
Cheap Trick: I Want You to Want Me
Black Eyed Peas: My Humps
Heatwave: Always and Forever
Guns N Roses: Sweet Child O' Mine
Whitesnake: Here I Go Again
Kiss: Heaven's on Fire
Stray Cats: Sexy and 17
Can you tell I was a child of the 80s-90s Hair bands?!
Oh man, first off great blog (I just stumbled across it randomly a few minutes ago.) Secondly 8 tracks to live with forever? That's just mean. I have coniptions just trying to pikc ~900 songs for my ipod. I'll pick 8 random ones, because to be completely honest I think my list would change almost daily:
Aphex Twin- Window Licker
Rolling Stones- Gimme Shelter
Tom Petty- Refugee
Weezer- My Name is Jonas (ok I'll admit I actually considered Island in the Sun)
Pink Floyd- Wish You Were Here (seems appropriate if i'm stuck alone on an island)
Atmosphere- Tears for the Sheep
Dire Straits- Sultans of Swing
Tapes N Tapes- Insistor (to take a compeltely random new bang that I could be sick of in 2 weeks)
I'll go with a theme--island/tropical/deserted/weather...
Rolling Stones - Gimme SHELTER
Neil Young - Like A HURRICANE
Bob Dylan - A Hard RAIN's A-Gonna Fall
REM - NightSWIMMING
CCR - Have You Ever Seen The RAIN?
Jimi Hendrix - Castles Made Of SAND
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Couldn't Stand The WEATHER
Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows (I realize this breaks up the theme. But, it does talk about "floating down stream". Plus, those backwards-masked sounds are just too f*cking cool!)
I'm gonna cop-out and say I'll think about my list (having just read this post, it'll take time anyway). I did want to toot my own horn and congratulate myself for introducing you to The Replacements. "I Will Dare" is a great song, is it not?
Alright, I tried to post this before but it didn't work. That must be a good thing cuz I went out for a run and decided against my last song. But, I still don't know the title, nor the band, of selection number 4. Any help would be appreciated.
1. Marshall Tucker Band (?): "Heard it in a Love Song"
2. Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5, Opus 47, IV Allegro non troppo
3. Oasis: "Live Forever"
4. _____________ ? "Peaceful Easy Feeling" (?) Lyrics include "I get this feeling I may know you as a lover and a friend. This voice keeps whispering in my other ear, tells me I may never see you again." and "I'm already standing on the ground."
5. Michael Jackson: "Celebrate"
6. Rickie Lee Jones: "Young Blood"
7. Shirley Horn: "Here's to Life"
8. Happy Mondays: "Kinky Afro"
And if I can't find song number 4 I'll put in "Tugboat Captain" by Galaxie 500
Sneaky way to get in nine, huh?
MARNI: I'll take "Kiss," although (and please don't hit me, Paulie) I may prefer Tom Jones' cover, just for of his "Think I better dance now" line.
BILL: I'm taking your "Gimme Shelter" (and I love your blog).
JAMEY: My dear cousin, have you not learned one thing from the Cup? "Radio Free Europe" was R.E.M.'s first single. And I'm taking your Dwight.
HAAHNSTER: I love a man who can theme. And you had me at "Nightswimming."
DAN: Hate to break it to you, babe, but I got Let It Be when it came out in 1984 (Peter Buck was on it!) and Don't Tell a Soul in 1989 (back when you were just a lad) ... but, yes, you did help me fully appreciate The 'Mats. You know how much I love "I Will Dare" and that "How young are you? How old am I? Let's count the rings around my eyes" is one of my all-time favorite lines in a song. And I'll be checking back every hour for your DID list.
RENAE: Oh, Renae. You're just embarrassed to admit to yourself (and to me) that #4 is sung by The Eagles (but the line is rather fitting these days, no?). And I'll take your "Live Forever."
Again, I'm glad to see the Jeff Buckley and Prince on your lists, but no Beatles? That's a little surprising.
I'm going to pretend you didn't say what you said about Tom Jones. --I can't even look at you right now.
Yeah, that Tom Jones thing. Once again, Paulie, I'm poking the bear so you'll come back to the Cup.
I just couldn't squeeze in any Beatles or Stones. I put some thought into my list:
- "Turn You Inside-out," "So Real," "Love and Happiness," and "Feeling Good" in case I get lucky with restless natives
- "Turn You Inside-out," "I Will Dare," and "My Name Is Prince" for happy dancing
- "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" is this year's theme song
- "Morning Song for Sally" when I'm feeling wistful and sadly romantic
My moods are covered. And it was damn hard to leave off "Radio Free Europe" and Wilco's cover of "Thirteen."
And where's your list, sir?
What a tough exercise this is!! I hope we all end up on the same island - great choices from everyone. Here's what I'm picking for now. After I get rescued, I'll change it up:
Wilco: Can't Stand It
Alison Krauss: Down In The River To Pray
Cake: Short Skirt Long Jacket
Feist: Secret Heart
Elvis Costello: Oliver's Army
Jenny Lewis: The Charging Sky
Portishead: Only You
New Pornographers: Twin Cinema
JAMEY: Sadly, oh, so sadly ... yes, I would gladly give you my last coconut for your "Radio Free Europe" ... and you'd hear me giggling behind the palms over the fact that I thought I got the best end of the deal. I'm bringing you a copy of Murmur when we have dinner next month, child.
PAIGE: Damn, little sister, good list! I knew you'd have Motown covered - but I was expecting "Bernadette" or "Always and Forever" (on Marni's list, BTW). And I forgot that you love "Wonderwall" as much as I do. And George!
DALE: I've been waiting for your list all day ... and, once again, you thrill me with your musical brilliance! Don't you love Jenny Lewis' album? And I hear the New Pornographers have a new disc coming out this fall. But the best Cake song is their cover of Willie Nelson's "Sad Songs and Waltzes."
ok I'll keep it short and sweet
1. "Live Forever" Oasis
2. "Columbia" Oasis
3. "Holiday in the Sun" Sex Pistols
4. "Decades" Joy Division
5. "This is the Sea" Waterboys
6. "Banging Camp" The Hold Steady
that's enough for me
Professor Greggie came to play! No Mel Tormé? I love dancing to The Waterboys ... so let's do that next time I'm in CT.
Thanks for the comments beth.
Also, I'd like to point out that I'm now hanging my head in shame that I didn't think to include a new pornographers track on my list; dale has outdone me (although hearing that they may have a new disc in the works sure takes the sting out.) Am I too new here to let out my secret infatuation with Neko Case?:P
I just had to stop back in and advise Jamey against talking anyone out of their last toilet-paper leaf...EVER!!!
Let the wiping happen. There's plenty of other bartering to be done.
Carry on.
PS - Beth, I'm really liking your anti-Eagles stance. Reminds me of The Big Lebowski.
BILL: It seems that all the men in my life have a crush on Ms. Case. One even has semi-naughty photos of her (I've seen them; she looks hot).
HAAHNSTER: I have standards, my friend. I may have high-schooled in the 1970s, but I do not love The Eagles. Mr. Zevon is the only SoCal singer/songwriter who has my music heart.
1. PIXIES: Cactus or Here Comes Your Man
2. R.E.M.: She Just Wants To Be (because I know how much you like that song and I am sucking up)
3. REPLACEMENTS: I’ll Be You or Bastards Of Young or Kiss Me On The Bus (Jesus, how the hell can I pick just one Replacements song?)
4. NEW PORNOGRAPHERS: The Laws Have Changed
5. PRETENDERS: My City Was Gone
6. DECEMBERISTS: Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect
7. FLAMING LIPS: Do You Realize?
8. BOB MOULD: See A Little Light
Good grief. Coming up with a list is just a terrifying prospect. You could ask me again fifteen minutes from now and my list would be different.
Here's a half-assed five:
1) "Lover You Should Have Come Over" --Jeff Buckley
2) "Fire and Rain" --James Taylor
3) "I Want You to Want Me" --Cheap Trick
4) "Blackbird" --The Beatles
5) "Purple Rain" --Prince
man, this is hard but at this PARTICULAR moment in time, my eight songs would be:
1. 'caribou' - the pixies
2. 'scary kisses' - voice of the beehive
3. 'bed and breakfast man' - madness
4. 'dogs of lust' - the the
5. 'scoundrel days' - a-ha
6. 'ganxtaville' - dj tomekk
7. 'dancing in heaven' q-feel
8. 'hasta la vista' - mc solaar
do i get to play again tomorrow?
JOE: You may have the best list yet. Be sure to take me with you to the island. (And your sucking up worked.)
PAUL: I've put together four different DIDs lists today, depending on what shuffles onto my MP3 player. I'll take you "Lover You Should Have Come Over" (have you heard Nina Simone's version?). And glad I poked the bear enough.
BRAT: Come back and play any time! Are you sure you're a kid? Love your Voice of the Beehives; gonna have to cue up "Beat of Love."
yeah beth, honestly i believe i was born 15 years too late i wish i could have been a teenager in the early 80's. but i think benny was born 25 years too late, haha.
Wish I'd had room for:
The Waterboys
The B-52's
Jeff Buckley
Pretenders
Rickie Lee Jones
Prince
Pink Floyd
Bjork
Lyle Lovett
Nanci Griffith
Nina Simone
Amos Lee
Beck
Aretha Franklin
Annie Lennox
Cornershop
David Sylvian
And a zillion more. Can't we get a bigger island? You guys all have some groovy tasteses.
Ok, I don't so much have a list yet but I had to exclaim something:
You have tickets for Pete Yorn?!?!
Oh I'm so jealous. So, so jealous. I didn't even know he was going to be anywhere near me until it was all sold out. Savannah is teh suck for live music. Teh Suck I tell you.
If I could only hear 8 songs, I'd have to ask how long I was to be on this island. If I were to be stranded forever, I'd rather have nothing, because I'd grow to hate those 8 songs. If it were only going to be a couple of days, I guess I'd want Social Distortion's Live at the Roxy. It's more than 8 songs, so perhaps some of them skip from time to time.
Or perhaps I could rig up some kind of Sirius satellite receiver out of a coconut.
"Summer Babe" Pavement
"Teenage Riot" Sonic Youth
"Hip Priest" The Fall
"All" Descendents
"Misty Mountain Hop" Led Zeppelin
"Take Me Out" Franz Ferdinand
"In an Aeroplane Over The Sea" Neutral Milk Hotel
"The Classical" The Fall
"Fight This Generation" Pavement
"Happiness is a Warm Gun" The Beatles.
That's 10, but who is counting?
BRAT: It would have been fun to have you and Benny around back in the day.
DALE: Or Velvet Underground ... Ramones ... Elliott Smith ... Ray Charles ... (don't you love Amos Lee?) ... Bowie ... Nirvana ... Squeeze ...
GIZMOROX: Yep, we're going to see Pete Yorn at Smith's Olde Bar. C'mon up and we'll sneak you in!
JEREMY: Get the Simpson Summer School working on that coconut satellite receiver.
BENNY: Great list; I'm beginning to doubt your age. BTW, I downloaded the latest Goldfrapp; thanks for telling me about it. And I'm cranking "Caribou" right now, thanks to you and Brat.
HOBO LEE + KITTY KAT: Always a pleasure to have you around. Will I be spending the weekend with y'all mid-month?
GRANT: Excellent list; you deserve the two additional slots! I think I'm taking all of your tunes.
I'm making an effort to avoid songs that are passing fancies, but this list would probably still be entirely different tomorrow:
Andrew Bird, "Masterfade"
Bob Dylan, "Tangled Up in Blue"
Pogues, "If I Should Fall from Grace with God"
R.E.M., "Fall On Me" (since I see we've already got "Nightswimming" on the island)
U2, "One"
Wilco, "Kamera"
Wilco, "Jesus, etc."
Neutral Milk Hotel, "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea"
Scrivener joins in with a very strong entry, if I do say so my damn self. Great call on "Tangled Up In Blue"!
Incidentally, all this "Caribou" talk is making me rethink the possibilities of working "Bone Machine", "Where Is My Mind?" or "Vamos" on to my list somehow. Or, maybe I'll just "ride a tire down the River Euphrates..."
SCRIVENER: Excellent list; you included some of my favorite Wilcos. And I'm really enjoying the Andrew Bird (thanks so much for insisting I must download it immediately).
BENNY: My blog e-mail address is cup_coffey@yahoo.com. Send me an e-mail, and I'll send you a couple of the Sonic Youth tracks.
HAAHNSTER: Scrivener has damn good taste; he keeps me on my music toes. And you're allowed to rework your list, so go for it!
Elton John: Funeral for a Friend
Paul McCarney: Maybe I'm amazed
John Prine: In spite of ourselves
George Jones: The King is gone and so are you
Travis Tritt: It's a great day to be alive
The Who: Eminence front
Lou Reed: Sweet Jane
Bruce Springsteen: Thunder Road
RCofCHS: Excellent list; I can't pick at you for any of those (well, maybe Travis, but I don't know that song; I'm off to download it). You turned me on to Lou Reed, and for that I'll be forever grateful.
Little late but, for the sake of Archives...and fact I would be placed on the nursing home side of the island and therefore get to cheat....
Margaritaville - J. Buffet
When a Man Loves a Woman - Otis Redding
Heard It Through the Grapevine -
Marvin Gaye
If you leave me now - Chicago
Nothings gonna stop us now - Chicago
If I could turn back time - Cher
Layla and Wonderful Tonight- Eric Clapton
On My Own - Patti Labelle
Don't Think Twice It's Alright- Dylan
I will Survice - Gloria Gaynor
One More Night - Phill Collins
Best that you can do - C. Cross
Dancing Shoes - Nogel Olsen
Several songs by Bee Gees
Several songs by Beach Boys
Lots of Robert Flack
Lots of Rita Coolidge
Lots of Ray Charles
Lots of Nat King Cole
McArthur's Park - Richard Harris
Didn't We (Girl) - Richard Harris
Crying - Roy Orbison and KD Lang
Several Cat Stevens especially Long and Winding Road
Some more J Buffett
Several Willie Nelson
Little Travis Tritt
Couple of Tim McGraw
Couple of Pavarotti
Few Andrea Bocelli
Stand by Me - Ben E. King
Few Lionel Richey
Vincent - Don McLean
Hotel CA and others by EAGLES Yes!
DESPARADO - EAGLES - double YES!
Dance with Me - The Orlens
More Marvin Gaye
Louie Armstrong, especially It's a Wonderful World
Red, red wine - UB40
Sarah - Jefferson Starship
Some McCartney, Streisand, Beetles, Elvis, Gladys Knight, Carpenters, Elton John, John Michael Montgomery and...ta da..even some Kenny G.
Yes, this is long but should last me until my oxygen runs out. Could add more though.......and, yes, Beth, margueritas are served with the 5:00 medicine round!
Only 8?
Liked Joe's and Hahnster's (sp?) lists! Random things on everybody else's only reminds you how HARD it is to narrow it down to 8.
'k
1. Madonna of the Wasps, Robyn Hitchcock (Peter's on it tooo)
2. Excellent Birds - Peter Gabriel with Laurie Anderson
3. And She Was - Talking Heads
4. Because the Night - Patti Smith
5. Until the End of the World - U2
6. How The West Was Won and Where it Got Us - R.E.M.
7. Slipstream - Richard Thompson
8. What in The World - David Bowie (the version on the live double album, not the one on Low)
Crap! That's hard!
I decided to stay over at LiveJournal - here's the link
http://glassmeow.livejournal.com/
okay, this IS hard and I don't even keep up with current music, so that's only music from half of my lifetime to pick from which should make this easier...
1. I've Got a Feeling-The Beatles
2. South City Midnight Lady-The Doobies
3. Sexual Healing-Marvin Gaye
4. Natural Beauty-Neil Young
5. Into the Mystic-Van Morrison
6. Blue Sky-The Allman Bros
7. Love is Alive-The Judd's
8. Carmen-Bizet, any good recording
That leaves me no jazz, may have to revamp...
If I thought you actually could sneak me in I'd be there in a heartbeat. :)
This list thing is incredibly hard. This is what I have for now:
1. Lover, You Should Have Come Over - Jeff Buckley
2. Love Cliche - Bran Van 3000
3. All At Once - Pete Yorn
4. Lost In The Supermarket - The Clash
5. Pot Kettle Black - Wilco
6. Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead
7. New English - Ambulance LTD
8. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight - Postal Service
I really wanted to add Joy Division's "Isolation" for the irony of it, but it had to be cut. Along with heaps of others. Sad.
JUDITH: You know what I love most about your list? How many of the same songs would also be on your sister's list. And I love, love, LOVE both of your Richard Harris entries! I'm going to download them as soon as I'm done here.
GLASSMEOW: You're a Peter Buck lover after my musical heart! "Madonna of the Wasps" is my fave of his Hitchcockian collaborations, and probably one of my Top 100s of all time.
HOLLYC: The idea of a DID list is most of them will probably be older tunes, the ones who have stood the test of time. As soon as I read your list, I put on "Natural Beauty"; Harvest Moon will always be one of my favorite albums ever.
GIMOROX: Have you heard Nina Simone's version of "Lover, You Should Have Come Over"? And you listed my favorite Wilco tune ("PKB" and "When You Wake up Feeling Old," but you're too young for that one).
Welcome, Mat! (Bet you're tired of that joke, aren't you? I once had a welcome mat that said "Welcome, Matt." Bought it in Austin on a drunken night.) I was just listening to "Iris" in the car; several good "Iris" tunes (including the one by Split Enz).
Oh, this is sooo High Fidelity! I just love list and here is mine--(in no particular order)
*Jesus, etc by Wilco
*Mountain Bed by Wilco and Woody Guthrie
*Thunder Road by Springsteen
*Begin the Begin by REM
*Pale Blue Eyes by Velvet Underground
*I'll Be Your Mirror by Velvet Underground & Nico
*Here Comes a Regular by The Replacements
*Cigarettes, Coffee and Booze by Scott Mccaughey
M: Who are you? I love your list!!!!!!!!
I am a ex-pat from (kinda-sorta) your neck of the woods, that reads your blog. A Lot. I really do enjoy it.
Is it my imagination or is it true that women from the southern region of this "great" country of ours have kick-ass taste in music?
PS I agree--NO EAGLES!!! (smile)
I am using these lists to compile some more downloads for my iPod! Thanks for the post Bethy!
And don't forget the New York Dolls-- they are so amazing, and so great. It breaks my heart that only 2 of them are still alive. It is so sad--
Speaking of 'dead' but brilliant bands, we will have to bring some Ramones with us on that desert island...
LOTS of Ramones ...
And I hear the NYD are getting back together? But I can't have that, not without Johnny Thunders.
Well, not exactly. Back in 2004, the remaining members who were alive, Arthur "Killer" Kane, Sylvain Sylvain and David Johansen were asked to reunited as the Dolls for a concert that Morrissey was hosting. For the last 30 years, Arthur had been working in a Mormon church library, and hadn't played live. There is an amazing documentary, "New York Doll" that chronicles all this. You should run out NOW and rent it. I saw it last night--and I have a whole new appreciation of the Dolls, Morrissey, and a grudgingly admiration of the Morman church. Rent it my friend-and I dare you not to shed a tear.
I'll rent it this week and give you my review.
Here's the NYD reunion info I read (this is from Wikipedia; I think I read something Michael Stipish about it, too):
In July 2005, it was announced the two surviving members would tour and produce a new album, possibly titled One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This, due for release on July 25, 2006 featuring guitarist Steve Conte, bassist Sami Yaffa (formerly of Hanoi Rocks), drummer Brian Delaney and keyboardist Brian Koonin.
Amazon lists something coming out on July 26.
That's just crazy talk! Why would they get back together now, after 4 members have died? Why not before?
...Shakes head, mutters as she heads to kitchen for more caffeine.....
Oh yeah! My lizard brain is starting to remember something about Stipe doing something with the remaining Dolls. And Robyn Hitchcock (Botchy rich conk) will have a song about Killer Kane on his new album.
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