This is good.
I’ve always been a fan of ecleptic music. This one is no exception. Playing a Bonnie Tyler song using kitchen appliances as percussion ranks up there with unique music styles. Try this at home.

Most of you are no doubt familiar with the Smashing Pumpkins. I remember the Smashing Pumpkins for many of their hit songs including “1979,” “Tonight Tonight” and “Today.” Yet much of their music could be described as dark. For example “Bullet with Butterfly Wings’” chorus ends with:

Despite all my rage I’m still just a rat in a cage
And I still believe that I cannot be saved
And I still believe that I cannot be saved

Some say the song is about Kurt Cobain’s suicide. Mostly its just about a feeling of helplessness. The Pumpkins’ lead singer, Billy Corgan makes Biblical references with “I suppose I’ll show all my cool and cold-like old Job.”
An even more disturbing lyric comes from “Zero“:

Emptiness is loneliness, and loneliness is cleanliness
And cleanliness is godliness, and god is empty just like me

I don’t play that song all that often due to that lyric. Yet those Zero shirts still sell well on Ebay, for all those emotionally distressed teens who need something to express their self doubt.
The Smashing Pumpkins broke up in 2000. Consequently Billy Corgan formed a new band called “Zwan,” which seemed much more positive in overtones than some of the previous Pumpkins songs. Evidence in this is Zwan’s only album title – “Mary Star of the Sea” – named after a Catholic church in Key West. Compare that to “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness,” from which Bullet and Zero come from
Zwan’s big hit, “Honestly” borders on contemporary Christian music depending on how you read it. I managed to snag it on my favorite p2p site. Some good lyrics:

cause there’s no place that I could be without you
it’s too far to discard the life I once knew
honestly, all the weather storms are bringing
are just a picture of my dreams
’cause when I think of you as mine
and allow myself with time
to lead into the life we want
I feel loved, honestly
I feel loved, this honestly

So this begs the question. How does such a positive set of lyrics come from the same mind as lyrics that would say that “God is empty?”
Corgan himself has suffered from clinical depression in the past. I see Corgan’s complex feelings…one song showing rage and anguish…then another song showing kindness and love…as being a parallel to mine…and pretty much everyone’s thought processes.

Mashups are 2 or more songs mixed together to sound like one song. Usually done by DJ’s with 2 unrelated songs. This article explains it in more detail.
I wouldn’t classify a remix of an old song, such as P. Diddy’s “I’ll Be Missing You” or Trick Daddy’s “Let’s Go,” neither of which could be classified as anything substantial. Mostly they just ruined good songs.
Some of the more memorable mashups:

• “Boulevard of Broken Songs” (Green Day and Oasis) – They’re playing this on 102.9 The Buzz here in Nashville. Since I like both songs, I think it sounds great together. The dark Green Day lyrics are complimented by the upbeat Wonderwall lyrics. Excellent song. Hear it here.
• The Beastles (The Beastie Boys and The Beatles) – The Beastie Boys are a bit grating at times. However there are some good points on this album. “What You Want, Lady?” (Mix of “What You Want” and Lady Madonna”) is one of the better songs on the album.

I didn’t watch one minute of the Grammys. (Neither did many other people) I actually forgot it was on. Plus I usually find the Grammys to be a bit overrated. Regardless here are some comments.
Best New Artist has traditionally been the kiss of death. Examples:

• Hootie and the Blowfish (1996)
• Arrested Development (1993)
• Milli Vanilli (1990)
• A Taste of Honey (1979)

Then there are a few times when they actually got it right:

• The Beatles (1965)
• Crosby, Stills & Nash (1970)
• Carpenters (1971)
• Bruce Hornsby & the Range (1987)

As far as Maroon 5 winning, I guess that’s ok. I can’t name any of their songs, although I’m sure I’ve heard them at one time or another on the radio.
Best Rock Album: Green Day. I guess things are scarce when Green Day wins an award for Best Rock Album. Their whole Dookie album is one of those Download and Delete albums. And by “Download and Delete” I mean you can usually find all the “hits” on that album on your favorite P2P software point, and it usually doesn’t matter if your hard drive’s data gets deleted; it would be easy to restore. Dookie is a dime a dozen on used Amazon CDs.
Still, I’ve heard 2 songs from American Idiot. I’m really into Boulevard of Broken Dreams; sorta describes my life right now.
I see that Wilco won for Best Alternative Album. Many many people have never heard of Wilco/Son Volt/Uncle Tupelo. Too bad. They’re missing alot.
And U2 wins for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Not that I think Vertigo is all that good. I think they’ve done better. Its one of those awards that they just hand to U2 because they are U2.
Interesting enough I did look into Wikipedia for some history of the charts for this band. There have been only a few times when U2 reached higher charts on the US charts compared to the UK charts.

• 1991 “Mysterious Ways” #13 UK; #9 US – And Mysterious Ways has staying power. I periodically hear it on 105.9, the “Classic Rock” radio station here in Nashville. You’ll also hear it periodically on VH1’s The 90s Strike Back nostalgia show. I wrote an entry not too long ago comparing “Mysterious Ways” to “Even Better Than the Real Thing. (read it)
• 1987 “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” #6 UK; #1 US
• 1987 “With or Without You” #4 UK; #1 US

The last two songs are from the Joshua Tree, possibly the greatest album of the 1980s. It has staying power at least. The only U2 Albums that you need to have is the “Joshua Tree,” “Achtung Baby,” and “All That You Can’t Leave Behind.”
The rest of the Grammy Awards I don’t care about, so I won’t bother commenting on them. Oh and do you think Jack White is going for the Willie Nelson look?
Meanwhile you should check out what its like to be in the Grammys by Semisonic’s drummer (think “Closing Time”).
Other music stuff:
Turning Napster’s 14 day free trial into 252 full 80 minute CDs of free music
and…
Why Napster’s Music Subscription is so Craptacular
(via Boingboing, of course)

I borrowed my mom’s car the past couple of days. My bug does not allow me to listen to my favorite radio station, Lightning 100.
Apart from those overplayed manufactured pop songs, Lightning 100 plays those songs by real musicians like Ben Folds, Sheryl Crow, Don Henley. I heard “Hook” by Blues Traveler the other day. I hadn’t heard that in years. It was overplayed then, but has been given new life after aging like a fine wine.
If only today’s young people and “hip crowd” could learn to enjoy good music, rather than a rapper/r ‘n b singer singing new lyrics over a Led Zepplin baseline.
I wish my bug could get clear reception of 100. It might require a complete rewire of the system, which isn’t even guaranteed to work. I’m not sure I want to pay that much for it to happen.

Continuing my daily entries about Greatest Hits albums. Bands that should have Greatest Hits Albums:

• The Wallflowers – While most people remember Bringing Down the Horse as the allencompassing Wallflowers album, they tend to forget the subsequent albums with minor radio hits, but good sounds. Breach and Red Letter Days are those albums. Songs like “Sleepwalker” and “How Good Can It Get” you’ve probably never heard of, but are great songs. I suspect the Wallflowers will fade into obscurity if and when a greatest hits album appears. However I’m hoping obscurity will not happen.
• Oasis – Definitely maybe. I really doubt that you’ll see a greatest hits albums from the self proclaimed “greatest band in the world.” That would be too easy. Sure they did put out a whole album of B-sides. Oasis isn’t ready to admit defeat by putting together an anthology or hits album. But their fame is slowly fading.
• Third Eye Blind – Of course most of the supposed greatest hits album would come from their self titled debut album. “Semi-charmed Life,” “Jumper,” and “Graduate.” Then there were a couple of good hits from their sophomore album, “Blue” such as “1000 Julys” and “Anything.” I saw their lead singer, Stephan Jenkins on a MTV show similiar to the Gong Show. His job as a celebrity judge was the rate unsigned bands. He gave all the bands 10’s, no matter how bad they were. I remember thinking this was lame, especially seeing the state of some of the bands. Jenkins came across as being self-righteous.
• Foo Fighters – I’m thinking a great album packed full of hits like “Everlong,” “Monkey Wrench,” “Learn to Fly,” “Stacked Actors,” “This is a Call,” “Big Me,” “My Hero,” and “Times Like These.”

Continuing my stream of album review. Here are what I feel are some fo the greatest Greatest Hits albums from “classic” rock.

• Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – Greatest Hits – It was this album that turned me on to Petty’s music. I never knew how many good hits Petty could have. I probably should have waited to get his Anthology which has more songs on it.
• John Mellencamp: The Best That I Could Do 1978-1988 – Not that I’m really all that into Mellencamp’s music. Jack & Diane was good, along with Pink Houses and Small Town. However I never really understood Uh-Huh’s album cover. I mean did he draw that himself? Next time get a professional to do your album covers. It didn’t work for Billy Joel. It doesn’t work for Mellencamp.
• Bruce Springsteen – Greatest Hits – One of the many reasons why the Boss rocks. “Dancing the Dark,” “Born in the U.S.A.” I discovered a great song on this album: “Atlantic City.” What a great haunting melody.
• Rolling Stones: Forty Licks – A definite must-have for any classic rock fan. And I’m not going to get into the debate about which band is better – the Stones or the Beatles. Let’s just say the Stones were a bit more naughty. More edgy. More willing to push the envelope. The Beatles are stuff you’d play at a church function. The Stones you would play at your batchelor party.

There are some 90s bands which I never knew had greatest hits albums. Many of these I have at least one album of theirs. Some of the bands had at least one hit on their subsequent sophmoric albums, but never got anywhere after that.

• Cranberries – Stars: The Best of the Cranberries, 1992-2002 – I can’t say too much about this album. I’m tempted to buy it, but I know that I’d probably wouldn’t listen to it much.
• Awake: The Best of Live – Live had some good hits in 1994, but they just couldn’t get past “Throwing Copper.” Some would argue otherwise.
• Outside Looking In: The Best Of Gin Blossoms – Obviously an album meant only as a moneymaker for the recordlabel once the band broke up.
• Counting Crows – Films About Ghosts – The Crows pretty much faded after “August And Everything After.”
• Cracker – Garage D’or – I like to refer to Cracker as the best band you’ve never heard of. Bluesy, yet country. A definite must have for those of you who are into good music.
• In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003 – R.E.M. is one of those bands which comes out with a new album every few years with one radio “hit” on there. They are pretty much out there for their cult following of fans. I don’t think they’re doing it for the money anymore….or for their radio airplay. “Monster” taught them that.
• The Very Best of Sheryl Crow – Sheryl is a good songwriter. It’s just that “All I Wanna Do” got on my last nerve, while other really good songs like “Home” never get played on the radio anymore, if at all. You haven’t heard of that song? No wonder. I suspect this won’t be the last Sheryl Crow Greatest Hits album.
• Spin Doctors – Just Go Ahead Now: A Retrospective Spin Doctors? Greatest Hits? Why?
• Best of Hootie & The Blowfish 1993-2003 – Pretty much a moneymaking ploy for a band who’s summer of success has long gone by the wasteside.
• The Smashing Pumpkins – Greatest Hits – I never thought I’d see this type of album as long as Billy Corgan was around.
• Red Hot Chili Peppers: Greatest Hits– I have this album. It’s probably a good album to have if you are a fan of the Chili Peppers but not sure which album to buy.
• Nirvana – As Kurt Cobain’s corpse spins in its grave. Another money making ploy by Cortney Love. You’re welcome.
• Green Day – International Superhits – Green Day will never be more than a joke band. The one who threw mud at Woodstock ’94.
• Black Gold: The Best of Soul Asylum – Another good band that faded too quickly.
• 7even Year Itch: Collective Soul Greatest Hits 1994-2001 – Even though I’ve been to one of their concerts (as an opening act for Aerosmith), I probably couldn’t even name one of their songs in Double Jeopardy. Next!
• The Best of INXS and INXS Greatest Hits – Two greatest hits albums for one band. How do you decide which one to get? Each album has 11 of the same songs, while the Greatest Hits Album has 5 songs not on Best of…, while the Best of has 9 songs not on the Greatest Hits album.

The verdict? Get the Best of since it has more songs at the same price as the Greatest Hits album.

• Blues Traveler – Travelogue: Blues Traveler Classics – Probably much better than “Four.”
• Black Crowes – Greatest Hits 1990-1999: Tribute Work in Progress – I own this album. It’s a good one to have if you are into the Crowes music and don’t know which album to get.
• Best of Everclear – I’ll probably end up getting this one. I missed the hype of Everclear when they first came out. I didn’t necessarily want to get an album with maybe one or two good songs. But I do recognize most all the songs on this album.
• Creed – Greatest Hits – Another Pearl Jam wannabe band with hits that all sound the same.
• Korn – Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 – I’m going to make a prediction and say that there won’t be a Vol. 2.
• Barenaked Ladies – Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits 1991-2001 – I’ve got this one on my wish list. BNL is a band that definitely knows how to have fun.

Expect a Best of Goo Goo Dolls and Matchbox Twenty soon. That’s my prediction. Their 15 minutes of fame is almost up. They need one last gasp before fading off into the sunset.
Still waiting for the Best of Oasis. I’m guessing it would spell the end of a good band. Maybe Noel and Liam aren’t ready to do that. They still think they’re the greatest band in the world. Debateable, yes. Good band, probably.
If you’re like me, then your plan is to trade in all your old albums and get these greatest hits albums, if to have all their radio hits on one disc and to consolodate record space.

Since I decided to write on CDs which I didn’t like last time, this time I’ll write about CDs that you should own. Do yourself a favor and drop what you’re doing and go down to the Great Escape and buy these CDs.

• Wallflowers – Bringing Down the Horse – Wow. What a great album! 3 big hits plus some other good songs. “One Headlight” is the song everyone knows from the Wallflowers. But I’d guess that “6th Avenue Heartache” is probably their best song. “Invisible City” is a good song too.
• U2 – The Joshua Tree – What more can be said from this album. Some say that U2 is way overexposed. I’d say they achived some of their greatest sounds from this album. “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” “With or Without You,” and “Where the Streets Have No Name,” are all great radio hits from the album. However many forget the other songs like “In God’s Country” which was used as the closing credit to “3 Kings.”
• Counting Crows – August and Everything After – Some would call this mopey music. I’d call it the soundtrack of my Sophomore year at Lipscomb. Rarely do I find every song on a particular album as listenable and enjoyable. At one time I’d definitely have this on my luggage list if I were to guest star on “Lost.”

You’ll note that I’m staying away from “Greatest Hits” albums because they aren’t really albums per say, just moneymakers.

I heard Jewel’s “Foolish Games” on the radio driving home from Sunday worship. I hadn’t heard that in quite a while. Honestly Jewel’s Pieces of You was one of the CDs which I had planned on getting rid of by Ebaying. Here’s a list.

• Jewel – Pieces of You – Like the rest of America, and virtually every college student at Lipscomb, I bought this in 1994. Three good (overplayed) hits on this CD. “Who Will Save Your Soul,” “Foolish Games,” and “You Were Meant for Me.” Jewel wasn’t a one hit wonder. More likely a 3 hit wonder. You didn’t hear much from her after “Pieces…” She tried to duplicate her peak with her sophomore album titled “Spirit.” But it just couldn’t be done. Like Howard Dean she peaked too soon.
  (89 cents on Amazon; 75 cents on Half.com)
• Green Day – Dookie – Again, sing-a-long radio friendly punk album. I’m not sure you can take a band seriously that has a Muppet on the back fo their album. Unfortunately for Green Day’s part…all their songs sound the same. Hence many of their songs which ended up on their greatest hits album are on Dookie.
  (1.37 on Amazon; 75 cents on Half.com)
• Blues Traveler – Four – Thankfully I bought this used. $8.99 at the Great Escape. It’s not that it’s a bad album. It’s that it falls to the problem of Green Day. Same-sounding-music.
  I had a chance to see Blues Traveler a few years ago. But I left before they came on. Who knows if I missed something spectactular. Probably not.
  (1 cent at Amazon; 75 cents on Half.com)
• Hootie and the Blowfish – Cracked Rear View – I’m not going to go on a Hootierant again. I’ve done that many times before. Let’s just say that Hootie was way over played during the summer of 1995.
  (1 cent on Amazon; 75 cents on Half.com)
• Spin Doctors – Pocket Full of Kryptonite – Why did I ever buy this album? A fleeting passion, I guess.
  (1 cent on Amazon; 75 cents on Half.com)
• Cranberries – No Need to Argue – I think I listened to it 5 times during my college years, and probably haven’t bothered with it since.
  (70 cents on Amazon; 75 cents on Half.com)

Some notes about Half.com. Half doesn’t let sellers price their CDs at less than 75 cents since it would not be worth the listings.
I’ll probably write more about CDs that are worth keeping later on. Stay tuned.