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Why Weezer is Great - Reason # A Lot: Their videos.

Pork and Beans

Since I spent so long coming up with my Top 30, I figured I'd share some the songs that didn't quite make it.

First, there was one song that should have been on there, but I honestly just forgot about it. It makes me feel stupid, because it was one of the first songs that made me feel like I even NEEDED a list, and it took American Idol to remind me of it.

Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley. You can see the Youtube video here.

I don't think I really need to explain why it should have been on the list.

Storm by Godspeed You Black Emperor from Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven.

OK, this is one that I really struggled with. The song is technically 22 minutes long, but it's made up of 4 movements. If I had decided to view those movements as separate songs, the first movement (Lift Your Skinny Fists...) would have been in my Top 5. It is one of the most beautiful peices of music I have ever heard.

There aren't many songs that I consider "overwhelming", but this is one of them. It's almost too much to take. I've mentioned before that some songs make whatever I'm doing feel interesting. Like if I'm listening to Interpol while I'm driving, or Arcade Fire or Bright Eyes while I'm walking or jogging. It's like the scene in the movie where nothing much is happening, but there's good music playing, so the scene looks cool. Storm is the exact opposite of that. It makes whatever I'm doing feel absolutely insignificant, because what I'm doing is not creating something as perfect as this song. It's literally so good that it depresses me. In a good way, if that's possible, or makes any sense.

If you listen to ONE song based on my recommendation, I ask that it be this one. Just take 6 minutes and 15 seconds and sit there and listen to it (preferably with headphones if you only have crappy laptop speakers). Don't do anything else and DON'T FAST FORWARD. The first minute or so is slow, but the rest of it won't have the same impact if you skip it. Resist the urge. It's only 6 minutes. Just sit and listen.

**This "video" is 9 minutes for some reason, but the first movement is 6:15. That's all we're concerned with right now.**

So, here are the rest of the Honorable Mentions in no particular order:

REM - It's The End Of The World As We Know It
The Pixies - Here Comes Your Man
Bob Marley - Three Little Birds
Counting Crows - A Murder of One
David Bowie - Space Oddity
The Jam - In The City
The Ramones - Judy is a Punk

So, I think that's pretty much it. I'd like to hear any final thoughts that anyone has been saving.

Now that I have this out of the way, I may get back to making more regular entries, so be sure to check back.

So, this is the last batch of my Best Songs Ever. Through this process, I guess I've found out that I pay attention to lyrics more than a lot of people. Maybe I pay attention to music more than most people in general. Either way, since it's a lot harder to explain the way a song sounds than to just post some of my favorite lyrics from it, the lyrics will be taking center stage again. While the lyrics are very important, I obviously would prefer that everyone actually try listening to these songs. Afterall, this is about my favorite songs of all time, not my favorite lyrics.

#10. Where The Streets Have No Name - U2 from The Joshua Tree.

An epic song. This is another song that, nomatter how often it's played, when I actually LISTEN to it, I can't deny what a great song it is. This would be in my Top 10 Music Videos as well.

#9. The Boxer - Simon and Garfunkel from Bridge Over Troubled Water.

Some songs with electric instruments are just ripe for an acoustic version. I always considered this song to be the opposite. Somehow it always seemed like a Metal song trapped in an acoustic song. Maybe it's that drum hit during the "li la li" part.

Tell me this couldn't have been from a Metallica song:

In the clearing stands a boxer, and a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders of every glove that laid him down or cut him
til he cried out in his anger and his shame
I am leaving, I am leaving, but the fighter still remains

#8. There is a Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths from The Queen is Dead.

I love Morrissey's lyrics. They're completely original and unmistakable.

 And if a double-decker bus
Crashes into us
To die by your side
Is such a heavenly way to die
And if a ten-ton truck
Kills the both of us
To die by your side
Well, the pleasure - the privilege is mine

That could ONLY be Morrissey. Quoting the lyrics does it no justice. You need to hear The Smiths perform it for the full effect.

#7. Time - Pink Floyd from Dark Side Of The Moon.

Time is one of the few Pink Floyd songs that can stand alone perfectly as a single, while still containing everything that makes Floyd great. It starts with a Pink Floyd signature: The Extended Intro. In this case, one of the best intros ever. It's amazing what can be done with a few drums and a couple guitar notes.

#6. Bad - U2 from The Unforgettable Fire.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this yet, but I consider The Unforgettable Fire to be U2's best album. It's spectacular from start to finish, and it has more of an edge (no pun intended) than The Joshua Tree. The Edge has a pretty simple, low-key part here, but it's perfect, and bono is at his best.

#5. Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead from The Bends.

Back before Radiohead became The Best Band In The History Of THe Universe, they put out albums full of singles. They've come a long way since then in terms of musicality and originality, but this has always been one of my favorite songs. I don't think it's as much of an accomplishment as something like "How to Disappear Completely" from Kid A, but this one really stands on it's own. It's too early to tell, but there are a few songs from In Rainbows that have a shot at being on this list in a few years. Fake Plastic Trees, though, is just a great single. Great music, great lyrics, great vocals. There's nothing to complain about.

#4. Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan from Highway 61 Revisited.

I am not a hige Dylan fan. I'm not saying that I don't like him, just that I have only heard about 5% of his immense body of work. I'm sure that Dylan fans will laugh at this choice, since they probably think that he has about 200 songs that are better than this one. Well, maybe he does, but I haven't heard them.

I'm not exactly sure what I mean by this, but to me, this song sounds like revolution. I don't know if I mean a social revolution, or a musical revolution because I'm picturing the way people felt the first time they heard it. Some songs are about personal thoughts and feelings, some are written by trying to project yourself into someone else, and some are written by means that are a complete mystery to me. It's almost like the song was always destined to exist, and it was just waiting for someone to create it, and immediately takes on a life of it's own. This is one of those songs.

#3. Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want - The Smiths.

This is probably the shortest song on the list, but I respect that. It could have been made longer, because honestly not a whole lot happens, but it's perfect like it is. I like this song so much that I actually chose it as my song to walk out to for our wedding. This is yet another example of the amazing originality of The Smiths and Morrissey.

#2. Baba O'Riley - The Who from Who's Next.

Back when I was playing in Cool Dry Place, we played a handful of covers. This is the only song that, while I was playing it, I was actually aware of how COOL it was that I was playing it. I would actually say I was honored and grateful that we got the chance to play it. It's an amazing song, and I don't know how you could listen to it without being affected by it. Depending on the part of the song, it's cool, technical, bad-ass, catchy, and beautiful. There are plenty of songs on this list that I would expect to defend, and may have trouble standing up to scrutiny. This is not one of them.

#1. Waltz #2 - Elliott Smith from XO.

This may surprise people, but from the first time I heard this song, I knew it was one of the best songs I'd ever heard. Not long after that, I realized that it was probably the best song I've ever heard. This is true for several reasons:

1. It's a waltz. Think about this. It's a FRIGGIN WALTZ. How cool is that that Elliott wrote a song that's a waltz?
2. It's personal. If you learn anything about Elliott Smith and his childhood, you'll realize that this song is personal to an almost uncomfortable degree.
3. If you DON'T know about Elliott's childhood and how personal this song is, you can easily create your own story for it.
4. The chorus is amazingly simple, but has a huge impact. It's almost heartbreaking to listen to. It's only one line:

 i'm never gonna know you now, but i'm gonna love you anyhow.

It might not look like much, but to hear Elliott sing it, it carries a lot of weight.

As I said, this song is about something very specific, but I don't want to tell anyone what it is. I'd prefer that everyone just try listening to it without already having anything specific in mind. If you haven't heard it yet, all I ask is that you give it a try. In my opinion, it's the perfect song.

-Well, that's it. I feel like I started off a little stronger than I finished, but it's a bit of a tiring process to explain what you like about 30 different songs.

I'm hoping that this will be a discussion. I'd love if people tried listening to any of these songs the songs that they don't know, and let me know what you think of them. The only thing I ask is that you listen a least a few times before passing judgement. Some of these songs really grew on me, and might not seem like much at first listen. I will instantly disregard any feedback that starts with "I listened to the first 30 seconds of this song and turned it off. It blew!"

#20. No Woman No Cry (Live) - Bob Marley

This song was a lot like November Rain for me. Choosing it almost feels a little too obvious, since the song is a little overplayed at times.  However, I just can't deny what a great song it is. Maybe the fact that it's a live song adds to the feeling, but I just can't help but think that a live Bob Marley concert would have been a spiritual, feel-good, we're all brothers type of experience. All the weed probably would have helped.

#19. The Gunner's Dream - Pink Floyd from The Final Cut

Most Floyd fans would probably not consider The Final Cut among their best albums. In the balance between Roger Water's lyric-oriented songs and David Gilmour's musicality, The Final Cut may skew a little too far towards Roger's side. Basically, it's the first Roger Waters solo album. From that though, comes some of the best imagery and storytelling that I've ever heard. The Gunner's Dream is about a WWII Gunner (I'm guessing on a bomber) who gets shot down. The whole song occurs in his mind, in the time between getting shot and crashing into the ground.

Floating down through the clouds
Memories come rushing up to meet me now.
In the space between the heavens
and in the corner of some foreign field
I had a dream.

He goes on to picture his funeral, in what has to be the most perfectly described funeral ever:

Good-bye Max.
Good-bye Ma.
After the service when you're walking slowly to the car
And the silver in her hair shines in the cold November air
You hear the tolling bell
And touch the silk in your lapel
And as the tear drops rise to meet the comfort of the band
You take her frail hand
And hold on to the dream.

This song was always especially meaningful to me. My father was 50 when I was born, and one of the curses of having old parents is that you're forced to start picturing their funeral at a younger age than should be allowed. On top of that, he was a WWII Veteran, so the connection was pretty obvious...

#18. Angeles - Elliott Smith from Either/Or

Elliott Smith may be my favorite solo songwriter, and yes, I felt like that even before he was dead. "Angeles" is a song about the Record Industry. Some people may call Elliott's music depressing, but I just consider it realistic.

 Someone's always coming around here trailing some new kill
Says i seen your picture on a hundred dollar bill
And what's a game of chance to you, to him is one of real skill
So glad to meet you
Angeles

#17. Birdhouse In Your Soul - They Might Be Giants from Flood.

For those of you who's only experience with this song is when Heather sang it at karaoke, I suggest you check it out again. At first listen, I thought it was goofy little nonsense song with a catchy tune. Once I paid attention to the lyrics, though, I thought it was brilliant. It's a song written from the point of view of a Blue Canary Nightlight. How is that NOT brilliant? 

Who watches over you

Make a little birdhouse in your soul

...

There's a picture opposite me
Of my primitive ancestry
Which stood on rocky shores
And kept the beaches shipwreck-free
Though I respect that a lot
I'd be fired if that were my job
After killing Jason off
And countless screaming Argonauts
Bluebird of friendliness
Like guardian angels it's
Always near

 That song is exactly why I love They Might Be Giants.

#16. Don't Stop Believing - Journey from Escape

I almost threw this song off the list right away. I thought that maybe I was always blinded by this song like everyone else in Metro Detroit ("Born and raised in South DetroiWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!". When I listened to it again, I realized it was wrong to be influenced by that. It's a great song, no matter where you're from. Back when I was running the video show for That 80's Band, this was one of the few songs that didn't have any video at all. I always looked forward to the break, when I could just kick back for a few minutes and have a smoke and listen to this song. The fact that it was in the final scene of The Sopranos (which I still say was awesome), its place in American Pop Culture History is set in stone.

#15. Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix from Axis: Bold As Love

There are plenty of people who say that Jimi was overrated as a guitar player. Sometimes I think that's possible as well, but its not while I'm listening to Little Wing.

#14. Let Down - Radiohead from OK Computer.

As far as I'm concerned, OK Computer is probably the best album in history. There are other songs on that album that are cooler and more creative, but this one is my favorite. This is another song that I can't say much about other than that it's a great song and I love it.

#13. One - U2 from Achtung Baby.

As much as U2 has had a bit of a backlash lately over being so huge and commercial and media-whorish, you cannot deny that they wrote amazing songs. Achtung Baby is probably the last album they made that I consider almost perfect from beginning to end. They've had good songs since then, but nothing that I consider in the league of Achtung or Joshua Tree or The Unforgettable Fire. Everyone has heard this song, so I don't need to recap any of the lyrics or describe anything in detail. The only thing I will say is that if you haven't listened to it since it was popular, listen to it again.

#12. One - Metallica from ...And Justice For All.

This song (and I don't use this term often, or lightly) kicks ass. I would like to learn drums JUST so I could play Lar's drum line during the outro. Oh my god, it is awesome. Regardless of what Metallica did later or how annoying they got with their whiney, alienating "Don't download music" crap, this song RULES.

11. Eulogy - Tool from Aenima.

From an album that would surely by in my Top 10 (maybe top 5) is a song that absolutely blew me away the first time I heard it. This wasn't one of those songs that I had to hear a few times to really appreciate it. The very first time, it smacked me in the head. The intro is great (sometimes I really love a long intro), and from there it changes and morphs but it's always attacking. It has to be the most scathing view of organized religion ever recorded in a song. I'm not sure if it's a direct shot at Christianity or at religious cults or at L. Ron Hubbard, but you get the picture:

We wish you well.
You told us how you weren't afraid to die.
Well then, so long.
Don't cry.
Or feel too down.
Not all martyrs see divinity.
But at least you tried.

Standing above the crowd,
He had a voice that was strong and loud.
We'll miss him.
Ranting and pointing his finger
At everything but his heart.
We'll miss him.

Standing above the crowd,
He had a voice so strong and loud and I
Swallowed his facade cuz I'm so
Eager to identify with
Someone above the ground,
Someone who seemed to feel the same,
Someone prepared to lead the way, with
Someone who would die for me.

Will you? Will you now?
Would you die for me?
Don't you fuckin lie.
Don't you step out of line.
Don't you fuckin lie.

You had alot to say.
You had alot of nothing to say.

Come down.
Get off your fuckin cross.
We need the fuckin space to nail the next fool martyr.

So...yeah...don't fuck with Maynard.

10 - 1: Coming Soon

Ummm.....Ninja Warrior on G4? I came across it by accident and it....is....AWESOME. I added a Season Pass after watching about 2 minutes of it.

Thank you, Hollywood! If there had been more new shows on TV, I never would have been looking for something to watch, because there would have been plenty already on my DVR.

Watch it. Watch it now. THIS is good television.

So as I started doing this, I realized it's pretty much a pointless exercise. I've always preferred to look at albums as a whole, rather than individual songs, and here I am trying to rate them. Do I rate them based on what songs I actually consider "good" or "genius", or just what songs I like (because there IS a difference).  It ended up being really hard, but I think I found a good balance. Plus, there's the fact that music is completely objective and coming up with any type of rating is just stupid. That's part of the fun though.

Now for the disclaimer:

****DISCLAIMER****

While these songs are technically "The best songs ever" in my reality, I do not expect that to be true for anyone else. I'm not trying to come up with a list that would be accepted by critics or the majority of regular people. I'm just listing what songs I think are the best based on varying and completely hypocritical criteria. Some I think are technically and creatively brilliant; others are just fun to listen to. It's my list, so it can be whatever I want. So there.

I may try to set up an iMix in iTunes, so everyone can check them out. Until then, you know how to use the search function...

Here's the first group (30-21).

#30. Fuckin' In The Bushes - Oasis from Standing On The Shoulder of Giants.

This song will be remembered by anyone that has seen Snatch. It's playing during a totally bad ass scene, and it's a bad ass song. The only lyrics are sampled from a documentary about The Isle of Wight Festival, and it's pretty repetitive. I could be considered a pretty average song, except for the fact that it really makes me want to break a beer bottle over someone's head (and this is coming from someone that hasn't been in a fight since the 6th grade). If you are ever wronged in some way, and are trying to talk me into fighting someone, a pint of Guiness and this song played really loudly would be a good way to get the ball rolling. It may be #30, but it would be #1 on my List of Songs That Get Me Fired Up.

#29. Hoppipolla - Sigur Ros from Takk.

Sigur Ros is an Icelandic band who sings in a mix of Icelandic and a made-up language. The lead vocalist is an androgynous fellow who plays his guitar with a violin bow, and they put on the best live performance that I've ever seen. They have a lot of great songs, but I think Hoppipolla is the most cinematic. As I think I've said here before, my favorite songs are those that make me feel like I'm in a movie when I listen to them. This one does it as well as any others. The title means "Jumping into puddles".

#28. November Rain - Guns N' Roses from Use Your Illusion I.

This one was a tough choice for me. I really had to detach myself from popular opinion. Like anyone else, I had become sick of this song with how much it was overplayed in the 90's. I heard it again a few months ago for the first time in years, and I kind of rediscovered it. It's not as cool as most of the songs from Appetite For Destruction, but it's pretty much perfectly put together. Maybe that's because Axl was working on it for about 10 years. As a side note, I was mentioning to Heather this summer (after I listened to Appetite while cutting the lawn) that we need to stop lumping GNR in with 80's Hair Metal. Appetite is more of a punk album than anything. I'm going to buy a GNR shirt, and other hipsters will think that I'm wearing it ironically, but I WON'T BE. I'll be wearing it cause GNf'nR RULES.

#27. Slow Graffiti - Belle & Sebastian from Push Barman To Open Old Wounds.

This is the first of probably several songs that I can't really explain why they're on here, other than that I love them. I'm a little embarrassed by this one, because Heather had been trying to get me to listen to this song for about a year (she got it from a friend), but I kept refusing because I didn't like the name Belle and Sebastian. I was picturing something that was incredibly sucky, and I was wrong. They're a band from Scotland that do a great job of mixing 60's Pop and Folk and a few other things. After listening to this first song, I bought a few more of their albums, and they're now among my favorites. Yet another band that sounds like they're writing songs for movie scenes, which I consider a great thing.

#26. Temptation - New Order (single), also from the Trainspotting Soundtrack.

We're only 4 songs in and already we have the 2nd song from a movie, although I think this only showed up in the movie when a character sang it. Anyway, I'm sometimes surprised at how much I like New Order (yes, I liked them before I knew they were from Manchester). I just can't help myself. New Order was formed by the surviving members of Joy Division after Ian Curtis died, but they sound NOTHING alike. New Order is mostly electronic pop/dance music, but it is GREAT pop dance music. They have a lot of other songs that I like (Age of Consent, especially), but this is the best of them all. I never get sick of listening to it, and it does a great job of either making me feel happy or sad, depending on what I'm looking for at the time. Not many of these songs can do that. My favorite part is the breakdown with "Oh you've got green eyes/Oh, you've got blue eyes/Oh, you've got gray eyes". I'm not sure why. It's just cool.

#25. I Don't Like Mondays - The Boomtown Rats, The Fine Art of Surfacing.

If none of the other songs have surprised you yet, this one probably will. I've always liked it, but a few months ago I was woken up to it on a Sunday morning by my clock radio. I had always thought it was a good song, but when I had nothing to do but lay there and listen to it, I realized "This is a GREAT fucking song". It does exactly what songs are supposed to do. For anyone that doesn't know it's about a 16 year old California girl that opened fire on an elementary school playground in 1979, killing 8 children and 2 adults. When she was asked why she did it, she said "I don't like Mondays. This livens up the day". This is a true story. The song is LITERALLY about this. I mean if you know it, you can't miss it.

When) The silicon chip inside her head
Gets switched to overload
And nobody’s gonna go to school today
She’s gonna make them stay at home
And daddy doesn’t understand it
He always said she was good as gold
And he can see no reasons
'Cos there are no reasons
What reason do you need to be shown?
Tell me why
I don’t like Mondays

If you don't know what it's about, well...it could just be about not liking Mondays. My point is that musically, it's a great song, and lyrically it seems like there's not much to it at first glance, but there's really a lot of feeling and horror in it. There's also a pretty good comment from Bob Geldof (also known for playing the lead in The Wall), which 100% true about most crimes that are committed "he could see no reasons, 'cos there are no reasons. What reasons do you need to be shows?". A good tune, a true story, and solid commentary. That's good music.

#24. Sabotage - The Beastie Boys from Ill Communication.

Do I even need to say anything about this. Everyone knows this song is cool.

#23. Casimir Pulaski Day - Sufjan Stevens from Illinois.

This is a song about a childhood friend dying of cancer. It's probably one of the saddest songs ever written. If it's true, I admire Sufjan for writing about it so openly. If it's fiction, I'm amazed at how he could create something so detailed and specific.

Golden rod and the 4-H stone
The things I brought you
When I found out you had cancer of the bone

Your father cried on the telephone
And he drove his car to the Navy yard
Just to prove that he was sorry

.... On the floor at the great divide
With my shirt tucked in and my shoes untied
I am crying in the bathroom

In the morning when you finally go
And the nurse runs in with her head hung low
And the cardinal hits the window

In the morning in the winter shade
On the first of March on the holiday
I thought I saw you breathing

I've spouted off about Sufjan and his Illinois and Michigan albums before, so I won't do it again. Just listen to them if you haven't.

#22. Rebellion (Lies) - Arcade Fire from Funeral.

Arcade Fire is one of the best bands around today, and this is probably my favorite song by them. There are a few from Neon Bible that may be better, but since that album is pretty new, it's really tough for me to judge yet.

#21. We Are Nowhere and It's Now - Bright Eyes from I'm Wide Awake It's Morning.

Much like Arcade Fire, if I redo this list in another year, there may be another Bright Eyes song on there. Conor Oberst may be the best lyricist around today. I'd almost put him in the same class as Elliott Smith, but the difference is that Conor seems like he's really trying, and I never got that impression from Elliott. Elliott was a lot more understated. Nevertheless, the kid is really talented, and this song has a few of my favorite lines.

And like a ten minute dream in the passenger seat
While the world was flying by
I haven't been gone very long
But it feels like a lifetime

And every time I go to the bar after work, I think of this verse:

 I've got no plans and too much time
I feel too restless to unwind
I'm always lost in thought as I walk the block
To my favorite neon sign

Where the waitress looks concerned
But she never says a word
Just turns the jukebox on and we hum along
And I smile back at her

And my friend comes after work
When the features start to blur
She says these bars are filled with things that kill
By now you probably should have learned

"When the features start to blur" is just awesome. For some reason, I always like it when musicians glorify self-destruction.

20-11. Coming Soon

OK, so coming up with my Top 20 (or so) Songs is a lot harder than I thought. It's pretty tough to take a song completely on it's own merit, without thinking about the artist or the album as a whole.

I'm not TRYING to pick "singles", but when you look at a band like Radiohead, they would probably have 3 or 4 albums in my Top 10 Album list. When I look at individual songs though, which particular songs stand apart? Is They Might Be Giant's best song better than Radiohead's best song?  Is that possible?  Probably not, but it's something to think about.

Also, I'm trying to keep critical acclaim out of this. I'm sure any critic or historian would have 5 Beatles songs in there, but I've never really listened to The Beatles. I might feel like I need to have one of their songs in there, but I'm standing firm. I don't think that New order is a better band than The Beatles, but that might not be the case when it comes to my list.

Anyway, The List is pretty much done, but I want to think about it a bit more. The first batch should be out there this weekend.

I haven't posted anything in about 3 months. There are plenty of articles out there with titles like "The Top 5 Ways To Increase Your Blog Readership". If there was an article about "Top 5 Ways to Drive Readers Away", the winner and runner-up would look something like this:

2. Blah Blah Blah
1. Don't post anything for about 3 months.

Anyway, now that everyone is gone, I can get down to business. There are several reasons why I haven't written anything in so long. They are:

1. Xbox 360.
   1. Rock Band
   2. FIFA Soccer
   3. Call Of Duty 4
2. Garageband For Mac.
   1. Once fall rolls around, I get the itch to start working on music again, and Garageband is really cool.
3. I've been working more. An extra hour at work per day, plus exercising every day, plus watching a show or 2 on TV, leaves me an hour or two per day to do other things. The above items have been more appealing than thinking of something to write.
4. I've become bored with it.

I've toyed with the idea of changing the direction of my blog in an attempt to get myself interested again. I read a couple more Chuck Klosterman¹ books, watched 24 Hour Party People, and continued my search for new music. This, along with actually playing music, has made me realize that music is a very important part of my life. Maybe I should just write about music?  I could have a music-centric blog about new music, old music, music documentaries, interpretation, etc. This is still an option, but I remain a little unconvinced that I'd actually stick with it.

For the last few years, I've been making a list in my head. That list contains The Top 25 (or so) Best Songs Of All Time. I've been adding and rearranging songs here and there, but I'm still not even sure how many are on the list. It's still in the abstract stages, although I have always know what #1 was, probably very shortly after the first time I heard it.

The Top 25 (or so) Songs Of All Time is the Blog Entry that I always meant to make. It was just a little daunting to me, and I was scared at the amount of time it would take me to do it. Still, since this space is going absolutely nowhere right now, I feel like I owe it to myself to finish it.

It will either rejuvinate me and be the springboard to many more quality entries, or it may be the last thing I ever post here. Considering how long I've been thinking about it, either one is fitting.

I'll be writing this whether anyone reads this or not, but it would be nice to know if anyone is still checking my site (I would not blame anyone if they gave up). If you're still checking in, please leave me a comment to let me know.

Thanks, and I hope to have the first segment done this weekend. I'm not sure how many it will take. I guess it will depend on how much I decide to write about each song. Please check back soon. This time, I promise you'll find something

¹Seriously. If you are a guy, you need to read Chuck. if you're a girl who likes Pop Culture or music or wants to know how guys think, you need to read Chuck. If you like talking about random (but interesting) ideas, or things that some people wouldn't waste their time with, but at a certain point in time seem like the most important question EVER, you HAVE to start reading Chuck Klosterman. Just quit being a loser and do it already. Start with Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs or Killing Yourself to Live. You will be glad you did.

Ripped from today's Digg headlines. This is the most impressive thing I've ever seen a group of people do. Supposedly, they have jackets with one coler on the front, one on the back, and another color underneath.

Once the tiger started running, I was convinced it was 'shopped. Then someone posted a link to this.

Yeah, now I completely believe it.

I know that no one needs MORE proof that Radiohead are* the best band ever, but just in case...

Their new album, In Rainbows, is being released in 10 days. Right now, it's only available through their website. The only options are MP3 Download and a "Disc Box", which contains a CD, vinyl, artwork, and other stuff for $80.

Great, but how much does the MP3 download cost?  It costs however much you want to pay. Go ahead. Go to the site and pre-order it. You'll see.

I personally chose to spend 5.51 Pounds on it, because why not. I could have spent less, because this is certainly a less expensive distribution method for them, but I think they deserve it and I want this to work.

If nothing else, this will be a pretty interesting experiment in 'The Honor System". How many people will download for free?  Of those, how many will go back to download it again and pay if they like it? How many true Radiohead fans will pay MORE than they usually would?

Either way, Radiohead have a lot of balls to try this. That's exactly why their music is great. They do everything exactly the way they want to.  How many times have they completely changed their sound, seemingly just to challenge themselves?  Yes, you can be one of these people that says "I liked The Bends. OK Computer was good, but they lost me after that". You can say that, but you'd be missing out.

*Since they're an English band, I'm using the plural "are", instead of the American singular "is". If I was talking about Tool, I'd say "Tool is..".

Thanks to Aaron for finding this. I don't know how I missed it (I guess I do know, I've been busy).

I had obviously been reading about Hotel Chevalier, Wes Anderson's short film to accompany The Darjeeling Express. There have been conflicting reports: It would be shown before Darjeeling, it would be shown seperately, it would be seen nowhere until the DVD release, etc.

On Tuesday, the Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported that it will be shown first in Apple Stores in select cities, then on iTunes.

Well, it's actually available on iTunes now!  For Free!!!

It is very Wesian, there is a little neked Portman, but even leaving that out, it's well worth a watch. I am always thankful for any visit into one of Wes' worlds, even if it's only 10 minutes. They're just so great. Not everything ends well, and people get hurt, but usually only in ways that make them more interesting. As someone who can appreciate those bad, depressing, awkward times, it really appeals to me.

If you have iTunes, you can download it by clicking here. If you don't have iTunes, bad move.

No, I could not be any more excited for The Darjeeling Limited. Wes Anderson is one of my favorite directors. I LOVED Rushmore. The Royal Tenenbaums is honestly my favorite movie. He creates the most interesting characters I've ever seen and complete, detailed worlds for them to live in. H and I dressed up as friggin Richie and Margot for Halloween! She even had a wooden finger! Yes, we'll be there opening night, preferably at midnight because that just seems like a cool time to see a movie you're excited about. So no, I could not be ANY more exci....WHO'S BOOBS?

Don't be afraid to click. It's just an article. No actual boobs.

This is why I love Wes Anderson. 1. He makes a movie that looks awesome. 2. He makes a 17 minute short film to serve as a prologue that may or may not actually appear in theaters. 3. Natalie. Portman. Neked. (potentially).

Me love Wes.

I was watching Back To The Future tonight (awesome movie) and I noticed something strange.

For a minute, let's toss aside the huge paradox that is BTTF, and just concentrate on the events of the movie.

Marty McFly goes back in time. His mom falls in lust with him and his dad is a wimp. Marty teaches his dad to stick up for himself and eventually fixes his parents up. As far as his parents are concerned, he is responsible for them ending up together. This is where my questions start (again, ignore the obvious space/time impossibilities of this).

Apparently, George and Lorraine are so grateful to Marty for fixing them up, that they name their child after him. But NOT so grateful that they name their First Born child after him. They named that kid Dave. They named their 3rd kid Marty.

The weird part starts when Marty grows up to look exactly like the good ol' Marty that fixed them up. He even has the same penchant for wearing a Life Preserver when he's walking around. Did they not think this was weird? They had to notice. Granted, he wasn't there long, but he played a pretty major role in their lives. They never thought "Hey, we named our kid after Marty and he grew up to look EXACTLY lke him. That is bizarre. Come to think of it, Marty sure was a mysterious fellow.  He knew what was going to happen in that episiode of The Honeymooners. It's almost like he could see the future. He also came out of nowhere and disappeared just as fast. Hmm..maybe I should ask Doc Brown where Marty went. Marty seemed to be hanging out with him all the time. Hold up a tic, OUR MARTY is always hanging out with Doc Brown too. Same name, same looks, same life preserver, hanging out with that crazy Doc Brown all the time. This is getting fishier by the minute".

Yeah. I don't buy it.

My Football Allegiance is set.

Last weekend I was doing some more reading on Premier League teams. I was checking out Wikipedia articles, and also went back to read some of the Fan Emails when The Sports Guy was looking for recommendations on a team to root for.  Some emails from Manchester City Fans stuck out for me. They were already one of the main clubs I was considering, but this really hit home:

     "City, as they are affectionately called, is the ugly step-sister to the city's other, slightly more recognizable team, Manchester United. While United has the history, drama, and celebrity following, City just yearns for a little respect. Americans can't root for teams like United, Arsenal, or Chelsea, because the British just won't respect you.

     Brits know that the only team Americans know is Man United because of David Beckham, and he hasn't played there for a few years. Arsenal and Chelsea, the other powerhouses of the league, attract American fans simply because they win. Go with City as your new team. They are young, exciting, have a likeable manager in former player Stuart Pearce, and the nicest stadium in the Premiership. Plus, U.S. team captain Claudio Reyna plays here and City has nothing but exceedingly loyal fans (including the Gallagher brothers of Oasis, who own a luxury box at the stadium), and not the bandwagon that follows United. Even better, though, City is on the verge of making it big."

     "They are basically English soccer's version of the pre-2004 Red Sox -- always in the shadow of their more famous and far wealthier evil neighbor (Manchester United instead of the Yankees), incredibly loyal fans despite years of broken hearts (no real success in nearly 40 years), supported by celebrities who have seen better days (Oasis instead of Ben Affleck)"

      "Fans -- I spent a semester in college in Manchester. All the Manchester City fans are the local hardworking types. They say the Man City fans are in Manchester and Man U fans live in Dubai and Hong Kong."

Just looking for a little respect?  Big, Rich, Famous Bandwagon rival team (Manchester United) just across town?  Manchester United's fans are fans just because they're good? Man City has ups and downs that drive their fans crazy, but yet they always stick with them? I did some more reading. Apparently, they have a history of playing amazingly and beating a team no one expected them to beat, only to turn around and lose to a team they are obviously better than. Is this starting to sound like another team that I am a fan of? Yes, Michigan State. Man City is the MSU of the EPL, and Manchester United is pretty much U of M. So, starting last week, Manchester City was pretty much My Team. I was TRYING to keep an open mind since my first season as an EPL fan was only a couple weeks old, but I could FEEL that it had already been decided. Really, that's all I wanted out of this. To have a team push itself out to the front without me making a conscious decision or having to throw a dart at a board. Basically, I wanted the team to choose ME, and that's exactly what happened.

The first game I watched this season was Man City over West Ham. I missed their match against Derby, but was happy to see that they won. Their match today was against Manchester United, so I was obviously pretty fired up. It was an 8:30am game, so I woke up, rolled over, and turned it on. They seemed to be outplayed for a majority of the game, but they somehow scored a goal, hung tough, and kept Man U scoreless for the entire game. This was the EPL equivalent of MSU beating U of M. It was a gutsy win with some great defense, and I am officially off the market. Liverpool, Everton, Fulham, Aston Villa, Arsenal, and everyone else, thank you for your application, but screw off. I roll with City now.

On top of it all, their fans sing "Blue Moon". How cool is that?  It has absolutely nothing to do with sports, and thousands of fans sing it at the top of their lungs. That is awesome.

Of course, when I was looking at an unofficial Man City website, I see that they also sing this one (or at least used to sing it):

FILTHY MAN UNITED (1981)

(tune: Glory glory)

The filthy Man United went to Rome to see the Pope
The filthy Man United went to Rome to see the Pope
The filthy Man United went to Rome to see the Pope
And this is what he said: "F*CK OFF"

Who the f*ck are Man United
Who the f*ck are Man United
Who the f*ck are Man United

The famous Man City went south to see the Queen
The famous Man City went south to see the Queen
The famous Man City went south to see the Queen
And this is what she said:

We love you City we do
We love you City we do
We love you City we do
Oh when the blues go marching on, and on and on and on and on

How do you not appreciate a sport that comes up with songs like that? The POPE tells Man U to F*ck Off? Sign me up.