Ah yes. It's getting to be that time of the year again. Publications worldwide are making lists, ranking music, movies, books, performances and checking them twice. So I thought I'd contribute the top ten most played tracks on the ol' Jimmypod, now nearly a year old. Mind you, not a single one of these tracks was released this year, but that didn't stop me from enjoying them repeatedly since last January. I believe the Ipod has to play the entire track from start to finish (a partial play does not count) to get counted as a play. This may account for what seem to be a low number of plays for my favorites, because it seems like I probably listened to them more than is indicated.
1.
I Second That Emotion (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, 16 plays)2.
The Tracks of My Tears (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, 15 Plays)
Wow, Smokey dominating the Jimmyhead top 5 with two of his biggest hits. Bob Dylan once referred to Robinson as "America's greatest living poet."
Take a good look at my face
You'll see my smile looks out of place
If you look closer it's easy to trace
The tracks of my tears.
Love that. These songs probably reached their lofty position on the list because I enjoy them so much that I often play them twice in a row. Also, earlier this year I was learning how to play the guitar chords for "I Second That Emotion" which I'm sure bolstered the play count.
3.
Who Did You Think I Was? (John Mayer Trio, 14 plays) Not a normal suburban child, the Fairfield County Kid channels Stevie Ray Vaughn on guitar, but his lyrics evoke the sharp wit of Paul Simon. On this track (which by the way comes closest in the list to having been released this year), he shreds what's left of his teen pop prodigy image, revealing a closeted blues freak.
4.
Karma (Alicia Keys, 13 Plays)This version, from the "Unplugged" album is white hot. Played short as part of a two song medley with "Heartburn"(which I would think gets played just as much, but must be excluded from this list due to some applause and banter at the end of the track that I skip over), this track shows off a well honed band with Alicia front and center. I once read that she initially had trouble communicating with her backing musicians. Problem solved.
5.
(Don't Go Back To) Rockville (R.E.M. 13 plays)This is my favorite R.E.M. song. Great lyrics about how depressing it is to live "Where nobody says hello, they don't talk to anybody they don't know." I consider learning the guitar part this year to be one of the major musical achievements of my long, slow, undisciplined journey to guitar mediocrity. Favorite lyrics:
At night I drink myself to sleep
And pretend I don't care that you're not here with me
Cause it's so much easier to handle
All my problems if I'm too far out to see
Something better happen soon
Or it's gonna be to late to bring me back
I love when Michael Stipe sings about getting shitfaced.
6.
Baby Love (The Supremes, 13 plays)Motown at it's finest. Diana Ross' voice is so sweet it sounds fake. I've actually played this one out a little bit.
7.
Walk On (Live) (U2, 13 plays)This song came out before 9/11, but when they performed it for the post 9/11 "A Tribute to Heroes" telethon it seemed made for the moment. Bono seems to be getting choked up during some of the verses, and the line "Stay safe tonight" always gives me a chill.
8.
When I Paint My Masterpiece (Live) (The Band, 12 plays)This is from the "Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Tribute Concert" and features The Band with their 90's, post Robbie Robertson lineup, and Levon Helm in full voice before his health problems set in. Just a great acoustic performance of a great Dylan song with Helm on Mandolin and Rick Denko singing his signature harmonies. This whole album is a perfect example of how a great cover of a Dylan song can transcend the original.
9.
Least Complicated (Live) (Indigo Girls, 12 Plays) Yet another live track. This from the Indigo's album "1200 Curfews". To start, one of the girls (I think it's the blonde one) tells this great story about buying a ring for her cute little fifth grade boyfriend and discovering that "it wasn't the cool thing to do", which the lesbians in the audience (and me) just love. This song is sort of about that story and the performance is incredibly powerful. A recent episode of "The Office" featured two guys drunkenly bonding while singing another Indigos song, "Closer To Fine". This scene made me feel like it was okay to be a heterosexual man and love the Indigos. They rocked when I saw them at the Lillith Fair.
10.
I Want You Back (The Jackson 5, 12 plays)If you want to understand what's wrong with Michael Jackson, listen to his vocal on this track. A normal 11 year old should not be able to summon the emotions required to get a performance like this on tape. Michael sings far beyond his years. Even at 11 there is clearly nothing normal about him.
