A day late and a crapload short

Late by a day, which is becoming the norm. I won’t even bother making excuses, because I’m sure you’re tired of hearing them, and I’m just as tired of giving them.

1. A3 – The Speed of the Sound of Loneliness – Not the song I was thinking there might be a home for in Monkeyhouse, but somehow it’s the one that’s been stuck in my head for a few days now. Have I mentioned yet how amazing these guys are? “Exile On Coldharbour Lane” is an absolute must-buy of an album. Seriously. Or download it, I guess. Just, you know, get your damn hands on it.


2. Depeche Mode – Personal Jesus (Pump Mix) – Depeche Mode’s “Violator” album was one of my favourites around Grade 11 or 12, and this was easily one of the best tracks from the album (though I actually preferred “Enjoy the Silence” by just a wee bit). I’m not sure exactly where my current copy of this remix is from, but I know I had a copy of it somewhere at the time, when DM’s dark and brooding words spoke to my tormented, angst-ridden soul. God, I’m glad I’m not a teenager anymore. Still, the song remains catchy.


3. Evanescence – Forgive Me – Seems to be from one of the many bootleg albums that flooded the Internet after the popularity of “Fallen.” You just about couldn’t shake a stick without bumping into something related to Evanescence. I wonder if they’re ever going to get around to releasing a second album (and no, their live album release doesn’t count)?


4. Nine Inch Nails – I Do Not Want This – One of my favourites off “The Downward Spiral” and one that, at one time, I pictured as opening credit music for a film I wanted to write. A nice blend of quiet and somber sadness that drifts into a frustrated rage. The final, repeated series of lines “I want to know everything, I want to be everywhere, I want to fuck everyone in the world, I want to do something that matters,” always kind of reminded me of the frustration felt in Tyler Durden’s lost hope speech from Fight Club: “We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off.”


5. Sheryl Crow – A Change Will Do You Good – I kind of go warm and cold on Sheryl Crow. Some days I like her, some days she seems…I don’t know, kind of boring and obvious. I think I’m leaning towards an off day today.


6. They Might Be Giants – Number Three – Ah, my favourite of TMBG’s classic somgs. “There’s only songs in me, and just wrote the third; Don’t know where I got the inspiration, or how I wrote the words.” Love it!


7. Alanis Morissette – Joining You – Sounds like it’s from an Unplugged recording of some kind. I don’t seem to recognize the song, which isn’t surprising, as I don’t know much of her stuff, beyond the songs that tend to hit the radio. I don’t mind Alanis most of the time, but every once and awhile her stuff feels a bit too much like prefab-alternative to really ring true. But maybe that’s just me.


8. Donna Summer – Hot Stuff – And this one…God, I don’t even know where it came from. Moving right along.


9. Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb – From the “Under Construction” album (an early-on-in-development demo version of the Wall, which is absolutely fascinating to listen to). Unfortunately, even the novelty of this early version – completely with alternate lyrics – can’t change the fact that I have, for years, found this song ridiculously overplayed. And this coming from a massive Pink Floyd fan. I’m just sick of everyone and their dog falling all over themselves over this song, when they have dozens of other songs – just as good – that most people have never heard before.


10. Roger Waters – Going to Live in LA – I’m not sure where – if anywhere – this song originally appeared. I’ve got it as part of a fan-created extended version of “Radio KAOS” called “Project KAOS” which adds about three or four songs to the album. Some good, some kind of just okay. This one definitely on the kind-of-just-okay side, though “Towers of Faith” is a great tune.


11. Machines of Loving Grace – Golgotha Tenement Blues – From the Crow soundtrack. That’s a movie I haven’t seen in far, far too long.