Hello all,
Welcome to the first post of what is set to be quite a long form MixTape. With a whole other slew of priorities and projects currently occupying both my plate and back-burner, here is my solution to keep this blog going steady and fun for the moment. This is something I see as a perfect medley of autopilot and challenge. I am creating this AZ series of mixtapes by selecting one song to represent each artist’s work up on my CD shelf. Yes, that is from an actual physical CD–as for now I won’t attempt to tackle the 10,000-plus “items” stored up digitally on my computers.
Taking this on from A and continuing through the entirety of the alphabet until I touch down upon Z, this certainly provides direction and a forward momentum of its own. However, the challenge lies in selection and finding a flow to thread it all together. In a pursuit for clarity I am going to skip all the various compilations, soundtracks, tribute albums, genre box-sets, and the like that I own on CD. Perhaps I’ll create one for just those someday.
In addition, I plan on pairing each song with a line or two of quick poetic impression. Utilizing each track as a mandala—a target for focus—or perhaps as a prism to refract thought, I think of this aspect of the AZ project as a Solitaire variation on the Surrealists’ game of Exquisite Corpse. Once all that is completed my intention is to present them stitched and somewhat refined in structure at the bottom of the post. Hopefully in the end I’ll have a few good poems to show, but even that concept of “good” doesn’t seem all that important for this project. A psychic investigation and a form of exercise to keep my imagination limber and help the creative juices to continue to flow: sure this may all be a bit self-indulgent, but hell, what isn’t in this world?
Now I know that these scribbles may only serve to distance the listener from the core of these artists’ work, as opposed to hinting at a new lens to view them; so I invite you all to create your own and if you like feel free to post them in the comments section below.
Although every song found on these might not be what I normally would present on a mix, or even be something I’d typically recommend, I’m positive the results will at least be more interesting than a standard music block on your radio. I must admit that in the case of some of this music I might not have listened to it in over two decades, and I’m sure that there will be a few I’ve actually never listened to more than once if at all. However, I must say, I’m pretty pleased with how this first one came out.
So click below to commence what is sure to be a long, long, long and bumpy ride.
…and as always,
–ENJOY YOURSELF–
————-(CLICK TO LISTEN & DOWNLOAD)———————-
AZ— VOLUME 1
S.O.S. – ABBA (from The Millennium Collection)
Between The Bridge And The Chapel – The Actual (from In Stitches)
Nobody Girl – Ryan Adams (from Gold)
What It Takes – Aerosmith (from Pump)
When We Two Parted – The Afghan Whigs (from Gentlemen)
Five Star Life – Damon Albarn (from Democrazy)
Over Now – Alice In Chains (from Alice In Chains [Tripod])
Tricky Dick – Ben Allison (from Cowboy Justice)
Little Martha – The Allman Brothers Band (from Eat A Peach)
Color Humano – Almendra (from Almendra 1)
Do Fa Self – Apache (from Apache Ain’t Shit)
Slowly/Slowly (dub) – Aphrodesia (from Shackrobeat Vol. 1)
On The Bound – Fiona Apple (from When The Pawn…)
Talk To Her – India.Arie (from Voyage To India)
A—————————————————— — — — ————- ———Z
O how the desperate learn to dance upon the decks by any means.
S.O.S. – ABBA (from The Millennium Collection)
—————————————— — – – — —– ——————–
The four-cornered barb is cast out with the twine unwound into the grit of young love.
Between The Bridge And The Chapel – The Actual (from In Stitches)
———————— ————— — ———————— — —
some-come—some-go—some-come again—
some are forced to live forever
sealed-over under
the masks of Thalia and Melpomene.
Nobody Girl – Ryan Adams (from Gold)
———————————- —- – – – ————– – —- ————- – —
Back then you could kick and feel
often
enough
but now all that’s been hammered so thin…like fine iron.
What It Takes – Aerosmith (from Pump)
———- – ———————– — – ——- —— – – —- —— —— – — –
So we slip on in our robust costumes and roll forward; stumble from stoop to doorstep to pillow, but we don’t stop.
—Stop!
—Sleep!
When We Two Parted – The Afghan Whigs (from Gentlemen)
————- – ———————- — – – — — – —– ——– — – ——— –
Here we are in America, where the brittle are given some fluids to shine,
—nail polish and dentures—
and if they’re lucky, for a rare majority, their very own television show.
Five Star Life – Damon Albarn (from Democrazy)
– – — ———————— — — – —————– — – – – – – ———————————— ———-
The seep and chime from pipes of lead, the stabbed then dead, the sop of thin blood,
—Stop!
—Sleep!
Over Now – Alice In Chains (from Alice In Chains [Tripod])
———— —- —————— —— – – – – —— – ——————— ———- —
Hormones may roil about us,
but I’ll make you love me one day on this boat from which we paddle.
Tricky Dick – Ben Allison (from Cowboy Justice)
———– – — – ———– —- – – ————- — – – ——— — –
We get clean, we get well, some-come-heaven—some-go-hell—
Little Martha – The Allman Brothers Band (from Eat A Peach)
——————- — —————————— —- – — ———————- — ———————— –
The far river shore is boiled down to serve as a window of stained glass, through which we may peer out at the near river shore.
Color Humano – Almendra (from Almendra 1)
——————————- —- ———- —- ————————- – – ——- – – —–
It’s all a juggle
of tinfoil balls that bounce, and hubris, and hurt…
Do Fa Self – Apache (from Apache Ain’t Shit)
– — — — — – —- ——- ———– — — — – – ——— –
—slowly, slowly, slowly we bloom— slow we come towards the honest blossoms of orgasm.
Slowly/Slowly (dub) – Aphrodesia (from Shackrobeat Vol. 1)
— – —————- — — – – – – – – – – —————– ———- — – – – — – ——————— –
We hunger for patterns on which we may spit the weight and fret of all our coils.
On The Bound – Fiona Apple (from When The Pawn…)
—- —- — — —– —– ——— ———- — – — ——- — ———- ———— —– — – — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – —
…and spill and coil and spill and coil and spill and coil…and spill…and coil…and speak
Truth
with soil on our tongues…
…say so slowly…
Talk To Her – India.Arie (from Voyage To India)
————— – ——————- — —————- — — ————– — ———
AR (Are We Still Swimming?)
O how the desperate learn to dance upon the decks by any means:
The four-cornered barb is cast out with the twine unwound into the grit of young love.
some-come—some-go—some-come again—
some are forced to live forever
sealed-over under
the masks of Thalia and Melpomene.
Back then you could kick and feel
often
enough
but now all that’s been hammered so thin…like fine iron.
So we slip on in our robust costumes and roll forward; stumble from stoop to doorstep to
pillow, but we don’t stop.
—Stop!
—Sleep!
Here we are in America, where the brittle are given some fluids to shine,
—nail polish and dentures—
and if they’re lucky, for a rare majority, their very own television show.
The seep and chime from pipes of lead, the stabbed, then dead, the sop of thin blood,
—Stop!
—Sleep!
Hormones may roil about us,
but I’ll make you love me one day on this boat from which we paddle.
We get clean, we get well, some-come-heaven—some-go-hell—
The far river shore is boiled down to serve as a window of stained glass,
through which we
may peer out at the near river shore.
It’s all a juggle
of tinfoil balls that bounce, and hubris, and hurt…
—slowly, slowly, slowly we bloom— slow we come towards the honest blossoms
of orgasm.
We hunger for patterns on which we may spit the weight and fret of all our coils…
…and spill and coil and spill and coil and spill and coil…and spill…and coil…and speak
Truth
with soil on our tongues…
…say so slowly…
———————————— ————
————All the best to you and yours,
——————————Bobby Calero——————— — —
A Mouthful of Pennies 