Friday Five : |ˈfrÄ«dÄ – fÄ«v| : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button in iTunes and share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up the media player of your choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.
The Five:
“Lucretia My Reflection” by The Sisters of Mercy (from Floodland, 2006)
Only Andrew Eldritch can make a 4-bar drum and bass loop so damned interesting. This is arguably the template upon which the industrial music of the ’90s was built. Remastered in 2006, this recording is significantly “cleaner” than its previous CD transfer.
“I’m Afraid of Americans (V1)” by David Bowie (from I’m Afraid of Americans, 1997)
Case in point! Industrial music fit Bowie really well, and he took that fit straight to the bank by collaborating with Nine Inch Nails mastermind, Trent Reznor. Reznor’s influence is all over this, from the repeating two-note piano tag, to the mega-distorted guitar beds. Trent made no bones about being a Bowie fan; their collaboration actually worked incredibly well, even today.
As for the subject of the tune … well, that’s as relevant as can be, isn’t it?
“All the Pigs, All Lined Up” by Nine Inch Nails (from March of the Pigs, 1994)
Well, speak of the devil.
Also, this is getting a little strange. I swear, I did not tamper with this shuffle at all. I did skip a snippet of SWV’s “Anything (feat. Wu-Tang Clan)”” that was included on DJ Jazzy Jeff’s Summertime 3 mixtape, but it was just about a minute’s worth, and I didn’t think counted.
Reznor is a self-admitted fan of His Royal Badness, and his penchant for singles with scads of remixes, b-sides, and additional material is just one of the influences Prince had on him. To this day I buy every single “halo” with the same zealous attitude that I purchase new Prince material. Partially because I’m a completest, and if I were missing one the OCD center of my brain might explode; partially because he’s yet to release a record that has failed to make me feel something.
“‘Round Midnight” by Miles Davis Quintet (from Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions (disc 3), 2006)
…and now for something completely different.
Originally issued on Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants, this version of Monk’s “‘Round Midnight” is a good bit different from “‘Round About Midnight” (which Davis recorded for his 1957 record of the same name.) Ironically, Monk appears on the entire Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants record except for this tune.
“Do You Love Me” by KISS (from Destroyer, 1976)
Hello turd, welcome to the punchbowl. I’m joking, really; this is actually in my top 10 favorite KISS tunes. I can hardly believe I’m going to make this analogy, but early in KISS’s career, you could definitely tell the difference between a Stanley and Simmons track, much like you could tell the difference between Lennon and McCartney tracks.
Did I take that too far? Shit.
What’s on your shuffle today?
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