The Friday Five: January 25, 2013

Friday Five : |ˈfrÄ«dā – 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:

“My Enemy” by The Afghan Whigs (from Black Love, 1996)

Hey, remember last week when I was so consumed with my day job that I completely bailed on you guys? Yeah, I won’t do that again (until the next time I do it again.) This tune kind of fits my mood at the moment. There are few songwriters who can capture a character as well as Greg Dulli. He manages to infuse even his most villainous subjects with a familiarity that makes the listener relate, and see a bit of the villain in themselves. This tune was a staple of 2012 reunion tour and packs even more of a punch live. A part of me really hopes that last year’s tour isn’t the last we hear from the Whigs, though if it is they still have left a hell of a legacy.

“Looking Back (feat. K’Naan)” by Keane (from Night Train, 2010)

As much as I dig K’Naan, I can’t get down with this collaboration. Tom Chaplin’s vocals are anemic in contrast to the bombast of the Rocky-esque horn line, and K’Naan’s feature seems forced.

“Song of Our Country” by Miles Davis (from Sketches of Spain (disc 1), 2009)

This Gil Evans-penned tune didn’t make it to the final record. I imagine it was cut due to running time, as it fits perfectly in the overall theme of the record. Sketches has never been my favorite Davis record, but I do enjoy listening to it from time to time.

“Who Loves You” by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (from Anthology, 1988)

I feel like I should know this song better than I do. It feels familiar, yet I can’t say that I’ve (knowingly) heard it before today. It’s not awful, but it is failing to inspire much prose.

“My Camera Never Lies” by Bucks Fizz (from Top of the Pops 1982, 2008)

You know, this Five started out with so much promise. This is a harmless bit of ’80s pop, complete with the prerequisite blips, bleeps, and flanged effects. Man, you never know what you are going to get when you hit the shuffle button.

What’s on your shuffle today?