Tied with a Silver Chain. This is the most valuable CD I own.
A year ago, Maria gave me this home-burned CD that she had worked on for months. Literally months. The booklet, which you can't really see in the picture because it's mostly black on the outside, is simply gorgeous. Better than most professional CDs I can think of. It's glossy and black all the way through, and before it was pronounced perfect it was printed out a hundred times and copied at the print shop (in color) several times too. When I think of how many hours and how much money it took, I wonder that it didn't drive Maria crazy. (Or maybe that explains things...hee hee.)
But the cover is just the beginning. This is a very complex CD, much more than just a collection of songs. At the most basic level, it's the soundtrack of a story that Maria and Alicia wrote together, and it captures the character and the tone of the story very well. But it's also a CD about Maria's dad, who died 30 years ago, and her feelings about him. It is a lot of other things, too, including the most beautiful, valuable CD I own. I am grateful to have a copy of this very limited issue, and I'm also happy that I can share it with you now.
Tied with a Silver Chain A Mix by Maria
Ciega, Sordomuda - Shakira Son of a Son of a Sailor - Jimmy Buffett Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard - Paul Simon Sloop John B - The Beach Boys Beautiful Noise - Neil Diamond Conga - Gloria Estefan Once Bitten, Twice Shy - Great White Detras de la Puerta - Traditional Southern Cross - Crosby, Stills & Nash This Old Man - Tori Amos Inevitable - Shakira I Need to Know - Marc Anthony Livin' la Vida Loca (Track Master's Remix) - Ricky Martin Things Go Wrong - Chris Isaak At the Closing of the Year - Wendy & Lisa You Sang to Me - Marc Anthony Crash - Dave Matthews Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel) - Billy Joel Hero - David Crosby
Friday, February 23, 2001
Today I received 2 CDs in the mail: The Beatles, 1, and Cat Stevens, Izitso. I am very happy to have them both, but especially Izitso, because it is an old, old favorite.
Izitso was originally released in 1977, and just a couple of weeks ago a remastered version was released on CD. The music is pretty different from a bunch of Cat's other albums -- this was his second-to-last one before he joined Islam and quit making pop music. As much as I love all his other stuff, especially older albums like Tea for the Tillerman, Teaser and the Firecat, and Catch Bull at Four (of course), I think this one really is my favorite.
Some of the greatest songs on this CD: "Old Schoolyard," "Life," "I Never Wanted to Be a Star," and "Child for a Day." I am especially happy that the CD booklet features all the lyrics and graphics from the original LP, although much smaller of course. They're very minimal, nothing like what you could find in some of his other LP books, but they take me back to my childhood so easily. (I actually mentioned this CD in my journal recently, for this very reason.)
Or maybe I just like lyrics about toast:
Remember the days of the old schoolyard When we had simplicity and we had Warm toast for tea and we laughed And needed love... yes, I do, And I remember you...
Thursday, February 22, 2001
The Grammys were last night, and I have only one thing to say.
Steely Dan? BWAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA!
The thought of Steely Dan winning best album is like... like when Jethro Tull won Best Heavy Metal artist. Yes! It is!
Hee hee. Oh, Steely Dan. I'm gonna be giggling about this all day...
Thursday, February 15, 2001
Hee heeeeeee! Valentine's day was made a lot more special by two great CD compilations I received from Maria and Tj. Both of them are sort of anti-romance mixes but they have very different flavors.
Maria's mix, Bad Love, she describes as songs for "Valentine's day, the most hateful holiday of the year for single people." The CD is pure fun, the kind of mix that makes you laugh when you're sitting alone in your car at a traffic light, so that other drivers look at you like you're maybe a little crazy. It's fun and kind of dizzying, like eating a whole bag of conversation hearts in one sitting.
Tj's mix, Abandon Every Hope, You Who Enter Here, is, in Tj's words, "pretty bitter." It's the anti-Valentine's Valentine, the dark side of love. Mostly the songs are about love gone wrong, or about love turned to something more sinister. It's like taking a bite of what you think is bittersweet chocolate and finding out it was baking chocolate -- bitter without the sweet. In short, it appeals to my darker side.
And both of these CDs have gorgeous covers and a great sense of humor. I am very lucky to have such talented friends. See for yourself:
Bad Love A Valentine's Day Mix by Maria
1. The Bad Touch (Discovery Channel), Bloodhound Gang 2. Pussy Control, Prince 3. Leroy Brown, Jim Croce 4. One Way or Another, Blondie 5. It Wasn't Me (Caught Red Handed), Shaggy 6. Come Sail Away, Eric Cartman 7. Making Love out of Nothing at All, Air Supply 8. There You Go, Pink 9. Down in the Boondocks, Billy Joe Royal 10. Different Drum, The Lemonheads 11. Inevitable, Shakira 12. She Never Spoke Spanish to Me, Texas Tornados 13. I Touch Myself, Eve 6 14. Somewhere That's Green, Little Shop of Horrors 15. Bizzare Love Triangle, Frente! 16. I Can't Live, Ricky Martin (on General Hospital) 17. Hanky Panky, kd lang 18. Simarek, Tarkan
Abandon Every Hope, You Who Enter Here A Valentine's Day Mix by Tj
1. Love Stinks, J. Geils Band 2. Showerhead, Eve 6 3. 13 X Forever, Garbage 4. Found Out About You, Gin Blossoms 5. Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? Paula Cole 6. Promises Promises, Naked Eyes 7. I've Done Everything for You, Rick Springfield 8. Sin, Nine Inch Nails 9. Special, Garbage 10. Never There, Cake 11. Poison Arrow, ABC 12. Thought I Knew You, Matthew Sweet 13. You Hurt Me (and I Hate You), The Eurythmics 14. Love Hurts, Nazareth 15. Hole in my Soul, Aerosmith 16. Song for the Dumped, Ben Folds Five 17. See You Again, John Taylor 18. You Oughta Know, Alanis Morissette 19. Valentine's Day is Over, Billy Bragg
Friday, February 09, 2001
What I'm listening to now:
INXS, Greatest Hits. I'd forgotten how many great songs INXS had. I love this CD. I miss Michael Hutchence.
Travis, The Man Who. The first time I played this CD I felt like I was falling in love. This is just great Britpop.
U2, All That You Can't Leave Behind. I'm still crazy about this one. I've also been playing Achtung, Baby of late.
And yes, The Wallflowers are still figuring prominently.
Tied with a Silver Chain. This is the most valuable CD I own.
Today I received 2 CDs in the mail: The Beatles, 1, and Cat Stevens, Izitso. I am very happy to have them both, but especially Izitso, because it is an old, old favorite. 
Bad Love
Abandon Every Hope, You Who Enter Here
