My January Mix

You have to use a little bit of magic to make the perfect mix CD. It is an art form that is rarely perfected by anyone, yet it is tried by almost everyone. In the not to distant past the cassette tape was the only way for music enthusiasts to cut and paste their favorite tracks together in order to make a collage of sound that best represented where they were at during that exact moment. Today we have iPods, MP3 players, mini discs, and CD burners at our disposal making it incredibly easy to fit together the latest greatest songs into one eclectic masterpiece. This month I give you my soundtrack. Although not perfection, it does sound pretty damn good to me. Enjoy.

1. “The Pusher” – Nina Simone from the album entitled It Is Finished. I purchased a foreign bootleg double CD of Nina Simone’s records Emergency Ward, It Is Finished, and Black Gold on eBay from a kind Canadian and I’m very glad that I did. For whatever reason these albums are only available on vinyl here in the States, which is an injustice to every Simone fan. This live version of Steppenwolf’s “The Pusher” is incredible. Performed with so much feeling and emotion. Rivals Neil Young’s Needle and the Damage Done as the song most likely to make you not want to do hard drugs. Not that anybody needs any more reasons than the obvious.

2. “My Mind Is Ramblin’” – The Black Keys from the Junior Kimbrough tribute album entitled Sunday Nights. The finest band to crawl out of Akron, Ohio in ages. This seven-minute version of their hero’s song is most outstanding. Dan Auerbach sings and plays with passion that would make Mr. Kimbrough smile. Harmonizing his vocals along with every gritty guitar note. Carney’s drumming and production are always first class.

3. “Clean Up Before She Comes” – Nirvana from the box set With The Lights Out. An unheard until now gem from the 1990’s greatest band. I was obsessed with their albums in high school and now I’m obsessed with this box set. Kurt Cobain’s minimalistic guitar style works great with his amazing ability to compose catchy, yet raw musical arrangements. An excellent mix CD song, because it sounds like someone recorded it yesterday in their bedroom and put it on the mix to see if you’d notice their new song. Amazing.

4. “Kingpin” – Wilco from the album entitled Being There. Starts with just vocals and an acoustic guitar, then explodes into a wall of sound that includes a swampy funky keyboard, a steel guitar, and bongos. From country twang to balls out rocking in a matter of seconds. The more I here from this band the more I like. Too bad they have become so hip that they are passé to today’s hipster crowd. Oh well, hipsters suck anyways.

5. “Milk” – The Kings of Leon from the album entitled Aha Shake Heartbreak. Where as Wilco’s song began with just singer and guitar this Kings of Leon song begins with psychedelic clouds that drop into acoustic guitar and howling lyrics. Regardless of the arrangements, both are extremely entertaining. Caleb Followill’s singing is haunting, confusing, and intriguing all in one beautiful swoop. Buy this record.

6. “12:15 Slow Goonbash Blues” – Al Kooper with Shuggie Otis from the album entitled Super Session Vol. 2. Another import CD and a gift from a close friend from Japan. I’ll never understand why Shuggie Otis turned down being a Rolling Stone and after listening to this nine minute and thirty seconds of outstanding blues I’m even more baffled. Otis could have joined the Stones right after Brian Jones met his untimely and pointless death, but instead he decided he wanted to do his own thing. His own thing ended up being recording about one complete album and then quitting the entertainment business entirely. Judging by his playing on this track with Al Kooper what might have been with the Stones could have possibly been better than anything they ever did with Mick Taylor, which is to say some of the greatest rock and roll albums ever could have been even greater!

7. “Red House” – Mick Taylor from the album entitled Stranger in this Town. This track proves that Mick Taylor was more than capable of handling the position of guitarist in the Rolling Stones when the aforementioned chain of events happened in 1969. Taylor’s slow blues tribute to Jimi Hendrix is superb. Precise and inspired playing that provokes chills.

8. “I’m So Glad” – Widespread Panic with Tinsley Ellis recorded live at PromoWest Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio on 7/8/2003. The only time Widespread Panic has ever covered this traditional blues song and hopefully not the last. Tinsley Ellis’ guitar work pushes Panic’s George McConnell into overdrive. The basic arrangement is similar to the one made famous by Cream, but the dueling guitars of Ellis and McConnell mixed with Jojo Hermann’s keyboard work gives this version a very unique feeling.

9. “32-20 Blues” – Government Mule with Derek Trucks recorded live at Ludlow’s in Columbus, Ohio on 3/14/1999. For the encore of this concert Government Mule brought guitarist Derek Trucks onstage. About thirty seconds before they began their finale a boisterous fan yelled out “32-20” three times in succession. Thinking this fan had the right idea The Mule and Trucks dove head first into a wailing version of this Robert Johnson song. Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks trade slide guitar licks and all is right with the world.

10. “Love is the Drug” - Roxy Music from the album entitled Live. Some people swear up and down that Bryan Ferry is a genius; all that I can tell you is that this song (and album) is one you need to seek out. Although this version reminds me of the Talking Heads, it is not because Roxy Music was ripping David Byrne and company off it is merely because these two bands grew out of the same place at the same time. Roxy Music may never have reached the same plateau of success as the Talking Heads, but this tune proves they were artistically on the same path.