Five Essential 'Deluxe Edition' Tracks

With the recent release of three simultaneous singles from Taylor Swift's deluxe edition of Speak Now, I  figured it was time to take a look at this inescapably widespread phenomenon.

These days, I'm convinced that the 'Deluxe Edition' may literally be obligatory. I can't even think of any full-lengths that don't get the deluxe edition treatment anymore, even if the deluxe setup only includes a lackluster prize like a 'Making Of' or a couple music videos.

Whether you get the deluxe edition or the regular edition just depends on how big of a fan you are. Can you live without hearing those extra 5 tracks? If you're a casual fan, the answer is clearly "yes." After all, those are just songs they didn't consider good enough for the actual album, right? They're outtakes, filler material that would have been junked in the age of 45 minute vinyl records, right?

But more and more, I'm becoming convinced that labels are hiding some highlights from the album's better half on the expensive version. Not that anyone would be foolhardy enough to cripple an album for the sake of the deluxe edition -- you won't find anyone slipping "Mine" or "Till The World Ends" onto Disc 2. But it's increasingly common to see deluxe edition tracks becoming the fourth or fifth singles in an album's bid for chart success, thus confirming that some of these tracks are ranked higher than the standard album's lesser works.

I'd personally estimate that when you have deluxe editions with new songs (not just remixes or extras), you're bound to find at least one song on the deluxe edition that's better than at least the worst few songs on the standard album. So here are a few of the true gems that casual fans have been missing out on.


#5 Broken Glass -- Matt Bennett (Victorious Soundtrack)

This preposterously devilish ode to the wonders of broken glass (written in-universe as Robbie's idea for a song to entertain children) is only available on the iTunes edition of the Victorious Soundtrack. Set to a jaunty piano tune and propelled by an uninhibited Matt Bennet, a variety of uncouth and highly dangerous activities are praised in succession, befitting the playfully grim and brutal comedy of Victorious which never fails to surprise me.


#4 Untouchable -- Taylor Swift (Fearless)

Taylor might be the master of the deluxe edition, consistently beefing up her extended albums with material that should really have been incorporated into the standard edition (at the expense of lesser tracks). Untouchable is especially a loss to casual fans, as its slow burning enthralling mystique conjurs the ghosts of some of rock and folk music's greatest moments. It's eerie and groovy and beautiful, and it's criminal that a lot of fans will never know it exists.



#3 Beautiful Mess -- Miranda Cosgrove (Sparks Fly)

Miranda's debut "full-length" only ran at 25 minutes to begin with, so it was obligatory that a beefier deluxe edition accompany it. All the bonus tracks are pretty good but only Beautiful Mess would rank among her top 5 accomplishments thus far. The always eclectic Miranda channels late-90s r&b gods Destiny's Child on this indelibly cool, slick icey ballad about unrequited love. Comparing the loss of love to a tear in a new dress seems a bit brash to me (maybe because I'm a guy??) but the jam is so gorgeously smooth that it less than matters.

 
#2 Forever & Always (Piano Version) -- Taylor Swift (Fearless)

The standard edition of Taylor's breakout hit record features a rockin' electric version of this sweet ballad, which falls into mediocrity next to more powerful jams like the fierce The Way I Loved You. But this tender, thankfully under-produced, Sarah McLachlan-channeling ballad drips with the embers of pure emotion and ranks unabashedly as one of Taylor's greatest songs. It's easily my favorite piano track Taylor's done and it makes me crave to see her do an all-piano album.


#1 Super Bass -- Nicki Minaj (Pink Friday)

How this ultimate jam missed out on the standard release will forever perplex pop music historians. It wasn't a hidden holdover -- this song had to be dragged kicking and screaming before the suits would release at as a whopping seventh single from Nicki Minaj's debut album. It wasn't until such formidable acts as Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez praised the song with the sincerest flattery -- by covering it -- that it was released to charts and it became Nicki's biggest hit. With an immaculate feel good delivery reminiscent of rap classics such as Nuthin' But a G Thang, and a joyously anthemic instrumentation, the song became an instant classic. Nicki's number one greatest song to date? Absolutely without question.

Dream Remix Album

Lord help me, I've slipped into whimsical reverie again. Too much reading! Reading is bad for you, it enhances the imagination...

I'm really into dance remixes right now. Starting to get a grasp on the different types of remixes and my favorite remix artists, so I compiled my ultimate collection of dream remixes. Special emphasis on songs and artists that don't get the great remixes they deserve. Oooh how I wish this album existed!

The Perfect Remix Album

1. Super Bass (Passion Pit Remix) -- Nicki Minajs
2. Whiplash (Skrillex Club Remix) -- Selena Gomez & The Scene
3. Face of Love (Freddie Le Grand Extended Club Remix) -- Miranda Cosgrove
4. Dancing Crazy (Zedd Remix) -- Miranda Cosgrove
5. Bam (Afrojack Remix) -- Miranda Cosgrove
6. Sayonara (Noisia Remix) -- Miranda Cosgrove
7. Shake It Up (Chew Fu Remix) -- Selena Gomez & The Scene
8. Dancing Crazy (Richard Vission Extended Club Remix) -- Miranda Cosgrove
9. Love You Like a Love Song (Dave Aude' Extended Dub) -- Selena Gomez & The Scene
10. If I Die Young (Armand Van Helden Remix) -- The Band Perry
11. Beautiful Mess (Burial Fix) -- Miranda Cosgrove

I doubt voguing tripped out 2-step/dubstep/garage underground hero Burial would remix a Nickelodeon track (does he even do remixes at all?) but if there's just one track I'd like to hear, it'd be that one. Miri's vocal run that opens Beautiful Mess would be absolutely perfect fodder for a heady Burial track.

4 Perfect Concerts (2011)

To pass the time a work today I decided to craft the ultimate, most perfect potential concerts that 2011 could contrive. Not that any of 'em will happen...

Roger Waters performs 'the Final Cut'

Ideal venue: State Theatre in State College, Pennsylvania

-- I've had a handful of albums that I've considered my favorite, many of them simultaneously. But only one of them has really held it's spot without wavering. There's something special about The Final Cut, and it deserves to be reproduced in concert at least once. Not the extravagant affair of The Wall tour, but something tasteful and subdued. Perhaps even just one performance, with a very high ticket price, just for the diehards like myself. The State Theatre is an intimate little venue where I saw The Machine play, as well as many movies (including Into the Wild). I wouldn't even mind if there was no encore at all for this gig, while the lack of an encore really turned me off about The Wall shows (not that I witnessed it personally).

Miranda Cosgrove with Jennette McCurdy opening

Ideal venue: The Carnegie Library of Homestead

-- As much of a synergistic no-brainer as this may seem, I highly doubt this could ever happen. Partly due to the fact that they play very different styles of music, and perhaps more importantly due to the ire it would likely cause among fans who feel Jennette should be headlining. Most unfortunate of all, it may even be cause for dispute between Miranda and Jennette themselves, who (quite tragically) may not be the best of friends.

But here at Zenlike Immaturity, we like to dream big, and few things could please me more than seeing both of these powerhouse artists on the same bill. I'm certain seeing Jennette's wonderful songs performed live would be a sight to behold, given her proven singing chops (I actually like her live singing MORE than on the record), and the potential for her more organic/instrumentally-styled music to flesh itself out (i.e. fingers crossed for extended guitar solos). And Miranda's live performance appears to be an epiphany of its own. I mean, I listen to her music all the damn time, it's some of my favorite music ever... but when I actually see her up there, belting out BAM or Disgusting live (on Youtube), it's like a slap to the face. She really IS this consequential creature, this artist commanding presence and power. Or... in the modern dialect.... I like her swag. I haven't even been to the Homestead Library yet, but it seems it'll be just about the smallest venue I've ever seen a mainstream show at, and I want to be as close up as possible for this gig.

Mudcrutch with Paramore opening

Ideal venue: First Niagra Pavillion

-- I believe steadfastly that Tom Petty is as good now as he ever has been. The only problem is, he's holding himself back. Tom vehemently refuses to allow The Heartbreakers a chance at showing the true glory of their catalog, but he once embarked on a small club tour with Mudcrutch that included none of the regular fair. What the world needs now is for Petty to reconvene Mudcrutch and give them the keys to his vast collection. To hear them gear up their double lead guitar attack and tear through such electric jams as 'Good Enough,' such staggering deep cuts as 'Supernatural Radio,' and such neglected hits as 'Anything That's Rock N Roll,' it would be beyond spectacular.

And for a Tom Petty opener, no band could be more adept than Paramore. There are no two bands in my personal pantheon that make for closer kin than they (though just as close, perhaps). They both throw uplifting love-based hooks at you with as much fury as an electric guitar can muster. As for the venue, something about Petty and First Niagra (PGP, Starlake) just fits with Petty. Plus, in all honesty, I can't imagine seeing Paramore anywhere other than an open air arena. Dunno why.

Neil Young & Crazy Horse with Taylor Swift opening

Ideal venue: Mr. Small's

-- Might seem like an odd combo at first, but keep in mind that when I saw Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Lucinda Williams was the opener. I'm not sure I could think of a single concert more satisfying than the coupling of Taylor's stark pop and the lucid rock of Crazy Horse. She has her share of rockier numbers, particularly on her latest effort, and I'd like to think a slot opening for Neil & The Horse would bring out the best in her. Unfortunately, probably the only barrier to a show like this actually happening is the fact that Taylor's ultra-stardom would prevent her from taking such a slot.

Taylor's gotta open with 'Better Than Revenge' and powerhouse through a hodgepodge of her new tracks plus 3 or 4 of her biggest hits from her first 2 albums. Neil's set could go any number of ways and still leave me more than half believing I hallucinated the whole thing because it's just too good to be true. My classic Crazy Horse set would be the ultimate 90s show, featuring tracks from Sleeps With Angels, Broken Arrow, and Mirror Ball, bookended by classic cuts from Ragged Glory. My most recent dream set for Neil & The Horse is more of an eclectic affair, with no two tracks coming from any one album. I would also flip it if he just came out and played Landing on Water. As for the venue, Mr. Small's can be cramped (there's no seats, for one thing), but whenever I imagine Neil, it's always there. Just the way the energy bounces off the walls... I feel like it'd be the best place for them.

iDream of Concert (MiranCoz DreamSet)

Miranda Cosgrove
2011
iDream of Setlist

1. Bam
2. Disgusting
3. Leave It All To Me
4. FYI
5. Stay My Baby (Spider Remix)
6. Oh Oh
7. Shakespeare
8. Brand New You
9. Adored
10. Hey You
11. What Are You Waiting For
12. There Will Be Tears
13. Party Girl
14. Dancing Crazy
15. About You Now
16. Kissin' U (Jason Nevins Club Mix)

Encore: Headphones On

note: Her actual setlist will likely include some material off of her upcoming new album, which will feature a handful of new tracks along with a slew of remixes. It will also probably include some number of cover songs, as Miranda once tweeted asking what cover songs she should do. I told her to do Torn as made famous by Natalie Imbruglia (her voice would be PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT for this track) and Doll Parts by Hole ('cause she's a fan). I assume these tweets fell on deaf ears (like all the rest), but here's hoping! I didn't bother putting any covers in my dream set considering I really have no leads at all for what they might possibly be.

Also, here's a special message to Miranda, since I know she totally reads this blog. Hey Miranda, thanks for ... You're great ... etc., more importantly, if you play this exact setlist at your February 2nd show in the Carnegie Library of Homestead, I will take that as a message stating that you do NOT want for us to be best friends. If you DO want for us to be as such, just play ANYTHING ELSE instead of this exact setlist, and I'll know what you mean! Got it? Okay!

My Life in Music: 2010

Disclaimer: this post concerns music I listened to and discovered in 2010, not new releases in 2010. That being said, there are like 5 or 6 new releases represented here.

2010 was one of the most incredible years for music listening that I have ever had. It viciously dwarfs all my musical advancements in '09 and '08, and quite possibly gives classic formative years like 2002, 2005, and 2007 a run for their money. The unprecedented quantity, quality and variety, as well as the gusto with which I was fortunate enough to greet them, truly staggers me. And so I figured a full-blown assessment of this year's haul was in order. First, the awards.

THE ZENNIES

2010 MVP: Neil Young

If you had asked me in November 2009, whether Neil Young would ever rank as one of my favorite artists again, I would have told you "probably not." That was before my shopaholism landed me a copy of the Everybody Knows This is Nowhere remaster, which set into motion a vast chain reaction which has resulted in a new and greater reign of influence for Neil. In fact, the extent to which I liked Neil in the past is a mere footstep compared to the heights he has attained in 2010. With his chameloen powers, he was able to shadow me all along the way, with grim sobriety in winter, alterna-rock fury in my 90s phase, and sentimental pop mentalities in the latter quarters. Since Neil was my favorite artist in 2003... does that make him, like, my double favorite artist in 2010? How can you be better than the best?

2010 Most Promising New Addition: Paramore

I had to make a really tough decision here... Paramore versus Miranda Cosgrove. Make no mistake, in 2010 I unquestionably enjoyed Miranda Cosgrove more. Furthermore, she means a lot more to me, and represents a brand new style (electronic pop) unique to my discography. It's truly up in the air whether Miranda or Paramore will fare better in the coming years. But "most promising" means, to me, future longevity. And so I had to look at my history. Who are the artists who stay strong over years, and who are the ones who fade away? Well, there's no hiding it. Rock music tends to reign supreme. So I had to guess that Paramore would go further. But, frankly, I'm rooting for Miranda Cosgrove. That's not to sell Paramore short, though, their power-pop glory is infectiously empowering to the extent that I can only listen to them in incraments... otherwise I would die of heat exhaustion from rocking out too hard. True story.

2010 Most Important Record: Immaculate Pop Volume One

I never could have predicted the snowball effect this humble little disc would have. I just started to have a nostalgic or bittersweet reaction to some of the things I was being forced to listen to at work, and decided to burn a compilation. What resulted was a truly idyllic little period in the dead of winter where I would alternate between my grim black metal collection and this bubblegum compilation. For a long time, I figured this would be the only pop music I ever listened to seriously. It'd be half a year later until I started getting into pop music as a whole, but Immaculate Pop unquestionably helped transform my perception of pop music to the point where I was able to fully appreciate it.

Now onto the real content. It would be crazy to detail the vast number of amazing bands, amazing albums, and amazing songs I was pleased to enjoy this year. So what I did was compose a terse boxed set which compiles both the individual tracks which really moved my soul, as well as tracks to represent the unbelievable multitude of whole bands and albums that blew my mind this year. Mind you this doesn't represent everything... just the biggest, most major events of this year.

A second effect of this compilation is that it details my life over the course of 2010 down to near-perfection. I started out the year with somber, sober precision, gleaming joy from the tranquility of blizzards and using my sober boredom as an excuse to become one-and-the-same with dense, intricate, powerful music. Then my life became lysergic for a time, and I submerged myself wholly in bittersweet fantasy, living halfway between the real world and some 1990s dream. Following that, stone cold precision became my forte once again, and natural mania overtook all my endeavors. My taste veered to the bombastic and the upfront; to simplicity and pop hooks of impenetrable force.

My Life in 2010 (Boxed Set)

Disc 1
Stone Cold: Winter of Sobering Gloom

1. Jesu Dod -- Burzum
2. My Journey to the Stars -- Burzum
3. Southern Man (Remastered) -- Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4. Sverddans -- Burzum
5. Hand In My Pocket -- Alanis Morissette
6. What's Been Going On -- Amos Lee
7. Love Story -- Taylor Swift
8. What's Up -- 4 Non Blondes
9. Son of Hades -- Aura Noir
10. Il etait une foret... -- Gris

Disc 2
Wistful Revery: Lucid 90s Adult Kitsch

1. Prime of Life -- Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2. Loose Change -- Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3. Pocahontas [YotH] -- Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4. Love And Only Love [Weld] -- Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5. Questioning My Sanity -- L7
6. Rockets -- Cat Power
7. Supernatural Radio -- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
8. Good Enough -- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
9. London Song -- The Breeders
10. Fate to Fatal -- The Breeders
11. Bukarest -- HotChaCha

Disc 3
Manic Euphoria: For The Love of Pop

1. Walls (Circus) -- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
2. My Favorite Mistake -- Sheryl Crow
3. Because The Night -- Patti Smith
4. That's What You Get -- Paramore
5. Headphones On -- Miranda Cosgrove
6. Hide & Seek -- Ani DiFranco
7. Misery Business -- Paramore
8. Bam -- Miranda Cosgrove
9. Better Than Revenge -- Taylor Swift
10. Party Girl -- Miranda Cosgrove
11. Let the Flames Begin (The Final Riot!) -- Paramore
12. Thrasher -- Juniper Tar

The Good Wife (And What Your TV Says About You Behind Your Back)

Warning: If anyone out there is a diehard follower of The Good Wife, and you haven't watched the 7th episode of season 2 yet, the following blog entry contains very minor spoilers.

The Good Wife

A couple months ago or thereabout, Miranda Cosgrove appeared in an episode of the CBS drama series The Good Wife. I never bothered to watch it because, I guess, I feared it would be more of a cameo appearance or a token role. As it turns out, she plays a significant role.

I ended up checking out the episode after discovering that I had abysmally failed to watch Christmas In Washington, an annual concert event which this year featured Miranda Cosgrove performing "Last Christmas," a beautiful song having previously been covered immaculately by Taylor Swift.

Hating myself, I scoured Youtube for video, but there was none available. Still jonesing for a MiranCoz fix that my personality (what you sometimes call a "soul") was now expecting to receive, I decided to check out the aforementioned Good Wife episode. I had never watched The Good Wife before, but I'm familiar with its ilk. It's a by the numbers court room/political drama, and while as of late my taste has been for its polar opposite, I've been fond of this genre at times. So I was really excited to watch this episode.

I don't believe there exists any genre of television more archetypally adult than the courtroom drama... except for the courtroom drama which (inexplicably?) carries a parallel story about a politician's troubled bid for election amidst a corrupt system AND a parallel story about high-ranking suits embroiled in high-stakes office politics, none of which seem to intersect with each other or influence each other (I'm sure it would make perfect sense if I was familiar with this show).

Perpetually straight-faced, as melancholic as film noir, driven not by action but by words, and rife with grim moral dilemmas that are meant to define the psychological squalor of the modern age, The Good Wife (and the rest of its ilk) are everything that consequential adults are supposed to appreciate. At least in my perspective. Some might opt for the more critically acclaimed fare of The Sopranos and Breaking Bad, two of my favorite shows, but they include copious amounts of crime kitsch, which appeals to rebellious youths. Court room dramas are about truth, justice, the American way, and various moral dilemmas therein. In any case, it's a marked contrast from what Miranda Cosgrove had been involved in thusfar.

Miranda Cosgrove plays what is essentially a fictionalized amalgam of Miley Cyrus and Lindsay Lohan. She's a Disney recording star named Sloan who gets an underaged DUI which ends up turning into an attempted murder case. Sloan is notorious for a past lap dance scandal straight out of Miley's reality, and she is depicted undermining the honor of the court, reminiscent of Lohan's recent indiscretions. I found this re-appropriation of realities hard to swallow at first... I mean... talk about weird. Let's hire Miranda Cosgrove to portray... of all people... Disney's ill-mannered ragamuffins? I like Cyrus AND Lohan, but talk about a heady concept. Takes it a smidgen further than Freaky Friday!

In any case, once MiranCoz took control of the role, my identity crisis on her behalf subsided. I was impressed with her performance, though seeing as how I was expecting it to be good, I can't say I was blown away or anything. She definitely did a spot-on job filling the role of 'grim stoic entity' that everyone in a courtroom drama necessarily has to acquire, quite a far cry from the flighty flirty flamboyance of Carly Shay or the snarky cynical self-assurance of Megan Parker and Summer Hathaway.

I wouldn't necessarily say she removed herself from herself as much as Victoria Justice sometimes seems to, but she certainly far surpasses Katie Holmes' lone ability to act exactly like Joey Potter in every role she has ever performed (which, granted, isn't a bad character to play). What I can say is that I would definitely watch this show regularly if Miranda Cosgrove was a regular, and more improtantly I would be very, very interested in viewing other programs where Miranda performed similar roles.

She's proven her acting chops and I absolute can. not. wait. to see her appear on all kinds of other programs. And frankly, I enjoyed the juxtaposition provided by this most adult of genres. I'd like to see her do more of the same style, perhaps appear on The West Wing or something. Does The West Wing still make new episodes?

Miranda definitely seemed a lot older here, as well. Almost reminds me of the end of her run on Drake & Josh, when she had obviously out-grown her role as cute little (albeit evil) Megan Parker, and was ready to do iCarly. Of course, this could just mean that it's time for iCarly to enter a new phase. I wouldn't mind seeing iCarly: The College Years. ;)

And What Your TV Says About You Behind Your Back

ANYWAY... If I were trying to be all philysophical and chiz, I would say something like.... My feelings are summed up by this one scene early in the episode. The big bad lawyer people are discussing the case in the kitchen and the one lawyer's two young daughters come walking into the room laughing, and then they see the intense adult scene going on in the room, and they say "Oh, sorry," and walk away.

Court room dramas are fascinating stuff. The twists and turns are sure to always keep you guessing and it can be really satisfying to finally get to the bottom of the story at the end of the episode, when all the pieces fall into place. But in all in all, I think I'd rather watch Gibby burst out of a giant cherry pie like an alien chestburster while Jennette McCurdy poses like a grimlord. Man, I've spent years in the bleak fog of "adulthood" (whether genuine or wholly imagined), and there's something to be said for... wait for it... the zenlike immaturity of a youth. If given the option, I'd rather laugh than stare.

Of course, anyone who isn't an idiot will realize that these two states of being (colloquially "adulthood" and "youth,") are anything but mutually exclusive. And anyone who isn't an idiot and a half will realize that it's perfectly possible for a man to enjoy both children's sitcoms and courtroom dramas. I wonder which one Miranda Cosgrove prefers...

Top 15 Twitpics

Twitpics are fun. They're full of peculiar little personality slivers, especially coupled with the often idiosyncratic comments that accompany them. And they look nice. In honor of these facts, I've painstakingly compiled the greatest twitpics (out of many contenders). For variety's sake, I've omitted photos I've already posted on here (including the stunningly supreme picture of Victoria Justice hugging a mannequin, which you see to the right).

And trust me, it was hard narrowing it down to 15. There are so many good ones. I wanted to do a top 30. But that would be unwieldy.

Runner-up:

 

^^ "This is the face I made when I found out it takes 6 months to get your driver's license." 

#15 

^^ The band. I can't wait to meet her in person!!

#14

^^ Almost classical. Clearly Victoria is the one who should be in the portrait, not whoever that other girl is.

#13

 

^^ I like to imagine that crusing in a DeLorean, with a Hover Board, is just an average night for Jennette McCurdy. 

#12

 

^^ I like this 'cause she's in the car cruisin' and hanging out some random night and she doesn't provide any explanation other than "<3" Like... what does she love, herself? The car? The American Night? <3

#11 

  

^^ Heh, love the meta. And it was cool how excited she was to have found this poster. 

#10 

 

^^ awww.... I love fried chicken. Big iCarly fans here. I wanna be that cool.

#9 

  

 ^^ (from MiranCoz) "Walking in the mountains in the dark and noticed this sign..." So not only does she notice aliens, but she likes walking in the mountains in the dark! *swoon* 

#8

 

^^ I love when MiranCoz tweets about her education. It fascinates me, kinda autonomous too don't you think? She almost looks like Jackie Burkhart here, if you ask me. 

#7

 

^^ from Victoria Justice: "About to do our run through of this weeks episode! Dora's excited..." The most endearingly, adorably, quirky and crazy-as-hell thing I've ever read. 

#6 

  

^^ Being famous, young, and beautiful will get you absolutely ANYWHERE. True story. 

#5 

^^ She is simply the BEST at facial expressions, period. So emotive! Apparently this strawberry is bittersweet like the last day of summer, and arriving upon this revelation disgusts her a little bit. 

#4 

^^ This is just so cool. She looks like Vicious from Cowboy Bebop. Also, she admittedly doesn't remember the circumstances of this picture coming into being.

#3 

 

^^ This pic makes me feel close to Miranda Cosgrove. Like, literally. 

#2 

^^ Victoria Justice. One of the cutest pictures I've ever seen of anybody. I think of this picture whenever I hear Neil Young's song "Natural Beauty."

#1

 

 ^^ Jennette goes shopping... finds herself face to face with herself. So meta! Ahaha. And I honestly can't even conceive of how darling Jennette looks here. I mean, what the? I can't even handle it. I kind of want to pat her on the head 

Zenlike Immaturity: Playlist Edition

The latest issue of Rolling Stone Magazine actually did something I found interesting. They called it the "Playlist Edition" and had a bunch of artists pick their top 10 songs from various entities; a particular artist or scene. Mick Jagger picked his favorite blues, Tom Morello picked his favorite protest songs, Tom Petty picked the best of the British Invasion, Rick Rubin picked his favorite Led Zeppelin songs, stuff like that.

You all know how I love to make lists, so I figured I'd pick "playlist" top 10s for the artist I unquestionably know best, and my latest fling.

Tenzwift's Top Neil Young

Neil's the best, it's as simple as that. Condensing his catalog down to 10 tracks is like choosing one organ out of your body and discarding all the rest. But this list covers the basics very well. It's only problem is that it leans a smidgen too heavily towards the acoustic material. His electric stuff is better in general, but what that means is that the great acoustic songs actually stand out moreso among their lesser brethren, and are therefore easier to pick out. If I could pick a runner up, I'd have gone with Fuckin' Up.

1. Cowgirl in the Sand
-- Crazy Horse debuted a new kind of sound. One that was fierce but plodding, like lightning shown in slow motion.

2. Cortez the Killer
-- Immaculate from the first note to the last, Cortez is a sonic trip, the one that proved the new Crazy Horse was a formidable beast.

3. Out on the Weekend
-- There isn't anything good about Harvest that isn't better in this track than on any other.

4. Tell Me Why
-- Perhaps the most gorgeous folk-pop song Neil ever penned, perfection describes it well.

5. Mellow My Mind
-- When his voice cracks -- that's it. That's the moment when shit gets real. The desperation of yearning for a simpler world overcomes him at that moment.

6. Prime of Life
-- This song comes from another world. It's like 3am personified, it oozes with the mysteries of darkness.

7. Will To Love
-- Chilling, haunting, inspired strains of grim wanderlust. A genuine lo-fi track.

8. Ambulance Blues
-- The existential nihilism of the ditch trilogy gets so bittersweet on this track that it makes me ache.

9. Thrasher
-- The most beautifully poetic and enchanting "diss track" ever crafted, where Neils spins a quiet dissertation on exactly why his pals C, S, & N are soulless corporate blowhards.

10. Slip Away
-- Broken Arrow is Neil's most underrated record, and that's saying something. Slip Away does justice to its name with ether-transversing, shimmering escapades of electric waywardness.


Pop Music

My pop fixation, though newly burgeoned, has been very long in the making. I've come to realize that much of the rock music I love harbors a very pop-like mentality (Petty, Stones, Dylan, even Neil), and that a lot of pop music cultures a very rock-like aesthetic (see below). Nothing could ever replace rock music in the very center of my heart, but occasionally I've got to admit that the pure form of the stuff -- pop, that is -- is sometimes better at wielding those pop music attributes that are present in all forms of music. Even a lot of noise music has hooks!

I once considered pop an unkempt and unseemly perversion, delegated to the outskirts of music. Now I realize that it's the epicenter of music. Not the pinnacle, but an essential influence. Without pop forms, we'd all be listening to pure white noise. Pop is good at certain things and bad at others, just like each genre has its individual attributes. And just like with any style of music, I find the select few artists that move me, and all the rest can go to hell.

1. Hand In My Pocket -- Alanis Morissette
-- This song is the embodiment of youth. It covers the dichotomous turmoil of young life like no other song can.

2. Love Story -- Taylor Swift
-- This song convinced me that pop music was onto some serious shit, some formidable glory. When she goes "oh oh" before that one chorus, that's when I knew Taylor knew what she was doing.

3. Misery Business -- Paramore
-- Paramore has so many good tracks to choose from, but Misery Business is just gorging itself on personality, and it's catchier than the fucking bubonic plague.

4. BAM -- Miranda Cosgrove
-- The crunchy keyboard riff and stark force of the vocals empower me, and make Miranda sound like a much older woman (in a good way, believe it or not...)

5. Torn -- Natalie Imbruglia
-- I like to take the line "You're a little late, and I'm already torn" to imply that she's so vibrantly emotional that all the beautiful angst of the song is caused by her man being like 3 minutes late to get home from work.

6. What's Been Going On -- Amos Lee
-- Few songs mean more to me than this. It tells the story of my private life in 2008/2009, and how once-friends become total strangers.

7. What's Up? -- 4 Non Blondes
-- Oh god this song is just so powerful. The chasm between being an adult and still feeling like a child, epitomized in under 5 minutes.

8. Build Me Up, Buttercup -- The Foundations
-- Ingenious Motown impersonation of epic wonderfulness. The way he holds back the "you" is how I knew this was true art and not just paint-by-numbers.

9. Soak Up the Sun -- Sheryl Crow
-- The quaint, girlish, subdued melody here takes what's good about chorus-driven indie rock and does it better.

10. Because The Night -- Patti Smith
-- A more beautiful song about sex is likely never to exist.