30 Songs in 30 Days: Day 30 – Your favorite song at this time last year

Exactly one year ago today, I downloaded this song from iTunes.

And with this, the challenge has ended. What fun! I might suggest, if you ever decide to undertake this challenge, or if we do it again, numbers 1 and 30 should swap. START with last year's song and BUILD up to your favorite.

Enjoy!

Under Pressure by Queen featuring David Bowie

30 Songs in 30 Days: Day 29 – A song from your childhood

I remember my parents had TWO '45s, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" by Crystal Gayle and "Here You Come Again" by Dolly Parton.  That was it.

My stepfather brought over a thousand albums into my life.  All that vinyl!  He is the reason music entered my life.

The first time I ever heard this song,  my mother commented that if I had been a girl it was the name she wanted to name me.  Unfortunately for her, I was a boy.

Neither she nor my father could agree on a name.  The story my dad used to tell was that one of the nurses recommend my name and they both liked it.  Then they were asked what the middle name would be....again, no agreement.  Since both of their names started with the same letter, I got the letter....with NO period....just like Harry S Truman!

Enjoy!

Amie by The Pure Prairie League

30 Songs in 30 Days: Days 26 and 27: A Two Fer

...and a cop out....

Day 26 – A song that you can play on an instrument
Day 27 – A song that you wish you could play

I can't even whistle so there is no way I play an instrument...and I am really okay with that so I got nothing for today....

30 Songs in 30 Days: Day 25 – A song that makes you laugh

Of all the parody songs I can think of, this one remains the best....

Enjoy!

Yoda by Weird Al Yankovic

30 Songs in 30 Days: Day 24 – A song that you want to play at your funeral

Wow.  Really?

Okay.

I've always said I want my funeral to be as "happy" as it can be. A celebration.  Haley said she liked how we remembered my father last year with no real funeral but instead we rented a hall and had food and people came and everyone shared stories.

So rather then something like "Time of Your Life" by Green Day, "The End" by The Beatles, or "Handbags and Gladrags" by The Stereophonics, I am going with this.

Enjoy!

Ooh La La by The Faces



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The "30 Songs in 30 Days" challenge, inspired by the tumblr list. Our 30 Songs roster:

The Armchair Squid

Marc Whitman's Blog
Haley says "Hello" To You

30 Songs in 30 Days: Day 23 – A song that you want to play at your wedding

During this challenge I have already posted at least two songs that were played during our wedding.  This one played during our reception.

I can't remember how we found our deejay.  I believe he was a friend of a friend (or, now that I think of it, the friend of someone's boyfriend) and he was very enthusiastic.  He did a lot of "phantom" playing, a la air guitar, but his "instrument" of choice was the drums....and he had his own drumsticks.

He also apparently only had limited amounts of "mood music" for dinner.  My brother joked he apparently had "James Taylor's Greatest Hits Volume One AND Two."

I am pretty sure we heard this song THREE times during dinner.  A good song, but not really wedding reception music...

ENJOY!

Fire & Rain by James Taylor



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The "30 Songs in 30 Days" challenge, inspired by the tumblr list. Our 30 Songs roster:

The Armchair Squid

Marc Whitman's Blog
Haley says "Hello" To You

30 Songs in 30 Days: Day 22 – A song that you listen to when you’re sad

Two songs that aren't really supposed to make you sad....at least I don't think they are.  But here are two that make me tear up....

Enjoy!

Piano Song by Meiko





Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole



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The "30 Songs in 30 Days" challenge, inspired by the tumblr list. Our 30 Songs roster:

The Armchair Squid

Marc Whitman's Blog
Haley says "Hello" To You

30 Songs in 30 Days: Day 21 – A song that you listen to when you’re happy

How about I take the advice of the first song here (which all along was to be this day's song) and list 5 songs I listen to when I am happy.....


Enjoy!

Take 5 by The Dave Brubeck Quartet





Merry Happy by Kate Nash




Mr. Blue Sky by E.L.O.




We're From Barcelona by I'm From Barcelona



Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon



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The "30 Songs in 30 Days" challenge, inspired by the tumblr list. Our 30 Songs roster:

The Armchair Squid

Marc Whitman's Blog
Haley says "Hello" To You

30 Songs in 30 Days: Day 20 – A song that you listen to when you’re angry

I have been very fortunate in this life of mine.  But, like everyone else, I have had my share of...unpleasantness.

There have been three DARK times in my life.  Those times where you need help beyond the normal.  Where you struggle to wake up, to keep on moving, to....just be.

This song came out during one of those times.  I distinctly remember where I was when I first heard this song (and the memory makes me shudder) but it quickly fit so much of what was going on....going wrong in my life at the time.  I won't be so overly dramatic as to say it "saved" me but it did help move me in the right direction.

To this day, it is one I belt out with fervor when I play it.  The whole album remains one of my favorites...a desert island disc, if you will.  The only reason I didn't use it with the last post was to save it for this post.

Enjoy!

Monkey Wrench by The Foo Fighters



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The "30 Songs in 30 Days" challenge, inspired by the tumblr list. Our 30 Songs roster:

The Armchair Squid

Marc Whitman's Blog
Haley says "Hello" To You

30 Songs in 30 Days: Day 19 – A song from your favorite album

Your FAVORITE album!?!?  Good gravy, how do you decide?  No matter what I pick I will be leaving SOMETHING out.  There are the albums I first discovered as a boy....the ones that helped get me through high school....the ones that helped get me through DARK times...the ones that lift me up and inspire me...


I guess I will go with the first album that was MINE...sure, I picked it up because McCartney was on it, but it came out when I was away from home for the first time at college.  I had heard of Elvis, but he wasn't really on my radar.  By the time the album came out, I was several months removed from my brain surgery but was struggling.  This eclectic album helped me a lot.


Enjoy!


Veronica by Elvis Costello










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The "30 Songs in 30 Days" challenge, inspired by the tumblr list. Our 30 Songs roster:

The Armchair Squid

Marc Whitman's Blog
Haley says "Hello" To You

30 Songs in 30 Days: Day 18 – A song that you wish you heard on the radio

Since I mentioned yesterday that I really do not listen to the radio, per se, this is another toughie.  But I think I got one.


Our recent flooding has meant we have had to go through a LOT of boxes that were in the storage areas of our home.  One such box was FULL of "mix tapes" from back in the day.  I have put a few in my car to listen to while I run errands.


One song that jumped out at me was Bourgeois Tagg's one hit from 1987.  It fit nicely with my steady diet of Beatle songs and the lyrics were about as angst-y as I think I could get as a teenager.


So since I had "lost" this tune for twenty years or so, I wish I had heard it on the radio sooner...


Enjoy!


"I Don't Mind At All" by Bourgeois Tagg







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The "30 Songs in 30 Days" challenge, inspired by the tumblr list. Our 30 Songs roster:

The Armchair Squid

Marc Whitman's Blog
Haley says "Hello" To You

30 Songs in 30 Days: Day 17 – A song that you hear often on the radio

So here comes another confession during this challenge....I really don't listen to the radio.  I prefer sports talk or, when I had my satellite radio, Howard Stern.  On long car trips Nan and I will listen to podcasts of "Wait, Wait" or "Car Talk", or even the occasional comedian's stand up album.

I do have distinct memories of visiting my grandparents quite often growing up.  My grandfather listened to a "light" station when he would drive us around (coincidentally, the same station Nan had on in her car the first time she and I went anywhere together!).

In my memory, we heard this song EVERY TIME he drove us somewhere.

Enjoy!

"Big Bad John" by Jimmy Dean



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The "30 Songs in 30 Days" challenge, inspired by the tumblr list. Our 30 Songs roster:

The Armchair Squid

Marc Whitman's Blog
Haley says "Hello" To You

30 Songs in 30 Days: Day 16 – A song that you used to love but now hate

This one is also a tough one.  But I think I am going to go with REM's "Losing My Religion".  There was a time this one would have held a different spot on my list.  I still find cassette tapes from the 90's with this song on it.  Lots and lots of differnet mix tapes...Now, it leaves me cold.

Enjoy!

30 Songs in 30 Days: Day 15 – A song that describes you

I can't say this song describes ME per se, but it allows me to repeat a rather cool story I had heard recently.

When I first discovered "Magneto and Titanium Man" by Paul McCartney and Wings, my mind was blown. How could the two greatest things (at the time) in my life come together in such an incredible fashion?

Recently my favorite Friday destination (Comic Book Legends Revealed) shared the story.

"COMIC LEGEND: Jack Kirby had a special meeting with Paul McCartney in 1975.

STATUS: True

In case you were unfamiliar with the tune, on Paul McCartney’s 1975 Wings’ album, Venus and Mars…

there is a song called “Magneto and Titanium Man.”

It is a cute, fun song where three Marvel villains from the 60s commit a robbery.

Magneto…

Crimson Dynamo…

and Titanium Man…

The inspiration for the song came from the fact that while McCartney on vacation in Jamaica, he had to keep his kids entertained. So he and his wife Linda would buy them a bunch of comic books every Saturday. McCartney had been a comic book fan as a kid and now he found himself interested in these modern comic books (it is probably a bit of a stretch to say that McCartney was a “fan,” though) and they inspired him to write the above song when he got back to recording the album.

Later in 1975, Wings went on an international tour to support the new album. In June 1976, they made their way to California. Gary Sherman, brother to Jack Kirby assistant Steve Sherman (and therefore, friend to the Kirby family) thought that Kirby and McCartney should meet, so he came up with the story that Kirby had a drawing that he wanted to give to McCartney. Eventually, McCartney’s people agreed and Gary then, of course, had to tell Jack that he had to now do a drawing for McCartney!

Kirby being his typical awesomeness, he whipped up a great drawing of Magneto, Paul, Linda and the band in less than an hour.

Paul thanked Kirby for the drawing and thanked him for helping to entertain his kids during the vacation. He gave Jack, Gary and Jack’s daughter Lisa tickets to the show that night.

At the concert, McCartney introduced Kirby, “In the audience tonight we have the creator of Magneto and lots of other comic characters, and I’d like to dedicate this song to Jack Kirby” and then played “Magneto and Titanium Man.”

What’s awesome is that the Jack Kirby Museum actually has the drawing AND photographs of the meeting!

Here, courtesy of Rand Hoppe’s blog, is the actual drawing…

And here, courtesy of Rand Hoppe’s blog (via Lisa Kirby) is a photograph of Paul and Linda with Kirby….

Go the Kirby Museum here to see two more photographs!

Thanks to Steve Sherman for the scoop on the meeting (which he relayed in Jack Kirby Collector #8) and thanks to Rand Hoppe and the Kirby Museum (and Lisa Kirby) for the drawing and photos. I was planning on doing this bit for a couple of months now, but I should note that commenter mrclam suggested I do it a few weeks ago.

And thanks, of course, to Gary Sherman, who passed away a couple of years ago, for making the whole thing possible!"

Enjoy!

Magneto and Titanium Man by Wings

30 Songs in 30 Days: Day 14 – A song that no one would expect you to love

There are quite a few songs, especially semi-obscure one hit wonders and stuff I used to hear when I had my Sirius radio.

Today's choice might be obvious for people who see me at school, given what my teacher bag has emblazoned upon it.

Either way, I find this song infectious and fun.  It is a GREAT shower song.

Enjoy!

Year 3000 by The Jonas Brothers

30 Songs in 30 Days: Day 13 – A song that is a guilty pleasure

I have already confessed to my utter love of "The Scissor Sisters".  My guilty pleasure goes a little further.

I bought my first CD player in 1987 and immediately purchased two of my favorite albums immediately.

The obvious purchase was "Abbey Road".  The other was "True Confessions" by Bananarama.

Bananarama was the first show I ever saw on my own in a bar.  On March 21, 1989, they opened their first world tour in Boston, where I was attending college.  I bought my ticket and had a blast.  i still have newspaper articles from every Boston paper I could get my hands on.

Enjoy!

Venus by Bananarama

30 Songs in 30 Days: Day 12 – A song from a band you hate

As Dennis Miller might say, I don't want to get off on a rant here but there were times growing up where music was used to exclude rather than include.  I never understood the "fans" who accused bands of selling out once they signed to a big label or stopped being indie darlings.  I never understood the "tortured" artist who hated fame but refused to stop making albums or give back the money earned from lucrative record contracts.

I didn't read "Catcher In The Rye" until last year but I now recognize the vast amount of "phonies" I interacted with throughout high school and college who would look down at my Top 40/Oldie listening habits.  I felt like I had to apologize for liking songs that had melodies or lyrics I could understand and to which I could relate.

I also did not go through any real rebellious period in my teen years.  I had parents and family that loved me and a core group of strong friends...some of whom are still in my life today.

Nirvana hit it big as I became an adult.  College was almost over and I just could not understand the fascination with this band or its sound.

I interpreted today's assignment differently until I read The Squid's and Marc's choices for this day.  I thought I had to find a song I liked from a band I normally hated.  This is much easier.

Enjoy!

About A Girl by Nirvana

30 Songs in 30 Days: Day 11 – A song from your favorite band

The Beatles were my first band. My stepdad had all the albums and I remember sharing cassettes with friends in junior high school. How do you pick just one?

Enjoy!

Her Majesty by The Beatles

30 Songs in 30 Days: Day 10 – A song that makes you fall asleep

I don't really use music to fall asleep.  I prefer it quiet and to be reading.  Both my kids listen to music as they drift off, but my boy LOVES to have music playing as he dozes off.

For the longest time he had a Jack Johnson compact disc that we would start up.  It had all of the mellow surfer dudes tunes, fast and slow.  Now, whenever we here a Jack Johnson song ANYWHERE Logan pretends to doze off.

Enjoy!

Upside Down by Jack Johnson

30 Songs in 30 Days: Day 09 – A song that you can dance to

I really, truly LOVE to dance.  I am unable to do so with any amount of grace, but if the music moves me, then I will move.

As we get deeper into this list, I am already wishing I could change around a few things, as one or two of my previous choices might be better suited in this slot.

Rather than go the route of the songs that allow me to undergo the full body dry heave-type movements, I will instead choose the song I enjoyed dancing to the most....on July 15, 2000, with My Sweet Nanny..

Enjoy!

Tony Bennett: "The Way You Look Tonight"