Another year, another playlist for one more trip around the sun…
Notes:
3. U2 – saw them in Lansing this past summer – AMAZING performance.
4. Decemberists – The King is Dead is probably my favorite album of 2011.
5. Andrew Bird – The third song in an “end of the world” medley for Harold Camping, and the Mayan calendar set to end a year from now. The world is always ending. The world is always beginning. It all depends of your perspective.
7. Blur – love the line: “I’m a professional cynic / but my heart’s not in it / paying the price for living life at the limit.” Here’s to the century’s remedy.
16. Das Racist – explicit language on this one; you might want to skip.
18. Timelords – old song, novelty pop song, but I still think Dr. Who is one of the best shows on TV (in close running with The Walking Dead).
22. Tori Amos – hard to believe Nirvana’s “Nevermind” is 20 years old this year. This version by Tori Amos actually helped me “get” Nirvana. Also started my love affair with a great cover versions of songs.
23. REM – RIP. Didn’t listen to the last few albums, never saw them live, but I was a pretty big fan back in the day.
24. Jonathan Coulton – sorry I missed his show with They Might be Giants this year; also see #18.
26. They Might be Giants – This summer the KKK put some “recruiting” material out in the town where I work (apparently they had a pretty strong presence in the area a number of years ago), so I think about this song probably more than the average person does. (Also, just so I’m clear, I’ve never witnessed racist attitudes among the members of the church I serve).
30. B-52s – always loved this simple instrumental track.
32. Mumford and Sons – Lyric I’ll always wished I had written: “It seems that all my bridges have been burned / But you say that’s how this grace thing works / It’s not the long walk home that will change this heart / But the welcome I receive with the restart”. If my years of preaching could be summarized in a song, that would probably be it.
33. Lou Reed – thinking about mortality this fall, led to recalling Reed’s “Magic and Loss” album. Even though my job involves being around a lot of death, you’re still never quite prepared for the loss of friends.
35. Over the Rhine – just discovered this track this past week. Another song with great lyrics: “All my favorite people are broken / Believe me / My heart should know… All my friends are part saint and part sinner / We lean on each other / Try to rise above.” Thanks to those friends who live this out with me.
36. Grateful Dead – Crossed a milestone when my aunt suggested at Thanksgiving that I visit her stylist to get my “color done.”
38. Willie Nelson – haven’t taken the kids to see the latest Muppet movie, but this song (and this version) is always a personal favorite.