Becky's Greatest Hits Vol. II

So many versions of this song out there, but this one is my current fave.  

(A re-post from waaaay back in 2010.  I'm super psyched to finally be seeing Rufus tonight!) I sometimes laugh at myself when I scroll through my i-pod artists and see so many songs by a few select artists. You know how when you REALLY love a singer or group that you want everyone else to love them too? Well, for this reason I may need to feature an artist from time to time and give you the best cuts so you can learn to love them too. I'll just make that my musical gift to you, gentle reader! And if you see a playlist and your first response is "who the hell is that????" then that's your cue to give this new guy a shot. Free your mind and open your ears, my friends to the adult contempo stylings of Rufus........ Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk Greek Song Chelsea Hotel No. 2 Beautiful Child April Fool's Between My Legs Across the Universe (omg....a gorgeous rendition of the classic Beatles tune) Calif...

Aaah, Christmas music.  I love it and I hate it.  At first, it's fun to hear.  Then it becomes the never-ending repetition of hell!  I read an article that said the reason not everyone likes Christmas music is because a lot of it is so sad and heartbreaking that it brings up a lot of bad and bitter feelings in people.   Ye-aah.  That, and the fact that it plays from November 27 until January 3rd! But all of that being said, there are still some really good Christmas/holiday songs out there.  And even though I'm not religious, I still have a few picks that are both secular and non-secular. And Merry/Happy Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Ramadan/Winter Solstice/Day of Your Choice to You!!!! I'll Be Home for Christmas                                        ...

Since I managed to bring in all kinds of crazy blog traffic by criticizing Wilco and Bob Dylan, I felt this week's Friday Playlist was the best way to explain myself.  If you will just look at my tags, you will see that I looooove both bands.  And I know that as I fan I can't predict or demand what they will play live, but I can't help but have my own favorites.  So since I already posted my Perfect Wilco setlist a few weeks back, here today I will post my faves by Bob Dylan.  I know most of them are old and not part of the rotation anymore, and that's okay.  But when I think of Bob Dylan and what his legacy means to me, there are the songs I hear in my head...... Subterranean Homesick Blues It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) Highway 61 Revisited Hurricane Girl from the North Country (also becoming a favorite of Little Boy.....always a triumph when this happens) It Ain't Me, Babe Lay, Lady, Lay Like a Rolling Stone Shelter from the Storm ...

Aaaaah, the return of the Friday Playlist!  What is it about girls rocking that just makes me want to roll the windows down and drive all through the summer???? Treat Me Right        Pat Benetar Our Lips Are Sealed      The Go-Gos Take If Off     The Donnas Cherry Bomb     The Runaways   Bad Romance      Lady GaGa Land of Canaan      Indigo Girls  Freedom         Aretha Franklin Loose Lips        Kimya Dawson Kiss Me Deadly        Lita Ford Got to Be Real       Cheryl Lynn I Drove All Night     Cyndi Lauper On the Radio        Donna Summer Borderline          Madonna I Feel Lucky          Mary Chapin-Carpenter Only Girl in the World    ...

To be honest, I'm not super sad about the break-up because R.E.M. is band that will never really fade away. They have such a long catalog of great music that it will be with us for years and years to come and will continue to influence kids who won't even remember who Michael Stipe was! (I mean really, I just read a book about Emo culture called Everybody Hurts . The book sucked ass, but we all know which song it was referencing!) The saddest thing about a band like this breaking up is knowing you'll never get to see them live. But c'mon now, people. The Police broke up in the 80's and I just saw them 4 years ago. Who knows? Maybe they'll get back together in 10 or so years and bring Bill Berry back with them! Now THAT would be worth the $150 ticket price! But I digress...... Here's my favorite hits of R.E.M. Another band that reminds me of my man......and even a few that remind me of Little Boy....... ~Near Wild Heaven ~Nightswimming ~Radio Free ...

Even though I'm about 4 years behind, I finally just finished Broken Music a memoir by Sting. The book was good, but as a longtime Police and Sting fan, I wanted to hear more about the songs and what was behind them. This book was more about his childhood and movements toward music and not so much about The Police beyond their beginnings. That's okay. After reading it, I have such a greater respect and appreciation for why Sting loves and performs the music he does, his influences and what I always I guessed and now know: how intelligent he is. I've always loved Sting......both with The Police and on his own. When E-Roc and I saw The Police on their reunion tour a few years ago, it was one of the best huge arena shows I've ever seen. I remember when they started Synchronicity II and E-Roc leaned over to me and said "I have chills". Only true music fans would ever understand. I also saw Sting on a solo tour when I was about 18 and it was equally thrill...

I was recently talking with one of my buddies who shares good taste in music about different kinds of music from different times in our lives. I don't seem to listen to them much anymore, but there was a time when D.M.B was on heavy rotation with me. A lot of folks came to like D.M.B. much later on, but I was in love with them from Remember Two Things . Sheesh, I loved that album. I had it on cassette. I wore it out. Under the Table was also pretty fantastic. Really fantastic, actually. The first time I saw the band was in 1994 and then there were many shows after that. I feel like I have kind of outgrown them now.....the shows, the music.....I'm not even really familiar anymore. But I still know what my favorite tunes are. So here goes the Friday playlist. I will jam on back to 1994. See you there..... My D.M.B. Faves (in no particular order) Warehouse The Song That Jane Likes I'll Back You Up Crush Lie in Our Graves Jimi Thi...

Sheesh! To say it hasn't been an easy week is a big understatement. I am missing my boy while he's away with his dad. I've been Christmas shopping and realizing how tight the monies are this year. I've had a few things in our culture that have gotten to me this week (see previous blogs from this week). See here's the Friday Playlist. It is meant to invigorate. Remind you that you can do it. You can overcome. You can come out on top. Just press play and learn to fly again...... Lean to Fly by Foo Fighters Alive and Kicking by Simple Minds Do Ya by E.L.O. It's the End of the World as We Know It by R.E.M. Today by The Smashing Pumpkins Dance Tonight by Paul McCartney (with my apologies about the post title) Fighter by Christina Aguilera Don't Stop Believin' by Journey All Fired Up by Pat Benatar Little Fighter by White Lion Take Hold of the Flame by Queensryche Fight the Power by Public Enemy I'm...

I could not really begin to explain how this playlist got crafted in my head this week. I guess the best explanation is to blame my I-Pod. I think of a song....dial to it.....sing along....another one pops in my head.....I dial again.....the progression doesn't always make sense....it just happens! I guess you could best call this a little bit hip-hop/dance/R&B......whateva! (BTW, Little Boy is now saying "whatever!" in a very cute sing-songy kind of voice. Since he's not an obnoxious teenager yet, it's very cute!) On with the list....... Hip Hop Lives (KRS-One featuring Marley Marl) Empire State of Mind (Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys) Telephone (Lady GaGa featuring Beyonce') Paper Planes (M.I.A.) and the inspiration for the title of this post Turn Off the Light (Nelly Furtado) Day 'n' Nite (Kid Cudi) Ms. Jackson (OutKast) Move Your Feet (Junior Senior) Sexy Boy (Air) Swass (Sir Mix-A-Lot) Umbrella (Rihanna featuring Jay-Z) Cars With the Boom...

It seems like a lot of the great songs written for sons are from fathers to sons, but us moms can certainly appreciate them. These are some of the best songs out there that remind me of my boy. I would encourage you to make your own list and listen to them together. Your son will grow up loving them like mine has. And I will note, that many of them may not at first seem like songs written to or for our sons, but when you give them a listen with that in mind......you will clearly hear the sentiment..... Beautiful Boy by John Lennon Loves Me Like a Rock by Paul Simon The Best Day by George Strait Moon River by Andy Williams Haven't Met You Yet by Michael Buble When I Grow Up (To Be a Man) by The Beach Boys Our House by CSNY Blanket for a Sail by Harry Nilsson Broken by Jack Johnson Into the Mystic by Van Morrison Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell I Wish I Could Be Like You by Asylum Street Spankers In My Life by The Beatles

I was inspired to do this playlist when nearly every morning this week I've heard some great mellow hit that seemed to make me float on into the office. Now I'll admit that's hard to sustain that floatiness all day, but it is a pretty good way to start. And if you don't know these artists or the songs that's, of course, your cue to dig a little deeper. Do think really think the best music in the world is on the radio? Tsk, tsk, tsk. (Click on song titles for links. Some are funnier than others.) Friday Mellow Picks Dry the Rain (The Beta Band) You and Your Heart (Jack Johnson) What Light (Wilco) Scar (Missy Higgins) Here's Where the Story Ends (The Sundays) Nightswimming (R.E.M.) 59th Street Bridge Song (Simon & Garfunkel) Like the Weather (10,000 Maniacs) Night on the Sun (Modest Mouse) So Nice So Smart (Kimya Dawson) Now float on, my friends........and Happy Weekend! (I have to add as a side note, that as I wrote ...

Aaaah, spring! The afternoon sun begs me to open the sun roof and let the music play! At least until I get to Little Boy's school and we have to switch to Kidsplace Live. But I can at least play my own until I get there. Here we go...... Our Lips Are Sealed The Go-Gos Baby, Give It Up K.C. & The Sunshine Band Fantasy Mariah Carey Put Your Records On Corrine Bailey Rae The Oogum Boogum Song Brenton Wood A Little Respect Erasure Around the Way Girl LL Cool J Lie in Our Graves Dave Matthews Band Paper Planes M.I.A. Best of My Love The Emotions

Aaah.....the Friday Playlist.....a great way to kick off the last day of the work week or the end of it. Play at your own risk. Listening to this one may make you want to burn down your office building or drive right on past! Warning Green Day Punk Rock Girls The Queers Clampdown The Clash Driver Education Amy Ray Clover Chaos Los Accidentes I Wanna Be Sedated The Ramones Take It Off The Donnas 10 am Automatic The Black Keys Train in Vain The Clash Gabba Gabba, wha????? Happy Weekend.......