Some of Michelle’s playlists (#1311)

Topics/tags: Michelle, Mixtapes, Data

For the past few days, Michelle and I have been listening to music together. Music has been a large part of our lives (particularly music while driving), and I thought the music might connect with her as she sleeps.

Today, rather than picking albums we listened to together, I decided to grab her iPhone and see what music she had on it. More precisely, I wanted to see what playlists she had. As I recall, Michelle was somewhat casual in putting together playlists. It was a combination of What comes to mind now? and What do I want to hear again and again? She didn’t have a lot of playlists, so she often listened to the same one each week as she drove to and from Audubon. She also listened to some albums.

In putting together these lists, I’m not sure what commentary I’ll decide add. This may just be Let’s explore Michelle’s taste. And while the completist in me wants to add careful discographical information, I’m oing to stick with title and artist. Well, title, artist, and a few comments.

A playlist entitled First car mix

Captain Jack by Billy Joel.

The Stranger by Billy Joel.

Only The Good Die Young by Billy Joel.

One Toke Over the Line by Brewer & Shipley.

The Leader of the People by Charles Steele.

Plane to Denver by Charles Steele.

Levon by Elton John.

American Idiot by Green Day. A bit of an odd transition here.

She Is Always Seventeen by Harry Chapin. A Harry Chapin song whose lyrics I don’t dislike. Cool.

Somewhere Far Away by Lowen & Navarro.

Walking On A Wire by Lowen & Navarro.

Queen of Argyll by Silly Wizard. Definitely one of her favorite songs. I once asked if she wanted to suggest it for Danika & Jeb, but she said she thought it wouldn’t work. Strangely enough, I don’t remember her listening to other Silly Wizard.

Hey St. Peter by The Bad Examples. Ah, one of our favorite bands. And one of those songs that suggests that we didn’t necessarily play the most appropriate music for our children (My life passed before my eyes like an X-rated film). Also a rocking song that is a somewhat strange transition from Queen of Argyll.

Not Dead Yet by The Bad Examples. Yes, another bad example for our children. (Standing with a Strat, I’m rock and roll’s bastard son. Go out, get drunk, get laid, have fun.) Definitely fun car music, though.

Smiles Like Richard Nixon by The Bad Examples. As you can probably tell by now, Michelle liked grabbing a few songs by the same artist. This song is very different than the other two; much more quietly melodic.

Trouble Bound by The Blasters. I’ve mentioned before how much she likes the Blasters as a group and Dave Alvin as a solo artist.

Marie Marie by The Blasters.

Hollywood Bed by The Blasters.

Red Rose by The Blasters.

Fool’s Paradise by The Blasters.

Blackwater by The Doobie Brothers.

A playlist entitled Rowing

Was this for exercise? I don’t know.

Black Betty by Ram Jam.

All Star by Smash Mouth.

Independence Day by Martina McBride. A bit of a transition from the prior two.

Jackie Blue by Ozark Mountain Daredevils.

My Sharona by The Knack.

The Queen of Argyll by Silly Wizard. As I said, this one was a definite fave.

Amie by Pure Prairie League.

Walking on a Wire by Lowen & Navarro. Another repeat. Another favorite.

Welfare Music by The Bottle Rockets. We saw them with the Jollys at Woolys. (Or was that at Jollys with the Woolys?) This is a boppy little piece with a somewhat sad theme.

Grace by The High Kings. Middle Child introduced Michelle to The High Kings. She clearly enjoyed their music.

The Green Fields of France by The High Kings. The first (and only) duplicate in this list.

A playlist entitled Travel

I’m relatively sure that this was her primary music to listen to for the first few months (year?) of her time working in Audubon.

Border Radio by Dave & Phil Alvin & The Guilty Ones. I said I wasn’t going to include discographical information, but this one seems worth noting. It’s from a recording of the brothers on 24 October 2014. that I found on archive.org. Dave is generous in permitting recording of his live shows to be posted to archive.org. And this was from a tour in which the brothers were back together. (We saw a show on one such tour; I’m not sure if it was this one.)

What’s Up With Your Brother by Dave & Phil Alvin & The Guilty Ones. Same show. A great new song introduced at about the time of the tour. I love the lyric I’ll debate time and space and the theory of numbers. But all anyone asks is What’s Up With Your Brother? (In addition to being a great singer, Phil is a mathematician.)

Marie Marie by Dave & Phil Alvin & The Guilty Ones. Like Border Radio, an album from about 30 years before the show. Still amazingly rocking.

Fox on the Run by The Sweet. Yes, they had songs other than Ballroom Blitz.

Lake Shore Drive by Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah. Since I lived on the South side, Heading South on Lake Shore Drive always seemed backwards (or upside-down).

Bring It On Home To Me by Sam Cooke.

Surrender by Cheap Trick.

Father and Son by Cat Stevens. She’s mixing it up here, not staying with any artist for more than one song.

Praise The Lord by Poi Dog Pondering. I remember seeing them together; they are such a fun collective. We listened to a lot of PDP (no, not DEC PDP) during our drives back and forth in New Hampshire and Maine. This didn’t strike me as an obvious choice of a PDP song, but it’s a nice one.

Freakin’ At The Freaker’s Ball by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show. Proof that Michelle and I aren’t the only ones who let their kids listen to songs with inappropriate lyrics. (Both Michelle and I loved this album as children.) Let’s see … Everybody ballin’ in batches. Pyromaniacs strikin’ matches. I’m gonna itch me where it scratches. Freakin’ at the Freaker’s Ball. You gotta love Shel Silverstein.

Wham Bam Shang-A-Lang by Silver. Hmmm. A song I didn’t know well.

Black Swan by Danika Holmes featuring Jeb Hart. A great custom song. I hope our custom song will eventually end up on an album, too.

Some Kind of Wonderful by Danika Holmes featuring Jeb Hart.

Rainy Day Lovin’ by Danika Holmes featuring Jeb Hart.

Mr. Know It All by Danika Holmes featuring Jeb Hart.

Time for a Change by Danika Holmes featuring Jeb Hart. Have you seen a pattern yet? Michelle added all of Balance, Vol. 1 to this playlist.

Without Love by Danika Holmes featuring Jeb Hart.

Superstition by Danika Holmes featuring Jeb Hart. Such a great song. And such a great cover. However, I’ll admit that I prefer their more recent live performances of this song.

Intermission by Danika Holmes featuring Jeb Hart.

Breathe In, Let Go by Danika Holmes featuring Jeb Hart. As our friend John says, this is a real snot-sobber.

Put Your Records On by Danika Holmes featuring Jeb Hart.

Half As Strong As You by Danika Holmes featuring Jeb Hart. Another snot-sobber, increasingly so for me as time goes on.

Are you sleeping?

Do you know it’s me?

Can you feel my hand in yours?

You’re the one I still adore.

This is me that’s _someth_ing you.

You’re mostly unresponsive.

But you’re still fighting.

Because we’re not ready to say goodbye.

I don’t know if you can hear me.

But I believe you can feel me.

Just like I feel you.

Whoops. I shouldn’t have tried to transcribe the lyrics. Now I’m crying. I hope you’re not.

Bluebird by Danika Holmes featuring Jeb Hart.

Press Play by Danika Holmes featuring Jeb Hart.

2020 by Mitch Rossell. I know not where this one came from.

A playlist entitled New Travel

Mr. Know It All by Danika Holmes featuring Jeb Hart. Michelle really enjoyed listening to Danika and Jeb since we started doing our remote dates. Their Day #2349 served as a regular album playlist, as it were.

Harlan County Line by Dave Alvin. Also a song that Michelle requested that Danika and Jeb cover.

Johnny Ace is Dead by Dave Alvin. And we’re back to the multiple songs by one artist theme.

What’s Up with Your Brother? by Dave Alvin. This time, from the Eleven Eleven album.

Gary, Indiana 1959 by Dave Alvin. Union songs!

Praise the Lord by Poi Dog Pondering.

Ex-Wives from The Soundtrack to Six. Michelle loved this soundtrack. The soundtrack was a common alternative to playlists when we were driving, at least since about the time of the pandemic. I’m glad we got to see the show together.

Get Down from The Soundtrack to Six.

What’s Up with Your Brother? by Dave Alvin. This time, from the Eleven Eleven album. You can’t have too many repetitions of a song that discusses the theory of numbers.

Make My Own Day (Live) by Danika & The Jeb.

Black Rose of Texas by Dave Alvin. Michelle told me that she loved the lyrics of this sad, sad song.

Blinded by the Sun by Giulia Milanta. Another artist we listen to together on StageIt. (Danika and Jeb are the main ones.)

Queen of Argyll by Silly Wizard. How many playlists is this on?

They Call Her Easy by Harry Chapin. Ugh. Do we really need a story about a father’s hope for his daughter and the person who lets him down?

Sway Into The Storm (Live) by Danika & The Jeb.

In A Memory by Danika Holmes featuring Jeb Hart.

Our Three Sons by Danika & The Jeb. My thirty-fifth anniversary present to her. (No, not the sons, the song.)

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Hmmm … that’s all I can find on this phone. I know that there were others. She loved 1970’s pop and rock and often had that music playing. For example, I expected to see Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl), which I regularly heard while riding with her. Or maybe she just played Have A Nice Day: Super Hits of the 70’s. I can’t reproduce everything. These four tapes give a partial start to Michelle’s taste, my encounters with her taste, and our shared enjoyment.

What about the albums on her iPhone, the ones that served as alternates to playlists? I’ve mentioned a few, but we’ll consider those in more depth in another musing.

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Version 1.0 released 2024-10-04.

Version 1.0.1 of 2024-10-04.