In defense of ELP, I will say that Brain Salad Surgery is (mostly) a great album. I know “Karn Evil 9″ is one of those prog-rock opuses that we’re supposed to hate for its excesses and pretension, but it shall always have a place on my iPod (with all three (or four, depending on how you count) parts joined into a single, glorious 30-minute file.

And King Crimson actually got better and better as they went along, plus they’re one of the few prog acts who were genuinely better live. (I love ELP, but they did tend to stretch a point or two dozen when I saw them.) If you can find one of the live Crimson albums Fripp put out on his own label, give it a try.

we can haz puppies nao?

Lost In The Harbour – Tom Waits
Bitch. I’m Broke – Cody Chesnutt
Mr. Suit – Wire
Chinese Rocks – The Heartbreakers
Come To Love – Matthew Sweet
I Am Scared Of Everything – We Versus The Shark
Chivalry – Mekons
21 – Euripides Pants
Say Goodbye To Hollywood – Billy Joel
Using Our Feet – Badly Drawn Boy

Bonus:
Mind Reader – Sebadoh

1. “Sun Is Shining”- Bob Marley- The Gold Collection
2. “Introduction, Omens of Spring”- Stravinski
3. “The Bells”- The Loading Zone- Love Is The Song We Sing
4. “Nix Hex”- 311- Music
5. “Graceland”- Paul Simon- Shining Like A National Guitar
6. “Sunshine Of Your Love”- The Jimi Hendrix Experience- BBC Sessions
7. “Live Intro”- N.W.A.- Compton’s Greatest Hits
8. “Hive”- 311- Live at the Metro (8/21/96)
9. “Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K, 550, Fourth Movement: Allegreo Assi”- Mozart
10. “Makes You Blind”- Public Enemy- New Whirl Odor

and for my next trick-

11. “Shine It”- Medeski, Martin & Wood- End Of The World Party

1) Save yourself – Stabbing Westward
2) Fix Up Look Sharp – Dizzee Rascal
3) New Dawn Fades – New Order with Moby
4) Best of You – Foo Fighters
5) Silence is Easy – Starsailor
6) Time of the Season – The Zombies
7) Light and Day/Reach for the Stars – The Polyphonic Spree
Dreaming of You – The Coral
9) Cochise – Audioslave
10) All About the Benjamins – Notorious B.I.G. with a host of others

and because I need to make up for Biggie (not that I don’t love him, but that song?!?)

11) Radar Love – Golden Earring
12) Undone (The Sweater Song) – Weezer

Not too bad really. If you haven’t heard Dizzee Rascal, please give it a try. interesting sound. Good Friday y’all.

Get Together – The Youngbloods
Thieving Boy – Cleo Laine
Words of Love – The Beatles
It’s All in the Game – Tommy Edwards
Going Up the Country – Canned Heat
Peace in the Valley – Carole King
And So It Goes – Billy Joel
Corcovado – Joao Gilberto & Stan Getz
You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To – Tony Bennett
Looking for the Right One – Art Garfunkel

Bonus: Everybody Loves Me, Baby – Don McLean

I don’t know why I tell you people these things. I can hear you snickering.

Nowhere Is My home – The Replacements
Forever Now – The Psychedelic Furs
Hounds Of Love – Kate Bush
Soon – My Bloody Valentine
Hate It Here – Wilco
The Dirty Jobs – The Who
Love You In The Fall – Paul Westerberg
What Am I Doin’ Hangin’ ‘Round – The Monkees
Country Mile – Camera Obscura
Red Headed Stepchild – Golden Smog
Pig – Sparklehorse

Dazed and Confused – Led Zeppelin
Consequence – The Notwist
Dark Star – Beck
Watermelon Man – Herbie Hancock
You Fucked Up – Ween
Some Girls are Bigger than Others – The Smiths
I Can’t Stand It – The Velvet Underground
Where ever You Go – Built to Spill
What Have I Done – DJ Shadow
Jackals False Grails: The Lonesome Era – Pavement

And, well, Radiohead. Kind of a lot better than ELO. However, time may prove me wrong, but I doubt it… I have embarrassments in my closet but those are more of the Eighties variety (my first concert was Genesis on the “Invisible Touch” tour. Talk about prog gone to pot.)

The sun came up with no conclusions
Flowers sleepin’ in their beds
The city cemetery’s hummin’
I’m wide awake, it’s mornin’

1. “Funeral Music for Queen Mary: Thou Knowest, Lord” – Henry Purcell
2. “Love Me Do” – The Beatles
3. “St. Jimmy” – Green Day
4. “White Christmas” – The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
5. “Quartet Op. 59 #3: 4. Allegro molto” – L. van Beethoven
6. “Mass ‘The Western Wind’: Sanctus” – John Taverner
7. “Lullay My Liking” – Deller Consort
8. “Sonata in a minor ‘Arpeggione Sonata’: 1. Allegro Moderato” – Franz Schubert
9. “Road to Joy” – Bright Eyes
10. “Clarinet Quintet in b minor Op. 115: 2. Larghetto” – Johnny Mathis

Whoa, that was pretty random. Let’s see what else we can dig up:

11. “Brass Fanfare” – Christmas Revels
12. “The Christmas Song” – Canadian Brass

An awful lot of Christmas tunes; and it’s not even Hallowe’en.

ELP? I admit to downloading “Lucky Man” because of the progressive Moog synth part. And I actually liked the tune, but the idea of bouncing the parts from one side to another is unsettling when listening on headphones when riding the commuter bus at 6:30 AM.

Oops – No. 10 is not by Johnny Mathis but by Johannes Brahms.

Hot off the mojo machine, this is gonna shake rattle n roll ya:

Trouble Over Me — Tift Merrit
Who Am I To You — Norah Jones
Look What You’ve Done — Jet
Tip My Canoe — Dengue Fever
Running — No Doubt
You Know It Aint Right — John Lee Hooker
Music Is My Hot, Hot Sex — CSS
Keep Away From My Woman — Blind Boy Fuller
Not Tonight — Tegan and Sara
Shame Shame Shame — Jimmy Reed

An inflationary two bonus cuts for the price of five!

Some People Say — Eddie Spaghetti
Crying Over — Patty Griffin

As an aside, the delicious yet pithy mrs tbogg commented the other night that I now have enough Ani DiFranco CD’s to qualify as a honorary lesbian. Do I get a decoder ring or something?

Yes, you get the ring, but did she mention where you have to be pierced to wear it?

Sweet Little Sixteen – Chuck Berry
Sweet Surrender – Sarah McLachlan
Helplessly Hoping – Crosby, Stills & Nash
Sunshine of Your Love – Cream
I Believe in Love – Dixie Chicks
Rachel’s Dream – Benny Goodman
Cowboy Take Me Away – Dixie Chicks
Christina – Patti Griffin
Turn Me On – Norah Jones
Tennessee Jed – Grateful Dead

Bonus

The Sad Cafe – The Eagles

Heavens to Betsy. My brother and I were huge ELP fans along with several other prog rock bands up to and including Van der Graf Generator and Gentle Giant. In all of our respective defenses, there really wasn’t a whole lot of better stuff out here at the time. Regardless, it remains cringe inducing today. Here’s my ten from this a.m.

Sound Round – The Who
Heart Of The City – Nick Lowe
On The Road – Tom Waits
The Night That Never Ends – The Cat Empire
Don’t Look Back In Anger – Oasis
Call It Off – Tegan & Sara
Fluorescent Adolescent – Arctic Monkeys
Any King’s Shilling – Elvis Costello
Baby Watch Your Back – Nellie McKay
Caring Is Creepy – The Shins

Düsseldorf – bob hund – Omslag: Martin Kann
Poseidon Waltz – Loto Ball Show – Levy on the Eyeway
Let Me Down Again – Catherine Wheel – Black Metallic EP
Smoking Indoors – Salty Pirates – Back With a Vengeance
Power to the People – John Lennon – Shaved Fish
Curve – Sincola – s/t EP
Asleep at the Wheel – The Arcade Fire – 2001 Demos
Want To Cannot Help But Dance – Billie Vision and the Dancers – I Was So Unpopular in School and Now They’re Giving Me This Beautiful Bicycle
Ceiling To the Floor – Mighty Mighty – Throwaway EP
Clear Off – The Fall – Call For Escape Route

Speaking of nostalgia, bonus track #11:
Moon River – Audrey Hepburn – Music From the Films of Audrey Hepburn

1. Molly’s Chambers- Kings Of Leon
2. Gang Of Gin- Babyshambles
3. Where Angels Play- The Stone Roses
4. So Far Away- Carole King
5. Carpetbaggers- Jenny Lewis
6. The Masterplan- Oasis
7. Gimme A Sign- Ryan Adams
8. 2 Hearts- Kylie Minogue
9. I’ve Just Seen A Face- The View
10. Umbrella- Manic Street Preachers

Bonus-
11. Last Nite- Adele
12. Me Plus One- Kasabian

You can waste your time on the other rides
This is the nearest to being alive
Oh let me take my chances on the Wall Of Death

1. One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later) – Bob Dylan
2. The Seeker – The Who
3. Wicky Wacky – Fatback
4. Frolicsome Finale, from Simple Symphony (Britten) – English Camber Orch./Britten
5. The New York Hippodrome (Sousa) – Royal Artillery Band/Brion
6. Always Wanting You – Merle Haggard
7. Understand Your Man – Dwight Yoakam
8. Wall Of Death/Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues/Needles and Pins – Richard Thompson
9. Careful – Television
10. Loose String – Son Volt
11. Washington Post (Sousa) – Eastman Wind Ensemble/Fennell

Ah, yes, ELP. I spent many happy hours lying on the floor between the speakers listening to Karn Evil 9. Is it more or less embarrassing to admit that I also listened to a lot of Yes? God bless the early 70s.

On to the random 10:

1. “Time’s Up – Music to Ride to” – Arrow
2. “Wake Up Everybody” – Harold Melvin
3. “There He Goes” – Patsy Cline
4. “That’s When I’ll Come Back To You” – Louis Armstrong
5. “Dance To The Music” – Sly & the Family Stone
6. “Beer Bottle Boogie” – Mitch Woods
7. “Six And Four” – Oscar Peterson
8. Stravinsky, “Le Sacre du Printemps”, Spring Round Dances – London Symphony
9. “From This Moment On” – Mabel Mercer
10. “Half A World Away” – R.E.M.

Bonus:

Golijov, “Inscriptions for String Quartet”, II. I.B.S. (1904-1991) – St. Lawrence String Quartet
“Nobody’s Fault But My Own” – Beck

I have no idea what no. 1 is, or if that is even the right title or artist, except that it’s great.

Yeah, I used to listen to a lot of Rush back when I was a youth. Nowadays, not so much…

Don’t Drag No More – Susan Lynne (Girl Group Sounds Lost And Found)
Trois Nocturnes: Premier Nocturne – Klara Kormendi (The Best Of Satie)
Whatever I Do It’s Right – The Clean (Anthology)
The Humpers – Fast Fucked, And Furious (Live Forever Or Die Trying)
Hang Down Your Head – Tom Waits (Rain Dogs)
Frankenstein – New York Dolls (New York Dolls)
Hospital Beds – Cold War Kids (Robbers And Cowards)
The Last Time – Gnarles Barkley (St. Elsewhere)
It’s Only Make Believe – Conway Twitty
Barely Legal – The Didjits (Que Sirhan Sirhan)

and I’m out…

Cody ChesnuTT – love it.

Well, here goes my player:
I Don’t Want To Die (In the Hospital) – Conor Oberst
My Favorite Boxer – Of Montreal
Metal School – Spoon
Your Love – Supergrass
Stealing People’s Mail – Dead Kennedys
Everday Feels Like Sunday – Of Montreal
Don’t Stick Around Too Long – Lord Large
Shadow Song – The Mountain Goats
Ones – Islands
In Silence/Words Away – Rites of Spring

Bonus #11: cold products – Cats in Paris

a sucker’s evening – bonnie prince billy
walking spanish – tom waits
look at the rain – meat puppets
cactus – pixies
a pair of brown eyes – the pogues
come down easy – spacemen 3
i write down lists – nina nastasia & jim white
little cream soda – the white stripes
carousel – iron & wine
jockey full of bourbon – tom waits

In spite of my nearly complete Ani D collection, I didn’t get the HL Decoder Ring until we bought the Subaru.

Blame It On The Tetons Modest Mouse
Young At Heart Joss Stone
Sunrise Norah Jones
Stop Breaking Down The Rolling Stones
About To Make Me Leave Home Bonnie Raitt
Fat Man Jethro Tull
Anytime My Morning Jacket
Havin’ A Party Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
7 And 7 Is Love
Littlest Things Lily Allen

Brian Eno “Dead Finks Don’t Talk” Here Come the Warm Jets
Lightning & Group “Long John” Martin Scorsese Presents: The Blues
Talking Heads “Pulled Up” Talking Heads: 77
Randy Newman “Cowboy” Guilty: 30 Years of Randy Newman
Sex Pistols “Anarchy in the U.K.” Great Rock’n’Roll Swindle
Laurie Anderson “Puppet Motel” Bright Red Tightrope
Iris Dement “You’ve Done Nothing Wrong” My Life
Laurie Anderson “Speechless: The Eagle and the Weasel” Bright Red Tightrope
Victoria Williams “You R Loved” Loose
Wayne County & the Back Street Boys “Max’s Kansas City 1976″ D.I.Y.: Blank Generation–The New York Scene (1975-1978)

bonus
Glenn Gould “Gigue from Suite for Piano, Op. 25″ Thirty-Two Short Films about Glenn Gould

I left behind ELP (I remember the Tocatta from Brain Salad Surgery fondly), Queen, Wings, & Gino Vannelli (!?!) but I still love Sparks, the Bonzo Dog Band, & early Mothers Of Invention.

I Want You Back – The Esso Trinidad Steel Band
She’s Slipping – ccc & ill chemist
To Know Him Is to Love Him – The Teddy Bears
Slow Bird – Paul Buff
Grumblers – The Musical Betts
Lonesome Cowboy Bill [Early Version] – The Velvet Underground
Carpenters Christmas (Karen Meets Roots Radics Uptown) – Go Home Productions
An Experimented Terror – The Greek Fountains
The Little Drummer Boy – Sparks
Another the Letter – Wire

And one per dog we have between us:

I Live In a Split Level Head – Napoleon XIV
It’s Up To You To Be Ripped Off by Late Night T.V – The Illuminoids
Bonneville Beat – Ruby Short & His Dragsters

In your case, it will probably be Radiohead. I can still occasionally listen to a little Yes or King Crimson without cringing inwardly, but the ELP stuff… yikes.

IMO, “Brain Salad Surgery” and “Trilogy” have held up a lot better than “Tarkus”. I can’t think of a single rock keyboard player around today who can hold a candle to Keith Emerson.

One of the characters in “Return of the Secaucus Seven” (all hail John Sayles . . .) calls progressive rock music “heavy metal goes to college.”

Two words: Vanilla Fudge.

So I’m guessing you’re not interested in a copy of Encores, Legends & Paradox: A Tribute to the Music of ELP?

Here’s a top 10 from my “art” rock folder:

1. John Lurie: Backwards Flute
2. O Paradis & Novy Svet: Barcelona
3. Colleen: Sun Against My Eyes
4. Reiko Kudo: Summer Flowers
5. Rachel’s: Reflective Surfaces
6. Igor Wakhevitch: Licornes
7. Four Tet: The Space of Two Weeks
8. Midori Hirano: Ancient Story in the Room
9. Susumu Yokota: The Colour of Pomegranates
10. Baja: Maps — Breakfast with Hostages (Anatomy & Variation Revisited)

Basically, the music I put in this iTunes folder is stuff I really really like and think is hot, but which I suspect I’ll disavow all knowledge of ten years from now.

You get a free toaster oven! Sorry no decoder ring!

1. Deerhoof – Xmas Tree
2. Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Tears Before Bedtime
3. Beck – Nobody’s Fault But My Own
4. Stephen Malkmus – Tuesday Afternoon
5. The Ronettes – Keep On Dancing
6. Rhianna (w. Jay-Z) – Umbrella
7. Figurines – The Wonder
8. Tones On Tail – Go
9. The White Stripes – The Nurse
10. Yeasayer – Red Cave

Post-Pre-Friday “Schools – good for learnin’ and head lice” Random Tennish

1) “Eep Opp Ork Ah Ah(That Means I Love You)” – The Violent Femmes
2) “Naha” – Burning Hands
3) “Train of Love” – Johnny Cash
4) “Darkening of the Light” – Concrete Blonde
5) “Down by the River” – Neil Young
6) “Circle Dream” – 9,999 Maniacs
7) “The Guns of Brixton” – The Clash
8: “The Gauntlet” – Dropkick Murhpys
9) “Oodles of O’s” – De La Soul
10) “Dan Dan” – David Thomas

The X plusses, they liiive!

X+1) “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” – Johnny Cash
X+2) “Turned Out” – Helmet
X+3) “Straight A’s in Love” – Johnny Cash (apparently my Mp3 players loves some Man in Black today)

Los Straitjackets – “Chica Alborotada”
John Fogerty – “Creedence Song”
Mystery Action – “Raw-Hide”
Papa Doo Run Run – “Good Vibrations”
The Beatles – “One After 909″
The Ventures – “Telstar”
Hank Williams Jr. – “Big River”
Neil Young – “Out On The Weekend”
The Beatles – “A Hard Day’s Night”
Michelle Shocked – “Homestead”

Bonus #11
Bill Hayes – “The Ballad Of Davy Crockett”
Kil’t him a baar when he was only three

Music For The Royal Fireworks, Overture: Allegro, Adagio, Lentement, Allegro – George Frideric Handel
I’m A Believer –The Monkees (This is truly random!–taking into consideration The Boggfather’s comment about what we used to love but not so much anymore.)
Warriors (Jungle Beat) — Aswad
Beechwood 4-5789 — The Marvelettes (are we on a nostalgia thing this week? I blame TBogg)
Music For The royal Fireworks, La Rejouissance — George Friderick Handel
Buffalo Soldier — Bob Marley & The Wailers
Run and Tell That — Elijah Kelly
Forever Loving Jah — Bob Marley & The Wailers (iPod is hugging Bob today)
Baroque-A-Nova — Mason Williams
I Didn’t Know The Gun Was Loaded — The Andrews Sisters (not about Dick Cheney or Sarah Palin)

BONUS tracks:
Where Did I Go Wrong — Baha Men (why do I even have this bilge in my library? This one I’ll never miss, deleting now.)
Highway Chile — The Jimi Hendrix Experience (still good after all these years)