iPod Shuffle: The Gateway To Your Soul

OK, I'm stretching a little for a discussion topic today. I apologize for not having any profound revelations to dispense at the moment, but hey...it's Friday!

In an idea I "borrowed" from Sarah Lane's blog, I decided to set my iPod to Shuffle and list the first 10 songs it plays, giving a brief explanation about each. I listen to a lot of music, and some of it isn't exactly "Catholic-friendly."

So this blog has some potential.

Here goes...


1. "Without You" by Dirty Vegas:

This is an older song, but my DJ roots are still strong. Electronica has a special place in my heart, whether its house, techno, drum & bass, or trip hop. This track is most recognized as a theme song for a Mitsubishi Eclipse years ago:




2. "Little Wing" by Stevie Ray Vaughn:

I first heard this song in high school. A friend/band mate was interning at a local radio station, and snatched up one of several CD's they were giving away. While I haven't picked up my guitar in years, hearing this song makes me sad that I stopped playing. Rest in peace, Stevie.

Fun guitar fact: SRV used extremely heavy gauge strings on his guitars, giving it that unique sound. If you're a guitar player, you know that those tricky blues bends are tough to do with heavier strings.


3. "Time" by The Dream Traveller:

The first cut from Paul Oakenfold's Tranceport CD. It took me a while to actually enjoy anything mixed by Oakey; my favorite U.K. DJ is Tony De Vit. While my skills were never as good as theirs, even a kid playing Little League knows who his idols are.

This particular track reminds me of long drives across the country, driving a van and taking pics for students at different colleges in the U.S.


4. "Holy Is the Lord (live)" by Chris Tomlin:

The first time I heard this song was with Father Andrew-Carl Wisdom, OP: Vocations Director for the Order of Preachers, Central Province. Two others with me, considering a life with the Dominicans. Father Wisdom showed a DVD made by one of the novices, chronicling their year at the novitiate. This was the theme song.

I feel a deeper connection with the live version of this song. Perhaps it reminds me of the Dominicans. Perhaps the end of the track, where the crowd continues to sing after the music ends, is something far more touching than anything produced in a recording studio.


5. "107.3" by iTrip:

Not really a song, but its listed on the iPod as a song, and unfortunately works its way into a random song shuffle. The iTrip is an inexpensive FM Transmitter for the iPod that allows you to listen without connecting anything to your car stereo. If you don't have a cassette adapter, or maybe your deck only plays CD's, you can set the channel and play your iPod through your car speakers for about 30 bucks. (iTrip at Amazon.com)


6. "Step In the Name (remix)" by R. Kelly: Yes! Yes! I admit it! I still listen to R. Kelly. Yeah yeah, I know about everything that went down, and I heard all the ugly stories about what happened, but I'm sorry...I'm a sucker for a good song.

Doesn't that make you want to get up and dance?


7. "Against All Odds" by The Postal Service:

Remember me talking about "others looking at joining the Dominicans?" One of them turned me on to The Postal Service, a pleasant cross between indie rock and minimalist techno. It's great music to relax with, although the singing is iffy at times. This is their remake of the Phil Collins hit.


8. "Remember the Name" by Fort Minor: Now we get into the edgier stuff. Anything that gets my blood moving is great. The beat, along with the words (sans all the F-bombs), is definitely invigorating:


"This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill,
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will.
Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain,
And 100 percent reason to Remember the Name."


9. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" by U2:

It took me a long time to warm up to U2. Back when The Joshua Tree was released, U2 didn't have the energy I was looking for in a band. Of course, I was listening to Skid Row, Motley Crue, and Def Leppard in those days. (Yes, I had a mullet. No, I will not show a picture of it.)

Around the time How to Disarm an Atomic Bomb was released, I began to really get into their sound. And even if Bono's not ready to accept his Catholic roots, classic U2,such as this track, is simply divine.

10. "Pimpin' All Over the World" by Ludacris:

I listen to a lot of Hip Hop, and I'm not ashamed of it one bit. I might not agree with many of the hedonistic messages that are common in newer releases, but I grew up listening to rap. I grew up when Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Eazy-E were still making tapes about Compton, I listened to Chuck D. talk about the oppression of blacks, and I listened to Ice-T talk bad about the cops before playing a cop on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

The music moves me, and that's why songs like this are on my iPod. For those of you who just can't tolerate Hip Hop, you'd be interested to see how similar the genre is to modern Country & Western music. (Sounds like an up-coming blog to me!)

If you can find a half hour to sit down and shuffle your iPod playlist, write down your first ten and explain why you listen to it. You might reveal more about yourself than you know.

...also I'm looking for more good music, and this is a easy way of seeing what everyone else is listening to.