the friday five

1. Name one song you hate to admit you like.
This one. And I am so embarassed by it, that I can't even name it in public.

2. Name two songs that always make you cry.
I don't think any particular song has made me cry, ever. Well, not in the sense this is meant. There have been a few bad or overplayed tunes that brought on tears of pain. There is, however, a particular one-two combo that just hits me: The opening two tracks on the B-side (yeah, vinyl) of the second album of Joe Jackson: Live... 1980-1986. The songs are "Be My Number Two" and "Breaking Us In Two", both of which are emotional ballads in their own right. However, here and here only, Joe hits a single piano chord as he transitions from one to the other, and boom!

Edit: (Damn you, Nick, damn you!) I, too, am affected by Harry Chapin. Please take note of "Taxi".

3. Name three songs that turn you on.
The quirky and waifish vocal stylings of Frente!'s Angie Hart, is the audiophile equivalent of pigtails and parochial school uniforms... listen to "Bizarre Love Triangle" for example. At the other extreme, I'm also partial to husky throated torch singers and blue-eyed soul. In particular, anyone who sings "Fever": Peggy Lee; Rita Cooldige; my wife; heck, I'll even include Madonna in this group. And, finally, we come to Tori Amos, insert any title here.

4. Name four songs that always make you feel good.
Is it possible for a song to always make you feel good? A song that you are never, ever "not in the mood for"? I say it is. First and foremost, the bass intro to "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" will kickstart your adrenaline any time, any place. However, if you have to listen to a cover version, please make it from Was (Not Was) and not from the Backstreet Boys. I also dig the west coast sound prominent in the Chantay's "Pipeline". Then, there are things that just reek of happy: sample the moog stylings of "Popcorn" by Hot Butter, and the inescapible kookiness of Henry Mancini's "Baby Elephant Walk".

5. Name five songs you couldn't ever do without.
In the interest of time (Damn you, Dayna, damn you!), for this one you get a list instead of an essay. Speaking of time, always one to get my money's worth, I go for the long ones: