Now That’s What 411 Calls Music Volume 13 : The One That’s An Instant Chill Out
Posted by Frank Estrada on 05.15.2006
What do you get when you mix Super Furry Animals, David Bowie and add a little Barbara Streisand? Not what you think.
I like this column a lot and can't get enough of it. While I write about Ludacris and Jessica Simpson's music a lot, I don't own any NOW cd's. I do own a couple of the Back to Mine series, and I figured I would model my list after that. If you are not in the know, the Back to Mine series is basically what we at 411 Mania are doing but instead of us writers, it's the Orb, Pet Shot Boys, Prodigy, Underworld, New Order, making a mixed tape and selling it. I want to get a list of music here that you can chill to. It's not too dance-y, but enough to get your toes tapping. So just sit back and listen.
Tracklist 1. The Man Don't Give A Fuck - Super Furry Animals
I figured if I was going to have a starting point, might as well use this song, which was released as a single on my 21st birthday and banned thought out the U.K. This is my message for you the listener. While I'm not going to pull any punches, I want to let you the listener know that anything goes from this point on. This can easily be found online on Out Spaced.
2. Guilty - Barbara Streisand & Barry Gibb
I am dead serious with this one. Look into your soul and listen. While I'm not a Barbara Streisand fan, this song kicks ass because the glory that is Barry Gibb. The Barry Gibb of Bee Gees fame. This is a great sing-a-long song for those kicking back on your couch chilling out. Oddly enough this song was reissued last year and can be found on Just For The Record.
3. Music is My Radar - Blur
Blur really experiments with sounds and this is no different. This bass groove is subtle enough to bob your head to or to just get up and dance to. This is a greatest hits only track. It could have easily been a single.
4. Fun - Sly and the Family Stone
Nothing says Fun like a song with the word fun in the title. Actually many Sly and the Family Stone songs could have been added to this list. What put this over was the line "When I party, I party hardy, fun is on my mind." How true a statement that is. This can be found on any Sly complation. Try their greatest hits or essential cd.
5. Queen Bitch - David Bowie
When I use to spin in college or now when I play music at social gatherings, I love to sneak in a song that has questionable material. I love the expression of someone when they say, "did he just say what I think he said?" The version I use here is the one from The Life Aquatic soundtrack. So you might already have it.
6. Pop Goes The World - Men Without Hats
Remember these one hit wonder's of Safety Dance fame. I feel this fits here. This is their childlike homage to people with a dream. From the album of the same name or on their Greatest Hits.
7. Generals and Majors - XTC
If this were a book or film, this would be the point of the story where Act 2 starts. This is the climb to the climax, if you will. Generals and Majors starts moving a little faster, has an unforgettable whistle, and this point will get the people up off their seats.
8. Ooh La La - Goldfrapp
Keeping up in step with the last song, this actually kills two birds with one stone. Like Siouxsie and the Banshees, well this sounds like them. Like Norman Greenbaum's Spirit In the Sky, but it's not funky enough. Took care of that too. This is the most recent song in this list. If you are lucky, you can still get this off of iTunes for free. If not try the Supernature album.
9. The Golden Path - The Chemical Brothers
What's a good story without a couple of messages? While Act 1 was about fun, Act 2 is about growing up. (And you thought this was about my favriote songs.) This is actually one of the best songs the Chemical Brothers have ever put out, with Wayne from the Flaming Lips on vocals. Unfortunatly this can only be found on their greatest hits collection Singles 93-03.
10. Candy-O - the Cars
This is from the classic Car's lineup. Not the "New" Cars. Here they show they were ahead of their time, but ended up recording crap like Magic and You Might Think. Can be found on the album Candy-O.
11. Elevate My Mind - Stereo MC's
This band brought you Connected. Well this isn't someone's Sweet sixteen party, this is the weekend chill out at your home remember. You can get this off their Supernatural album.
12. Natural One - Folk Implosion
Like any good workout you need the cool down. This is where Act 3 starts and brings us back to the mood where we started. This little jem can only be found on the Kids Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
13. Work That We Do - Mike Watt, Petra Haden and Steven Perkins
Here is when I see that you are still listening and are still on your toes. Yes that's a violin, yes the drums sound like Porno For Pyros and yes this is a Sublime cover. Found on the Look at All the Love We Found: A Tribute to Sublime.
14. The Suffering - Fishbone
A Sublime cover leads us to the genre of reggae. What's a groove mix without a ska or reggae tune? I was going to put a Bob Marley tune here, but heard this and thought this fit in just as well. Who's going to argue with an addition of Fishbone? Not me. Taken from The Psychotic Friends Nuttwerx.
15. The Seed (2.0) - The Roots
What happened to rock & roll? Every band, every type of music has been so micro-labeled that nothing is rock & roll any more. Was Lenny Kravitz right when he stated that Rock & Roll was dead? Leave it up to rap group the Roots to bring back Rock & Roll by proclaiming to name their "seed" Rock & Roll. Great vocals by Cody Chestnutt. From Phrenology.
16. The Passenger - Iggy Pop
Big finish here. As any good story/film/book ends, it should leave you with more questions than answers. Here I leave you with a big question. My trip, by leading you by your hand, is over. Now I'm your passenger. Where are you going to take me? Or am I saying whatever happens we will always be passengers in life? Or do you have a different interpretation? What ever it is, I hoped you enjoyed it. This is my 3rd favorite song of all time, behind Imagine and What a Wonderful World. It's a perfect song. Great lyrics, great riff, Iggy nails it on point. Just get Nude and Rude: The Best of Iggy Pop.
Epilogue
Yea I might have over thought this out, even though it's probably cooler to say you made it up in 5 minutes. I am passionate about music and care what I say about it. That's why I am a columnist here. This isn't a random list. Nor would I post a random list, unless that's what's called for. Do I expect you to get these 16 songs and listen to them in this order? Nah, but if you do you would better understand what I made/put together here. This was something fun for me, although it was presented in a serious manner. The joke here is mixing Barbara Streisand, a song about male prostitutes, a reggae inspired song, Iggy Pop and making it all work. Maybe it's a little sick and dark, but damn it if it doesn't all flow together. And for all you iTunes capable, I will try to make this an iMix, if you want to sample what I have here. It will be called Thatman Frank's Back To Mine. Enjoy.
