What's in the Box?

"The measure of a man is not in what he does, but in what is on his iPod". Well I haven't got an iPod, but I do have a PC that has a load of music on it. I have no idea what there is, or indeed how some of it got there. However, following on from other blogs (here and here), I shall open the Pandora's box that is it's music folder and present the first ten songs it plays. No tracks shall be skipped or emitted for the saving of face, and if I know how they got there I won't try to blame it on "I was copying it for my mum".

Here goes...

* Tiny Dancer - Elton John

Oh dear, what a start. I actually borrowed this off of my mum. Damn my honesty. Fact is, I like early Elton John. There I said it. Um, this is my favorite of his early stuff, mainly due to the great singalong by the band in "Almost Famous". Brilliant.

* Killing An Arab - The Cure

Well here's a topical song written 25-odd years ago. I'm a big fan of the Cure, without actually owning much more than a Best-Of - I like the mixture of their deep and dark stuff with the ad-friendly tunes. Great.

* We Live NE of Compton - Liars

Well this is about as rock and noisy as I get. Enjoyable, but it's not an area of music I feel necessary to explore further. However, saying that, I might check out their new album.

* Motown Junk - Manic Street Preachers

This is a suprise. Hearing this now reminds me of a particularly brutal discussion I had about them with a friend as an undergrad. I must have mellowed against them since then, cos this ain't so bad.

* Naked Eye - The Who

A bonus track from their superb 70s rock album "Whos Next". As an off-cut, this is actually pretty damn good. I used to wish that I grew up in the 70s, until I realised that I would have been too old for Transformers.

* I've Grown Accustomed to his Face - Doris Day

Ahem. Um, this is from an album of movie songs that forms a soundtrack to romantic meals that Mrs P. and I sometimes enjoy together. Please don't throw up. I might give up this honesty thing - it's killing me.

* Gouge Away - The Pixies

I think that to fully appreciate the Pixies, everyone should play them after a pre 50's show tune. It's a great way to enjoy them.

* After Hours - The Bluetones

I was the perfect age to be a Britpop fan (defined as anyone born in October 1979) and I did indeed indulge in it for a while, This song - I think - comes from one of the albums that the 'Tones had to sell themselves from a suitcase. Pretty poor, if truth be told.

* Felicity - James Kirk

James Kirk was in the Scottish group Orange Juice with Edwyn Collins. When they split, he became a chiropdist for 18 years, before recording his first solo album a couple of years ago. I really like it - yes, it's inoffensive, not particularly ground-breaking and maybe even a bit Ken Bruce, but that's a good thing in my books.

* Corrina, Corrina - Bob Dylan

Well I guess it was inevitable that old Bob would show up on this list - my computer is full of him. The great thing is that the more you get into him, the more you find that you can first tolerate and then come to adore the stuff that puts other people off (his voice, his dodgy harp playing, his long songs, his dubious Christian period. OK, I'm not far yet). A nice way to finish this little exercise.