"ONE MAN'S TRASH... " is in the mail. This is an eclectic compilation from the both of us. I chose the 1st song, Paul chose the 2nd based on some link to the 1st. I chose the 3rd based on a link to the 2nd, etc. etc.
M: Track 1- "Dilaudid" (The Mountain Goats) The Mountain Goats is the musical project of singer/songwriter John Darnielle. I chose this as the first song because I can’t get the damn thing out of my head. I took our cover photo last summer at a flea market and in a strange way it reminds me of this song.
P: Track 2- "Honey White" (Morphine) Dilaudid is a well-known pain relief medicine, just like Morphine, the erstwhile “low rock” trio from Cambridge. Honey White is a euphemism for either morphine or heroin, so yes – this is the drug portion of the program. Remember to enjoy Morphine responsibly.
M: Track 3- “White Girl" (Soul Coughing) “Innocent farm girl, raised by the aliens. Look away and she’s eastbound, out of sight.” This might be my revealing, autobiographical song selection. Maybe.
P: Track 4- "Girlfriend” (Matthew Sweet) Now I know why Yoopers refer to the other side of the bridge as “Down Below”. It could also explain Robert Quine's otherworldly guitar work, giving this infectious love song a decidedly dark edge. That and the final words: “I'm never gonna set you free..."
M: Track 5- “I'm Gonna Love The Hell Out Of You ” (Silver Jews) This song is dedicated to all of us who started out in some relationship convinced we were reeeeally going to change the other person for the better. HA!
P: Track 6- “Insanely Jealous" (The Soft Boys) If you can't change the one you love, at least you can develop a deeply disturbing obsession over her. Robyn Hitchcock's protagonist is “insanely jealous of the people who aren't me”.
M: Track 7- "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead" (Lonely Gus & The One Night Stand) Jealousy pushed to the bitter end. This song has been covered by many- but none as memorably as this. Gus Carlson is a nurturing New England elementary school teacher by day and a crazy, creative blues musician when the sun goes down.
P: Track 8- "Hangman" (Beat Happening) Having gone over the edge, our hero meets his fate at the hands of the Hangman, who clearly has troubles of his own.
M: Track 9-"New Hampshire" (John Linnell) If I had to choose, I’d probably pick the Hangman over itchy/drunken New Hampshire Man to crash my next cocktail party. Not that I’d have a choice in such matters…
P: Track 10- "Nobody Hurts You" (Graham Parker & The Rumour ) Time may wear away the face of New Hampshire Man, but nobody hurts you harder than yourself.
M: Track 11- “Potato Chips" (Slim Galliard) OK, I was going to go with “Heroin” or some other edgy self destruction song. But honestly folks, at this stage in my life I’m more likely to hurt myself with junk food than anything else. Plus I love the fact that Slim seems to be making up the lyrics as he goes along.
P: Track 12- "Do You Love Coffee?" (Braid) The answer is more than a simple yes. I need newly-ground, freshly brewed black coffee in order to ensure that my heart will beat in the morning.
M: Track 13- “Tea In The Sahara” (The Police) Like these deranged ladies dancing around in the desert, I need my daily tea. Would I wait to my death for a cup? If there were front row seats to see The Police at Fenway I would.
P: Track 14- “Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect" (The Decemberists) Some dream of Sting in his undergarments entering a state of tantric bliss, while others dream in a concrete world with the most whimsical of language.
M: Track 15- "Brick By Brick" (Iggy Pop) Iggy wants to build a house where he can live in peace and tranquility. Even so, I’m not sure I’d want to live next door. He’d probably be always knocking on the door, wanting to borrow peanut butter.
P: Track 16- "Welcome To My Room” (Vietnam) No one wants to live next door to Brooklyn's Vietnam, nor do they want to accept an invitation to visit under any pretense.
M: Track 17- “Room To Move” (John Mayall) The best kind of empty space. Hard to believe that John Mayall will be 74 years old in November. Clearly having all that room to move around has done wonders for him.
P: Track 18- "Tequila” (Pugs) To these jaded ears the flute riff from “Room to Move” sounds suspiciously similar to the signature melody from “Tequila”, therefore I had to choose a rendition from my favorite Japanese avant-garde pop band fronted by a reluctant transvestite.
M: Track 19- "It's Martini Time” (Reverend Horton Heat) This song has a percussive bass line that will kick your ass like a double tequila martini on a Sunday morning.
P: Track 20- “Alright” (Guided By Voices) While not explicitly about alcohol, one could argue that every song in GBV's exhaustive canon is about drinking. As the last track on the epic Alien Lanes album, it's a fitting conclusion to this mix.
We had a blast making this. Hope you enjoy it too!
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