Earworm CD: January 2008

GOODBYE
01. Black Eyed Dog - Nick Drake
from 1974 Island album, "Time Of No Reply"
02. Reprieve - Heath Ledger
excerpt from the 2005 film, "Candy"
03. Life's What You Make It - Talk Talk
from the 1986 EMI album, "The Colour of Spring"
04. Crush Me - House of Love
from the 1992 Fontana album, "Babe Rainbow"
05. Fighting Fit - Gene
from the 1996 UK cd single Polydor cost9cd
06. Unreal World - The Godfathers
from 1991 Epic album, "Unreal World"
07. Big Hollow Man - Danielle Dax
from the 1986 Awesome Records album, "Inky Bloaters"
08. New Generation - Suede
from the 1995 UK cd single Nude 12cd1
09. Morning's Constitution - Lena Olin & Heath Ledger
excerpt from the 2006 film, "Casanova"
10. Gold - John Stewart
from the 1979 RSO album, "Bombs Away Dream Babies"
11. And The Ship Sails On - The Lilac Time
from the 1988 Fontana album, "The Lilac Time"
12. Good As Gold - The Beautiful South
from the 1994 Go Discs! album, "Miaow"
13. Hoola Hop - Idalia Boyd
from the 1962 single Dimension 1007,
14. WhamO
excerpt from vintage television commercial
15. Seen The Light - Supergrass
from the 2002 Parlophone album, "Life On Other Planets"
16. I Think We're Alone Now - Tommy James and The Shondells
from the 1967 single Roulette 4720
17. Sweet Pea - Tommy Roe
from the 1966 ABC album, "Sweet Pea"
18. What Is It - Heath Ledger
excerpt from 1999 film, "10 Things I Hate About You"
19. My Love Grows Deeper - Clydie King
from 1965 single Imperial 66139 single
20. Yes (edit) - McAlmont & Butler
from 1995 UK cd single Hut cd53
21. What's A Matter Baby (Is It Hurtin' You) - Timi Yuro
from 1962 Liberty album, "What's A Matter Baby"
22. Your Lies - Shelby Lynn
from 2000 Island album, "I Am Shelby Lynne"
23. Black Pearl - Sonny Charles & The Checkmates, Ltd.
from 1969 single A&M 1053
24. Nothing Takes The Place of You - Toussaint McCall
from 1967 single Ronn 3
25. This Is Your Life - The 5th Dimension
from 1970 Bell album, "Portrait"
26. Day Too Soon - Sia
from the 2008 Hear Music album, "Some People Have Real Problems"
27. I Gotta Go - Heath Ledger
excerpt from the 2005 film, "Brokeback Mountain"

July 18, 2008 Earworm

After the song and dance extravaganza Richard Kelly whipped up for Timberlake and The Killers' "All These Things That I've Done" in "Southland Tales", the band should probably lock their own video in a vault but, regardless of how brilliant that celluloid marriage was, this song is forever etched into my brain as a missed opportunity for a backdrop of swirling bats and the new dawning of The Dark Knight. A confused anthem for a confused anti-hero hiding behind two masks while soldiering on into the darkness of the world around him and within him.

Guess what I'm doing tonight. Yup, I've got a date with some joker...

To watch

What a deadly week it has been...
we learned that Suzanne Pleshette had died on January 17th - fourteen days before she was to receive her Walk of Fame star, the aforementioned Clyde Otis' death was announced, Heath Ledger's media extravaganza death still has idle minded tongues rattling, Wham-O co-founder, Peter Knerr, met his maker on the 18th, and Dennis Kucinich finally realized his bid for presidency was stillborn.

And this work week is almost dead, too! Let's send it off on a good note. Or at least one not so gloomy.

Idalia Boyd was the baby sister of Little Eva and the folks that brought us the Loco-Motion figured that lightning might strike twice and, with the help of Jack Keller, concocted the trifle "Hula Hoppin" for her. It's as dumb as a box of hair but much more fun. It went nowhere upon its release but obviously has had some impact on strange minded kids such as your's truly.

Everybody get out and do the Hula Hop!
And have a lively weekend.

special thanks to Peter Plerner for the scan.

January 23, 2008 Earworm

I was hoping that somewhere amongst the tabloid din there would be an autopsy report that would end the speculation regarding the death of Heath Ledger. No such luck now that the results are inconclusive. I left the house today to the sound of morning show hosts and tabloid representatives grasping at straws, reaching for a dark, troubled underbelly to blame for the potential suicide of the Oscar nominated star of "the gay cowboy" movie, "Brokeback Mountain". I came home to find pretty much the same scenario except that everyone seems to have spent their workday scanning old interviews for the hint of downcast statements and digging up people who had any contact with the actor when he was not laughing. Do they give out Peabodys for this sort of journalism?

As someone who was amused by Heath in the teen romp, "10 Things I Hate About You", chuckled at "Casanova" and "The Brothers Grimm", was moved by his performances in "Candy" and "Monster's Ball", impressed by his Dylan in "I'm Not There", and forever changed by the cinematic Ennis DelMar in Brokeback, I'd say I was a Heath Ledger fan. I am shocked and sickened by the idea of a man so young will not have the chance to grow older and that his two year old daughter will not grow up with a father.

I knew that Heath was a music head but I had not known that he had started a record label in partnership with Ben Harper, and that he'd directed some music videos. He also wanted to create films to accompany the music of Nick Drake and, as a start to that project, had created a piece for "Black Eyed Dog" which debuted last October in a short subject festival in LA.

In all the type and hype that has appeared in the last twenty-four hours, the only interesting and unexploited information I could find was just summed up in the previous two sentences. The lyrical analysis of "Black Eyed Dog" is sure to come, the exploitation sure to follow. For now, I'll find his choice of song, and his appreciation of Drake, as merely coincidental and remember the look on Ennis Del Mar's face as breathed in the scent of his past, realizing just how deep devotion could be, and how fleeting life and all its chances are. That same look that moved me to the core and made me think, "This guy's got a great future ahead of him".