As long as I am unable to create new Weekend Mixes until I sort things out with my computer, I decided to dig into the archives and revisit some WM's from the past. This one was apparently created soon after the season finale of "Breaking Bad." The original post is below, with a few edits. The track list of the mix is exactly the same. I think it's a good one.
So, there's this TV show that just recently finished its run of six years and everybody went apeshit like it was the greatest thing since "Maude." And it might have been, but I wouldn't know because I have never seen it, not one minute. I've also never seen a minute of "Star Trek." Really, I haven't. I have absolutely nothing against television and I regret not partaking in "Breaking Bad" from the very beginning. But I cannot do the binge thing. I won't. I get fidgety during "Trout Fishing In Vermont" and that has a run time of 14 minutes.
But, thanks to this TV show, Badfinger is trending.
And so...some tunes came to mind and then this mix came to be. It's not all Badfinger covers, but there are a few, including the song that started it all, which closes the set. The rest, like Jon Brion's Queen cover or Jason Falkner's excellent stab at the Left Banke or Posy Jon Auer's take on a killer track by Bread are here because I like them all.
Any questions?
TRACKLIST
Come & Get It- Badfinger
Lonely You- Bill Lloyd
Play the Game- Jon Brion
Pretty Ballerina- Jason Falkner
That Means A Lot- Cheap Trick
Don't Pass Me By- Field Music
Games Of Magic- Jon Auer
Hey! Little Child- Tommy Keene
Oklahoma U.S.A.- Leigh Harris
Mandocello- Tim Christensen
Better Days- Brendan Benson
We're For The Dark- The Loud Family
Baby Blue- Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs
ZIP
24 comments:
Hysterical post, your work here is much appreciated!
I've never seen Breaking Bad or any popular TV show of the last 7-10 years and could care less...
BUT Badfinger - them guys I care about!!
A fun story. I was working in a record store in 1984 in Atlanta. A woman came in and somehow we started talking about Badfinger. Not sure how; it's not like their star was on the ascendant then.
Anyway, she said she had dated Peter Ham. I was dubious until she later brought in semi-nude pics of him and her from the early 70s. Wow - wasn't expectin' THAT! As a bonus, she cassette-taped all of their vinyl albums for me, which for years were notoriously hard to find on CD.
Always have loved that band. Especially "No Matter What," which might be the apotheosis of The Most Perfect Pop Song. Along with "Cruel To Be Kind," that's my other candidate for that title.
A lot of tragedy & sadness in that band but some classic tunes came out of them. Thanks for this mix. I've never seen the TV show either which I guess is a bad break for me (see what I did there?)
There was a great BBC radio doc (part of their series "Song Stories") on the song "Without You" that had some really interesting stuff about the genesis of that song and about Badfinger (and Harry N. of course) - naturally they won't stream it on this side of the pond but the web link is:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00y8x91
I may still have the mp3 somewhere (I found it in a newsgroup), if so I'll share it if anyone wants to hear.
For the short time we had them, the real thing - the very definition of power pop, hooks for days.
Breaking Bad had more "holy shit!" moments than I can count. A remarkable experience and I'm really glad I hung in there the whole way. I watch very little TV myself, really, though Uncle Grandpa is trending right now...the thinking man's Spongebob.
You folks have a A1 day!
PS Best weekend mix EVER
Nice list. I agree with the add-ons, too. Falkner takes "Pretty Ballerina" to a whole new level.
Sal Mineo to follow?!?
Each one better than the next. Especially liked Mandocello. Missed that during my Christensen frenzy.
To "A Walk In The Woods", I don't watch much TV either, but you should check out Breaking Bad. I don't have cable so only get to see the episodes months later on DVD or through a friend "taping" them.
As for that woman in Atlanta I wonder who she was from the women discussed in the book "Without You" or someone else.
In any case, Pete Ham was great. I honestly get very upset thinking that he is not creating music right now.
He may have had psychological problems that would have done him in anyway, but that horrible "manager" should (and if there is any justice DOES) live in torment in hell.
Have a nice day.
Ace K.
But you used the term "trending," without quotes or irony, so your out of touch grumpy old man status is revoked. Turn in your membership card immediately.
That said, this mix is incredible. Keep it up grandpa.
Sorry Aaron. I'm keeping my card. That sentence would have made Myron Cohen proud.
Excellent comp Sal!
I remember this mix well. Very nice!
Good luck with the computer renovation.
Breaking Bad is still one of the best things I've ever seen.
I know what you mean about "the binge thing." I'm glad I've already seen Breaking Bad. (and I 2nd BBJ's vote)
A friend of mine recently wrote to me that he was watching The Shield and suggesting I do as well. It's "only" 88 episodes, but he told me, "they go fast." I replied, "Not in this lifetime, buddy."
Meanwhile, for shorter attention spans (or people who have a pretty full life already), I'll recommend "After Life" on Netflix. Just 6 half hours. But only for those who, like me, love Ricky Gervais' nasty-but-hilarious style. (He wrote, directed, and stars in AL) I know some otherwise smart folks who just don't get him...
Looking forward to this mix, too. Thanks. And good luck getting your computer tsuris straighten out.
was Todd's version of "Take It All" in the running?
That's cool that Todd wrote "Take It All" - didn't realize that!!
AWITW,
"Take It All" is a Badfinger original, written by Pete Ham, I believe. But Todd covered it on that godawful techno covers album he did of songs from albums he produced.
"The Shield" is awesome. Vic Mackey is up there with Walter White as one of the most complex characters on a TV show in ages.
You know -- nobody *has* to "binge-watch". I find it just as easy to treat Netflix series as single episodes and watch one (maybe two) once a week.
That was/is a great mix, though. I remember it, too!
Just this week we started watching 'Men of a Certain Age' on Netflix: Ray Romano's creation from a decade ago. Like Breaking Bad, it makes excellent use of music, though in this case it's not used as an overlay; rather, it's playing on the car radio or on the juke box in the store, so the characters can hear it and react to it. In one episode, Ray's character Joe is playing Marmalade's 'Reflections of my Life' in the car; the song is used perfectly to great effect. And it made me want to hear more Marmalade again, so the next day, playing around on youtube, I stumbled upon this:
https://youtu.be/Dn9bAvWS4RU
Dean Ford performing his song again, this time in 2014. And it's reminiscent of Joni Mitchell re-recording 'Both Sides Now' in that the lyrics of both songs seem that much more poignant when sung by the composers at much later stages of their lives.
This version of 'Reflections' is so heartachingly beautiful that I felt compelled to share it somewhere, and today's post about Breaking Bad gave me the opportunity to go off on this tangent.
Brendan Benson doing Better Days doesn't sound anything like a Badfinger cover... pity.
Neither do any of the other covers that aren't Badfinger covers. Hardly a pity.
Talk about a song summing up a great tv series. Other than the description of "the perfect love I had for you" from a line in the song, the first line of the song is "I Guess I got what I deserved" sums up the ending of the tv series. Vince Gilligan hit this one out of the park. There was some debate about Dylan's It's All Over Now Baby Blue being the final song, Baby Blue was the right choice. Nice mix.
One of your best. An awesome mix.
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