Ultimate Playlists 5: Joy Division

Have you ever been to a concert and wished the band had played certain songs? I know I have. The reality is, you'll never get exactly what you want. However, you are free to build any playlist you like. I have decided to write a series showcasing the Top 20 songs from some of my favorite bands.

For those of you who are old enough to remember cassette tapes, you'll know the terrible anguish of trying to fit the songs together. How annoying when the last song you picked was still playing as the tape ran out! Those days are over and it's now a simple task to throw together a playlist using your computer, iPod or a USB. I know that having USB capability has enhanced my driving pleasure because it's so easy to update a list of songs.

But there's also more to creating a playlist than simply deciding which songs to include. Like an actual concert, or even a single song, a good playlist features changes in mood and tempo. If a band opens with the three songs that the audience most wants to hear, the rest of the performance might fall flat. My own particular method of creating a playlist has a number of considerations:

• Mix up the duration of the songs
• Put space between songs from the same album, unless the two are better when played in sequence
• Build to a natural high, slow it down again, and finish with a real flourish
• Put in some newer songs close to the start, assuming there are newer songs worthy of inclusion
• For bands with more than one vocalist, mix up the sequence depending on who is singing
• Speed and style matters, so mix it up unless there is a good reason not to
• Albums often have a great choice of opening and closing song that work best in that particular spot 
• The final three or four songs might resemble an encore if it was a real concert
• Leave the listener satisfied and wanting more 

Joy Division formed in 1976 as Warsaw, releasing an album of the same name. I considered all of those songs for the purposes of this playlist. The band's sound started as something that would slot neatly into the punk category, but evolved into a dark and majestic thing that I had never heard before. Interpol did a pretty good job of revisiting that style on their early albums, but I believe Joy Division to be in a league of their own.

Ian Curtis was the lead singer and most of the songs dealt with what he was feeling when he was in love with two different women. Other songs touch on such joyous subjects as epilepsy. I know a lot of people who think that Joy Division's music would be a good choice if you were planning on slitting your wrists, but I can't agree. This music just soars, despite the rough edges of Curtis' vocals. Peter Hook's bass is an essential element of the music and some songs feature bass leads. Bernard Sumner (guitar/keyboards) and Stephen Morris (drums) complete the lineup.

For a band named after a Nazi brothel, with a lead singer who committed suicide, I find Joy Division's music surprisingly uplifting. The sound is so dense and layered. If you check out the excellent movie, Control, you'll almost certainly appreciate the music even more. These songs are about real things that mattered enormously to Curtis.

With just two studio albums (plus Warsaw), compilations and live releases, we were robbed of what was at the time, a unique sound. As with all great artists, I find myself wondering what they would have produced had they been around much longer.

I would urge any fan to go and hear Peter Hook and the Light perform these incredible songs. It's as close as you're going to get to the original sound if you weren't around at the time. I was at an Unknown Pleasures show a few years ago and every hair was standing on end. I'm hoping that Peter Hook will play Closer in Toronto before I die, but I'll be there this November for Substance.

So let's get to the playlist. The order wasn't obvious for this one because with just two studio albums, you'll expect to hear the songs in the order from the album. I've created this with a live show in mind, with the last four tracks being the encore. If you're a fan, I would love to know what you think. Here's my YouTube playlist of these 20 songs.

Dead Souls
Disorder
Isolation
Day of the Lords
Atrocity Exhibition
Novelty
Insight
Colony
She's Lost Control
Heart and Soul
Interzone
Passover
New Dawn Fades
Means To an End
Shadowplay
Decades
Love Will Tear Us Apart
Twenty Four Hours
Transmission

Atmosphere 

The ultimate Modest Mouse playlist 

The ultimate Sonic Youth playlist

The ultimate Pavement playlist 

The ultimate Pixies playlist

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Ultimate Playlists 4: Pixies

Have you ever been to a concert and wished the band had played certain songs? I know I have. The reality is, you'll never get exactly what you want. However, you are free to build any playlist you like. I have decided to write a series showcasing the Top 20 songs from some of my favorite bands.

For those of you who are old enough to remember cassette tapes, you'll know the terrible anguish of trying to fit the songs together. How annoying when the last song you picked was still playing as the tape ran out! Those days are over and it's now a simple task to throw together a playlist using your computer, iPod or a USB. I know that having USB capability has enhanced my driving pleasure because it's so easy to update a list of songs.

But there's also more to creating a playlist than simply deciding which songs to include. Like an actual concert, or even a single song, a good playlist features changes in mood and tempo. If a band opens with the three songs that the audience most wants to hear, the rest of the performance might fall flat. My own particular method of creating a playlist has a number of considerations:

• Mix up the duration of the songs
• Put space between songs from the same album, unless the two are better when played in sequence
• Build to a natural high, slow it down again, and finish with a real flourish
• Put in some newer songs close to the start, assuming there are newer songs worthy of inclusion
• For bands with more than one vocalist, mix up the sequence depending on who is singing
• Speed and style matters, so mix it up unless there is a good reason not to
• Albums often have a great choice of opening and closing song that work best in that particular spot 
• The final three or four songs might resemble an encore if it was a real concert
• Leave the listener satisfied and wanting more 

Pixies formed in 1986 and released four full-length albums, an EP and several singles before breaking up in 1993. In 2004, the band reformed with its original lineup, allowing a new generation of fans to hear the music live. Kurt Cobain once remarked that Nirvana were just ripping off the basic Pixies style.

I remember the band announcing a 2004 UK tour and tickets selling out in 8 minutes. Luckily, I secured mine. 2013 saw a new album, but bassist Kim Deal has since left the band.

Not many bands hook me instantly the first time I hear their music, but Pixies did that to me when I first heard Vamos. I bought everything they had ever released within a few days of that initial exposure.

Choosing 20 songs for this playlist was almost impossible. Even being a strict as I possibly could, I was still struggling to cut the final 11 songs until this morning. In truth, a Pixies playlist would probably contain more songs than just 20, but I'll stick to that format for this series for the sake of consistency.

The band's sound ranges from rant, to pop, to rock, but there is something else, almost beyond description in some of the songs. There is an almost mystical quality that suggests searching for something just beyond reach. I might describe it as atmospheric, but that doesn't do it justice. Many of these songs make my hair stand up on end. The basic structure is so simple, but that doesn't make it any less essential.

Here are the final 20 songs in my preferred order and a YouTube playlist which consists mostly of great live versions of the songs:


Debaser

Where Is My Mind

Is She Weird

Crackity Jones

Cactus

I've Been Tired

Wave of Mutilation

Velouria

Broken Face

No. 13 Baby

Nimrod's Son

Bone Machine

Subbacultcha

Hang Wire

Gigantic

Gouge Away

Monkey Gone to Heaven

The Happening

Tame

Vamos

The ultimate Modest Mouse playlist 

The ultimate Sonic Youth playlist

The ultimate Pavement playlist 

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Ultimate Playlists 3: Pavement

Have you ever been to a concert and wished the band had played certain songs? I know I have. The reality is, you'll never get exactly what you want. However, you are free to build any playlist you like. I have decided to write a series showcasing the Top 20 songs from some of my favorite bands.

For those of you who are old enough to remember cassette tapes, you'll know the terrible anguish of trying to fit the songs together. How annoying when the last song you picked was still playing as the tape ran out! Those days are over and it's now a simple task to throw together a playlist using your computer, iPod or a USB. I know that having USB capability has enhanced my driving pleasure because it's so easy to update a list of songs.

But there's also more to creating a playlist than simply deciding which songs to include. Like an actual concert, or even a single song, a good playlist features changes in mood and tempo. If a band opens with the three songs that the audience most wants to hear, the rest of the performance might fall flat. My own particular method of creating a playlist has a number of considerations:

• Mix up the duration of the songs
• Put space between songs from the same album, unless the two are better when played in sequence
• Build to a natural high, slow it down again, and finish with a real flourish
• Put in some newer songs close to the start, assuming there are newer songs worthy of inclusion
• For bands with more than one vocalist, mix up the sequence depending on who is singing
• Speed and style matters, so mix it up unless there is a good reason not to
• Albums often have a great choice of opening and closing song that work best in that particular spot 
• The final three or four songs might resemble an encore if it was a real concert
• Leave the listener satisfied and wanting more 

Pavement formed in 1989, but didn't release their first full-length album until 1992. I wasn't aware of the band until the British music press and a friend informed me that they were ripping off my favorite band at the time, The Fall. While that's certainly true to some extent, Pavement's sound evolved into something much more. I now consider them one of my Top 5 bands and they are definitely higher on that list than The Fall.

Although they technically used at least three vocalists during live shows, Stephen Malkmus was easily the biggest influence on their sound. His unusual guitar style almost resembles speech in some songs and he's continued to churn out fantastic songs for more than 20 years. But let's focus on Pavement for the purposes of this installment.

The band's first three full albums contain the vast majority of their best songs. You can make an argument for Slanted and Enchanted or Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain being the best of those, but my personal favorite is Wowee Zowee. I'm a weird guy with unconventional tastes and it doesn't surprise me in the least that I love listening to Malkmus sing. He changes key almost randomly, but it somehow works; just listen to Here and you'll hear how raw his vocals can be.

Wowee Zowee was a departure from the sound on the first two albums. It's longer and employs a variety of styles. The fourth word in the opening song is 'castration' so I don't think it was supposed to be a feel-good album. That said, some of the tracks put the listener in chill-out mode, while others range from prog rock to outright rant or country. My favorite Pavement track, Rattled By the Rush is the second track on the album.

Here's my ultimate playlist of 20 Pavement songs in my preferred order, along with my YouTube link if you want to hear them right now:

Silence Kit

Father to a Sister of Thought

Easily Fooled

Gold Soundz

No Life Singed Her

Grave Architecture

Stop Breathin'

Shady Lane

Black Out

Loretta's Scars

AT & T

Unfair

The Hexx

Elevate Me Later

Summer Babe

Embassy Row

Grounded

Range Life

Here

Rattled By the Rush

The ultimate Modest Mouse playlist 

The ultimate Sonic Youth playlist

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Ultimate Playlists 2: Sonic Youth

Have you ever been to a concert and wished the band had played certain songs? I know I have. The reality is, you'll never get exactly what you want. However, you are free to build any playlist you like. I have decided to write a series showcasing the Top 20 songs from some of my favorite bands.

For those of you who are old enough to remember cassette tapes, you'll know the terrible anguish of trying to fit the songs together. How annoying when the last song you picked was still playing as the tape ran out! Those days are over and it's now a simple task to throw together a playlist using your computer, iPod or a USB. I know that having USB capability has enhanced my driving pleasure because it's so easy to update a list of songs.

But there's also more to creating a playlist than simply deciding which songs to include. Like an actual concert, or even a single song, a good playlist features changes in mood and tempo. If a band opens with the three songs that the audience most wants to hear, the rest of the performance might fall flat. My own particular method of creating a playlist has a number of considerations:

• Mix up the duration of the songs
• Put space between songs from the same album, unless the two are better when played in sequence
• Build to a natural high, slow it down again, and finish with a real flourish
• Put in some newer songs close to the start, assuming there are newer songs worthy of inclusion
• For bands with more than one vocalist, mix up the sequence depending on who is singing
• Speed and style matters, so mix it up unless there is a good reason not to
• Albums often have a great choice of opening and closing song that work best in that particular spot 
• The final three or four songs might resemble an encore if it was a real concert
• Leave the listener satisfied and wanting more 

Sonic Youth were around for more than 30 years before splitting up due to the deteriorating relationship between Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon. At this point, it seems unlikely that we will ever see another Sonic Youth tour. However, the band has left us with an enormous catalog of good-to-great songs. Their brand of controlled chaos fits together notes that seem hopelessly out of tune and forges something which ultimately makes sense. Ranaldo blends with Moore to create a layered guitar sound that is unique.

As great as Daydream Nation is, I'm one of the few people who don't rate it as the best Sonic Youth album. I actually prefer Dirty, which is often mentioned as being too commercial. I'm sorry, I just can't agree.

Moore and Gordon share most of the singing duties and both do a great job for the most part. Occasionally, Gordon overreaches and sounds like she is giving birth, but she can be sweet too. Ranaldo is the third vocalist and he brings a mystical quality to the band's sound when he is given the chance. Just listen to Wish Fulfillment and you'll hear what I am referring to.  

If Sonic Youth announced a farewell date, this would be my dream setlist. I guess I'll have to live with it being nothing more than a playlist, although my YouTube playlist has several live tracks: 

Theresa’s Sound-World

Dirty Boots

Teen Age Riot

Reena

Sacred Trickster

Purr

Disappearer

Becuz

Silver Rocket

Sugar Kane

Kool Thing

Incinerate

Schizophrenia

Bull in the Heather

Cotton Crown

Wish Fulfillment

The Sprawl

Pink Steam

Chapel Hill

The Diamond Sea

The ultimate Modest Mouse playlist

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Ultimate Playlists 1: Modest Mouse

Have you ever been to a concert and wished the band had played certain songs? I know I have. The reality is, you'll never get exactly what you want. However, you are free to build any playlist you like. I have decided to write a series showcasing the Top 20 songs from some of my favorite bands. The obvious first choice for me is Modest Mouse because I have been almost unable to listen to anything else for the best part of two years.

For those of you who are old enough to remember cassette tapes, you'll know the terrible anguish of trying to fit the songs together. How annoying when the last song you picked was still playing as the tape ran out! Those days are over and it's now a simple task to throw together a playlist using your computer, iPod or a USB. I know that having USB capability has enhanced my driving pleasure because it's so easy to update a list of songs.

But there's also more to creating a playlist than simply deciding which songs to include. Like an actual concert, or even a single song, a good playlist features changes in mood and tempo. If a band opens with the three songs that the audience most wants to hear, the rest of the performance might fall flat. My own particular method of creating a playlist has a number of considerations:

• Mix up the duration of the songs
• Put space between songs from the same album, unless the two are better when played in sequence
• Build to a natural high, slow it down again, and finish with a real flourish
• Put in some newer songs close to the start, assuming there are newer songs worthy of inclusion
• For bands with more than one vocalist, mix up the sequence depending on who is singing
• Speed and style matters, so mix it up unless there is a good reason not to
• Albums often have a great choice of opening and closing song that work best in that particular spot 
• The final three or four songs might resemble an encore if it was a real concert
• Leave the listener satisfied and wanting more

If you are familiar with my blog, you'll know that I have counted down the Top 100 Modest Mouse songs according to my rankings, so my main consideration for this opening installment is the sequence in which my Top 20 should be played. The reasons for the choice of songs is included in the Top 100 series already mentioned.

Without further ado, here is my ultimate Modest Mouse playlist. My YouTube playlist includes fan videos, live versions and extended versions of Cowboy Dan and Spitting Venom: 

3rd Planet

Heart Cooks Brain

The Whale Song

The Tortoise and the Tourist

Cowboy Dan

White Lies Yellow Teeth

Parting of the Sensory

Lounge (Closing Time)

Bury Me With It

Never Ending Math Equation

Steam Engenius

Trailer Trash

The Stars Are Projectors

Exit Does Not Exist

Fly Trapped In a Jar

Doin' the Cockroach

Dark Center of the Universe

Dramamine

Teeth Like God's Shoeshine

Spitting Venom

That's it. If you are a fan, I hope you give it a listen.

Next up, Sonic Youth. 

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Breaking Bad - Complete Series

In Praise of Breaking Bad

I don't watch a lot of TV shows. I prefer live sports to the hassle of waiting a week for the next episode of a show to air. However, once in a while, I do listen to my friends and check out a TV series. In the case of Breaking Bad, I tried it because it was recommended by one of my closest friends. This only happened in June 2015, so the entire series was already over before I saw the first episode.

After borrowing the first season from another friend, I raced through it in two days. I couldn't wait to borrow the second season so I picked up the entire series on used DVDs, before eventually upgrading to the glorious limited edition Blu-ray set shown above. I've now seen the entire series twice in eight months.

For more than 20 years, my favorite TV show has been Twin Peaks. Breaking Bad is the first series that has ever reached those heights and threatened to overtake Twin Peaks in my rankings. The fact that I am even arguing with myself over that ranking speaks volumes.

If you have somehow never seen an episode of Breaking Bad, let me give you an overview so that you can determine whether you might like it. It's essentially a character study of Walter White, who teaches chemistry in school. After learning that he has lung cancer, White realizes that he hasn't provided for his family should he no longer be around. It strikes me as odd that such a practical and intelligent man wouldn't have a decent life insurance policy, but there aren't many plot holes so I'll let it pass. White's brother-in-law, Hank, is a DEA agent and suggests White ride along with him on a potential drug bust. When he sees the money involved, White decides that he will put his chemistry expertise to use. He decides to cook meth and make enough money to ensure his family is taken care of before he dies.

That's all you need to know about the plot if you haven't seen the show. Here are a few more reasons why it is worth 44 hours of your time:

The writing is superb (and intelligent). Vince Gilligan penned 29 episodes of the X-Files and created Breaking Bad. He only wrote 13 of the 62 episodes, but all 62 are well-written. The overall story is coherent and compelling.

The characters are fully developed. I'm not just referring to the main characters either. None of these people are weak sketches. Every character thinks and feels and has motivations for what they do.

The amount of thought that went into the story is perhaps unsurpassed in television. For example, White has cancer. How would you react if you were suddenly told that you might not have long to live? How would your family react? Would you talk about it, avoid it, make plans, seek treatment, or enjoy what time you have left to the best of your ability? That's all covered in the opening season. One episode is about a fly. It sounds crazy, but it will all make sense when you see it.

Gus is one of the best villains ever created and Mike is just as interesting. Gilligan could make a show with either as the viewpoint character and it would be gripping.

If you were suddenly in White's position, would you tell your family what you were doing? Would you break the law even further to protect your business and the overall goal of providing for your family? How would you explain the money? How would you avoid arousing suspicion? Gilligan answers all of these questions and more.

Breaking Bad eventually shows us White's complete story arc from good guy to bad guy. It's thought-provoking in every episode. Who is the real Walter White? Did cancer change him, or was he always the person he eventually becomes? It makes us think about our own lives.

I'm tempted to break down the entire story, but I am not sure that there would be any point. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing it from beginning to end on two separate occasions. I'm sure I'll revisit it every couple of years.

I should mention that there is a lot of violence, so that might make it something to avoid if you are sensitive about that subject. However, it's all there for a reason and makes the story more authentic.

The series has won 120 awards at the time of writing, including Golden Globes for Best TV Drama and Best Actor in a TV Series. Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Giancarlo Esposito, Jonathan Banks, Bob Odenkirk and Dean Norris all give superb performances. RJ Mitte, Anna Gunn and Betsy Brandt are also utterly convincing. There are dozens of other noteworthy performances from actors appearing in just a few episodes.

If you are missing Breaking Bad, I urge you to check out Better Call Saul. It's lighter in tone than Breaking Bad and takes place before any of those events. Season two has just started airing on AMC. Vince Gilligan is again involved and the series shows how Saul became the character we know from Breaking Bad. There's also further insight into Mike's character. Bob Odenkirk and Jonathan Banks both reprise their roles.

Overall score 5/5

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The Hateful Eight (Theatrical review)

The Hateful Eight (2015)

Comedy, Crime, Drama, 179/187 minutes
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Madsen, Tim Roth, Bruce Dern, Walton Goggins, Demián Bichir and James Parks

It's been three years since Quentin Tarantino released Django Unchained, so I have been starved of the dark humor and intelligent writing that appears in so many of my favorite movies.

Before I review The Hateful Eight, I want to explain what I think of Tarantino. His previous seven main features have delivered some of the most entertaining cinema of the past 20 years. His dialogue is unmatched and the screenplays have the ability to tell compelling, entertaining stories, while making me laugh at the dark humor. He also has the ability to choose the perfect music to fit the scenes and he uses actors in ways that they have never been used before. He boosted the careers of people like John Travolta and Pam Grier, and introduced us to Christoph Waltz. Tarantino is a genre all his own and his body of work probably makes him my favorite director.

However, The Hateful Eight is a huge disappointment.

Tarantino has explained how he used to anticipate the release of films from his favorite directors, such as Brian De Palma. He always wanted to see the film for himself before viewing it with friends. It was a much-loved ritual. That's how I feel about Tarantino's own movies. They are gifts to be savored and I deliberately waited a few weeks for the fuss to die down so that I could experience the movie without a large audience ruining the experience for me. Today's morning showing gave me that opportunity and I managed to find a quiet spot from which to devour this latest Tarantino treat.

As with his previous films, The Hateful Eight is broken down into chapters. The opening chapter introduces bounty hunters Major Marquis Warren (Jackson) and John Ruth (Russell). Ruth has captured Daisy Domergue (Leigh) and allows Warren to hitch a ride to Red Rock where he will turn in the three dead criminals he is transporting. This opening exchange is quite promising, although it lacks some of the punch of Tarantino's dialogue from other movies.

A blizzard forces the party to seek refuge and it's here that the other characters are introduced. The majority of the film's three-hour running time takes place in a single building.

As with many celebrated directors, Tarantino has his favorites when it comes to actors. Michael Madsen and Tim Roth are a welcome presence, while Jackson and Russell are the most important characters for much of the story.

I found myself grinning as the White Stripes' Apple Blossom played when we met Daisy; it fit the scene perfectly as I have come to expect. Ennio Morricone won a Golden Globe for his original score, so what was lacking?

I find it strange that Tarantino would make consecutive Westerns. Is he finally running out of original ideas? The trademark foul language and excessive violence is present as it is in his other films, but this time it feels forced and, at times, even unnecessary. The tongue-in-cheek humor is sparse at best. I found myself thinking that Tim Roth's character was written for Christoph Waltz, although Roth did a decent job and was one of the better characters.

The whole thing was just off. I cared about The Bride, Butch and Jackie Brown, but I didn't care about any of these characters. I'm at a loss to explain Jennifer Jason Leigh's various nominations, as her character contributed very little to this struggling story. It's as if Tarantino tried to make a Tarantino movie, but forgot how.

I thought Django Unchained was brilliant in places, but bloated in others. The Hateful Eight feels bloated throughout (even the title sequence) and I have to wonder how much the loss of editor Sally Menke has affected Tarantino's last two films.

My Blu-ray cabinets contain all of Tarantino's movies, but I am not certain I'll even add this one to my collection. I would rather watch Death Proof than revisit The Hateful Eight. I'm sorry Quentin; I love your previous work, but I can't lie. Let's hope for Kill Bill 3 and a return to form in another three years or so.

Overall score 6/10

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