06/09: Song of the Day. Tom Petty–Free Fallin’
I like to go. Some of my favorite stories revolve around road trips. Driving across the heartland to spend seven days in southwest Colorado and to attend the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Hitting Memphis, TN, Austin, TX, and New Orleans, LA in an eight day whirlwind of blues, Phish in the Live Music Capital of the World, and the deep humidity, voodoo, jazz, and decadence of The Crescent City. Turning around eight days later and traveling to Cape Cod and on to northern Maine. Riding with the top down from San Francisco, through northern California, and on into the central Oregon coast. Racing down the interstate to see my folks for Christmas, who at the time lived on the Florida Gulf Coast. I just like to go.
And when I go I have to have my portable black CD pack with me at all times. It can hold thirty-six albums in jewel cases and loading it up before I go can be just as important as packing my toothbrush. Sorry iPod, but in this case I prefer to live in 1995. Choosing what to bring can become an ordeal. Having the Townes ready for Texas, The Byrds and Gram Parsons ready for California, the Avett Brothers ready for sunshine, the Rolling Stones ready for the late night, and M. Ward at the ready for the spaces in between.
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I’ve been on the road the last three weekends in a row. I’ve slept in a tent three weekends in a row. I’ve driven down tucked away dirt roads three weekends in row. And for three weekends in a row I’ve packed up three entirely different CD selections. Every trip is different; like snowflakes, no two are alike.
So I’ve gone. So it goes. So I’ll keep going. I like to go. If I were leaving right now here are five albums I’d take:
1. Tom Petty–Full Moon Fever
Free Fallin’ by Tom Petty
2. The Allman Brothers–Brothers and Sisters
3. King Wilkie–Low Country Suite
4. Bob Dylan–Time Out of Mind
5. Ween–12 Golden Country Greats
(Ask me tomorrow, or even later today, and it would probably all be different. Except for the Petty, it feels like a Tom Petty kinda day)
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And if you were leaving right now, what albums would be heading out the door and down the road with you? And if you pass me going in the other direction, smile and wave.
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Tagged as: 06/09, Music, road trip, Song of the Day
gotta have Wildflowers on there along with Full Moon Fever
tough question, especially because i’ve never had a car with a cd player, and nowadays i hook up my ipod to my stereo, so i don’t have to be so choosy.
off the top of my head, i think i’d take these records - more like categories - with me:
1. ted leo and the pharmacists’ “hearts of oak” (or any record by them or chisel, something loud, rock’n'roll or punk rock that chugs and chugs and lets you beat your hands on the steering wheel)
2. bob dylan - “freewheelin’” (or your favorite dylan record, maybe the one with the band, something soothing but also kind of rambly and characteristically folky)
3. simian mobile disco (or any bumpin’ electronic music you like and gets you psyched about driving long distances on the highway, e.g., daft punk, justice, bad 80s synth-pop, or what have you)
4. weezer’s first self-titled record (or anything else that’s pop-rocky and you can sing along to with friends)
5. last but not least, some upbeat jazz or bebop (i recommend buddy rich, but if you’re not into big band sort of jazz, then miles or dizzy or something of that nature works just as well)
Well it all depends doesn’t it?
But…
Clash- London Calling
Bob Dylan- Desire
Cure- Mixed Up
Beasties- Hello Nasty
Tribe Called Quest- People’s Instinctive Travels And Paths Of Rhythm- In part for the best road trip song ever: I left my wallet in el segundo
On any give day these might be rotated out by:
Neil Young- After the Gold Rush
Band- The Last Waltz
Hepcat- Right on Time
or others
Really, for a long journey a custom made mix tape is de rigeour.
The best Tom Petty Album is Damn the Torpedos. I’d bring that one.
Also Pearl Jam: Ten is a great one for late night cruising.
I’d burn a copy of the Grateful Dead’s Barton Hall, Cornell Univ. 1977 show
Little Feat - Waiting for Columbus
Allman Brothers - Eat A Peach
I also like to have on hand Nirvana’s Nevermind
and Boston: Boston
I’ve driven ‘cross country a bunch of times. it always ends up in a good story. who knows, maybe you’ll read one some day.