It is like crack.
I feel like I am not responsible enough to deal with iTunes. I feel like I need to have some outside authority limit what I am able to do on iTunes. Like: Oops, Sheila has overstayed her welcome … she is now cut off until next month. I feel like one of those mindless drones pouring their welfare checks into the slot machines. 10 minutes go by and I could spend 200 bucks. 99 cents a song?? That’s NOTHING!! Click, click, click, click … 50 songs later …
It’s evil.
And yet … ohmigod ohmigod.
Old favorites I have tracked down on iTunes … things I only had on cassette tape …
SPLIT ENZ. Uhm … that one album … where every song is awesome? Found it. Click, click, click. I have been listening to Split Enz all day. I freakin’ LOVED Split Enz. I’m sorry but I think “Nobody Takes Me Seriously” is just a classic song – I can’t get enough!!! “What’s the Matter With You”?? Another awesome song – but the album doesn’t have a bad song on it. “I Got You”. “Shark Attack”.
Seriously. I had that thing on cassette for years … never upgraded to CD because I am retarded … but now I have it!!
More:
“Better Be Home Soon” by Crowded House. Uhm … great song? Help me deal with the wistful greatness of that song!! Haven’t heard it in years … but suddenly it popped into my head and I NEEDED to have it.
“House of Fun” by Madness. MADNESS. I can’t hear Madness without thinking of Meredith … just because we listened to that album at her house ALL THE TIME. What a RIDICULOUS album. “Our House” was by far their LEAST good song. “House of Fun” is psychotic. I adore it. And now I have it.
N-n-n-n-n-n-no no miss
You misunderstood
Sixteen big boy
Full pint in my manhood
Im up to date
And the dates today
So if youll serve
Ill be on my way
Welcome to the house of fun
Now I’ve come of age
Welcome to the lions den
Temptations on his way
Welcome to the house of fun
Uhm … come again?
“Paint it Black” – Rolling Stones. I’m actually not a huge Stones fan … but this song? Kicks some seeeeerious ass. Now I have it. Took a run this morning with that damn thing blasting in my ears. That song makes me feel like a bad ass, like: do not. Mess. with me.
“Cool Jerk” – by The Go Gos … This is another one which always makes me think of being at Mere and Jayne’s house in high school. Mere had a bass. She would play the bass. We would listen to “Cool Jerk”. Life can’t get any better.
“Don’t Think Twice, it’s all right” – Bob Dylan. Had a LONG overdue crying jag this afternoon listening to that exquisite song. I have a bunch of other Dylan but for some reason – not that one. It touches me. On this deep and almost deja vu level.
“Fell On Black Days” – Soundgarden – Uhm … YUM.
“Livin’ la vida loca” SHUTUP. Great song. But … Ricky … I have so many questions. How does a bullet through the brain TAKE AWAY your pain? I mean, yes, with death … but … is that really the analogy you’re after? And the lines “her skin the color mocha” reaches a level of cheese RARELY achieved. It’s so hilarious. And woah: she’ll “make you take your clothes off and go dancing in the rain”. Man. That is so WACKY. Like: she sounds PSYCHOTIC AND DANGEROUS! Take your clothes off and dance in the rain? What kind of SICK SHITE IS THAT? hahahaha Like: THAT’S the example he uses to show the “danger” of this woman? Sounds pretty benign and fun to me. But woah. It freaked him OUT. Love that song.
And “La La” by Ashlee (“love your body the way it is … DOH”) Simpson. I don’t even know anything about this woman’s music – except for her various live-performance acid-reflux debacles – but I do know that I heard this song, randomly, on the radio one day last year and found myself jamming out. Then on came the DJ: “And that was Ashlee Simpson!” What?? Great song. LUDICROUS lyrics. Like: you’re embarrassed for her. I do not want to think of Ashlee Simpson being a French maid. Or a stray cat. Lapping up the milk on the kitchen floor. I do not want to think of Ashley “dressed up in dirt” (how would that work, exactly? Ashley? How do you get dressed up in dirt?) Also, Ashley – if someone throws you like a boomerang, then it probably isn’t good manners to come back and beat them up. Because you say in the first verse of the song that you “like it better when it hurts”. So … if you “like it better when it hurts” – then you really have no call to beat someone up just because they whipped you off towards the horizon like a boomerang. You SAID you like pain, ya little French maid. But whatever. Rockin’ stupid song – great for working out.
Joan Armatrading!!! I was SO into her in college (it was kind of a prerequisite if you wanted to be friends with Mitchell. He showed me the ways of the Armatrading). Me Myself I!! Awesome song! I Love It When You Call Me Names. Terrific. And then – the achey-heart song “Love and Affection” – which resonates so deeply with me right now that I kinda can’t even listen to the song yet. Soon. What a song. She’s marvelous.
And lastly:
“Rock Lobster” – B-52s. It just never gets old.
Back away from the iTunes, Sheila. Back away.
Oh, I KNOW. I know. And it’s just what you said: You think, “$0.99? No problem!” and the next thing you know you’ve dropped 50 bucks.
My brother wrote me to recommend a few songs recently and I had to tell him, “Dude, I have banned myself from iTunes until the rent check clears.” It’s that bad.
I love that Split Enz album. My best friend in high school got me into them. Crowded House is more my speed now, but I’m still impressed by how well Split Enz holds up after all this time. Such a fun band and so much talent packed into those Finn brothers.
The day Syd Barrett died, I went home and downloaded a bunch of the old stuff off iTunes from Relics that I still only had on tape. They had a “Remembering Syd” feature that day. I just sat there like an ass, bawling my eyes out and not knowing what was driving me more to tears – Syd’s death or the beauty of iTunes.
If I don’t control myself, I can itunes myself into financial ruin.
I started doing that so I had to set up an allowance. Only like 10 bucks at a time or something. Or buy “gift certificates” so you only have X amount to spend. I mean it is POSSIBLE to add more to it, but since you have t jump thru hoops, which 9 times outta 10 i’m too lazy to do. iTunes is crack.
OMG Madness! what an excellent album that is, huh? I loved “Night boat to Cairo” and Joan Armatrading..do you have “Drop the Pilot” (my favorite) I have Yahoo music and i agree- totally addictive. Scary addictive!
Please understand that you are not alone.
I suggest an alternative addiction such as the Craigslist real estate ads.
okay last time it was Dream by the Everly Brothers and this time it’s lala by ashlee simpson….everytime you talk about music I have to go buy songs I have no control because the .99 cent thing. But then…..I go there and listen to dream which reminds me of my dad which reminds me of his favorite song (Today, John Denver) which reminds me of my mom and her favorite song (roberta flack, first time ever I saw your face) my one song turned into 12 that night….and again tonight…
dude…rihanna. that’s all i can say. “pon de replay”. cannot! stop! listening!
oh iTunes iTunes!!! I am addicted too!!
I need to find that Split Endz and Madness music. And too funny about the Go-go’s. I fell in with some really whacky people who loved the Go-gos and Boy George (one of my friends dressed up as Boy George for Halloween – it was FRIGHTENING how much she looked like him!)…we’d drive around town after school with the radio turned up and as soon as one of our favorite songs came out, we’d pull into the nearest parking lot, open the windows of the car and just DANCE THERE around the car until the song was over…and then get back in and drive around some more. We even managed to contrive to set up a stereo in the hatchback of one of our cars and went on a ‘dancing cruise’ through the neighborhood. Idiotic and insane, but so much fun!! The group I thrilled to at the time was Men At Work, so they would honor me by stopping and dancing to that as well as all the others.
My friends had been so inspired by the Go-Go’s they wanted to start their own band…my “Boy George” friend even knew how to play the bass…hey…do you two know each other???????”!!!!!!!!
I miss youth-dom.
Umm…in fact just recently purchased:
Der Kommisar – After the Fire
Baker Street – Gerry Rafferty
Year of the Cat – Al Stewart
Presto – Rush
The Downeaster Alexa & Pressure – Billy Joel
Don’t know what that says about my taste in music, but now youve helped me think of some that I can get next time I raid the couch…
ARGH!! See how the addiction has spread?!
Sharon – I absolutely LOVE the idea of a “dance cruise” – how much fun did you guys have!!!
Mere – yes!! Drop the Pilot!
Dammit, that woman is such a good songwriter!
Oh and Mere – member that Madness song that we loved that started with the scales going up and down? The piano scales? Does this ring a bell? For some reason I remember loving that song but I can’t find it – it must have been on another one of their albums.
Back away from the iTunes, Sheila. Back away.
LMAO
Awesome post. You’re right – that thing is evil. Damn you, Apple!
Its “Shut Up”- (the Madness song with the scales)
that whole album is fantastic…
and of course, we can’t forget Madness is all in the mind…hehehe
iTunes did me a great service for my wedding, since they had Frank Patterson’s “My Son”, which is the song my mother wanted to dance with me to.
Podcasts keep me happy enough so that I don’t have to buy music too often.
The only Joan Armitrading song I know is “The Weakness in Me” – I first heard it on a mix tape in college and never forgot it but never went out and bought it either. Then, last year when I discovered ITUNES!!!! I found and downloaded it and now listen to it almost daily. Agh!! The world grinds to a halt for me when that song comes on — so incredible. It’s not even a song; it’s like a whole universe. I feel like I don’t even want to listen to any other songs of hers because how could they get any better?
iTunes — I’m afraid to look at my credit card statements and see how much I’ve actually spent there in the past year. It really is a (delicious) black hole.
I suggest an alternative addiction such as the Craigslist real estate ads.
I don’t think addictions are an either/or thing for Sheila…
Regarding the Dylan crying jag – crazy weird, I was sitting in my car Friday night and listening to Dylan’s “Most of the Time” and decided to have a Good Cry. ‘Cause nothing does it for a soul-cleansing nostalgia induced cry like Dylan does.
Incedentally, I do not allow myself NEAR itunes. It would be disaster. I just got a new cell phone and realized it had great music/ringer options and suddenly I had downloaded $20 of songs/ringers. itunes would be a big mistake. HUGE.
The most evil thing about it is that it’s RIGHT THERE every time you want to go manage your song library.
I’ve been ok with it of late, but it’s addictive like you said. Last week I found myself discovering that they had the Scritti Politti album with “Perfect Way” on it.
Now, “Perfect Way” is on my iPod. Stupid infectious 80s songs…
Try eMusic. That one gives you 40 songs a month for 10 bucks. The selection is not like iTunes, but there are some jems in there, and it’s just as fun to surf around in, without that guilt.
It’s kinda like having a Diet Coke. No, it doesn’t taste as good as Real Coke, but it’s great for what it is.
I rec’d a $50 gift certificate to iTunes for my b-day, so I’ve been able to indulge myself in hunting down old 80s favorites, like ‘The Rain’ (Oran ‘Juice’ Jones), ‘Heat of the Moment’ (Asia) and ‘Every Day is Like Sunday’ (Morrissey).
Beyond that, I try to satisfy my craving for new contest through podcasts.
Dan, I bought “The Rain” in my Scritti Politti iTunes session, too. What a great song.
“You without me is like corn flakes without the milk!”
Classic.
It’s horrible. I keep getting these ‘receipt’ emails from Apple telling me how much my wife spent the previous evening…
I know this is an older post, but I had to add : this is how bad the iTunes addiction has gotten for us around here – we’ve taken to buying up all the Old El Paso Taco Kits/Taco Shells/Taco Mixes that have a code for an iTunes song as part of its marketing gimmick. I have about four tagged to the refrigerator right now. Why havent I used them yet? I dunno…theres gotta be an album out there I havent downloaded yet.
Hahaha, that’s great, Sharon; like the Campbell’s soup labels we used to collect as kids to buy mimeograph machines and purple ink for our schools!
I heard “Pull Up to the Bumper” by Grace Jones the other day and can’t get it out of my head. if I had an Ipod, I would totally put that song on it. What a great beat.
I might also have to download (I am ashamed to admit it), MmmBop by Hanson. Hey – you guys like “Perfect Way” by Scritti Politti so I guess it’s not too far a stretch to like a little Hanson!