Beach Shuffle

I woke up yesterday morning at 5 a.m. and drove to the beach. Wanted to get in some swimming before the madness of the 4th began. By the time I got to the beach the slight drizzle that had been coming down turned into a heavy rainstorm. But it passed, I waited it out in the car, and then emerged and went down to the water. It was still only 6:30, 7 in the morning. The place was deserted. The sky was phenomenal. The clouds were clearly moving out to sea, and there were long far-off rumbles of thunder. I swam for a couple of hours. It was dark and isolated, even though the sun had come up. The water was perfect. It felt so good. Finally, it started raining again, after a couple of hours, so I headed home. Drove around, did some errands, and then had some time to kill so drove up into the Tappan Zee Bridge area, which is so beautiful. By that point, the sun was out, and the views across the Hudson were breathtaking. It was a very very good 4th of July. Here is, in succession, the crazy Shuffle of music that was going on that whole day during my travels.

It makes no sense.

Before the Earth Was Round – Ok Go

Polly – Nirvana (MTV Unplugged)

Ebony Eyes – The Everly Brothers. Poor Flight 1203.

Been a Son – Nirvana (live in Amsterdam)

San Francisco – Rufus Wainwright (recreating Judy Garland’s show at Carnegie Hall)

Bouncing Off Clouds – Tori Amos. Sometimes her schtick gets really old to me.

Baidin Fheilimi – Sinéad O’Connor. I love her traditional Celtic album, although others might find it a snooze. I love it.

Misery – Pink. One of the best voices around

Cindy, Cindy – Elvis Presley.

I’m Yours – Pat McCurdy

No Mercy For Swine – Cherry Poppin’ Daddies

You’re My Home – Billy Joel

White Boys – cast of Broadway revival Hair

Jingle Bells (instrumental) – the “million dollar quartet” messing around in December, 1956. Piano, lead guitar, pretty rough and unorganized.

Please Mr. Postman – The Beatles

Your Time Hasn’t Come Yet, Baby – Elvis Presley, singing to the little girl in Speedway. Dumb song, but he’s sweet singing it.

Don’t Cry Baby – Little Jimmy Scott. Fantastic, wailing, bluesy.

Come As You Are – Nirvana (MTV Unplugged)

Chicago Shake – The Bruce Fowler Big Band.

Girls on Film – Duran Duran. OMG.

I’ll Close My Eyes – Dinah Washington. She’s so hot.

The Inner Light – The Beatles

Waiting – Green Day

Tragedy – Bee Gees. YES. One of my favorite Bee Gees songs. Additionally, it always makes me think of Michael G. because of the time we crashed that underage (well, Michael was technically underage too at the time. Cradle-robber Sheila with a 20-year-old!) disco dance party in Ithaca and we both freaked out when they played “Tragedy”. Like that made the party LEGIT in our disco-snob eyes.

Mack the Knife – Robbie Williams. Oh, Robbie, never stop making music, please.

Once Upon a December – Liz Callaway, from the Anastasia soundtrack. This song makes zero sense here.

Hearts and Bones – Paul Simon

Your Mother Should Know – The Beatles

High School Confidential – Jerry Lee Lewis. Damn, I need to listen to this one more.

One Night Only – Jennifer Hudson. Did that chick actually win an Oscar? Did that really happen?

She Knows It – The Heardsmen (from the movie That Thing You Do).

Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Chris Colfer and Darren Criss, a duet on Glee. Shuffle is so weird.

Nature Boy – David Bowie. Haunting!

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea – Cab Calloway. Love it when his stuff comes up.

Hey Bulldog – The Beatles

Nice Guys Finish Last – Green Day

Antiques – Pat McCurdy

The Right Time – Nappy Brown. Excellent dry-hump-on-the-couch music.

The Chauffeur (Blue Silver) – Duran Duran. Oh, for God’s sake. Really? “SIIIIING BLUUUUUE SILVERRRRR” Boys, relax.

Outshined – Soundgarden

I Go To the Rock – Whitney Houston (from the awesome Preacher’s Wife soundtrack)

Treat Me Nice (take 19) – Elvis. I love all these different takes. And in this one (and many others), you can clearly hear him tapping out a beat on the back of his guitar, which he would wear backwards. Basically like a drum on his chest. You can feel the live-ness of these takes.

Take Me To the Mardi Gras – Paul Simon. No.

Don’t Wake Me Up – Pat McCurdy. Suit yourself.

Don’t Let Me Down – The Beatles

Strange Things Happen To Me All the Time – Pat McCurdy. Go away, Pat.

Take My Hand, Precious Lord – Elvis. Can’t get enough. And this is real “high-church” gospel, not raucous down-and-dirty gospel. He can do both. His voice is gorgeous here, mellifluous, yearning, perfection.

California – Rufus Wainwright. I was so into him for a while. I’ve kind of lost track of him.

Do I Move You – Nina Simone. She’s the best. So intense.

New Religion – Duran Duran. Wow. Duran Duran is all over this Shuffle.

The Outlaw Torn – Metallica. I think Aaron (the actor who played the male lead in my script) first trusted me when I made the comment that I don’t know what everyone is bitching about, Load is a good album.

You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me – Elvis. Beautiful.

Nick of Time – Bonnie Raitt. Not sure I can deal with this song right now.

Jesus In a Camper Van – Robbie Williams. BRAT. I love him.

Purple Haze – Jimi Hendrix. Nothing like BLASTING this on an open highway. Jesusmaryandjoseph.

Do You Believe In Love? – Huey Lewis & the News. My first concert ever was Huey!!

Chains of Love – Erasure. Wow. Time machine. To college.

For Ol’ Times Sake – Elvis. That’s more like it.

Young and Beautiful (takes 21-22) – Elvis. I love this because this is a sweet sincere song from King Creole, and the first take is ruined by a giant howling guffaw from Elvis – his laugh was so infectious, you hear it on these outtakes and sometimes you can’t help but laugh yourself, even if you have no idea what the hell he was laughing so hard at.