Evidently the iTunes Music Store has released a playlist of what they call Bay Area Essentials. But the people at SFGate (Joel Selvin and Aidin Vaziri) don’t agree with this list. What do you think? (from SFGate – COMPILED BY AIDIN VAZIRI AND JOEL SELVIN) THE CHRONICLE’S LIST COMPILED BY AIDIN VAZIRI AND JOEL SELVIN […]
Evidently the iTunes Music Store has released a playlist of what they call Bay Area Essentials.
But the people at SFGate (Joel Selvin and Aidin Vaziri) don’t agree with this list.
What do you think?
(from SFGate – COMPILED BY AIDIN VAZIRI AND JOEL SELVIN)
THE CHRONICLE’S LIST
COMPILED BY AIDIN VAZIRI AND JOEL SELVIN
1. I WANT TO TAKE YOU HIGHER — Sly and the Family Stone — The Woodstock anthem from the psychedelic soul rockers
2. DARK STAR — Grateful Dead — Space is their place
3. SLOW DEATH — Flamin’ Groovies — Every English punk band knew this one
4. MASTER OF PUPPETS — Metallica — Don’t have to be online to be on our list
5. BALLAD OF YOU AND ME AND POONEIL — Jefferson Airplane — Like the band itself, awful and fabulous at the same time
6. CALIFORNIA ÜBER ALLES — Dead Kennedys — San Francisco punk from the Jerry Brown era
7. YOU MAKE ME FEEL (MIGHTY REAL) — Sylvester — Cross-dressing disco straight out of pre-AIDS Castro
8. Born On the Bayou — Creedence Clearwater Revival — El Cerrito swamp rock heard ’round the world
9. Dear Mama — Tupac Shakur — Marin City’s finest; West Coast hip-hop got soul
10. Omaha — Moby Grape — Being underrated goes to the heart of being from San Francisco
11. American Idiot — Green Day — Duh
12. Black Magic Woman — Santana — Gypsy Queen — The sounds of the Mission District from a band that once mattered
13. SATISFACTION — The Residents — Smarty-pants rock deconstructionists, willfully weird, intentionally obscure
14. Down to the Nightclub — Tower of Power — Keystone Berkeley lives and the lead singer’s a killer
15. Roadrunner — Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers — The hipster’s handbook from a faux-naif
16. White Punks On Dope — The Tubes — San Francisco in the ’70s
17. We Care a Lot — Faith No More — “about the food that Live Aid bought”
18. Never Say Never — Romeo Void — Weird, wonderful, unexpectedly sexy
19. Midnight In A Perfect World — DJ Shadow — A dream built around samples and scratches
20. Freedom — Sons of Champlin — The real hippies
21. Wicked Game — Chris Isaak — Sex on the beach
22. John the Fisherman — Primus — Primus sucks
23. Living In the U.S.A. — Steve Miller Band — Somebody get me a cheeseburger
24. Loan me a Dime — Boz Scaggs — THE San Francisco blues
25. Ball and Chain — Big Brother and the Holding Company — What made Janis Joplin a star
THE ITUNES SONG LIST
1. TRUCKIN’ – Grateful Dead
2. SOMEBODY TO LOVE – Jefferson Airplane
3. PIECE OF MY HEART – Big Brother and the Holding Company
4. THANK YOU (FALETTINME BE MICE ELF AGIN) – Sly and the Family Stone
5. FORTUNATE SON – Creedence Clearwater Revival
6. OYE COMO VA – Santana
7. LONGVIEW Green Day
8. WE SHALL OVERCOME – Joan Baez
9. BLACK WATER – Doobie Brothers
10. LIGHTS Journey
11. WHAT IS HIP – Tower of Power
12. CALIFORNIA ÜBER ALLES Dead Kennedys
13. WICKED GAME – Chris Isaak
14. U CAN’T TOUCH THIS – MC Hammer
15. ROCKIN’ IN THE FREE WORLD – Neil Young
16. SUMMERTIME BLUES – Blue Cheer
17. WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE – Kingston Trio
18. WORKING FOR A LIVING – Huey Lewis and the News
19. SYMPHONY OF DESTRUCTION – Megadeth
20. EPIC – Faith No More
21. MR. JONES – Counting Crows
22. PRIDE OF MAN – Quicksilver Messenger Service
23. MIDNIGHT IN A PERFECT WORLD – DJ Shadow
24. LOWDOWN – Boz Scaggs
25. CAN YOU HANDLE THAT? – Graham Central Station
I dunno. Each list has strong points. But SFGate’s list seems to have a lot more musical relevance, and has some bold picks like Romeo Void, Sylvester, the Flamin’ Groovies, and The Residents. They also have a number one I completely agree with – Sly. I can’t possibly agree with that more.
For me there’s one key point that makes these lists different, though. The iTunes list contains a counting crows song, and that automatically renders it invalid. The only significant thing about counting crows, other than the true absurdity that is Adam Duritz’ hair, is that they have a truly brilliant piano player in Charlie Gillingham; a man I’ve roadied for and who’s been at my house playing my piano. Apart from that, cc are simply crap and should not be on any list of ‘essential’ anything.
I like that the Doobies are on the iTunes list though, and that they have a Chris Isaak song, and Graham Central Station. I think a careful merge of these lists is actually a pretty damned good compilation.
[EDIT]
Ray points out that Jonathan Richman ain’t from SF, he’s from boston. So points off for that.
Punk would have to include The Avengers, “American In Me”.
Hip-hop requires Digital Underground “Humpty Hump”.
But what the FUCK are they thinking putting the Modern Lovers on there? Wrong fucking bay, dudes. The Modern Lovers are from Boston, and that song is even a song about driving around Massachussets. No connection to San Francisco whatsover. What the fuck? They might as well put Lou Reed and Willie Nelson on there too.
Go tell ’em, ray!
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=3&entry_id=4701
I’m with you, KE… meld the 2.
Two guys already beat me to it, and I don’t want to fucking register.