Old School Fridays - "Funny, he said I can call him up anytime"

Last week Soulbounce posted a new track from one of my faves - Meshell Ndegeocello. That got me thinking of this video... which was one of her biggest hits. The video is... interesting. Not sure how I feel about the "interviews"... regardless, it's a good song.... nice and funky.

"Why'd She Have To Go" - Top Five Depressing Songs

I travel for work; I hate being gone for 3-4 days at a time. I miss my beautiful wife, my kids… and my music collection. In fact, when I get home, I usually spend a few hours in my office, with the lights off, listening to good music and drinking a cold beer.

That sounds kind of depressing, but it’s actually not… but that being said, there are some songs that I avoid. Here are my top five most depressing songs in my iTunes library:

1. "A House I Not a Home" – Luther Vandross
   
   This song doesn't rate higher on the list, because he’s actually singing to her… so at least he has a chance to winning her back.


2. "By The Way" – Barbara Streisand


This is a relatively new add to my library (thanks to my brother). I hope she’s not singing about Elliott Gould… whoever the guys is; he’s cold. He even took the towels.

New Music: Thundercat's The Golden Age of Apocalypse

I am loving some of these tracks from Thundercat's latest release,  The Golden Age of Apocalypse - especially "Is It Love", "For Love I Come" [a cover of George Dukes "For Love (I Come Your Friend)"] and "Boat Cruise". Just released last week (Aug 30th, 2011). Check it.

And yes... I even like the funky 20 second "Hooooo" intro (because I have a soft spot for the 80s cartoon and because it uses a sped-up sample of "For Love I Come").


[H/T - Steady Bloggin']

My Favorite Albums: Incognito's Positivity

Spring 1995: I was a senior in high school, preparing for graduation, submitting college applications… and getting ready for my senior prom. My senior year had turned out to be pretty good, and I was aiming for Senior Prom to be my magnum opus. I wanted to be the best dressed, smoothest, most sophisticated cat in the building. 

By April, I had just about everything in order: my date locked down, the ride on lock (my mom’s brand new Buick LeSabre), my tuxedo selected (playerific… for 1995 at least)... all I needed was my mixtape. 

As I’ve written about before, the perfect mixtape has to have six key elements:

1. The Intro Song
2. Transitions
3. Mid-Tempo Jams
4. Instrumental/Acoustics
5. Message Songs
6. Closers 

I was set on most elements… all I needed was a signature song (aka “the message song’). I remember struggling for weeks to find the perfect song. Then one day, while I was sitting in my father’s flower shop, “Deep Waters” came across the radio. Maysa Leak’s vocals had me from the jump: “Is it a crime, for me to be feeling this way/I’m going out of my mind, and there’s no change from a runaway love”. 

Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick’s masterpiece hit me square in the gut; at that moment, I knew my mixtape was complete. 

Over fifteen years later, “Deep Waters” remains as one of my all-time favorite jams (it has one of the few 5 star ratings in my iTunes library). That song, by itself, is why Incognito’s Positivity is on my list of favorite albums (though don’t sleep on other cuts from the album; it’s chock full of great songs: the Maysa Leak-led “Still a Friend of Mine” and “Smiling Faces”, as well as the instrumental “Inversions”).

Enjoy.