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“Folsom Prison Blues (Live)” by Johnny Cash

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The Cash classic with the line “I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die.” This album was recorded at Folsom Prison in 1968 and that particular line seemed to please the *ahem* captive audience a great deal. Go figure. Originally the song was recorded in 1956 in Memphis on Sun Records and is everything that’s right about Country music. Cash would go on to record hits over the next five decades proving to be one of the most influential country artists of all time. But you already knew that.

“Superman (iTunes Originals Version)” by Willie Nelson

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There are only two people on the planet that sound as sweet as Willie Nelson, and they’re both dead. You can’t hate this man’s music. It just can’t be done. I know people who can’t stand country music but if you show them a little bit of your Willie they will come around. This track is an iTunes exclusive from one of their “iTunes Originals” series and is more rockabilly than country. It’s a whimsical telling of what it is Willie is not over a rolling jam. These iTunes sessions always seem to feature crystal clear sound and this is no exception.

It’s also worth noting that you can download entire Willie Nelson concerts for $10 at Willie’s live music site.

www.livewillie.com

P.S. If you’re still trying to guess who the other sweet voices are they’re Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings.

I’m picking up the pieces…I haven’t gone away, per se. I had to take a brief hiatus from posting reviews while I reassemble my library. iTunes has a lovely feature where it will rearrange your music files into new folders based on the artist. This is all fine and good, except that some file tags include artist information that differs from track to track on a given album. And it’s not just soundtracks and compilations, like you might think. The short of it is that it’s a mess.

So, I’m in the middle of an effort to make lemonade out of 75 gigs of jumbled up MP3 files. While I’m at it I thought I would take the opportunity to clean things up a bit. Fix some tags, rename some folders, and consolidate some genres. Stuff like that.

I thought I would also take a moment and share with you guys a few handy tips for managing massive collections of MP3 files.

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?Tour de France? by Professors of Funk

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This comes from an odd little album. I invite anyone to squeeze some logic involved in an instrumental version of ?Brass Monkey.? I dare you. I had to give ?Tour de France? a shot. Another track purchased with a Slurpee cup I have to say it makes me giggle a little to fling it upon y?all.

Last year Kraftwork put decades-old forgotten and unfinished tracks to rest in the form of an album dedicated to the Tour de France. If you?re not into minimalist electronica, then this isn?t going to help matters any. However, this reworking by PoF goes a long way to make the original ?Tour de France? track accessible to the masses.

Oh, by the way. Go Lance!

?Tour de France? by Professors of Funk

“My Favourite Game (iTunes Originals Version)” by The Cardigans

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Today we have another selection from the iTunes Originals collection. This time it’s a song that gained a huge amount of popularity among the PlayStation set. If The Cardigans don’t ring a bell then maybe “That song from Gran Tourismo” well help you out. This live cut adds a welcome degree of rawness to what was a very polished song. The guitars jangle just a little bit more and rip along with just enough of an edge that reminds you that, yes, this song is about losing it all in a game of chicken. Please play this loud.

“My Favourite Game (iTunes Originals Version)” by The Cardigans

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“Voices Carry (iTunes Originals Version)” by Aimee Mann

Aimee Mann’s first big hit is something of a cheese-ball. It’s the type of song that will forever find it’s way onto retro compilations highlighting the one-hit-wonders of the 80’s. Fortunately for her, Aimee Mann managed to survive obscurity and these days, enjoys a successful career as a singer-songwriter with her hubby, and fellow singer-songwriter, Michael Penn.

This track, another cut from the iTunes Originals collection, is an in-studio live re-cut of that original hit. This go around the cheesy guitars are gone along with the over-the-top dramatics. What’s left is a brooding acoustic pseudo-country feedback grind that works.

“Voices Carry (iTunes Originals Version)” by Aimee Mann

“Pusherman (Mixmastermike Pusher’s Nephew Mix)” by Curtis Mayfield

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A little while back I mentioned the growing popularity of modern remixes of classic works. Today’s taste is another such mix. Here we have the Beastie Boy’s resident DJ reworking the Curtis Mayfield great, “Pusherman.” Mix Master Mike has won the DMC championships, the Olympics of “scratching”, a number of times and it’s easy to see why. There are very few who are capable of matching his ability to slide a record back and forth under a needle.

The challenge, however, is to turn wicky-wack gymnastics into something that still holds lasting musical interest. Don’t get me wrong. I love turntablist music and own a fair amount if it, but for the most part it’s something to be admired for it’s technical difficulty and not so much for it’s melodic quality.

Here Mike accomplishes both. There are plenty of his trademark cut-ups but there’s also still a healthy dose of the original groove. The end result is a groovy update to a funk classic tinted with modern hip-hop and peppered with scratches by one of the masters. Not bad at all.

“Pusherman (Mixmastermike Pusher’s Nephew Mix)” by Curtis Mayfield

“Technologic (Basement Jaxx Kontrol Mixx)” by Daft Punk

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“Technologic” was already one of the best tracks off of “Human After All”, the latest album from Daft Punk. Now you can dance to it, too. Basement Jaxx’s styling is unmistakable here and the end result is an above average mix that brings together the best of both artists.

“Technologic (Basement Jaxx Kontrol Mixx)” by Daft Punk

“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” by Paul McCartney & U2

I didn’t watch any of the Live 8 coverage on TV and all I got instead was this 2:28 minute iTunes single. Well, that and a Slurpee. I’ve been drinking a lot of free iTunes inducing Slurpees this week. I’ve been conning friends and family members into buying themselves frosty treats and then offering to dispose of their “trash” for them. It’s become something of a game.

It should be noted that the song opens and closes with about 20 seconds of crowd noise, reducing the track to only two minutes. Here’s what that two minutes does. It makes you want more. It’s a total tease. Ten concerts on four continents, it’s the largest organized musical performance ever and I’ve only heard two minutes. To be fair they do have a second track from Live 8: “The Long And Winding Road” also by McCartney. Which brings their songs featuring McCartney to two. It’s a start.

“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” by Paul McCartney & U2
“The Long And Winding Road” by Paul McCartney

“Into Everything” Telepopmusik

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Allow me, once again, to bring up last weekend’s party. Towards the end, well into the AM, I broke out the chill tracks. I can’t recall if I ever got around to this track, or not, but if I didn’t I should have. “Into Everything” picks up where “Breathe” left off and it’s every bit as groove inducing as their debut single. Just lay back and let the soothing vocals and bubbling synths wash over you.

“Into Everything” by Telepopmusik