Tuesday, April 21, 2009

"I Find Myself Hard to Tolerate for Seven Whole Minutes, So You're Not to Be Faulted for Skipping the Video and Just Going Straight to the Question; However, Skipping the Video Means You Will Not Be Hearing Styx Today--Unless You're Humming 'Babe, I'm Leaving/I Must Be On My Way' As You Click Over to Another Blog"



The upshot is this: I need to re-invigorate my Ipod playlist so that I am motivated to run faster than a snapping turtle whose feet are caught in a mixture of quicksand and molasses.

While you ponder what kind of evil genius stirred the molasses into that quicksand and then plunked a turtle into the whole thing, could you suggest a few get-up-and-go songs?

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Have you tried The Ramones? They've never failed me. Oddly, ABBA has the same effect.

Sunflower56 said...

This was a fun blog - thanks for taking us on a walk with a beautiful view of Lake Superior!

Reggae, Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt are all welcome artists for me when I'm running and on a shuffle setting. In addition, although I think I'm a bit older than you, I've got a playlist of songs from my high school years (1970-74) that someone put together for us all for our 30th reunion and I find its a great mix to have to choose for a run since it triggers all sorts of memories and feelings of being age 14-18 while making me feel that age physically again too to give me that extra boost while I too, slog along at my slow running pace. Not sure how my era's set would strike you, but perhaps a set from your high school years would work for you?

I don't know if blogger will let me paste this much, or if you really would want to see the whole list, but maybe you have some readers who'd enjoy looking at this random list of hits from 70-74. 116 songs, which means an average of 29 hits/year, 2.5 per month. I wonder, are there that many memorable hits per month coming out these days for current high schoolers?

Sweet Emotion, Aerosmith
Walk This Way, Aerosmith
Let's Stay Together, Al Green
School's Out, Alice Cooper
Ventura Highway, America
A Horse With No Name, America
Tin Man, America
Until You Come Back to Me, Aretha Franklin
Bad Company, Bad Company
Ready for Love, Bad Company
No Matter What, Badfinger
Gonna Love You a Little More, Barry White
Me and Mrs. Jones, Billy Paul
You're So Vain, Carley Simon
Wild World, Cat Stevens
Give Me Just a Little More Time, Chairman of the Board
25 or 6 to 4, Chicago
Colour My World, Chicago
Precious and Few, Climax
Fortunate Son, Creedence Clearwater Revival
Marakesh Express, Crosby, Stills & Nash
Helplessly Hoping, Crosby, Stills & Nash
Freddie's Dead, Curtis Mayfield
Space Oddity, David Bowie
Rock On, David Essex
Bell Bottom Blues, Derek and the Dominos
Touch Me in the Morning, Diana Ross
Vincent, Don McClean
Cover of the Rolling Stone, Dr. Hook
Tell Her She's Lovely, El Chicano
Showdown, Electric Light Orchestra
Come Down in Time, Elton John
Your Song, Elton John
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Elton John
From the Beginning, Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me, Gladys Knight
Radar Love, Golden Earring
If You Don't Know Me By Now, Harold Melvin
Without You, Harry Nillson
Coconut, Harry Nillson
Shaft Theme, Isaac Hayes
Who's That Lady?, Isley Brothers
Doctor My Eyes, Jackson Browne
Fire and Rain, James Taylor
You've Got a Friend, James Taylor
Cross Eyed Mary, Jethro Tull
Locomotive Breath, Jethro Tull
Operator, Jim Croce
Bad, Bad Leroy Brown, Jim Croce
#9 Dream, John Lennon
Mind Games, John Lennon
Imagine, John Lennon
Help Me, Joni Mitchell
Dust in the Wind, Kansas
Dancin' in the Moonlight, King Harvest
Rock and Roll, Led Zeppelin
Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin
Going to California, Led Zeppelin
Do You Know What I Mean, Lee Michaels
Lady Blue, Leon Russell
You're No Good, Linda Ronstadt
Broadcast: Munich Olympic Tragedy, Live News Reel
Broadcast: Nixon Resigns, Live News Reel
Brighter Days, Loggins & Messina
Brandy, Looking Glass
Love Theme, Love Unlimited Orchestra
Sweet Home Alabama, Lynyrd Skynyrd
Gimme Three Steps, Lynyrd Skynyrd
Free Bird, Lynyrd Skynyrd
Midnight at the Oasis, Maria Muldaur
Mercy, Mercy Me, Marvin Gaye
Ohio, Neil Young
The Loner, Neil Young
Money, Pink Floyd
Come and Get Your Love, Redbone
Maggie May, Rod Stewart
True Blue, Rod Stewart
Summer Breeze, Seals and Crofts
Diamond Girl, Seals and Crofts
Family Affair, Sly & The Family Stone
Stuck in the Middle, Stealers Wheel
Rikki Don't Lost That Number, Steely Dan
Reeling in the Years, Steely Dan
The Joker, Steve Miller Band
Living for the City, Stevie Wonder
Golden Lady, Stevie Wonder
Lady, Styx
Green Eyed Lady, Sugarloaf
School, Supertramp
Bloody Well Right, Supertramp
Melissa, The Allman Brothers Band
The Long and Winding Road, The Beatles
Ride Captain Ride, The Blues Image
Oh, Girl, The Chi-Lites
The Love We Had, The Dells
Listen To The Music, The Doobie Brothers
Long Train Runnin', The Doobie Brothers
Touch Me, The Doors
Take it Easy, The Eagles
Desperado, The Eagles
Frankenstein, The Edgar Winter Group
American Woman, The Guess Who
The Air That I Breathe, The Hollies
Angie, The Rolling Stones
Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker), The Rolling Stones
Brother Louie, The Stories
Behind Blue Eyes, The Who
We Won't Get Fooled Agaiin, The Who
Get Together, The Youngbloods
Still in Love with You, Thin Lizzy
Joy To The World, Three Dog Night
We Gotta Get You a Woman, Todd Rundgren
Hello, It's Me, Todd Rundgren
Roundabout, Yes

Anonymous said...

Sunflower 56 needs her own page, for me, I"m just saying, nothing beats running to some power girl power songs:

Kelly Clarkson, Since You've Been Gone

P!nk, Who Knew?

Enough from me.
iJim

Anonymous said...

Okay, you had me in stitches with this one. "Perhaps there should be medication for that?" Priceless.

You may get a couple new hits -- I'm gonna link to this so more people can enjoy this day brightener.

Kirsten said...

I can't see any video..can you email it to me?
Kelly Clarkson
Pat Benatar
The Go-Gos
Avril Lavigne

Anonymous said...

what a great entry.

I wish I had more ideas for music!

lime said...

OMG, I have a CD by the hothouse flowers! yes, i do. honest.

i happen to love latin music, but it makes me wanna swivel my hips, not run.

really nothing short of a charging bull makes me wanna run. i'm a plain trudging milk factory myself.

but i walk, i walk fast. fast enough that some people think i am running, but i avoid that whole bouncy runny thing because basically i don't want to wind up with black eyes and bruises on my kneecaps. but i digress...

ok, ok, so what works when i walk? van halen, black eyed peas, ben harper (he's very eclectic i am sure something of his would appeal to you), santana, prince, for contemplative but well paced ottmar liebert is nice (nuevo flamenco instrumental stuff)

lime said...

may i also say i am impressed that you could run and still have breathe to speak. if it were me doing the video it would have been 7 minutes of desperate panting followed by a thud as the ipod droned on in the camera

Anonymous said...

I put my ipd on shuffle, too, but I have a tendency to skip songs I just don't feel like at that moment.

Nancy said...

Hot N Cold by Katy Perry has added a bit of punch to my own running list.

Jazz said...

I'd love to help you out here, but like Lime, I don't run. AND what's on your iPod is so totally what would be on my iPod (and is on my CD player) if I had one that it's freakish.

Download some Marillion if it's available. It's probably not running music, but it's damn good stuff. But I'm biased, ain't i?

Anonymous said...

Hey! Nice glasses! Nice accent! I like the way you guys say "Hucks" for hawks, and "Wuckies" whereas we Australians would drawl out "Horrks" and "Waaawwwk-eyes".When you picked up the pace with those Rio-somethings near the end, I just fell about laughing.I saw the film recently about the Pirate radio ship broacasting off the coast of England in the 60's. That music was so uplifting!Yeah, yeah I was only a kid too!

flutter said...

Mad Season- Matchbox Twenty

Wendy said...

can't.stop.watching.

Voyager said...

The one that gets me really going on a run is Tom Cochrane's "Life is a Highway". If you want a little Canadian content on your I-pod.
V.

chelle said...

HAHAHA You are awesome. My head is a really lively place too. ugh me nurse children while walking...HAHAHA!

I love Gwen Stephani for running and white stripes.

Hey I still have orange carpets in the basement :P

w00t Styx! That was 7 minutes well spent! See you can actually sing, if I sang while running it would be awful!

Maddy said...

I wish I had some helpful suggestions but I'm pretty out of touch and exist in surround sound of Mario tunes....took me back though with the hot house flowers and stevie windward.........let me know what you come up with.
Cheers

shrink on the couch said...

Here is a list from my iPod (truth: sansung mp3 player .. only my kids can afford iPods, grr)

Shakira: Hips Don't Lie

Jet: Are you gonna be my girl

Will Smith: Get jiggy wit it

Everything But (?): Missing (remix)

Marky Mark: Good vibrations

Stevie Ray Vaughn: Love Struck Baby

Red Hot Chili Peppers: Scar Tissue

Janet Jackson: Nasty

Salt 'n Pepa: Pump up the Jam

Salt 'n Pepa: Push It

M.C. Hammer: U Can't Touch This

Run DMC: Walk this way

Tag Team: Whoomp. There is is

Yaz with Alison Moyet: Only You (longtime favorite song)

La Bouche: Be my lover

Jellyhead: Crush

Black Box: Everybody everybody

Right Said Fred: Too sexy for my love (because it makes me smile)

Cece Peniston: Finally (club mix)

Fun Factory: I wanna be with you

2 Unlimited: Get ready for this

Kylie Minogue: Can't get you out of my head

John Lee Hooker: Catfish Blues

Fine Young Cannibals: She drives me crazy

Robin S: Show me love (club mix)

Harold Melvin: The Love I lost

Santana: Smooth


Love Struck Baby, in my opinion, is the best song for jogging ... or according to my leg rhythm and longterm memory because it's been so long since I've moved at a pace fast enough to be called jogging.

Karen MEG said...

I picked a good day to read this...just when my knee is ready for the gym again *BAM* out goes my back. Not kidding.

You look very hawt there in your jogging outfit and I am impressed, so impressed with your vlogging skills.

So for your playlist, the only thing that comes to mind for me lately is Flo Rida, and only because he seems so good at sampling the tunes that were hits when I was young... and the irony is that I've always hated rap. And Lady GaGa. I'm channeling one of your students now...

So I'll just "sail away" with Styx, slow dancing in my imaginary high school gym...

Jeni said...

I'm terrible about music -if I remember the name of a song, odds are, I won't recall the artist or vice versa. But, back in my waitress days, when it would get really busy, some songs that I liked to hear because they seemed to inspire faster movement for me would be "Old Time Rock'n'Roll" or "Funky Town" too. Because my musical tastes are not just old, but often a pretty eclectic thing too, I'd tend to recommend songs by Johnny Cash as well as the Righteous Brothers and some Beetles as well as Rolling Stones. (One song, I'm pretty sure by the Stones' -"I'm So Hot" if you really wanna speed things up a bit. Then, for a cool-down, maybe "Once In a Blue Moon" by some country artist whose name escapes me but I did have this on CD at some point in time. Or my all-time favorite song, which is, by the way, a great number to sing as a lullaby to a small male toddler -"I Am Woman" by Helen Reddy. Bound to inspire to something, don't 'cha think?

ArtSparker said...

Manu Chao?

Liv said...

why don't you just email me so i can send you a disc or 2?

Shieldmaiden96 said...

Hmmm. While I don't know if this is in the vein of your musical taste, I will share some of my favorite 'exercising music'. Or, music to ignore the binks on the other treadmills and Fox News by.
This music isn't 'me', and that is one of the things I like about it. It sort of takes me out of myself. Music to amble to, in my case, since I don't run.

1. Eminem 'Lose Yourself'
2. Public Enemy 'Dont Believe the Hype' or 'Welcome to the Terrordome' or 'Fight the Power'
3. Johnny Cash 'Rusty Cage'
4. Megadeth 'Use the Man'
5. Mozart's Mass in C Minor
6. Snow 'Informer' (and I apologize in advance if you look for this on You Tube and it gets stuck in your head for a month.)
7. Vanilla Ice 'Ice Ice Baby'. Because whether we want to admit it, we all like it.

Fragrant Liar said...

Let's see. The short list is:

Michelle Branch and Santana: The Game of Love

Kelly Clarkson: My Life Would Suck Without You

Pink: Who Knew

Gwen Stefani: It's My Life

Those have really catchy beats.

Midlife Roadtripper said...

Impressed with the technology abilities. I suggest AC/DC. Ended up with middle son's Ipod for a week. AC got me moving. Lost two pounds that week.

Grupo Fantasmo - good beats. Also like to say Grupo Fantasmo

And there is something call Mercy? Not sure if thats the group or the song. Sorry, I'm just a zero at somethings.

Chantal said...

Lately when I run alone I have been running with the techno running mix I downloaded of a website called PodRunner. It is good for keeping up the pace and encouraging me to go faster. At the point I am too lazy to make my own mix. And I am a slow runner, but I am coming to terms with it. Slowly. :)

MrsG said...

That was brilliant - I'll even watch you for, like 8 minutes next time!!! I like a little Marilyn Manson myself... :-) xx

heartinsanfrancisco said...

I've looked in on this post three times and am completely intimidated by those who can remember every song ever written.

But I really like turtles.

Jamie said...

Oh, to run with that view!!
You should, like totally, download some Averil Lavigne...she is like so totally dope.

(Tee-Hee)

Coldplay, The Cure, The Killers, Kate Nash, Third Eye Blind, U2, Outkast, Twista, India Arie, Roisin Murphy, The Fray, JT... and after Sunflower56 I don't think there are any songs left.