TRACKALICIOUS

I don't have an iPod. When I want to listen to music on the go I use my Sony Clie and carefully pack the tunes I want to hear onto my 256 megabyte MemoryStick. The zen of what I'm forced to do actually appeals to me as I -over time- have accumulated a list of songs old and new that evoke specific memories and emotions in me when I listen to them. Some standouts that come to mind are:

• Heart and Soul, T'Pau. This song is a pitch perfect '80's synth-pop/rock tune. The layered vocals and tempo are sublime. Additionally, the spoken word-chorus dichotomy foreshaow Eminem's Dido dalliance. Listen a few times to appreciate.
• Life in a Northern Town, Dream Academy. Dreamy, melancholy, lovely.
• Leaving on a Jet Plane, Chantal Kreviazuk.
• Hallelujah, Jeff Buckley.
• Cemetery Gates, Pantera. The guitar riff at the beginning of the chorus still gives me chills. A classic metal piece.
• Crazy Train, Ozzy Osbourne.
• Whenever Wherever, Shakira. Shakira doesn't get enough credit. She rocks and this song shows just how much.
• Antin Mikko, JPP. And now for something completely different. Illustrative of just how layered and conteporary a pure string piece can be.
• Goodbye Stranger, Supertramp.
• 1985, Bowling for Soup.
• Down In The River To Pray , Alison Kraus. If I were a Baptist minister, I'd make sure to put this in my litany.