Well, now that I’ve transferred my entire rock/pop/folk/country library to my iPod, I’m enjoying the circus show better-known as “Shuffle Songs.”

The machine tends to deliver a rather bumpy road of randomly selected tracks from the 6,600 songs I’ve loaded up.

But most of the time, the pros outweigh the cons. I love being surprised by tracks from albums that I haven’t heard in years. And old favorites seem brand new when dropped into unexpected contexts and unpredictable sequences.

When I was in high school, I dreamed about giving all of my favorites to a DJ who would create me a custom radio station playing all of my favorites and anything new that intrigued me. Once in a while, technology does make a dream come true.

So, from time to time I’m going to share the sequence that’s currently dazzling me, just as a way of recommending my favorites from the archives and the latest new releases.

And to make things interesting, let me know:

  • Do any of these songs mean something to you?
  • Any lyrics that rock your world?
  • Any performances that make you stop what you’re doing?
  • Does one of these tracks bring back any vivid memories?

Today’s unexpected program:

  • “The Saints are Coming,” U2 & Green Day, U218
  • “Keep Your Distance,” Buddy and Julie Miller, Buddy and Julie Miller
  • “John, I Love You,” Sinead O’Connor, Universal Mother
  • “To Feel This Way,” Michael Been, On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakthrough
  • “Six-Fingered Man,” Elvis Costello and Alan Toussaint, The River in Reverse
  • “God is Watching You,” Leslie Phillips, The Turning
  • “A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel,” U2, The Best of U2 (b-sides)
  • “Innocence Lost,” Steve Taylor, I Predict 1990
  • “Lolita,” Suzanne Vega, Nine Objects of Desire
  • “Feel Good Inc.,” Gorillaz, Demon Days
  • “Doctor Worm,” They Might Be Giants, Dial-a-Song
  • “Lily and Parrots,” Sun Kil Moon, Ghosts of the Great Highway
  • “Il Est Dans Mon Poche,” Over the Rhine, Patience
  • “Very Ape,” Nirvana, In Utero
  • “The Lakes of Canada,” The Innocence Mission, Birds of My Neighborhood

 

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