Enjoy!

If you are looking for my current blog, it IS The Write Coast.

No, I haven’t officially retired Chronic Listaholic. I just got burned out on making lists. Perhaps I should re-title it Recovering Listaholic . . .

Why do some songs make us feel good, just hearing them? Sometimes it’s the lyrics. Sometimes it’s the music itself. Sometimes it’s simply a memory associated with the song. And sometimes you can’t explain why, it just does. What songs make you feel good? Post your choices in the comments!

1. I Can See Clearly Now, Jimmy Cliff
2. Rock Of Ages, Def Leppard
3. Eggs And Sausage, Tom Waits
4. Blister In The Sun, Violent Femmes
5. Brown-Eyed Girl, Van Morrison
6. Heartache Tonight, The Eagles
7. Follow Me, Uncle Kracker
8. Pink Cadillac, Bruce Springsteen
9. Blue Bayou, Linda Ronstadt
10. The Boys Of Summer, Don Henley
11. Ripplin’ Waters, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
12. Kryptonite, 3 Doors Down
13. Summer In The City, Lovin’ Spoonful
14. All Night Long, Lionel Richie
15. Crocodile Rock, Elton John

Songs That I Loathe To The Core Of My Being
1. “Boobs Alot” by The Fugs. Too annoying to be funny.
2. “Because Of You” by Kelly Clarkson. If I want to be depressed, I’ll watch the news.
3. “Rape Me” by Nirvana. Whatever it does or does not mean, it offends me.

Musical Artists That I Loathe To The Core Of My Being
1. ABBA. Their songs can change my mood from great to bitchy in three notes. (Sorry, Dave2)
2. Britney Spears. Neither musical nor artist, in my opinion. Blech. See also: Mandy Moore, Jessica Simpson, et al.
3. James Blunt. A lot of people (my daughter included) really like him. For me, his singing is actually painful to listen to.

Rolling Stones Songs I Love
1. “Sympathy For The Devil.” LOVE it. I know every word, and can barely sit still when it’s playing.
2. “Play With Fire.” Early Stones, almost too melodic to believe it’s them. If you’ve never heard it, do yourself a favor and look it up.
3. “Start Me Up.” A damn sexy song. What woman doesn’t want to be thought so hot she’d “make a dead man come?”

Beatles Songs I Love
1. “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away.” The quintessential unrequited-love song, and Lennon’s voice never sounded lovelier.
2. “Norwegian Wood.” A mellow, beautiful song that makes you feel gently stoned even when you’re not. Too bad it’s so damn short!
3. “Don’t Bother Me.” From their first album, written and sung by George Harrison. And he hadn’t even met Eric Clapton yet …

Who Songs I Love
1. “I Can See For Miles.” He’s so done with you, bitch!
2. “Behind Blue Eyes.” Such a beautiful, sad song.
3. “Who Are You?” Even before CSI: Las Vegas, this was one of my favorite Who songs.

Reggae Songs I Love Like
1. “Stir It Up” by Bob Marley. A classic, and actually the only Marley song I like.
2. “Smoke Two Joints” by Sublime. Always good for a laugh.
3. Sorry, couldn’t come up with a third. Not a reggae fan.

Country Songs I Love
1. “Till Nothing Comes Between Us Anymore” by John Michael Montgomery. The first time Bret and I made love after he returned to California, we slow-danced our way into bed to this [sigh]. Listen to the words, and you’ll understand.
2. “I Am That Man” by Brooks & Dunn. This was Bret’s theme song when he was wooing me and I was resisting.
3. “Every Light In The House Is On” by Trace Adkins. Nobody can sing undying devotion like a country boy.

Movie Soundtracks I Love
1. I Am Sam. I love The Beatles, and I love these covers by contemporary artists.
2. Last of the Mohicans. Powerful and evocative. At any point, I can tell you exactly what was happening in the movie at that moment.
3. Footloose. Feel-good music that makes me want to dance.

Musical Soundtracks I Love
1. The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Almost as much fun as watching the movie! And: TIM. CURRY. SINGS.
2. West Side Story. In my opinion, the best musical ever made. I know all the songs by heart.
3. My Fair Lady. Primarily for two beloved songs: “On The Street Where You Live” and “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?”

Cover Songs I Love
1. Jimmy Cliff’s version of “I Can See Clearly Now.” Just a matter of personal preference.
2. k.d. lang’s version of “Lock, Stock and Teardrops.” The richness of her voice brings the torchiness of this song to life. One of my top five favorite songs of all time.
3. Joss Stone’s version of “Some Kind Of Wonderful.” Who knew this song was so damn smoky? She infuses it with a sexy rawness that was missing from the original.

Contemporary Top-40 Artists I Secretly Love
Honestly, I tried to come up with even ONE. I couldn’t. So NOT into “Top 40″ stuff.

Songs That Bring Me To Tears
1. “Unbreak My Heart” by Toni Braxton. My beloved late brother adored Toni Braxton, and our last conversation included a rave about this song. I miss him badly, and hearing this song always makes me cry.
2. “Remember Me” by Josh Groban. If you can listen to this without choking up, you’re just not human.
3. “Someday You Will Be Loved” by Death Cab For Cutie. Juli knows why.

Songs That Make Me Shake My Ass
1. “Velcro Fly” by ZZ Top. I even have a particular dance I always get up and do to this.
2. “Get This Party Started” by Pink. It really makes you want to, too.
3. “Rock & Roll Queen” by The Subways. Even if I’m sitting down!

Classical Composers I Love Like
1. Edvard Grieg. His “Peer Gynt Suite” is pure magic.
2. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Synesthetic composer of richly exotic music that makes me think of gypsies.
3. Johann Pachelbel. I’ve only heard his “Canon In D,” but it’s quite beautiful.

Rap/Hip-Hop Songs I Love Can Tolerate
1. “Powers” by Blackalicious. Because it makes me shake my boo-tay.
2. “Brass Monkey” by the Beastie Boys. Because it reminds me of Charlie.
3. “Insane In The Brain” by Cypress Hill. Because it’s fun to sing along with.

70s Disco Songs I Love
1. “You Sexy Thing” by Hot Chocolate. Back when I used to go to discos, this was my favorite song.
2. “Knock On Wood” by Amii Stewart. So much better than the 13 previous versions!
3. “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer. One of the biggest hits of the era by the Queen of Disco.

70s Supergroup Songs I Love
1. “The Eyes Of a Woman” by Journey. Not well-known, but my favorite song of theirs.
2. “Rock & Roll Fantasy” by Bad Company. Really showcases the fierce pipes that Paul Rodgers is so famous for.
3. “One Of These Nights” by The Eagles. Mmmm, sexy.

Metal Songs I Love
1. “Schism” by Tool. Mesmerizing, no matter how many times I hear it.
2. “Poison” by Alice Cooper. A change of pace for the shock-rockmeister, but ever so pleasing.
3. “Rock You Like A Hurricane” by the Scorpions. Good times!

New Wave Songs I Love
1. “Obsession” by Animotion. “Who do you want me to be to make you sleep with me?” We’ve all been there, haven’t we?
2. “Lips Like Sugar” by Echo and the Bunnymen. Despite the subliminal messages that keep it playing in your head for 67 hours.
3. “I Melt With You” by Modern English. I first heard this song at the end of an ’80s teen film called Valley Girl, starring a very young Nicolas Cage. It was love at first riff.

Soul/R&B Songs I Love
1. “Never As Good As The First Time” by Sade. Or pretty much anything else she sings.
2. “Sign Your Name” by Terence Trent D’Arby. I wonder which is prettier, his voice or his face?
3. “You’re The One” by Tracy Chapman. Great ode to bad-boy love.

Power Ballads I Love
1. “Is This Love?” by Whitesnake. I don’t like this group, but I LOVE this song.
2. “Silent Lucidity” by Queensrÿche. A beautiful song that showcases Geoff Tate’s incredible voice.
3. “Close My Eyes Forever” by Ozzy Osborne and Lita Ford. The loveliest song about suicide ever written.

Pre-Rock-Era Songs I Love
1. “Begin The Beguine” by Artie Shaw. My mother used to sing this so beautifully.
2. “Sentimental Journey” by Doris Day. Ditto.
3. “What’ll I Do?” written by Irving Berlin. Ditto.

Punk Songs I Love
1. “21st Century Digital Boy” by Bad Religion. Do I love this song so much because I ended up married to one? Could be!
2. “Reach For The Sky” by Social Distortion. My favorite track from an excellent album. Don’t you just love Mike Ness’s voice?
3. “I Wanna Be Sedated” by The Ramones. A classic that brings back great memories. Not to mention that this could have been my personal theme song at various points in my life.
Note: There was no need to include “Kiss Off” by Violent Femmes on this list, as it has now been confirmed by 2HT Karl that everyone and their cousins LOVE that song.

Singer/Songwriter Songs I Love
1. “The Needle And The Damage Done” by Neil Young. OK, get up off the floor! The man knows of what he sings, and he does it very well.
2. “Until The Night” by Billy Joel. The best song he ever wrote. The best song you’ve never heard.
3. “Criminal” by Fiona Apple. When this girl sings, you feel what she’s saying.

MTV Videos I Love
1. “Hot For Teacher” by Van Halen. Too funny, and those kids are perfectly cast!
2. “Hysteria” by Def Leppard. The Leps at their finest and most beautiful. And the intertwining guitars are spellbinding.
3. “Janie’s Got A Gun” by Aerosmith. The first video that ever gave me chill bumps.

Guilty Pleasures
1. Yanni. I love his music. To me, it’s ethereally beautiful and relaxing. Bret despises him so much that I’m not even allowed to play him on speakers if Bret is home.
2. Kenny G and Dave Koz. I love the sax. Their music is great in the background when I’m doing brainwork. You know, I’ve never understood KG’s bad rep. Is it the hair?
3. Barry Manilow. He has some intensely romantic songs, and I like his voice. I can’t stand “Mandy,” but “Could This Be Magic” and “Weekend In New England” … lovely. And how fun is “Copacabana” when you’re drunkish?

Songs To Have Sex To
1. “The Air That I Breathe” by k.d. lang. Smoldering, sensual, shiveringly sexy.
2. “There There” by Radiohead. Because sometimes it’s all about the pulsing, throbbing, driving … percussion.
3. “Night In White Satin” by The Moody Blues. Yeah, this one is legendary for the countless numbers of babies conceived while it played in the background!

None-Of-The-Above Songs I Love
1. “Riders On The Storm” by The Doors. And I don’t even need to explain, do I?
2. “Marrakesh Night Market” by Loreena McKennitt. Mesmerizing and exotic, it transports me to another time and place.
3. “Fires At Midnight” by Blackmore’s Night. Wicked Celtic magic! And then Blackmore totally kicks ass on guitar.

[tags]Meme that takes forever to complete, more than you’ll ever need to know about my taste in music, how the hell did Dave2 whip through this so fast?[/tags]

Remember how disappointed Dave was when he found out we faked this?

I always loved this soft portrait of you, and I really liked how this experiment turned out.

Are you MOCKING my constant picture-taking?!?! (Look, there’s Chou-Chou!!!)

Great colors in this. Geez, we lived in that pool, didn’t we?

Your wild and crazy rock & roll years with Britain.

You look so cute here with Vinnie Vincent! Total rocker babe.

Disneyland 1993, kissing Chip … or was it Dale?

You, me and Sheryl at my Groovy Hippie Wedding. Happy, happy day!

Reunion Day. God, that was fun! I call this “Sherbet Girls.”

Ah, Lia, you’ve never looked lovelier!

1. Godsmack, Godsmack. Yes, it includes one of my favorite songs of ever, “Voodoo,” but what earns the album top spot on this list is the raw richness of Sully Erna’s voice, and that no two songs sound the same. Unmistakeably Godsmack, yes, but not cookie-cutter anger rock. The band’s so good, you actually enjoy hearing how pissed off they are.

2. Nighthawks At The Diner, Tom Waits. A live recording from 1975, this is quintessential Waits: raspy-voiced slices from the grittier side of life, served on wry with a whiskey chaser.
3. The Shore, The Shore. Every time I listen to this CD, I decide a different song is my favorite. Lyrically and musically a work of art, you couldn’t ask for a better soundtrack for a night of love. Ben Ashley’s voice gives me warmbumps.
4. 15, Buckcherry. One of my current favorites, there’s not a single track I don’t enjoy. A rare case of one song (”Crazy Bitch”) leading me to an album full of fun stuff. And a surprisingly melodic love song, too. Well worth every penny.
5. Guero, Beck. Since the day I bought it, this has been one of my “feel-good” CDs. I can’t listen to it without feeling upbeat and bouncy. That’s the best thing about Beck: His music makes you feel (usually in a good way). Love, love, love this guy!
6. Blood Sugar Sex Magic, Red Hot Chili Peppers. If someone held a gun to my head and forced me to choose a favorite track from BSSM, I’d pick “Breaking The Girl.” But ONLY if there was a gun to my head, because I love them all.
7. Rubber Soul, The Beatles. To be honest, most Beatles albums would qualify to be listed here, but after 40 years, this one’s still my favorite. It’s also the only Beatles album I own in CD format. That’s right, kids — I’m a child of the Age of Vinyl.
8. Discipline, King Crimson. Less prog-rock Crimson, a masterpiece of musical chemistry infused with the mad brilliance of Adrian Belew. All but two of my favorite KC songs come from this one album, and I never get tired of hearing it.
9. Heartbeat City, The Cars. Five of the 10 songs on this album were released as singles. At least two of the others, “It’s Not The Night” and “Looking For Love,” should have been. I’d name this as one of the five best albums from the ’80s.
10. Synchronicity, The Police. Brilliant and innovative and timeless. Back in the day, I used to keep this on repeat all day long. When I listened to it today, it sounded just as good.

I can’t find one damn reason for you to be putting big fat spaces under the images I place in my lists (which I will be doing A. LOT.). You are being a VERY BAD TEMPLATE, and it’s starting to piss me off. After all we’ve been through, do you really need to pull this petty shit?

Just a reminder that I DO have another template I’m working on. You could be replaced. Yes, it’s in German, but I’m halfway through translating it, bitch, so STFU.

Oh, bollocks. I’m going to bed. You will, like an unwelcome house guest, still be here tomorrow.

I’m-on-top-tonight-whether-Bret-likes-it-or-not-because-by-God-
I’m-mastering-SOMETHING kisses,
SJ

[UPDATE 8/17: It turns out this is a BROWSER issue. I finally happened to visit Chronic Listaholic via Internet Explorer [insert projectile spew], and the text wraps perfectly. Furthermore, most of the older lists I imported from Blogger display correctly. Interesting. So, WordPress, which sometimes promotes Firefox as the browser of choice, includes in their DEFAULT TEMPLATE basic coding which only works in IE. What is up with that shit?]

[tags]WordPress, templates, Templates Behaving Badly[/tags]

1. Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959). Often called the worst film ever made, there’s no question this is ultralow-budget Ed Wood (cardboard tombstones that blow over, visible boom mikes and innumerable other goofs). But it’s so campy, so corny, it never fails to make me laugh out loud.
2. Staying Alive (1983). This sequel to Saturday Night Fever takes Tony Manero from the discos of Brooklyn to a Broadway stage. It was co-written, directed and co-produced by Sylvester Stallone. Almost everyone thinks calling it a piece of crap is undue praise. I’ve liked it from the first time I saw it. I like the (predictable) story, the (stereotyped) characters and most of the (very ’80s) music. And jeebus, Travolta was ripped.
3. The Postman (1996). Okay, so it’s not the same as the superb novel by David Brin. Not many books do survive the translation to film. It’s still very well done, and its concept of a post-nuclear-war world is more plausible than most. And Kevin Costner is gorgeous.
4. Jason X (2002). Too many people fail to appreciate the creepalicious combination of sci-fi and horror in such movies as the Alien and Predator series. But how can you not love a cyborg Jason Voorhees? (Can you believe I even found the original classic Friday the 13th on some bad-movie lists?!?! Madness.)
5. Mars Attacks! (1996). I don’t get why this movie caught so much flak. Did people not realize it’s a spoof? I thought it was funny as hell. You gotta love a movie with Jack Nicholson AND Jack Black in the cast. Plus, Tom Jones saves the world!!!
6. Waterworld (1995). Although it’s widely regarded as the Heaven’s Gate of sci-fi films, I’ve never understood why this movie bombed. The massive budget is evident in the stunning cinematography, the acting is excellent (Dennis Hopper as a one-eyed dictator!), and the story fascinating. Oh, and Kevin Costner is the most gorgeous he’s ever been.
7. Shanghai Surprise (1986). There are two reasons this movie was panned: Sean Penn and Madonna. People weren’t ready to accept her in a role so opposite her singing persona, and everyone was sick of hearing about the famous couple. I saw this movie in 1986, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Entertaining story and decent acting. In my mind, this film’s bad rep was simply a case of punishing the stars for their celebrity.
8. Sahara (2005). You can’t make me not like a Clive Cussler-book-based movie! You can’t, you can’t, you can’t! Not even if you cast Matthew McConaughey as the macho Dirk Pitt and Steve Zahn as hirsute Italian Al Giordino.
9. Grease 2 (1982). John Travolta made the first one a huge hit. The sequel has a young Michelle Pfeiffer instead. This time it’s good boy-bad girl. But what I most love is the soundtrack (especially “Who’s That Guy?”) — and the good memories associated with viewings of this movie.
10. Armageddon [1998]. The only reason people trash this movie is because it has Ben Affleck in it. Come on! BRUCE WILLIS, people! Bruce Willis saves the world! What more could you ask for?

[tags]Bad movies, sci-fi, people are mean[/tags]

Importing all my previous lists from Blogger has screwed up the coding on them a bit. Gah. I’ll be working my way backward to fix them all over the next 10 or 20 years, so please excuse the state of less-than-perfection.