Masterclass

Martin Short has been guest hosting for Jimmy Kimmel this week, and I'm here to tell you that the 74 year-old legend has not lost an inch off his fastball. Or his slapshot, as the case may be for Canadian comics. Feast your senses on this preposterous Jiminy Glick interview of Bill Hader. Poor Hader - himself no slouch - is completely helpless in the presence of Short/Glick's way over the top genius.

Sublime Human Tricks

Little bit of mellow human harmony to get your Sunday started on the right note. Pun so, so intended.

English musician Jacob Collier is variously described as a "musical prodigy", a "multi-instrumental musical maximalist", and "one of the most inventive and gifted musicians working today". The 29 year-old has six Grammys and two Album of the Year nominations. His newest record, Djesse Vol. 4, features collaborations with artists from Brandi Carlisle to Chris Martin to Steve Vai to Kirk Franklin to Camilo to Anoushka Shankar. And until yesterday, I'd never heard of him.

As frequently happens late into the evening on weekends, I was wandering around the musical interwebs when I stumbled upon Collier. It wasn't his music that I found so interesting. Rather his habit of turning his live audiences into harmonic musical partners. For example:

Collier's critics say his prolific energy means he never stays in one place, musically, long enough to have a real voice of his own. It's true that his stuff is all over the place, from lullabyes to fuzzy pop rock to ethereal new agey. It strikes me that in that diversity is a uniqueness. I think I'll celebrate his whole catalogue. Even the weird stuff.

Anatomy of a Blog Post

We've succeeded for nearly 11 years in keeping the G:TB editorial formula a closely-guarded secret. In this age of transparency, we think it's time to let the readers behind the curtain. What follows is a little glimpse of the painstaking, carefully considered process that takes our staff from idea to execution. It's a bit hard to follow, because genius often is, but if you stay with it, there's something for everyone.

On Sat, Oct 25, 2014 at 10:12 AM, rob wrote:
As Mr. KQ pointed out earlier in the week, WXPN is in the midst of a Top 885 Songs (and 88 worst songs) of all-time countdown. (See here: http://www.xpn.org/music-artist/885-countdown) And, obviously, stealing ideas has long been a GTB hallmark. So if you're up for it, send me your top 10-ish songs (not necessarily the best, but your favorites) and 4-5 worst songs ever, and I'll compile into a post. Feel free to add a few words about your selections, if you like. Clarence may write more words than Blogger can handle, in which case I'll edit as necessary.

Zman

To rob

Oct 25 at 10:56 AM

I'll put something together. This could be difficult. 

Dave

To rob

CC TJ Clarence TR Zman Mark and 4 more...

Oct 25 at 1:03 PM

i'll have to think about the ten best, but the worst songs are easy:

1. Every song by Chicago
2. Horse with No Name
3. Aqualung
4. Most songs by Foreigner (especially Jukebox Hero and Hot-Blooded)

TJ

To Dave

CC rob  Clarence TR Zman Mark and 4 more...

Oct 25 at 1:29 PM

You're letting Steve miller off the hook?

TR

To TJ 

CC Dave rob Clarence Zman Mark and 4 more…

Oct 25 at 1:40 PM

This may be too ambitious. I have no idea how to answer. Baba O' Riley would have to be in my top 10, but do we make this a top 10 deep cuts list? My inner music snob is conflicted. 

And Wild Mountain Honey still holds up, Teej. At list it did when I went bike-riding baked out of my gourd a few years ago.

And what about the songs that you love/hate, like Mmm Bop, Live For Loving You or Breakfast at Tiffany’s?

TJ

To TR

CC Dave rob Clarence Zman Mark and 4 more… 

Oct 25 at 1:45 PM

Tr, I actually like Steve miller. Dave hates them, however. In fact, my list will likely be a direct opposite of dave's. Hell, I like that idea of sings we love/hate, and will be sending something along those lines. 

On Oct 25, 2014, at 1:53 PM, rob wrote:

there are no wrong answers here, tr.

Zman

To rob

CC TR TJ Dave Clarence Mark and 4 more…

Oct 25 at 2:32 PM

We should all simply preface our picks with a brief rationale.  Don't make it too hard. 

Zman

To TR

CC TJ Dave rob Clarence Mark and 4 more…

Oct 25 at 2:51 PM

And now I can't use baba oreilly in am homage to Paul oneill. 

Dave

To Zman

CC TR TJ rob Clarence Mark and 4 more…

Oct 25 at 4:18 PM

i've already done a gheorghe post on the thirteen worst songs-- feel free to cut and paste: http://gheorghe77.blogspot.com/2010/02/thirteen-worst-rock-songs-of-all-time.html

i also did a post on songs i loath to admit i do not loathe   http://gheorghe77.blogspot.com/2011/12/twelve-days-of-gheorghe-mas-day-eight.html

it's much more fun to write about things you dislike, but i will try . . . 

Mr. KQ

To TR TJ

CC Dave rob Clarence Zman Mark and 3 more…

Oct 26 at 10:03 PM

I’m with TR on this one, no idea how to answer.  I’d probably need to spend hours upon hours to answer properly.  I won’t do that. 

What’s the deadline?

25 more pitches and Bumfucker is out of this game.  Only shot the Royals have tonight.

Zman

To Mr. KQ

CC TR TJ Dave rob Clarence and 4 more...

Oct 27 at 7:12 AM

Oh snap. "I won't do that."  How about the top ten-or-so songs that when they come on randomly on your iPod or the radio you say "That's my jam!" And you crank up the volume. 

Marls

To Mr. KQ

CC TR TJ Dave rob Clarence and 4 more…

Oct 27 at 7:12 AM

The music snobbery runs high with this group...stop over thinking it. 10 favorites. You walk up to a magical jukebox that has every song ever recorded, what 10 songs would you play?  You will forget one or two and likely kick yourself over leaving some off when you think about it later. It's ok. It's just a blog. 

Mr. KQ

To Marls

CC TR TJ Dave rob Clarence and 4 more…

Oct 27 at 8:49 AM

Fair points.  And peeesoff.

Clarence

To Marls Mr. KQ

CC TR TJ Dave rob Zman and 3 more…

Oct 27 at 10:22 AM

Just a blog?  Was the Yugo just a car???  Was Mamma Mia's just a delly???  Was Black and Blue just a Stones album???

Clarence

To Mr. KQ

CC Marls TR TJ Dave rob and 4 more…

Oct 27 at 11:29 AM

Or make it more interesting than every other best of list. Everyone come up with their 10 songs that  ____________. 10 best songs that make you want to thrash about in a mosh bed. 10 best songs that remind you of Ronald Reagan. 10 favorite songs about vegetables. It's less daunting and more fun. 

TJ

To Clarence Mr. KQ

CC Marls TR Dave rob Zman and 3 more…

Oct 27 at 11:31 AM

10 favorite songs about email chains about top 10 lists of favorite songs

Zman

To TJ

CC Clarence Mr. KQ Marls TR Dave and 4 more…

Oct 27 at 11:37 AM

And thus rob's project was hijacked.

TR

To Clarence

CC Mr. KQ Marls TJ Dave rob and 4 more…

Oct 27 at 11:51 AM

I barely know four songs about mosh beds. I haven't been in any violent orgies in quite some time. Having kids will do that.

Marls

To Clarence

CC Mr. KQ TR TJ Dave rob and 4 more…

Oct 27 at 11:51 AM

I will direct you back to G:TB's mission statement and dedication.   Among those lines, if anybody wants to guess what Gheorghe's 10 favorite songs are, I think that would be fantastic. Or, maybe Shlara could just ask him. 

Zman

To Marls

CC Clarence Mr. KQ TR TJ Dave and 4 more…

Oct 27 at 11:56 AM

How about the top 10 songs that you like to listen to the most?

TJ

To Marls Clarence

CC Mr. KQ TR Dave rob Zman and 3 more…

Oct 27 at 11:57 AM

Gheorghe loves the pan flute

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Wv3Ya9nskA

TR loves the skin flute

rob

To TJ

CC Marls Clarence Mr. KQ TR Dave and 4 more…

Oct 27 at 12:00 PM

My project is already a success, Z. I'm just going to copy and paste this email thread into a post.

TJ

To rob

CC Marls Clarence Mr. KQ TR Dave and 4 more…

Oct 27 at 12:01 PM

Now THAT’S how you do it

rob 

To TJ

Oct 27 at 12:19 PM

Pretty sure that's exactly what I'll do. See if you can keep the thread rolling.

TJ

To rob

Oct 27 at 12:20 PM

U wont even need my help in that regard
V meta
There will be no actual list
Just an email thread about lists

rob

To TJ

Oct 27 at 12:26 PM

With a pan flute video

TJ

To rob

Oct 27 at 12:27 PM

lulz

TJ

To rob

Oct 27 at 12:28 PM

And elena gheorghe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbM4VSFYyVw

Dave

To TJ

CC rob Marls Clarence Mr. KQ TR and 4 more…

Oct 27 at 6:06 PM

let's up the ante. everyone has to get their list tattooed on their back. 

i call the list "ten songs that make you go hmm”

Zman

To rob

Oct 27 at 11:23 PM

My lengthy thoughts on top 10/bottom 5 are saved in post format, with links and videos, as "zman's top 10 list" in blogger.