One of my favorite contemporary writers Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, About A Boy) has published a book of essays about his favorite songs ever entitled simply 31 Songs. Here in America the book is called Songbook. I have been taken with it so much so that it made me not only compile my own list of personal 31 songs but ask many other musical minds to do the same.

Today I feature a great vocalist, instrumentalist, and songwriter who was introduced to me through his collaboration with former Wilco and Titanic Love Affair member Jay Bennett. Bennett wisely chose his partner, who he had worked with years before, for their exemplary The Palace At 4AM (Part 1) album which came out last year to great acclaim and made fans of many including me. He is also the music editor at The Paper in Champaign, IL and has many cool credits on his resume including performing with Bob Egan and the Handsome Family among others. He is Edward Burch :

Edward Burch's 31 Songs :

This was the best I could do. There are way too many good songs, so having to narrow and select is tough. Bear in mind, this is not an all-time best of or anything like that. These are the songs that popped into my head today. If you asked me tomorrow or even an hour from now, this list would no doubt change.

1. Arthur Alexander - "Call Me Lonesome"
2. Badfinger - "The Name of the Game"
3. Beach Boys - "Surf’s Up"
4. Beatles - "Strawberry Fields Forever"
5. Bee Gees - "Country Lanes"
6. Chris Bell - "Look Up"
7. Reno Bo - "There’s A Light"
8. David Bowie - "Fill Your Heart"
9. Bread - "It Don’t Matter To Me"
10. Buffalo Springfield - "Flying On the Ground Is Wrong"
11. Centro-Matic - "Without You"
12. Cheap Trick - "Come On, Come On"
13. Elvis Costello - "Suit of Lights"
14. Faces - "Open To Ideas"
15. The Frogs - "Homos"
16. Woody Guthrie - "I’ve Got To Know"
17. George Harrison - "Isn’t It A Pity"
18. Jesus Christ Superstar - "Gethsemane (I Only Want To Say)"
19. Rodd Keith - "How Can A Man Overcome His Heartbroken Pain?"
20. The Kinks - "Waterloo Sunset"
21. Love - "You Set the Scene"
22. Nick Lowe - "Heart"
23. Magnetic Fields - "Lonely Highway"
24. Monkees - "Tapioca Tundra"
25. My Morning Jacket - "The Way That He Sings"
26. Neutral Milk Hotel - "Two-Headed Boy Part 2"
27. Phil Ochs - "Doesn’t Lenny Live Here Anymore?"
28. The Rutles - "Between Us"
29. Queen - "You’re My Best Friend"
30. Richard & Linda Thompson - "The Great Valerio"
31. Zombies - "Brief Candles"

Editor's note : I had to get Mr. Burch to clarify at least one point on this list. What version of "Gethsemane" from Jesus Christ Superstar did he love the most? The original London Cast Recording take in the dark brown packaging, the movie soundtrack one with the tacky color-scheme, or the shiny 1971 Broadway deal? Huh? Which is it?

Mr. Burch responds : I am brown album Jesus Christ Superstar all the way (though Carl Anderson does one hell of a fine Judas on the movie soundtrack).

 
It is a record store cliche that one has to deal with a snobby staff that barely acknowledge you and sneer at your purchases. I mean just witness High Fidelity itself to see that in action! Well today's 31 song entry comes from a guy who doesn't buy into that glib elitism at all. If you walk into his store located at 405 C West Franklin Street in Chapel Hill he and his staff acknowledge you, say "hi", and show interest and enthusiasm towards your purchases. If you've ever patronized CD Alley, roundly acknowleged by many many people to be the best record store in the area, you should know this well. He is the owner of CD Alley and a fellow whose list I was incredibly anxious to read. He is Sean McCrossin:

Sean McCrossin's 31 Songs

Difficult task when one really considers. This list is certainly not all of my favorite songs, if you asked me today they might not make the list. But given some spontaneity and limited time I would say that these songs would all sound good on a mix tape (oh, that's so yesterday) I mean a burned CD!

1. Silver Jews - "Black And Brown Shoes"
2. The Beatles - "In My Life" : Have you heard this song?
3. Robyn Hitchcock - "My Wife And My Dead Wife" : One must ask what happens to the soul before death.
4. Nick Drake - "Northern Sky" : This song always reminds me of my love.
5. The Rolling Stones - "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" : If the Stones wrote it...
6. Devo - "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" then Devo sterilized it.
7. Tom Waits - "Shiver Me Timbers" : Perfect sentiment
8. Patti Smith - "Land" : Poetry and Rhythm
9. Buzzcocks - "Why Can't I Touch It" : This Is how I felt when I was 14 looking at my Mom's Cosmo.
10. R.E.M. - "Perfect Circle"
11. Zombies - "This Will Be Our Year" : Reward with patience.
12. Versus - "Blade of Grass": (Pick it up Richard)
13. Roxy Music - "If There Is Something" : Shakespeare would have loved Roxy Music.
14. Big Star - "Thirteen" : Sweet and innocent.
15. Joy Division - "Atmosphere" : Confronted by my dreams that are only illusions.
16. Byrds - "One Hundred Years From Now" : I love this philosophical quest. Reminds me that I don't know shit.
17. Roky Erickson - "Pushing And Pulling" : Reminds me of why I participate in anything.
18. Guided By Voices - "Hot Freaks" : Sexy ass song!
19. Townes Van Zandt - "For The Sake Of The Song"
20. The Who - "A Quick One (While He's Away)" : Rock 'N Roll grand ole style.
21. Built To Spill - "You Were Right" : Cliche after cliche.
22. Echo & The Bunnymen - "Silver" : When I'm feeling all dreamy and life can't do me any wrong - I put on this song.
23. Sebadoh - "Soul And Fire" : Sludgy pop.
24. The Kinks - "Village Green Preservation Society" : Clever.
25. Bob Dylan - "All I Really Want To Do" : Dylan says it best.
26. Sugar - "Hoover Dam" : Suicide pop - how can a song sooo dismal sound sooo poppy?
27. Yo La Tengo - "I Heard You Looking" : Instrumental song that evokes intense emotion.
28. Magnetic Fields - "Book Of Love" : Sarcastic truth.
29. Velvet Underground - "Jesus" : Thank you Jesus for this song.
30. Galaxie 500 - "Blue Thunder" : Years ago I drove across the U.S of A with only this tape. It reaches the depths of my subconscious.
31. Modern Lovers - "Roadrunner" : 1, 2, 3, 4 Rev back 5, 6! Punk Rock!

 
Today I feature the former manager of my all time favorite band - The Replacements. As much as that means to me that's really just one of the many cool things he's done or been involved with. He's was one of the founders of Twin Tone Records and a later spin-off Medium Cool Records, he has signed or managed (or both) many cool artists (Perfect, Slim Dunlap, The Leatherwoods, The Dashboard Saviors, Duane Jarvis, Jack Logan, Marlee MacLeod, and Ticks) He currently is the Senior Vice President/A&R of New West Records in Los Angeles. He's a great writer and most importantly to me - he's a wonderful list maker. He is Peter Jesperson

THIRTY-ONE FAVE SONGS 5/3/03

I had to do them in alphabetical order. Ideally, I would've liked to write something about each song but I would've fussed over that forever and I just don't have time right now. Coming up with the songs alone was great fun though.

1. I Shall Be Released - The Band
2. Day Tripper - The Beatles
3. Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
4. Thirteen - Big Star
5. Suffragette City - David Bowie
6. Wasn’t Born To Follow - The Byrds
7. My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains - Captain Beefheart
8. Speed Racer - Vic Chesnutt
9. Suzanne - Leonard Cohen
10. A Change Is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke
11. The Way I Should - Iris DeMent
12. Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright - Bob Dylan
13. All I Have To Do Is Dream - The Everly Brothers
14. I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye
15. Not Fade Away - Buddy Holly
16. Blue - The Jayhawks
17. You Really Got Me - The Kinks
18. Long Tall Sally - Little Richard
19. Female Jesus - Jack Logan & Liquor Cabinet
20. The Uncle Meat Variations - The Mothers Of Invention
21. Do Ya - The Move
22. Everybody’s Talking - Nilsson
23. Heartbreak Hotel - Elvis Presley
24. Pilgrim’s Progress - Procol Harum
25. I Will Dare - The Replacements
26. The Last Time - The Rolling Stones
27. Tin Soldier - The Small Faces
28. Richard III - Supergrass
29. Shipbuilding - Robert Wyatt
30. Over Under Sideways Down - The Yardbirds
31. The Loner - Neil Young

 
Today I feature a friend of mine whose opinions and tastes I really respect. He's turned me on to many cool artists (Rival Schools, The Strokes, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and more) and we've gone to many cool shows together as well. He is Greensboro based artist/bassist/music collector Dean Jones :

1. Joy Division - "Failures"
2. Lou Reed - "Perfect Day"
3. MC5 - "Sister Anne"
4. Wilco - "When You Wake Up Feeling Old"
5. Townes Van Zandt - "Pancho & Lefty"
6. XTC - "Life Begins At The Hop"
7. Buzzcocks - "Harmony In My Head"
8. Link Wray - "Rumble"
9. The Faces - "Ooh La La"
10. The Jam - "Town Called Malice"
11. Killing Joke - "The Wait"
12. Paul Westerberg - "Let's Not Belong Together"
13. The Ramones - "Rockaway Beach"
14. Big Star - "Thirteen"
15. Blur - "Coffee & TV"
16. Damned - "Jet Boy/Jet Girl"
17. The Stone Roses - "Shoot You Down"
18. The White Stripes - "I'm Bound To Pack It Up"
19. Hank Williams - "Kaw-Liga"
20. Ry Cooder & Manuel Galban - "Los Twangueros"
21. Jeff Buckley - "Eternal Life"
22. Badfinger - "Maybe Tomorrow"
23. Beatles - "Rain"
24. David Bowie - "Always Crashing In The Same Car"
25. Hüsker Dü - "Pink Turns To Blue"
26. The Clash - "Train In Vain"
27. Miles Davis - "So What"
28. Radiohead - "Black Star"
29. Steve Earle - "Guitar Town"
30. Elvis Costello - "Lipstick Vogue"
31. Willie Nelson - "Don't Get Around Much Anymore"