Spread B celebrity gossip and talk about your CDs here.

Oh my. Now I must think of a Concept.

How about Great Songs Covered By Bad Bands?

This mix will take me somewhat longer to burn because I have to rip the songs from vinyl first. I am shooting to get the CDs to you at least by December, though.

I finally have a theme for one of my CDs. I'm still trying to decide if the other one should be similar to the first or mind-shatteringly horrific.

It's a tough choice.

First!!!!!

My CDs will go out today. I didn't really intend to have any theme other than "shit I've bought recently, but several emerged:

Acapella
European folk (big surprise)
American folk (real folk, not James Taylor shit)
Filler

Similar to CD swap #3 (or was it 4?), I'm going to send the CDs with no track list and put the tracklist in a separate thread, so you don't have to know what you're listening to if you don't want. That way you can be pleasantly surprised, or avoid predisposition, etc.

I glanced at Scyess' tracklist when he posted it, but that was before we even agreed to side swap, I believe. So, I'm pretty much flying blind here.

01) "Grunten, grunten, hoiden, schmoiden, hey pretty laaaaaaaady!" I like this track because it sets up what you're in for with the rest of the disc.

02) Flatt & (Earl) Scruggs? - Hot Damn! Nice track. Wish I'd had it when I made my "Tennessongs" swap disc.

03) Folk metal!?! Awesome. Okay, I thought this might have been Gogol Bordello, but I also thought that about a k_v_k track. Officially have to check them out now.

04) Outstanding. Beginning reminds me of that summer I tried smuggling opium across Turkey (or an opium-stuffed turkey across Kentucky -- can't remember which) and ended up in prison being violated daily by a hulking (yet tender) figure known simply to me as "Turk." "I think of them as sort of a Polish Hedningarna." That's exactly what I thought. Not really, but I'm glad you sent your cousin to Poland to get the disc.

05) "I'm in my own Galaxie...1973." HA! Another great track. Can't wait to see who does it. Yeah, guessed this one, too, Horton.

06) Call me a dervish 'cause I'm whirling. At least I got the Turkish part right on this one

07) Um...okay. Doesn't last quite forever. Cancels out Cathi Stout, anyway. ;)

08) Now call me a misogynist. I still like "I'm a Man" better. Good version, though.

09) Is this the Fiery Furnaces? TheGov sent a track of theirs. If it is, then I'ma hafta get me some. Okay, I have to get some.

10) Nice changeover from Tropicool to autumnal malaise. Too bad the rest of the CD sucks. This track's very good.

11) Ralph Stanley? Doesn't matter...great stuff. He's all that AND a bag of pork rinds

12) They could be singing about slaughtering pigs and screwing the corpses, and I'd still think it was cool. "This song is about an old woman whose husband dies. Afterwards, she feels like she's 18 again and goes out partying and picks up a young lover." I wasn't too far off!

13) I think I've heard this one on a soundtrack or commercial. Very nice.

14) ...take an interLuden. Guess I'm not up on my duombek appreciation. Too bad I didn't put my Han Bennink solo drumming track on mine for you instead of Miles.

15) I was kind of disappointed they didn't do some variations on the theme like, "I went to prison, and guess what I got...a great big dick in the ass."

16) Reminds me of the opening of "Papa Don't Preach." Just kidding, it's not as catchy. I've been a bit disappointed by the Kronos Quartet I've heard, but I did like this track.

17) I have no idea what language this is, but it sounds like that version of The Go-Gos.

18) Sort of like a more Rockish version of The Pursuit of Happiness (the group).

19) Just when you thought AC/DC had completely covered the subject of Big Balls... I fingered these balls as belonging to Bob.

20) Sorry, you'll have to worship elsewhere. The mosque has been rented out for Samba lessons. Thought I could work in something funny about the zurna, but I can't.

21) The only sound I ever managed out of a Jew's harp was the "crack" sound of my chipping teeth. So, this track's pretty amazing.

22) A-Ha! This is the English version of #17! That's a bit more funny now that I've read your description. FannyPack? What an awful name for anything...let alone a band.

Besides a couple of things I didn't care for, this was an amazing disc. I'd like to spend a couple of weeks with Scyess' music collection. Scyess is optional, of course. :) Thank you very much. This will get much play on my afternoon walks.

So things have been a bit crazy these past few months, especially with the move. Now that things are more settled, I'm actually getting a chance to work on my CD. Also, my old address will no longer be useful in a couple weeks.

P.S. Scyess, boorite says "thanks a million" in regards to the Fannypack song.

The move took longer than I anticipated. All my CDs are still packed, but I have all the material I need except one I'm bugging boorite to dig out of his boxes. I was going to send one CD, but since it's so late, I'm probably going to add a second disc for the fun of it. It will be weird, like all my second swap discs.

Back from the dead here. Sorry it's taken so long.

My original idea was to do another "recordings from vinyl" CD, but I just don't have the time.

Stay tuned for a somewhat simpler concept.

I was thinking of the swap today. Then I felt terribly guilty. Then my new computer came in the mail and I ignored everything, including homework.

Okay, as Cat as my witness, I shall burn the CDs tonight and mail them tomorrow! I have given up on that one song boorite was trying to find for me. But I shall mail them out! I swear it!

Alternately, I need email addresses again. See, the shitty wiring in this slumlord apartment just went haywire so the two most critical outlets (one for computers and one for the heater that keeps the pipes from freezing) have inexplicably gone dead. Which means unhooking everything and hauling my old Mac to the living room and risk shorting out the whole building. I'd rather not do that. So, PM me your addresses please!

I re-sent you Fuzzy's and Scyess' addresses, Ivy.

Thanks to a freaking blizzard, falling asleep (at night even), and running late, there's no way in hell I'm going to get the CDs posted before we leave for New Mexico. In fact, at this point I'm going to turn in papers a week late because I fell asleep and no longer have the time to turn them in. Yay.

Anyway, unless the people postpone the trip a day at the last minute (nice if they would tell us either way), I'm not getting things mailed. Sorry. I even spent hours last night finishing the playlists to make them less trauma-inducing.

I have mailed the CDs. If you don't believe me, I will scan in the receipts I got from the post office's little do-it-yourself machine.

I got the CDs. I'll listen to them in three or four months.

Hey, I listened to yours only a few weeks after I got it.

Just so you have an idea why I made the CDs the way I did, here's a song-by-song breakdown. I wanted to find covers that sounded as little as possible as the original, mostly because I'm so sick of bands just singing the originals almost exactly like the original artist did it. What the fuck is the point of covering it if you aren't bringing something of your own work into it? If you can't make the song better, at least make it interesting!

Disc 1

1. Behind Blue Eyes - Limp Bizkit
I heard this at the end of the remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre (I think) and when I saw who it was, I was so impressed that they could do something that doesn't suck, I had to include it.

2. Stayin' Alive – Ozzy Osbourne & Dweezil Zappa
This cover has never failed to make me laugh hysterically. And make my brain hurt. I figured if I couldn't get you to laugh, I at least had a good chance at making your brain hurt.

3. Ring of Fire - Social Distortion
I thought these guys did a good job. Besides, it was enough of a difference (i.e. a lot) to make it into the CD.

4. Paint It Black - Incubus Succubus
Boorite can't listen to this cover because all he can hear is the drum machine they use that's the same he used to use. For a cheesy Wiccan goth band, I thought they did pretty good. And all the other covers I found sounded too much like the original. This band makes it sound like all their other songs...which all sound alike...so technically it's different.

5. These Boots Are Made For Walking - Megadeth
If there ever was a cover that sounded nothing like the original, this is it. There were actually a lot of TBAMFW covers that the artist made their own rather than just singing it straight, but this was the one that was the least like the original. It makes me giggle (don't tell DX).

6. California Dreamin' - Bobby Womack
I'm fond of Womack, so I liked this cover a lot. Plus, it doesn't sound as dated as every freaking recording of the Mamas and Papas performing it.

7. You Are My Sunshine - Screeching Weasel
For some reason, hearing this song all mock-punky makes me laugh.

8. Crocodile Rock - Baha Men
Again, one of the few that made the song their own, rather than just reiterating.

9. Don't Fear The Reaper - HIM
This was one of the few covers I found that didn't sound just like the original. I swear people will just sing the damned song just like the original, without any fucking creativity at all. That's why I picked this cover, because they didn't do that.

10. I Won't Back Down - Johnny Cash
I love Tom Petty so how can I not love Johnny Cash covering Petty? Besides, Tom Petty is in the background singing with him.

11. Leaving on a Jet Plane – Chantal Kreviazuk
I grew up with John Denver music and I know he did a LOT of crap. This was one song that I always loved, and I thought Chantal's cover of it was very good.

12. Tainted Love - Marilyn Manson
Manson makes me laugh, but I was really impressed with his treatment of this song. It was interesting, held much of the flavor of the original, but was definitely Manson without being lame.

13. Blue Monday - Orgy
I know a lot of people don't like Orgy, but I'm fond of them. Plus, I like this better than the original anyway. It has nothing to do with thinking the lead singer was hot at one point in my life.

14. I Can't Get No Satisfaction - Devo
If I hadn't included Devo's cover of this song, I would have had to kill myself in shame.

15. Losing My Religion - Graveworm
I was hoping for Tesco Vee's Hate Police cover, but it hath disappeared and all the other covers of this song sounded too much like REM. I picked this one because it sounded the least like the original.

16. I Touch Myself - Genitortures
This song makes me really really hot. I like this version much better than the original. Maybe because it's not as corny poppy as the original.

17. Lovesong – Jack Off Jill
I actually do like the Cure. I just had never seen what they looked like until I saw a music video a month ago and had always wondered why this song was so...lethargic. Having seen that video, I suddenly understand why goths love the Cure. I thought this cover was much more energetic, despite being by another goth band. Also, I had been searching for this cover for years. I had a cut-off copy with no artist info and was really happy to finally find it. It's here mostly for sentimental value, but also because everyone and their third cousin seems to cover Lovesong and either fuck it up, or sound just as lethargic as the Cure.

18. Soul Deep - Gin Blossoms
I like singing this song in the shower. I didn't realize the song I always listened to was the cover.

19. Jet Boy Jet Girl - The Damned
This song made it in because I really wanted it to be in there anyway. I was glad there was a cover, even if it sounds just a bit too much like the original.

Disc 2

I just figured a comparison with the originals would be a good idea.

Hey all.

CDs will be coming to you. To make up for being so slow, I am also sending you the disc from Swap 8. Actually, I am doing 7 and 8 as a double CD (a good excuse to use a bunch of double-CD cases I have lying around).

The thing is, I have to wait another couple of weeks to mail them out because the color printer is just about out of both cyan and yellow toner (it's a laser). I have to postpone that purchase until after the 10th due to my semi-religous obsession with paying Visa in full every month. (Plus, I suppose, my obsession with making these mix CDs look "professional.")

Anyway, your patience will be rewarded.

The CDs have shipped! Track listing and notes soon...

Seriously, they really shipped on Monday.

Got mine yesterday.