Top Ten Favorite Songs of All Time

Do you ever get so entangled with an idea that you can’t wrap your brain around it enough to convey it as something coherent? And then, as you’re pondering it, it grows, sprouting new, related ideas, like a Hydra that even Hercules (or Percy Jackson) couldn’t tame.

It happens to me with the regulariuty of Old Faithful – ideas simmering beneath the crust of my skull to eventually spout upwards, a huge mess for the world to see. Except, you know, not nearly as impressive as a geyser.

I’ve been pondering, for years now, I’d say, the interconnectedness of language, music, and movement – how they are all forms of communication that weave our human souls together. And one day, hopefully soon, I am going to bring together all these thoughts, all the scribblings scattered through different notebooks, and the bookmarked articles on the internet, and the literary quotes and song lyrics, and put them all together into something coherent and meaningful. I swear, I will.

But not today.

This post is a bit of a tangent, born from my larger ideas about music. This post is pure fun.

In a separate, but slightly related, part of my brain from all these thoughts about language, and connection, and blah, blah, blah, I have been doing another sort of pondering. For several years now, I have been trying to come up with a list of my Top Ten Favorite Songs of All Time.

In an effort to impress Jack Black in High Fidelity, I have really tried to be exclusive with my list. I have tried only to include songs which have stood the test of time, ones that make me pause in the frozen food aisle of the grocery store when I hear them, smile, and go, “ahhh.” Songs that tug at my heart strings.

Still, the list isn’t perfect. I’m sure there are songs I’ve forgotten. It’s a work in progress, as is life. But I thought I'd go ahead and share it with you. To this point, here’s what I’ve got, (in order, yes):

1. Bad – U2         I don’t even know what to say about this song. Haunting. Passionate. To me, it speaks of trying to let go of an obsession. It’s the battle of the human soul with itself. It makes me crumple inside – but in kind of a good way. It’s the very best from a band which could easily fill out this entire top ten list.

2. Into the Mystic – Van Morrison            Sometimes this one actually ranks as number one (when I feel a little less haunted). I want my gypsy soul to be rocked. Don’t you?

3. Clare de Lune – Claude Debussy           Heart wrenchingly beautiful. I’ll discuss this one at greater length if ever I get around to the topic of motion/movement and expression. With no lyrics, it may not actually qualify as a song, but who cares. It’s my list.

4. Imagine – John Lennon            I won’t bother analyzing this one for you. Just listen to the lyrics. I love and adore every word. Cliché and idealistic? Maybe. But in my view – perfect.

5. Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town – Pearl Jam         The haunting beauty of Eddie Vedder’s voice is part of what makes so many Pearl Jam songs find their way into your soul. This one does it exceptionally well, and touches on the beauty (pain?) of perspective – “I change by not changing at all.”

6. Running to Stand Still – U2     It kind of freaks me out that I connect so well with songs about heroin addiction, but maybe it’s just a U2 thing. They used to sing about that a lot. And after all this time, I still love them. A lot.

7. Ramble On – Led Zeppelin       I like a lot of songs in the “rambling” genre, and I like a lot of Led Zeppelin tunes. The combination puts this one on the list, for sure. It rocks, and “My freedom I hold dear.”

8. Cocoon – Jack Johnson             For all the many, many Jack Johnson songs that I adore, it kind of surprises me that this is the one that stands out. I’m not totally sure why. I just know that if it pops up on a playlist, or on Pandora, I always reach out to turn up the volume and sing a passionate, off-key accompaniment.

9.  Girl, I Wanna Lay You Down – ALO     This is the most recent song on the list, and so I hesitate to say it’s really “stood the test of time” yet. Still, it makes me melt. I’m pretty sure it has something to do with an ALO show I went to several years ago. Have you ever been front row center when Zach Gill sang this song? I have, and I swear to you, he was looking directly at me while he sang. True story! I relive that experience every time I hear this one. So, … yeah.

10. This slot I really just have to leave open. Did you know I’m not great with commitment or closure? I feel like I need to keep this last spot flexible in case the best song ever comes along. Right now it’s a battle between Summer of ’69 – Bryan Adams (high school and college memories), Across the Universe – The Beatles (part of the whole language/connection thing – “Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup”), and Say Goodbye – Dave Matthews (just indescribably sexy). At the moment, Say Goodbye is in the lead, big time.

So, there you have it. A bit of my heart in music. And now it’s your turn, friends. Please tell me some (or all!) of the songs that would be on your all time top ten list! I'm sure it will make me want to change my list. What makes you turn up the volume, or cry, or dance around the living room like a maniac?

Sony Walkman W-Series MP3 Player Review and Giveaway

Last week, my husband and I were sitting around the living room watching Hot Tub Time Machine. (Yes, this is the kind of high-class culture you’ll find around our house.) In one scene, John Cusack and his time-warped buddies stare around the ski lodge, mouths agape, at an array of quintessential 80’s items. Among these was a particular yellow, waterproof, “sports” version of the Sony Walkman.

“Hey,” I pointed excitedly, “I had that exact same Walkman!”

“Of course you did,” my husband agreed. “It was the 80’s.”

I nodded with a knowing smile. I bet even Lloyd Dobbler himself had one.

That yellow cassette player is exactly what comes to mind when I think of a Walkman. You can imagine my surprise then when I heard that Sony still makes the Walkman in a variety of models. Apparently I have been out of the loop in the wide world of mp3 players.

Although I primarily run without music, I still jumped at the opportunity for this product review. I mean, who wouldn’t want a new Walkman? (Yes, I can totally glorify those awkward, middle-school years simply with memories of an iconic cassette player.) And if you feel the same way, read on to find out how to enter my giveaway contest and win one for yourself.

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The Sony W-Series Walkman is a sleek, water resistant music player designed specifically with the outdoor athlete in mind. Its simple design makes using it a breeze, while the features make it very competitive with other, more expensive, music players.

Features I loved:

• Cordless and Simple – Most of the music player is actually contained within the ear pieces, and the two pieces are attached by rubber neck band that goes behind the neck. This makes it a breeze to take on and off during a run. No string of messy chords to untangle!

• Easy Controls – The controls are located on the right ear piece. Once I read the initial instructions and spent a few minutes playing around with them, I found them to be quite intuitive and simple. I could easily start or stop the music, skip or repeat songs, scroll through my playlist, and switch to “Zappin” mode. (I’ll explain that last one later.) There’s no screen to make selections, so you simply have to ride through your playlist, skip through to preferred songs, or listen in shuffle mode. This doesn’t seem like a drawback to me because why would I have songs on my player that I didn’t like?

• Water Resistant – In the past, I have had trouble with my iPod getting too sweaty and not working until it could dry out. So, I think water resistance in an mp3 player is a must. This one held up great in both rain and snow storms. The manufacturer also reports that you can wash the player under the faucet.

• 11 Hour Battery Life – This was more than enough battery life, even for an ultrarunner. If I’m listening to music on a long run, I’m still probably not listening for more than a couple hours at most. I could use this player multiple times between charges, and the operation lamp flashes at different colors to indicate how much battery life is left. Fancy! It’s also extremely quick to charge.

• Music Transfer – This was as easy as opening iTunes and taking 5 minutes to click and drag. I didn’t even read the instructions. All technology should be this obvious.

More Features:

• Zappin – The Zappin playback mode automatically plays a clip from each successive song until the regular mode is returned. It’s kind of like “scan” on your car radio. It seems like a useful feature if you want to hear a specific song, but I never actually found myself using it.

•  Multiple Earbud Sizes – There are small, medium or large attachments for your ear pieces. Finding the correct size for your ears will help create a more secure fit inside your ear. The pieces were fairly easy to switch out, but I wouldn’t want to do it often (if two people who wanted different sizes shared the player, for example) because I felt like the rubber might rip.

When not in use, the earbuds click together magnetically for compact storage. Also, they make a cute heart shape.

Concerns:

•  Earpiece Security – The primary drawback I had with this player was that I never felt that it was secure in my ears. The earbuds are heavier than on other players because the player itself is contained within them. This slight extra weight makes them want to bounce out a bit, and the band that goes over the ears didn’t stay on well. I found a very easy fix for this problem by putting either the strap of my visor or my sunglasses over the top of the neck band, just above my ears. I suspect that if you have larger ears, this wouldn’t be an issue. (The girl in the CNET review jumped around all over the place without a problem.) I wouldn’t say my ears are particularly small, but I have read a number of reviews that did not report this issue. Regardless, I always run with sunglasses, so it worked well to just put them on over the top, thus holding the earbuds in place.

The band does not want to stay on my ear.

 

The under-the-visor fix.

• All Earbuds, All the Time – On the occasions that I run with music, I am a firm believer in the “one earbud policy”. Not only is it common courtesy to be aware of those around you, but it’s a big safety issue as well. The way this player is set up, there is no option for only one earbud. I found that I simply couldn’t keep the volume low enough to still be aware of automobile and bicycle traffic on the roads, nor could I hear runners or mountain bikes on the trail. Most of the time, I simply removed the player from my ears when I was considering crossing a street. It’s definitely a situation that requires a lot of caution.

Overall, I’d say this is an excellent player for the gym or other low-impact sports. I love the water-resistant feature and the ease of just grabbing it out of my pack and throwing it on without any messy chords. It might not work as a running companion for everyone, but the sunglasses/visor fix worked well for me as far as keeping it in my ears. With the current price of $49.98, it’s an incredibly affordable player as well.

If you’re interested in trying it but not interested in throwing fifty bucks at it, you have a chance to win one for free! Sony set me up with two players to giveaway, so here’s how it will work: 

1. Simply leave a comment with your name.
2. Spread the word by putting a link on Facebook, Twitter, and your blog, and give yourself an extra entry for each link.
3. Tell me in your comment if you get extra entries. (Honor system, people, honor system!)

That’s it. The contest ends midnight Pacific Time on Sunday, May 1. I’ll announce the two winners on Monday, so don’t forget to check back!

Thanks to Sony for providing a player for review and two players for the giveaway!