A-Z CDs - Day 36

303. Meat Puppets - Too High to Die (last listen: 2-5 years) - Before today I have listened to this album exactly twice: right after I got it and then again about 3 or 4 years ago. The funny thing is that I've liked it every time I listened to it. "Backwater" is obviously the hit from the album. However, you will also likely recognize "Lake of Fire" (a hidden track after the last song), which Nirvana covered for their MTV Unplugged in New York album (along with two other Meat Puppets songs from other albums). "Lake of Fire" is the one that starts "Where do bad folks go when they die? / They don't go to heaven where the angels fly / They go down to the lake of fire and fry / Won't see 'em again till the Fourth of July."
304. John Cougar Mellencamp - Uh-Huh (last listen: 1-2 years) - A classic Mellencamp album, featuring "Crumblin' Down," "Pink Houses," "Authority Song," "Play Guitar," and "Jackie O." I love hearing "Play Guitar" on the radio to hear whether or not they censor the line, "Forget about all that macho shit and learn how to play guitar." Swearing is fun to hear.
305. John Cougar Mellencamp - Scarecrow (last listen: 1-2 years) - A great salt-of-the-earth album. The whole thing drips with rural imagery ("Rain on the scarecrow / Blood on the plow"), and it's simply a great album. "Small Town," "Lonely Ol' Night," and "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." are the hits off the album, but I'm also quite smitten with "Rain on the Scarecrow," "Minutes to Memories," and "Justice and Independence '85."
306. John Mellencamp - The Best That I Could Do 1978-1988 (last listen: 2-5 years)
307. John Mellencamp - Just Another Day (single) (last listen: 5+ years) - This also contains live versions of "Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)," James Brown's "Cold Sweat," and "Crumblin' Down."
308. John Mellencamp - Trouble No More (last listen: 1-2 years) - Mellencamp covers blues and folk standards on this album, quite well, I might add. "Stones in My Passway" (originally by Robert Johnson) is solid, and I also like "Baltimore Oriole" (a cover of jazz legend and Bloomington native Hoagy Carmichael), "Teardrops Will Fall," "Down in the Bottom" (originally Willie Dixon), and "Joliet Bound." "To Washington" is a nice jab at Bush.
309. Metallica - Metallica (last listen: 5+ years) - Songs from this album played a prominent role on pre-game psych-up mix tapes in the LT football locker room during the 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995 seasons. I'm guessing it was the same way in every single other football locker room in the country. "Don't Tread On Me" is my favorite song off the album. "Through the Never" is a close second. The beginning acoustic part to "Nothing Else Matters" is the first thing I learned how to play on guitar. It's probably the only thing I could still play, since I would classify my guitar-playing ability as nothing short of an absolute slap in the face to anyone who has ever been involved in making, playing, or listening to a guitar.
310. Steve Miller Band - Best Of 1968-1973 (last listen: 2-5 years) - Not as good as the Greatest Hits 1974-1978 (which I have on tape), which features the more well-known Steve Miller Band songs ("The Joker," "Fly Like an Eagle," "Jet Airliner," "Take the Money and Run," etc.). This one does, however, also feature "The Joker" (it is their biggest song, after all), as well as "Living in the USA." All in all, I like the 1974-78 songs better.
311. The Miracles - Great Songs and Performances That Inspired the Motown 25th Anniversary Television Special (last listen: 5+ years) - "Greatest Hits" would have been a shorter and more accurate CD title, but that's neither here nor there. The Miracles are often forgotten in the discussion of Motown greats (behind The Supremes, Temptations, Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, and the like), which is too bad. This album shows off Smokey Robinson's extraordinary songwriting ability. "Tracks of My Tears" is just a phenomenal song. "Tears of a Clown" is a perfect juxtaposition of upbeat music with fairly depressing subject matter (it's about a clown crying, people). "You Really Got a Hold On Me" is great. This album also has their other famous songs ("Ooo Baby Baby," "Shop Around," "I Second that Emotion," etc.).