"MR. TAMBOURINE MAN" BOB DYLAN (1965)

One of the most powerful things about music is that it is the soundtrack of our lives. Fellow music fanatic Sharon Hepworth started a music challenge on Twitter for the month of July. Each day, fans around the world will select a song from their life and describe what it means to us. These are my songs. #SoundtrackToYourLife

Day 27

I wasn’t always a big fan of this song – and wouldn’t even consider myself a casual fan of Dylan. But I developed an affinity for “Mr. Tambourine Man” when I became a dad. From now on, this song will always remind me of the time when my daughter Sophia was just a few weeks old. To help her fall asleep I’d carry her in the bathroom with the fan on and I’d sing her this song. She would just stare at me with her wide eyes, barely blinking. Like the songwriter, she was exhausted, but couldn’t sleep. And it seemed all she was interested in was listening to a song.

Though “Mr. Tambourine Man” may be interpreted as a song about LSD, its musicality matches a lullaby through and through. The single note guitar picking, Dylan’s vocals and even the sashaying harmonica parts create a steady lulling effect. When I listen to “Mr. Tambourine Man” again today, I’m right back there on that bathroom floor, helping my baby girl get some shuteye while growing her deep, deep love for music.

“Hey! Mr. Tambourine man, play a song for me. I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.”

"THESE ARE DAYS" 10,000 MANIACS (1992)

One of the most powerful things about music is that it is the soundtrack of our lives. Fellow music fanatic Sharon Hepworth started a music challenge on Twitter for the month of July. Each day, fans around the world will select a song from their life and describe what it means to us. These are my songs. #SoundtrackToYourLife

Day 24

Well, I certainly can’t share the soundtrack of my life without covering our wedding day. 10,000 Maniacs’ “These Are Days” is one of the most uplifting songs I’ve heard both recorded and live. I knew its beautiful, energetic sense of optimism had to appear at some point during our wedding. My wife Carol and I chose to include it in the ceremony as the recessional music. Well, I chose it, and she agreed. While my wife did some planning solo, and we did a ton of the prep together, the music selections were almost all mine.

“These Are Days” hails from my second favorite 10,000 Maniacs album. In My Tribe is tops in my book, but Our Time In Eden isn’t far behind in second place. The album sounds like a band that still has its sense of humbleness still intact. But it also sounds like a band that’s confident in its evolution. I love all the songs, but “These Are Days” is the one that stirs my emotions the most. Natalie Merchant sings with a sense of bewilderment. Buck – who co-wrote the song with Merchant – along with Drew, Gustafson and Augustyniak, ooze with merriment and wonder, each contributing signature instrumental elements to one of my favorite 10,000 Maniacs anthems.

“It's true that you are touched by something that will grow and bloom in you.”

"HURRICANE" BOB DYLAN (1975)

This month, the Mental Jukebox revisits the movie soundtracks of the nineties. The music I’m highlighting are some of my personal favorites. In many cases, the movies themselves were huge for me as well. But the focus will still be on the music – as always. Let’s bring on the throwback classics, the grunge, the gangsta rap, and the indie gems. #31DaysOf90sMovieSongs

Movie: The Hurricane

Dylan’s songwriting prowess has always been his strongest suit. Say what you will about his voice. But it’s hard to argue that there’s a lyricist as profound, prolific and poetic as Dylan. On the instrumental side, most of his music is characterized by his acoustic guitar playing – and quite a few songs are graced with his harmonica. That’s why a song like “Hurricane”, as core to Dylan’s catalog as it is, is a bit of an anomaly.

This brilliantly composed protest song isn’t just about a boxer, it’s about racism and injustice. “Hurricane” is my favorite Dylan song for two reasons. Vocally, it’s one of his more palatable recordings. The forward thrust of his vocals from the verses to the chorus keep Dylan’s natural nasal intonations to a minimum. And then there’s the violin. Played by Scarlet Rivera, it’s hardly a secondary instrument. On “Hurricane”, Rivera’s violin is pushed to the spotlight, behaving like a guitar — an electric one at that.

“Here's the story of the Hurricane. The man the authorities came to blame for something that he never done. Put in a prison cell but one time he could-a been the champion of the world.”

"USED CARS" BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (1982)

It’s time to get back to my favorite decade. For the month of March, I’ll be looking back at some of my favorite jams from the 80s. These songs often came to me via MTV or the radio. NYC-area stations WDRE, WPLJ, WNEW, K-ROCK and Z100 introduced me to everything from irresistible pop confections to under-the-radar post-punk anthems. I would not be who I am today if it weren’t for the 80s. It was the decade when I discovered music can be a truly powerful thing. #31DaysOf80sSongs

Boy was I late to the Nebraska party. I’ve never been a huge Springsteen fan even though Born in the U.S.A. was my first album purchase ever. I didn’t like it much. Too much Heartland when I was all about Brit pop at the time. A couple of decades later I finally discovered an album that preceded it. Nebraska is raw heartland rock. Free of the bells and whistles that production-heavy albums often get mired in. It was all about the songs on this one. “Atlantic City” is one of my favorite recordings of all time. But not far behind it is the first track on Side B, “Used Cars”.

No E Street band. No session instrumentalists. No backing vocals. Just the Boss. On “Used Cars”, Bruce sings, plays guitar and creates these gorgeous moments on the harmonica. Like a classic used car, the track is no frills and unassuming. Without the immediate intrigue and weight that some of the other Nebraska tracks carry (“Atlantic City”, “Johnny 99”, “Highway Patrolman”), “Used Cars” relied on maybe the most important attribute of a song: powerful storytelling.

“Now mister, the day my number comes in I ain't ever gonna ride in no used car again.”

"THE BOXER" SIMON & GARFUNKEL (1970)

The decade in which I was born has given me a strange perspective on its music. I discovered pretty much all of the 70’s sounds – from prog rock to punk to disco – well after they came into the world. It wasn’t until the late 80’s that I discovered what I was missing. I would characterize the decade as one where budding genres leaped off their inspiration pads and came to fruition. For the month of February, Mental Jukebox will feature some of these gems with a different 70’s song each day. #28DaysOf70sSongs

Bridge Over Troubled Water is the final studio album from Simon & Garfunkel, an album so good it prompts the listener to greedily beg for more. Simon carried the songwriting duties, but the harmonies are just as much a part of those songs as the melodies. The album spawned iconic songs that have made an indelible impact on the musical landscape: “Bridge Over Troubled Water” which features Art Garfunkel on lead vocals, “Cecilia” which has a persona driven mostly by its memorable percussion elements, and then there’s my favorite of the bunch: “The Boxer”.

The song is autobiographical, a rare treat inside the mind of the songwriter. The theme of being misunderstood and only remembered for what people want to remember are prevalent in the song. “The Boxer” is a masterpiece from a lyrical perspective. It bends words like poetry (“Such are promises. All lies and jest. Still, a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest”). It paints images like prose (“Asking only workman's wages I come looking for a job. But I get no offers. Just a come-on from the whores on Seventh Avenue.”). And it goes beyond coherent words using syllables as expressions with the iconic refrain “Lie-la-lie”. There are simply few songwriters as gifted as Paul Simon.

“Asking only workman's wages I come looking for a job. But I get no offers. Just a come-on from the whores on Seventh Avenue.”

"LANDSLIDE" FLEETWOOD MAC (1975)

The decade in which I was born has given me a strange perspective on its music. I discovered pretty much all of the 70’s sounds – from prog rock to punk to disco – well after they came into the world. It wasn’t until the late 80’s that I discovered what I was missing. I would characterize the decade as one where budding genres leaped off their inspiration pads and came to fruition. For the month of February, Mental Jukebox will feature some of these gems with a different 70’s song each day. #28DaysOf70sSongs

Fleetwood Mac fans might be some of the most loyal music fans out there. To them, Rumours is like Citizen Kane. And Stevie Nicks is a goddess. I’ve never really stopped and wondered why these fans adore this band so much. But it is a peculiar thing. It rivals the level of devotion in Deadheads. Fans that will travel on planes and quit their jobs to see their band open with “The Chain”, close with “Go Your Own Way”, and play a Stevie Nicks ballad right smack in the middle of the setlist. A beautiful, timeless song called “Landslide”.

It occurred to me that “Landslide” might be a microcosm of everything that fans love about Fleetwood Mac. Stevie Nicks’ signature raspy delivery is the centerpiece of the song. Wise beyond her years, written and sung with perspective we don’t often see in a rock star. And then there’s Lindsey Buckingham’s iconic acoustic guitar, steady, un-flashy, but absolutely critical to the sound of the song. The instrumentation is minimal because “Landslide” doesn’t need to be covered in layers. It’s the heart of the song that matters. And maybe that’s what Fleetwood Mac fans are truly after.

“Time makes you bolder. Even children get older. And I'm getting older too.”

"MEXICO" JAMES TAYLOR (1975)

The decade in which I was born has given me a strange perspective on its music. I discovered pretty much all of the 70’s sounds – from prog rock to punk to disco – well after they came into the world. It wasn’t until the late 80’s that I discovered what I was missing. I would characterize the decade as one where budding genres leaped off their inspiration pads and came to fruition. For the month of February, Mental Jukebox will feature some of these gems with a different 70’s song each day. #28DaysOf70sSongs

James Taylor’s version of folk has straddled two sides of the emotional spectrum: happy and sad. Songs like “How Sweet It is” and “Your Smiling Face” were uplifting, but more often JT was hanging out on the other end of spectrum as evidenced by signature tracks like “Fire and Rain” and “You’ve Got a Friend”. “Carolina in My Mind” and “Country Road” would’ve been light and airy if they were sung by someone else, but there’s an inescapable sadness in the way Taylor sings those classics. Thankfully, that isn’t the case with “Mexico”. The border town fantasy sounds like a place you want to escape to, not escape from.

This is my favorite JT song of all time. Having harmony masters David Crosby and Graham Nash singing backing vocals certainly didn’t hurt. But it was JT’s acoustic guitar that was the musical highlight and the heartbeat of this song. From the opening sequence to the end refrain, he found a way to create a melodic masterpiece out of these unusual chord progressions—an uncommon achievement for pop music at the time. And the best thing about it, “Mexico” still holds up so well more than four decades later.

“Way down here, you need a reason to move. Feel a fool running your stateside games.”

"FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH" BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD (1966)

For the month of January, I’m selecting some of the most memorable and influential songs of the 60’s. While they all hail from the same decade, these are some of my favorite songs of any era. They remind me that the 60’s were so much more than just Woodstock and psychedelic rock. It was a flourishing period for blues, folk, progressive and straight-ahead rock. #31DaysOf60sSongs

On the last day of #31DaysOf60sSongs, I’m reminded of how many great genres, movements, bands, recordings and songs came to fruition during this decade. Arguably it was the single greatest decade of music ever in the modern era. There are songs that exemplify the era. Songs that paved the way to new expressions and genres. And then there are a small handful of songs that helped define the era itself. One of those songs is the iconic “For What It’s Worth”, as monumental as the band lineup itself.

“For What It’s Worth” is a protest song. A countercultural anthem. It is the quintessential 60’s tune. The melody and instrumentation are instantly recognizable from the opening guitar harmonics that quietly appear to the sing-songy chorus. That’s not all though. it has risen above its era to take on a life of its own. “For What It’s Worth” is now part of pop culture – from the Forrest Gump soundtrack to an episode of The Muppets to a sample on a Public Enemy song.

“Paranoia strikes deep. Into your life it will creep. It starts when you're always afraid. Step out of line, the man come and take you away.”

"MORNING DEW" THE GRATEFUL DEAD (1967)

For the month of January, I’m selecting some of the most memorable and influential songs of the 60’s. While they all hail from the same decade, these are some of my favorite songs of any era. They remind me that the 60’s were so much more than just Woodstock and psychedelic rock. It was a flourishing period for blues, folk, progressive and straight-ahead rock. #31DaysOf60sSongs

Today the Mental Jukebox is playing a song from a band that simply can’t be given justice in this format. Listening to the Dead’s albums on Spotify I feel utterly gypped, knowing that I’m getting a tiny fraction of the experience, the magic that happens at a Dead concert where set list formations flow like water and improvisations come on like a flood. Spotify can’t capture the aura of a band so largely defined by its live shows, but it has given me the chance to get reacquainted with legendary albums like Workingman’s Dead, American Beauty and the self-titled debut album that spawned “Morning Dew”.

Music critics have often praised how the Dead is in a category all their own. Garcia, Weir, Pigpen, Lesh and Kreutzmann all brought different influences with them, the most obvious ones being blues, folk and country. They took those genres and layered on an electric guitar rock sound that’s highly experimental and improvisational. That’s the beauty of “Morning Dew”. It’s a pretty standard melody masterfully sung by Garcia and taken for several twists and turns with a dual guitar jam fest from Weir and Garcia, and a melodic, meandering bass line from Lesh that jumps into the upper octaves. Still, the individual members never sound like they’re competing with each other. They move and groove in one flow. It’s the beautiful magic of the Dead.

“I'll walk you out in the morning dew my honey. I guess it doesn't really matter anyway.”

"HELPLESSLY HOPING" CROSBY, STILLS & NASH (1969)

For the month of January, I’m selecting some of the most memorable and influential songs of the 60’s. While they all hail from the same decade, these are some of my favorite songs of any era. They remind me that the 60’s were so much more than just Woodstock and psychedelic rock. It was a flourishing period for blues, folk, progressive and straight-ahead rock. #31DaysOf60sSongs

Today I’m going with a song from another brilliant debut album. The self-titled record from Crosby, Stills & Nash is a thing of beauty. A case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Each member of the band brought different skills and sounds to the table, which led to an album that fused country, folk and even jazz into traditional rock. And then, of course, there are the harmonies. Gorgeous, sharp harmonies – perhaps epitomized in the classic song “Helplessly Hoping”.

The fact this track was a b-side to the first single is proof of the sheer depth and excellence on the album as a whole. “Helplessly Hoping” is timeless. The kind of song you want to pass down to your children – and hopefully they’ll want to do the same with their children. The song is a reminder that there’s light and beauty even in our darkest hour. Instrumentally it’s as minimalist as it gets, featuring a single acoustic guitar. This gives the harmonies their due time in the spotlight. David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash are not only in unison, they’re in unity.

“They are one person. They are two alone. They are three together. They are for each other.”

"VISIONS OF JOHANNA" BOB DYLAN (1966)

For the month of January, I’m selecting some of the most memorable and influential songs of the 60’s. While they all hail from the same decade, these are some of my favorite songs of any era. They remind me that the 60’s were so much more than just Woodstock and psychedelic rock. It was a flourishing period for blues, folk, progressive and straight-ahead rock. #31DaysOf60sSongs

One of these days I need to sit down with a proper Dylan fan and ask them, “What makes him the legend you think he is?” I just think I don’t completely get Dylan. But that doesn’t stop me from liking a small crop of his songs. I think “All Along the Watchtower” and “Hurricane” are some of the greatest songs ever written. And “Mr. Tambourine Man” I’ll forever associate with the birth of my oldest child who I would try to rock to sleep with that song. Right behind these classics is the Blonde on Blonde track “Visions of Johanna”.

The song has this dual life as prose and poetry. Prose, because it’s an ongoing story that continues to unfold on the writer’s stroll through the city. Poetry, because it’s written like a poem that doesn’t need music to accompany it. Whether you hate Dylan, or don’t completely understand him (like me), “Visions of Johanna” is all the evidence you need to know that the man was indisputably a tremendously gifted songwriter. I don’t love his entire body of work – and sometimes I just can’t stand his nasal delivery. But I do respect his abilities, his contributions to music and well-crafted songs like “Visions of Johanna”.

“We sit here stranded, though we're all doing our best to deny it. And Louise holds a handful of rain, tempting you to defy it.”

"PUNKY'S DILEMMA" SIMON & GARFUNKEL (1967)

For the month of January, I’m selecting some of the most memorable and influential songs of the 60’s. While they all hail from the same decade, these are some of my favorite songs of any era. They remind me that the 60’s were so much more than just Woodstock and psychedelic rock. It was a flourishing period for blues, folk, progressive and straight-ahead rock. #31DaysOf60sSongs

Simon & Garfunkel’s big breakthrough may be The Graduate soundtrack. But the album that will always have the greatest meaning to me is Bookends. Not only was it my first Simon & Garfunkel recording, it was also my first real exposure to folk rock, a genre that I would enjoy immensely over the years through a number of different acts, everyone from Indigo Girls to the Barr Brothers. Bookends contains several key anthems from the duo’s catalog, including “Mrs. Robinson”, “America” and under-the-radar tracks like “Hazy Shade of Winter” made popular by The Bangles. The album had weighty moments and light moments, and “Punky’s Dilemma” was a prime example of the latter.

Light, airy and almost breezy. That’s how “Punky’s Dilemma” feels. Lyrics like “I wish I was a Kellogg’s Cornflake”, the intermittent whistling and Simon’s upbeat acoustic guitar strum give the song a buoyancy. But upon closer inspection, the song’s lyrics are far from light. The dilemma was whether or not to go along with the military draft at the height of the Vietnam War. Punky was deciding if it was worth going through with it or dodging the draft. By giving the song a lighthearted feel, Simon & Garfunkel did an ingenious thing, making the song less about the issue and more about the character.

“If I become a first lieutenant would you put my photo on your piano?”

"WHITE WINTER HYMNAL" FLEET FOXES

Each day in December, I’ll be reflecting back on a song from the 2000’s. The decade saw the return of post-punk and the popularization of folk music, all while some of music’s biggest acts gained their indie footing. Thankfully, it’s a period that I can look back at fondly without cringing. #31DaysOf2000sSongs

By no means is Fleet Foxes on the same level as CSN&Y. CSN&Y are music legends, the kind that maybe come around once every 20 years or so if we’re lucky. But Fleet Foxes isn’t that far behind. What Fleet Foxes have done in today’s musical climate is impressive. They put power harmonies center stage once again. And they did it with a folk-inspired sound that’s earthy and natural, a far cry from post-punk, dream pop or any of the key genres of their contemporaries. And, in the spirit of Christmas, I have to go with “White Winter Hymnal” as my go-to Fleet Foxes track.

Like many Fleet Foxes songs, “White Winter Hymnal” feels like a cascade of echoing melodies from the mountains. The song is sung in rounds, a traditional form of singing that seemed to be given a new lease on life through the ban'd’s trademark harmonies where each vocal part comes in round after round. This approach has a way of sweeping me up and away, regardless of circumstance. And the words overdelivered. They felt more like classic literature than song lyrics, leading me to believe the character Michael was an allegory for something far greater.

“I was following the pack. All swallowed in their coats with scarves of red tied 'round their throats.”

"IMITOSIS" ANDREW BIRD (2007)

Each day in December, I’ll be reflecting back on a song from the 2000’s. The decade saw the return of post-punk and the popularization of folk music, all while some of music’s biggest acts gained their indie footing. Thankfully, it’s a period that I can look back at fondly without cringing. #31DaysOf2000sSongs

I didn’t discover the world of Andrew Bird until he was about eight studio albums into his brilliant career. It might be one of my deepest musical regrets. That was a lot of time lost that I could’ve spent pouring through his prolific canon, dissecting album after album, all while whistling along in unison. I missed a ton of shows that would’ve allowed me to hear live renditions of some of his earlier material. Luckily, however, when I caught Bird at Terminal 5 in 2016 I got to hear him play this beauty of a track, “Imitosis”.

Bird’s music covers a wide range of genres, but his base has always been the use of a variety of stringed instruments with a folk rock demeanor. The other more well-known track off of Armchair Apocrypha was “Plasticities” which showcased Bird’s more experimental rock tendencies. This made “Imitosis” stick out like a sore thumb because, if anything, it was a tango. The bass, drums, guitar and violin do what they can to recreate a hot summer night in Argentina. But the ringer was the Glockenspiel, the instrument that gave “Imitosis” its playful character and soul.

“What was mistaken for closeness, was just a case of mitosis.”

"THE GOLDEN AGE" BECK (2002)

Each day in December, I’ll be reflecting back on a song from the 2000’s. The decade saw the return of post-punk and the popularization of folk music, all while some of music’s biggest acts gained their indie footing. Thankfully, it’s a period that I can look back at fondly without cringing. #31DaysOf2000sSongs

For an artist who’s known for his experimental approach and use of samples, I could never quite explain why Beck’s purist and slow-moving Sea Change was my favorite album of his by far. I just liked it. Sea Change feels like the perfect albium for some days. As a New Yorker, I don’t mind its slow pace one bit. In fact, I’ve come to crave it on a semi-regular basis. It was an album that was birthed out of Beck’s breakup with a longtime girlfriend. The dude was miserable, but the beauty and introspection shined through the misery. Every track was spot on, but today my pick is “The Golden Age”.

Is it a wake-up call or a lullaby? Maybe it’s both. “The Golden Age” is less about self-loathing and more about self-discovery. It reminds us that sometimes it’s okay to not be okay. The irony is that “The Golden Age” and the Sea Change album at large, is some of Beck’s finest work. He was totally dialed in to the melody and the key instrumental themes — with no samples, distortion or Dust Brothers production maneuvers to hide behind. “The Golden Age” was just another great example and reminder that you can create a wonderful song simply by picking up an acoustic guitar and singing from the heart. They’re just timeless methods.

“These days I barely get by. I don't even try.”

"THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD" NIRVANA (1993)

Each day in November, I’m revisiting a song from the 90’s — a decade that was a sorta coming of age for me. In that span, I experienced high school, college and my time as a young single guy in New York City. It was a decade of ups and downs, and the music never stopped playing during that span. It was always there with me. #30DaysOf90sSongs

It seems a little obvious to kick things off with Nirvana. They are, after all, the band most people think of when they look back at the 90’s music scene. Grunge will be forever associated with that decade. While many call Neil Young the godfather of grunge, and many critics point to other genres and bands like the Pixies for heavily influencing it, Nirvana seems to be the band most people think of first. Before Soundgarden. Before Pearl Jam. Before anyone else. At the MTV Unplugged set in New York, Nirvana created what I believe was their most unassumingly grunge song: their cover of Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold the World”.

This is probably my favorite Nirvana track. Most cover songs help you to look forward with new interpretations or perspectives. But Nirvana helped many of us look back. Frankly, many Bowie fans didn’t even know about the song or the album of the same name that it came from until Nirvana covered it. The band helped music fans to discover a darker side to Bowie. While unplugged, Nirvana found a way to make it a true grunge dirge. The dark undertones and misery are felt in Cobain’s vocals. But what really sealed it is when he ran his acoustic guitar through a device called a fuzz box, which had a way of making his axe sound electric and distorted. It was grunge to the core despite the acoustic setting. Sometimes I even forget it’s MTV Unplugged. Truly a brilliant cover.

“For years and years I roamed. I gazed a gazeless stare. We walked a million hills. I must have died alone a long, long time ago.”

"DON'T TALK" 10,000 MANIACS (1987)

For the second half of September, I’m putting my Mental Jukebox into a time machine, featuring the best songs on the best albums from the very best years of music. #70sThrough90sBestAlbum

When In My Tribe came out, I couldn’t stop playing it. Those songs ushered me into a different world that I could get lost in over and over again. “What’s the Matter Here?” and “Like the Weather” got all the recognition and airplay, well, at least on college rock stations. But the really good stuff revealed itself halfway through the album with Track 6, an unassuming, but peculiar song called “Don’t Talk”.

While every song was gold on In My Tribe, there was something a bit more magical about “Don’t Talk”. Each of the other tracks seemed to move along at one pace and were characterized by a single persona. But “Don’t Talk” shifted back and forth between three tempos. It was constructed with multiple movements. While most of the album had a very straight-ahead folk sound, this song took some more risks, marrying the aforementioned folk elements with a swirly, shoegaze-inspired sound.

“The drink you drown your troubles in is the trouble you're in now.”

"THE MAN IN ME" BOB DYLAN (1970)

Exceptional soundtracks can make good movies great. They can also take on a life of their own, becoming a greater highlight than their respective films. In this series, I’m selecting some of my favorite soundtrack songs. While quite a few are well-known recordings, I’m also including a few that have flown under the radar over the years.

The song a director picks for an opening scene can sometimes make or break a film. It’s the mood setter. And there was no better song to kick off The Big Lebowski than Bob Dylan’s “The Man in Me”. Not your typical Dylan anthem, it felt like it was written and performed specifically for The Dude — a melodious homage to the main character.

One of my all-time favorite movies, The Big Lebowski features a strong, diverse set of songs on its soundtrack — from a Gypsy Kings cover to a CCR staple. But no other song on the soundtrack embodies the film and The Dude more than “The Man in Me”. Beyond the opening scene, it’s used again in the famed hallucination scene — and apparently Jeff Bridges has sung it and led audience participation at Lebowski Fest. It’s not just widely loved, it’s beloved.

“Storm clouds are raging all around my door. I think to myself I might not take it anymore. Take a woman like your kind to find the man in me.”

"THE SOUL SEARCHERS" PAUL WELLER (2018)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

I’ve been a fan of The Jam and the mod revival scene since high school. But, I’m a newbie and a late bloomer when it comes to Paul Weller’s solo work, only now starting to dive into his vast catalog. I’m impressed at how versatile and experimental he’s been over the years. Weller is a true musical chameleon and explorer, almost Bowie-esque. And “The Soul Searchers” is one of my new favorites.

I love the accessible, yet unique melody and Weller’s wry guitar riffs — both on acoustic and electric. But the one thing that “The Soul Searchers” does as well as any other song is weave its string arrangements so seamlessly in with the rest of the instrumentation. There are probably somewhere between 15 to 20 different instruments on the recording - and not a single part overpowers or gets lost.

“Sleep tight, let tomorrow bring you a new day.”

"HARVEST MOON" NEIL YOUNG (1992)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

Twenty years after he released Harvest, Neil Young was back at it again with a similar motif. “Harvest Moon” is my favorite Neil Young track of all time. It’s that rare musical gem that does what it says and says what it does.

Every element of the song captures the ethereal mood so well—from Linda Ronstadt’s beautiful background vocals to the quiet steel guitar to the soft brush strokes on drums. Every element pulls you in and puts into that idyllic moonlit moment on that unspoiled night.

“We could dream this night away.”