The Soundtrack for Change: Obama's iPod

CNN Reports today the contents of Barack Obama’s iPod. Apparently Obama digs Dylan, The Stones, Stevie Wonder, and various jazz artists including Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and John Coltrane.

"I have pretty eclectic tastes," the Democratic presidential contender said in an interview to be published in Friday's issue of Rolling Stone.

Growing up in the '70s, Obama said, he listened to the Rolling Stones, Elton John and Earth, Wind & Fire. Stevie Wonder is his musical hero from the era. The Stones' "Gimme Shelter" tops his favorites from the band.

Asked about Rap, he confesses that despite his respect for the strides made my many artists in that genre, he has concerns for some of the content. "I am troubled sometimes by the misogyny and materialism of a lot of rap lyrics," he said, "but I think the genius of the art form has shifted the culture and helped to desegregate music."

No word yet on what John McCain is listening to.

CNN

Rolling Stone

The Daily Shuffle...

It can be quite a challenge picking music to listen to when your music library is as vast as mine. I’m not trying to gloat or show off, but it’s the truth. Tell me that you have not walked into a video rental store, or the grocery store, and been presented with so many options that you can’t even begin to pick where to start.

When such a time arrives, I tend to crawl up in the fetal position and suck my thumb for a few hours. However, with my music collection, I have the option of one of the most glorious aspects of the CD/MP3 age: SHUFFLE!!

Instead of spending my time debating the merits of listening to Close To The Edge over Kill’em All, I can let my iPod choose for me. One click, and I’m reveling in the entire breadth and scope of my library. What song is my iPod going to deliver? I have no idea, and that’s the beauty of the whole process.

Over time, I’ve come to realize that when I shuffle things up, I am often introduced/reintroduced to songs I had no memory of owning, or even listening to. Therein lies the thrill of listening to music, in a method that was once the sole domination of radio, but now accessible to any consumer.

Our focus here at the Vault are albums, and rightfully so. However, God bless this blog of ours, for it allows a certain degree of latitude and freedom in covering content. We don’t often get the chance to highlight a new song that we heard on the radio, or saw in a commercial, or had a friend tell us about.

So, with an incredibly small amount of fanfare, I introduce “Jeff’s Quick Picks,” whereupon I’ll hit on a few tunes I come across while shuffling. Whether it’s an album cut from a record I know very well to a track that I will swear up and down to never having listened to, rest assured that not even I know what is coming up next.

Jeff's Quick Hits O' the Week

• The New Year has begun, and with it comes boundless opportunity, limitless optimism, and any other warm and fuzzy thoughts you can think of. Here at the Vault, the New Year presents a chance for us to erase the memories of terrible albums, and to purge our LP collections of unworthy material. Let's say that five minutes from now, Doc Brown is going to pull up in the Delorean and take you back to a point this year when you made a terrible mistake in buying an album, and undo it. What terribly misguided abomination against mankind are you choosing?


• For those who received a CD or perhaps an iTunes gift certificate for Christmas, and are pondering the multiple options available to you to listen to said music, do not automatically jump to the conclusion you need an iPod. A great alternative has arisen lately, that being Microsoft's Zune 2. As an Apple fanboy it pains me to say it, but the Zune is the iPod's equal in terms of hardware, and some may argue it's greater. With an iPod you have access to the whole world of iPod accessories and iTunes, but the Zune 2 is no slouch.


• When artists die, there is usually a rush to snap up their material and lavish them with praise. I always find it ironic that the person isn't around to enjoy this renewed success, but I imagine most would be happy people are listening to their music again. Dan Fogelberg was a man I knew by name only; gun to my head I could not have named a single song of his. So, when he passed, I decided to throw in the Greatest Hits disc my Mom had lying around. Shame on me. I realized that I knew a lot of these songs, and they were favorites of mine as a kid, "Same Old Lang Syne" in particular. I may have been late in joining the party, but I don't believe Mr. Fogelberg would begrudge me that.


• "Download of the Week": In a glimpse at a future review, I offer up "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles. Normally I am not one to to be influenced by advertisements on television, but whilst I was gorging on poorly played bowl games, a commercial came on featuring this song. After doing some research and reading up on the lady, I took a plunge on the album. Those thoughts I will save for a later date, but I can tell you that "Love Song" is a terrific slice of piano-pop/rock that will put a smile on your face.