Rabbi+Dan's+Songs

Nearly 25 years ago when I was in rabbinical school studying in Israel, I first heard about 10,000 Maniacs and I must admit the name alone put me off, but when I finally listened to them and heard Natalie Merchant's voice, I was enchanted and this was one of my favorite songs because of it's quirky lyrics and her amazing voice.
 * My Sister Rose--10,000 Maniacs**

**Another Postcard--Barenaked Ladies** I had always been vaguely away of the Barenaked Ladies and liked individual songs from them, but only when I began running seriously a few years ago and listening to music on my iPod as I ran, have I been listening to entire albums and discographies of bands. I tend to like album rock more than singles and this tune is just flat out bizarre and funny -- just listen to the words--but the music is catchy, too.

**Long Lonely Ride--Dennis Diken & Bell Sound** You gotta love NPR! I first heard of this singer and his band on Fresh Air during a rock music review and the few clips they played were amazing. It is quite difficult to track this music down but it is very retro and reminds me to classic 60's music. As they used to say on American Bandstand, "It's got a good beat and it's easy to dance to!"

**Come Up the Years --Jefferson Airplane** Sure, everyone's heard of Jefferson Airplane, but other than a few of their more famous singles, have you ever heard any of their album music, the tracks in the middle of their old vinyl? This song really spoke to me because many years ago I dated a much younger girl--don't worry, it was legal!--and this song spoke to me, about the longing of a man for his girlfriend to grow up and catch up to him so they can be more equal in age, to "come up the years." A haunting love song.

**Jethro Tull - Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day** Older siblings can't help but influence our musical tastes. My middle (older) brother was in college nearby when I was in high school and would come home and play his music on the stereo and I heard a LOT of Jethro Tull and this one was unlike their more "metal," almost acid-rock tunes. It is quite soft and lulling--a real change from their other music. It made me appreciate Ian Anderson, the lead singer, a lot more because of this song.

**This Town--Nicky Holland** 20 years ago I was living in Philadelphia with my wife who was then only my girlfriend going to law school. To make a long story short, one her law school friends' boyfriends was a music reviewer for the local paper and invited me to a private party for a CD debut by Nicky Holland, a singer-songwriter coming out with her first album. I felt so lucky and special to go to this private party and it featured a short concert by Nicky Holland who I got to meet. I loved her music and this is my favorite track on the CD. Too bad she never really took off.

**The Obvious Child --Paul Simon** Yeah, I know--Loz said to choose obscure, interesting music. Everyone knows Paul Simon. But one of his "concept" albums was called Rhythm of the Saints and came out right after "Graceland." This is another album with native musicians, this time from South America. This is one of those haunting tracks from this very haunting CD. Very mellow stuff.

**Brilliant Blues -- Pete Townshend** For a long time, I went around saying that Pete Townshend was God! I loved The Who and all of their songs and I have then proceeded to love all of Pete Townshend's solo albums and songs, and this is one of his little gems buried in the obscure album, The White City. I guess I'll always associate it with living in Los Angeles over 25 years ago and just starting grad school and loving L.A.

**Shnirele Perele --Pharaoh's Daughter** Finally--one that I'll no one has heard of it! Pharaoh's Daughter is the band name of a single, amazingly talented, hip Jewish singer songwriter in New York named Basiya Schechter. I met her years ago at a few concerts and what is cool about her is that she grew up in a Hasidic, ultra-Orthodox family in Brooklyn and the abandoned that life and split from her family and traveled around the world, falling in love with music and becoming a musician and then returning to the U.S. and creating world Jewish fusion music. She takes traditional Jewish songs and puts them to North African, Middle Eastern instruments and melodies. This is one amazing song, //Shnirele Perele// is Yiddish for "Ribbons and Pearls" and is about the Messiah and how the Jewish people's longing for the Messiah to come and end the sufferings of the Jewish people.

**All dead, All dead --Queen** Album rock from Queen. I discovered this song in high school on the album "News of the World." The lyrics are amazing depressing and dark but the melody is bizarrely upbeat as it is all about the death of one's dreams and friends. It spoke to me as a moody, dark teenager. And I like it even more as a moody, dark adult!

**I am Superman --R. E. M.** I first heard of R.E.M. back in college when my roomate asked me if I wanted to go to a concert on campus with him. I asked him who was playing and he told me this trendy, small band from somewhere in the South was playing. It was kind of edgy, new music. I had a test to study for and didn't go. What an idiot I was to miss an early, free concert of R.E.M. who since went on to become not only famous but one of my favorite bands. This is a song that came out in the '80's and strangely enough, I first heard it and began listening to it in Israel during my two years of studying in Jerusalem. This was my Friday afternoon apartment-cleaning music that filled me with energy and kept me slogging through the grunge work!

**Are You Happy Now? -- Richard Shindell** I first heard of Richard Shindell, a relatively successful singer songwriter from New Jersey, when I was living in New York City about 15 years ago. I used to listen to the various NPR stations and one of the stations used to play music late at night that was off the beaten track and alternative. I liked this guy's voice and lyrics. This is a great and depressing song--all about how his girlfriend broke up with him on Halloween evening and this is his revenge, writing a song about her, gently mocking her and asking her but not really caring if she is finally happy now with her new bum of a boyfriend!

**Teacher Teacher--Rockpile** From my high school years when I was barely aware of Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe. This pair of amazing British rock stars came together for one joint album, "Seconds of Pleasure" and this song was the right music, the right lyrics at the right time of my life. I feel I might be revealing too many intimate secrets of my dark and adventurous high school youthful activities by commenting too much more about the lyrics. But it will always be the most intensely sensual song that I remember from my earliest romantic days as a teenager.

**Martha My Dear --The Beatles** Yeah, Loz, I know--everyone knows the Beatles. But this was one of my favorite songs from the White Album, a short little, soft ditty. Very sweet and almost un-Beatles like, which is why I like it.

**Experimental Film -- They Might Be Giants** OMG, They Might Be Giants (TMBG) is one of my all-time favorite groups. They've been around for over 20 years but these two guys are amazingly smart and they have amazing musical skills. Their music, instrumentation and melodies display a playful, sardonic command of all styles of rock and their lyrics reveal two guys who everyone probably told them they were way too smart to just be rock musicians, but to our good fortune, that is exactly they are. Almost all of their songs are "hooks," melodies that once you hear them they get into your head and won't leave you alone--I'm just warning you. Their lyrics are bizarre and catchy and that is why I had to put in two of their songs.

**Broke In Two -- They Might Be Giants** See above for TMBG for the same note.

**Shambala --Three Dog Night** I was too young to really enjoy the '60's like my older brothers did, but I do have clear, distinct childhood memories of the 1960's and the music. And this was one of my favorite songs from that time in my childhood. I can still remember when it was popular on the radio and I would love listening to it in the early 1970's in grade school. Yes, I'm old, I know.

**XTC - Wasp Star - We're All Light** I actually first heard this song on a science podcast! It was the intro music that the professor choose to begin and end each podcast he did about geological sciences and the lyrics were perfect and even scientifically, "Don't you know, about a zillion years ago, some star sneezed now they're paging you in reception..." The elements in our planet and bodies were indeed created by stars going super nova billions of years ago! A zany, quirky but really fun song.

**Only You --Yaz** I had never heard of this 80's group until my wife--then my girlfriend--started sharing her music with me. This was one of her favorite songs from her college years and I guess I just began to make it one of mine through relationship osmosis!

**New Shoes --Paolo Nutini** I confess--I first heard this song over the audio system in a Rite Aid store! But it was so zippy and peppy that I had to track it down and it has since become one of my favorite high energy tunes. Whenever I hear it or play it, I can't help but start singing along to it at the top of my lungs.

**Grey In L.A. -- Loudon Wainwright III** Okay, this is a long and interesting story with a personal connection, even. I first met Loudon in NYC 22 years ago when I was completing my rabbinical studies. Yes, I met him. I was just starting to take up the martial art of Aikido and my dojo was in the garment district in lower Manhattan. I trained with many fellow students, but I always remember Loudon was one of the nicest and gentlest of my senior fellow students. Flash forward two dozen years and I began seeing him in all of the Judd Apatow comedies and in every one of them, Loudon has a cameo role in some form or another. In the movie "Knocked Up," this was one of the recurring background songs--makes sense to Loudon's songs since he also has a cameo in the film (as the nice ob-gyn). I loved the movie and the song and it reminded me of the two years I lived in L.A. many years ago as well.

**Waterslide - The Bonedaddys** Again, I never heard of the group until I heard this song -- again, in a movie soundtrack! And I loved it. Weird, quirky lyrics but the rhythm and beat are so strong, I can't help but want to jump around and dance to it!

DTLA - Gary Jules

Dead Eye Dick - New Age Girl (Mary Moon)

Noah and the Whale - 5 Years Time

Them Heavy People--Kate Bush

Lawyers, Guns and Money--Warren Zevon

Juvenile Song --Good Rats

Calling All Girls--Hilly Michaels Calling All Girls

Teenarama--The Records

Light Up or Leave Me Alone--Traffic