Closer To Entropy

Gory details the mix CD tentatively titled "Closer to Entropy" and which was put together on October 10, 2001.

Based on a mix made back in the mid to late '90s, I'm guessing. When I had limited CD resources available. That one was just called "entropy" and was a 90+ minute tape made for a coworker. Someone who wasn't all like into obscure music or anything so i figured just about anything was fair game and likely to be new to him. well, with maybe a couple or a few exceptions.

1. Entropy - Moxy Fruvous - off of their "b" album

Just a silly song. From one of Moxy Fruvous' limited fan releases which since seems to have shown up in a fair number of record stores. So not so limited after all. Fine, 'cuz that CD has Johnny Saucep'n on it. and other spiff stuff.

2. Galileo - Indigo Girls - off of _Nomads, Indians, Saints_

Just one of those classic songs that I like and that lots of people like and know. I've heard it a million times, but still rather like it. Was a natural, too-obvious segue from "entropy."

3. No Passenger - Boiled in Lead - off of _Songs from The Gypsy

I love this song, too. Dunno what else needs to be said.

4. When I Grow Up - Michelle Shocked - from _Short, Sharp, Shocked_

A great song from a great album. I saw Ms. Shocked live a couple of times in the last couple of years. I cannot properly express how thoroughly she rocked.

5. Round of Blues - Shawn Colvin (with Mary Chapin Carpenter) - from _Columbia Radio Hour Volume 2_

The original version of this song is on Shawn Colvin's fabulous album _Fat City_. Have I mentioned I liked Shawn Colvin before anyone had heard of her? I'm just saying. Also: she grew up (or at least lived for a while) in Vermillion, South Dakota. Get me, with the trivia. I've seen her in concert. The Columbia Radio Hour cds are cool live compilations, featuring lots of music I like.

6. Grade 9 - Barenaked Ladies - from _Gordon_

I liked this song before most people I knew had even heard of BNL. Aren't I just the trendsetter? My favorite line? "I guess I should've studied instead of watching _Wrath of Khan_". Not that I relate or anything. 'Course I didn't really need to study. Much.

7. Birdhouse in Your Soul - They Might Be Giants - from _Flood_

It's an earworm, I tell you. (As I was reading this over, I realized that's an awful thing to say following a Wrath of Khan reference). You'll have it stuck in your head for days. (See?) But that's really not a bad thing. (Well . . . ) I still feel a little guilty that my copy of _Flood_ was loaned to me by a friend in college and I forgot to return it before we went our separate ways. Last I heard he was living in Colorado someplace, but that was years ago. Is it possible to frown while listening to this song? Nah.

8. Androgynous - Crash Test Dummies - from _The Ghosts That Haunt Me_

I like the Dummies, dammit, though I was disappointed when I got to see them live this past summer in Winnipeg 'cuz Brad Roberts was so wasted he couldn't really perform and he swore a lot and it was all very embarassing and bad. Yes, that's how I'll remember my 30th birthday. Okay, that's not all I'll remember. Heh. They didn't play this song. Probably for the best, it's untainted.

9. Cows - the Suburbs - from _Ladies and Gentlemen, The Suburbs Have Left the Building_

Though actually the song was on an earlier Suburbs album first, _Ladies and Gents_ was the first CD of Suburbs stuff.

10. Penguins - Lyle Lovett - from _I Love Everybody_

I was the girl wondering "what on earth does Lyle Lovett see in Julia Roberts?" when that whole thing went down. Because he's incredibly cool. (And, well, Julia used to really creep me out). Lovett is one of the best modern songwriters out there. Great performer, too, puts together a great band. And this song is silly and not exactly a brilliant example of his work, but I guess when I made this original mix it seemed logical to follow a song about Cows with a song about Penguins. Why not? I think I consider putting a Lyle Lovett song on just about every mix I make. 'Cuz he rocks. And while some of my friends are aware of this, there are still too many people on the planet who don't full appreciate the extent to which the guy rocks. Um. yeah. (Did I mention he rocks?)

11. Starfish and Coffee - Prince - from _Sign O' The Times_

This was a new addition to the mix, not on the original. To be honest, I'd totally forgotten about this song. 'Til near midnight on July 4th, 2001 when I was sitting around the campfire at the campground at the Winnipeg Folk festival and Scott Keever (a.k.a. pied piper) started playing this song. I was singing along without realizing what I was singing. Or the fact that no one else was singing along or seemed to know the song at all. (Yeah, it was funny and a little bit embarassing). And then it hit me that this was that crazy cool Prince song that I used to listen to a lot (back when I listened to selections from Sign o' the Times a *lot* I mean, a *lot*). I like Prince.

12. Window Seat - John Wesley Harding - from _Awake_

This song makes me happy. Very happy. It's so cool! JWH rules. And he played a way cool version of this song at just about every show of his last tour, even tho it's not off of his recent album.

13. Come Back Down - Toad the Wet Sprocket - off of _Five Live_

The original version of this mix had two cool tracks on it by Toad off of one of my favorite EPs ever, _Acoustic Dance Party_. Sadly, I couldn't find that EP anywhere. Grrrrrrrrr. It's gotta be around here someplace. But I did find _Five Live_ which was distributed with some copies of the Toad album _Fear_ when it was first released. So it's a limited thang. And includes five live tracks (oddly enough). I really dig this version of "Come Back Down" and it reminds me of some college friends who had a band and used to play this song. Maybe I just relate to "'cuz I'm, so damn tired."

14. Here Comes Your Man - the Pixies - off of _Doolittle_

That same band (Gene Pool) used to play a kick ass cover of this song, too. But then I just like this song. Even if I know plenty of Pixies purists who hate it. It's all about the killer hooks, baybee.

15. Come A Long Way - Michelle Shocked - off of _Arkansas Traveller_

I thought about leaving this track off since this mix already had one song by Ms. Shocked. But it's a cool song. And it's one I haven't listened to in a long time.

16. I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight - Richard Thompson - off of _Small Town Romance_

The original version is off of the album of the same name (as the song) by Richard & Linda Thompson, if I recall correctly. I like this simple version with just RT with his guitar. For a while, many many people envied me because I had a CD of _Small Town Romance_. Why? 'Cuz the CD was out of print and RT had said that he wanted it to stay out of print because he didn't like having live material out there because he's a perfectionist or something or other. It was a highly sought after album and fetched a steep price for a while. And then RT mellowed and they did a reissue of it and it's back in print now. (Maybe I should've sold my copy, back in the day. Nah, that's crazy talk).

The original version of this mix had the Holly Cole Trio version of Tom Waits' "Heart of Saturday Night" on it, too, which went nicely with this song. But I had to cut something and that ended up cut.

17. Closer to Fine - The Wonder Stuff - from the _Full of Life (Happy Now)_ EP.

This is, of course, a cover of the infamous Indigo Girls song. This reminds me that I haven't listened to any Wonder Stuff albums in far too long. And I haven't a clue if they've produced new albums in the last five years or so. I should find out, I suppose. They've probably broken up or I would've heard something, but you never know.

18. I'd Run Away - the Jayhawks - from _The Best Of Columbia Records Radio Hour, Volume 2_ compilation (again)

The Jayhawks are another Minneapolis band. I love 'em. _Hollywood Town Hall_ is probably my favorite album (and the picture on the cover of that album was taken not far from where I went to high school). The original version of "I'd Run Away" is off of _Tomorrow The Green Grass_. At some point, one of the two main members of the Jayhawks-- Mark Olson-- left the band and married Victoria Williams. But he was still around for this song (and both albums I've mentioned).

19. Twenty or So - Greg Brown - off of _44 & 66_

I think I heard Steven Brust perform this song before I ever heard Greg Brown play it (live or on record). Steve does a fab version of it. Other people I know have learned it. And, of course, it's a great Greg Brown song. It surprised me to find it on this particular compilation tape, I'm not sure it really fits or at least the me of today might not have thought of putting it on here. (I might've put "Downtown" after "I Want to See The Bright Lights Tonight," though. Greg Brown's _44 & 66_ is a great album. It has that song and "Ring Around the Moon," which was also performed by lots of fine folks. And "Early" which the Flash Girls used to play and which various other local musicians I know used to play.

So yeah, I knew lotsa songs on the album before I ever owned it.

20. Four Seasons in One Day - Crowded House - from part 2 of the _Nails in my Feet_ australian single

It's a live version, recorded on July 10, 1991 at a "Capitol Records Parking Lot Show," whatever that means. This is from the second part of a 2 part English or Australian single. I love Crowded House. The original mix also had another Crowded House track on it, a live version of "History Never Repeats" performed with Pearl Jam. From some other obscure single I have. And I think that song is actually a Split Enz tune, but still. Crowded House is one of my favorite bands, ever. For a while I had their "Woodface" album on tape in my van and I pretty much just listened to it (and Bob Mould's "Workbook") for an entire year. I know, I'm scary.

21. Don't Go Back to Rockville - 10,000 Maniacs - from the _Candy Everybody Wants_ single

Cover of the R.E.M. tune, of course. Not a bad cover at all, really.

22. I Just Want to Talk - John Wesley Harding

From one of the obscure fan-club Dynablob albums. It's cool.

23. One Way (Remix Edit) - the Levellers - from the _One Way_ promo/radio only single

I have the album that has the original version, too (Levelling the Land, I believe it is), but went with this shorter version 'cuz that's what I found first. Ahem. Strangely enough, this song will always make me think of my friend Nathan because we listened to it a lot when driving around D.C. one time when I visited him.

24. Consequence Free - Great Big Sea

Love this song, love this band.

Other songs that were on the original mix:

"What A Good Boy" - Barenaked Ladies. A live version from some various artists compilation disk

"Heart of Saturday Night" - Holly Cole - from _Temptation_, her album of Tom Waits' covers

"Feels Like Rain" - Buddy Guy, from the album of the same name.

"History Never Repeats" - Crowded House with Pearl Jam, live

"Just Geek" - Lisa Germano from _Geek the Girl_. Was used as a song to fill the gap at the end of side one of the tape. Heh.

"Fall Down" - Toad the Wet Sprocket - from _Acoustic Dance Party_, a live acoustic version

"Angel from Montgomery" - John Prine and Bonnie Raitt, live from _A Tribute to Steve Goodman_

"Stupid" - Toad the Wet Sprocket - _Acoustic Dance Party_, a live, acoustic version

"Star Struck Banner" - John Wesley Harding - from one of the Dynablob fan club only albums, I think. Live.

"If I Had 1,000,000" - Barenaked Ladies - probably a live version, I'm guessing, though I'm not sure which one.

(i think the friend I made the original mix for really liked or was curious about BNL).

here's just the list of songs
for "Closer to Entropy":

1. Entropy - Moxy Fruvous
2. Galileo - Indigo Girls
3. No Passenger - Boiled in Lead
4. When I Grow Up - Michelle Shocked
5. Round of Blues - Shawn Colvin (with Mary Chapin Carpenter) (live)
6. Grade 9 - Barenaked Ladies
7. Birdhouse in Your Soul - They Might Be Giants
8. Androgynous - Crash Test Dummies
9. Cows - the Suburbs
10. Penguins - Lyle Lovett
11. Starfish and Coffee - Prince
12. Window Seat - John Wesley Harding
13. Come Back Down - Toad the Wet Sprocket
14. Here Comes Your Man - the Pixies
15. Come A Long Way - Michelle Shocked
16. I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight - Richard Thompson
17. Closer to Fine - The Wonder Stuff (Indigo Girls cover)
18. I'd Run Away - the Jayhawks (live)
19. Twenty or So - Greg Brown
20. Four Seasons in One Day - Crowded House (live, recorded in 1991)
21. Don't Go Back to Rockville - 10,000 Maniacs (R.E.M. cover)
22. I Just Want To Talk - John Wesley Harding
23. One Way (Remix Edit) - the Levellers
24. Consequence Free - Great Big Sea