Saying goodbye.

You might be wondering just what I'm on about at this particular moment in time, after all of that. I honestly don't know. But I'd be happy to offer some liner notes. I hope you've had a bit of fun, or that at the very least you're not overly perturbed.

I'm not espousing our soundtrack as the best selection out there. I'm not even claiming the music is suitable accompaniment for driving. But this is what we had to work with. Just do your best.

Soundtrack For Positive Reinforcement², Vol. 1³

1. King Crimson, Three of a Perfect Pair
Selected Tracks:
three of a perfect pair
model man
sleepless
Notes: Three Crimson albums that made a big musical impact on moi: "Discipline," "Beat," "Three of a Perfect Pair." Pretty much the stuff in the middle, as time goes. I love Belew's elephant talk, Fripp's labyrinth of knotty rhythms, Bruford's clangy snare and Levin's general rumbling disposition. I highly recommend Belew's "Coming Attractions," in particular his new version of "Man in the Moon."

2. B-52's, Cosmic Thing
Selected Track:
Deadbeat Club
Cosmic Thing
Notes: I don't know what it is about Deadbeat Club. I've always been a sucker for it. Maybe it's the hair.

3. Adam Ant, Super Hits
Selected Tracks:
Desperate But Not Serious
Antmusic
Goody Two Shoes
Press Darlings
Notes: All things considered, I was a pretty confused kid. When I was in junior high, Mr. Ant was too absurd to be ignored. I remember MTV carrying one of his concerts, very late at night, at least where I lived. It was almost scandalous in the day. Two whole drummers! The racket! The fashion! In a fit of misguided religious fundamentalism, likely exacerbated by my inability to do as I was told, what with being 13 and all, my father collected all of my cassettes and hid them, citing "rebellion brought on by rock and/or roll." My father and I had a very serious, reverberating conversation about the matter, a dialogue whose penultimate moment occurred as I tersely explained that the name "Adam Ant" was an in-joke, that it, if squished together, actually spelled, indeed, made up the word A-D-A-M-A-N-T (which is, I know, patently obvious, but that didn't stop me from stating the facts), as in, dear old dad, I want my freaking "Prince Charming" tape back right now, or out comes the face paint. My collection was promptly returned, and I resumed dressing as a dandy highwayman. Then I got my ass kicked by this guy Kent down the block. I really do like the music, though. It's silly.

4.XTC, Oranges & Lemons
Selected Track:
The Mayor of Simpleton
Notes: I've heard Andy Partridge suffers from stage fright. "Senses Working Overtime" was one of the coolest songs ever. I even remember the video, the slack, half-time bass strings, and Andy's dark, round, tiny glasses and black hat. I'm cursed that way.

5. Devo, Greatest Hits
Selected Track:
Working in a Coal Mine
Notes: A flower pot on the head and a tight, black ensemble about the bod. Add Crisco and robotic movement. The boys still rock. But I can't help but remind you that black lung is no laughing matter. Trivia: Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo has done original music for the films "Bottle Rocket," "Rushmore," and "The Royal Tenenbaums."

6. They Might Be Giants, Live
Selected Tracks:
XTC vs. Adam Ant
Particle Man
Birdhouse In Your Soul
Notes: There are people who say that Beck is Mr. Dada, that he has taken nonsensical lyrics to the next level. I like Mr. Hansen muchly, but the fact is that the Johns from Brooklyn have been keeping it inane for years. For about a year in the early '90s I worked in a bookstore, and we had a little closeout cassette rack (3' x 4' max), and about once a week, every week, a kid, probably about nine years old, would come into the store, pick through the rack, then walk up to the counter and ask me the same question every time: "Do you have any They Might Be Giants?" At first I thought it was kind of cute, then sort of funny, graduating to questionably odd, and finally, very annoying. We never had any TMBG, ever. But the kid wouldn't give up. Now, many years later, I'm quite sure that kid is in prison. Every once in a while I still call Dial-A-Song. Truly. Just a regular call to Brooklyn: 718-387-6962.

7. Thelonious Monk, Greatest Hits
Selected Track:
Crepuscule With Nellie
Notes: This is one of my favorite pieces of music ever, from one of my all-time favorite composers. The performance I'm thinking of isn't the cut on the tape listed above (click on the link above to listen to it). On the track I'm remembering, the audience wasn't listening too closely until Monk really laid in and the theme was stated for the third time. The divine harmonic and melodic convergence that Monk brought to us all continues to inspire and influence players and listeners alike. And when Monk played it just came out - the humor, the complexity, the honesty - completely uncontrived. Wynton Marsalis did a nice, very faithful version in the 80s, which is on "Live at Blues Alley." Also, there's a band called Felonius Punk, which is pretty goddam funny if you ask me.

8. Miles Davis, Greatest Hits
Selected Track:
Someday My Prince Will Come
Notes: I have said it many times in my life, and I will say it again. Miles is magic. No one has made a bigger impression on me musically. I could not love a single artist's contribution more than Miles'. The particular quote above can be heard on the cut included on "The Columbia Years 1955-1985" compilation (click on the link above to listen to it). Miles wanted Paul Chambers to play quarter notes, not the swing eighths he was adding to the pulse. Keep it simple. BOOM, boom, boom. I love to hear Miles talk. I wish he was still talking and playing.

9. Van Halen, II
Selected Tracks:
Dance The Night Away
Beautiful Girls
Notes: My friend Neal and I used to road trip a lot when we were in high school. Neal was really into Pink Floyd, which, by his own admission, he would play constantly. Pretty much "The Wall" and "Dark Side of the Moon," incessantly. Occasionally I could talk him into "Wish You Were Here." Anyhoo, I stipulated that for any trip longer than 50 miles we needed happy music. And that meant, in 1984-88, Van Halen. "Diver Down," "1984," taken in their entirety, these are pretty good albums. Even some of the Van Hagar is forgiveable. But it's frightening how bad some of the early stuff is. Like, for example, the whole of "Van Halen II."

10. The Police, Regatta de Blanc
Selected Tracks:
Walking on the Moon
Bring on the Night
Deathwish
Message in a Bottle
Notes: Who doesn't like The Police? Anyone familiar with Stewart Copeland's first solo project? The unprintable one. That's your only hint.

11. The Cranberries, No Need to Argue
Selected Track:
No Need to Argue
Notes: This one wasn't on until Brian got dropped off at home, post 1,200-mile round trip drive. So: on my drive home. In truth, the lyrical content on the album is anything but positive. Also in truth, Dolores wails like a banshee wrapped loosely and wetly in a veil of loss and despair. Pretty tunes, though. Plus, ours goes to eleven.

---

²Inobvious to many (which is just fine, believe me), this is a play on a sub-section of a Mark Twight piece titled "Twitching With Twight" (collected in Kiss or Kill). The sub-section, in which Twight was having some fun at his own expense, was called 'Soundtrack for Personal Reinvention,' and listed a number of hardcore punk tunes. Mark Twight is my hero. Mark Twight hates guys like me. Which is a play on something else.
³See Vol. 2. Beware.