A Thousand Words: Which God?

SOURCE: http://laughingsquid.com/wp-content/uploads/religion-flowchart-20091027-125629.jpg

Beach Music Playlist

I lied ... this isn't actually a playlist, but a list of artists/genres that belong on any decent, self-respecting beach playlist.  Use these as suggestions for compiling your own perfect selection of beach tunes!

1. Anything by the Beach Boys.  Even their songs that aren't about summer or the beach sound like they're about summer or the beach.
2. Anything by Jimmy Buffet.  Ditto.
3. Hollywood at the Beach music.  Invoke your inner Frankie Avalon or Annette Funicello by dancing to the music they danced to in their legendary beach movies: Wipeout (Herbie Hancock); anything by The Pyramids, Donna Loren, the Bobby Fuller 4 or Dick Dale and the Del Tones; and, of course, any song actually performed by Frankie and/or Annette (they could foil motorcycle gangs, tan AND sing!)
4. Laid-back R&B.  That laid back R&B groove from the '50s is a perfect match for hot summer afternoons - and hot summer nights!  I respectfully suggest anything by the Drifters, Temptations, Platters,  Marvin Gaye, the Righteous Brothers, the Mamas & Papas, or the Four Tops.
5. Shag/Carolina Beach Music. The shag is the official state song of South Carolina and the unofficial dance of summer.  Shag music is hard to define but is sort of cross between Hollywood beach music and R&B. Classics of the genre include: anything by Chairmen of the Board, the Embers, the Fantastic Shakers, the Catalinas, the Tams, the Coastline Band, Bill Deal & the Rhondels, Delbert McCLinton, Holiday Band, Heart and Soul, Band of Oz, Georgia Prophets, Billy Scott, or North Tower; Teasin' You (Willy Tee); Girl Watcher (O'Kaysions); Brenda (OC Smith); Lady Soul (Temptations); Mrs. Grace (Tymes); or Sixty Minute Man (Billy Ward and the Dominoes)
6. Songs about summer or the sea.  If a song has "summer" in the title, it's a sure bet for the beach!  Suggestions include: Summertime (Louis Armstrong); Hot Fun in the Summertime (Sly and the Family Stone); Summer in the City (Lovin' Spoonful);  Summertime (Fresh Prince); Cruel Summer (Bananarama); It's Too Darn Hot (South Pacific soundtrack); Hot Summer Nights (Grease soundtrack); Sea of Love (Honeydrippers); and Hot Summer Nights (Night).  Oh - and don't forget the theme to Hawaii 5-0! 
7. Songs that make you happy.  I personally feel that a beach playlist should contain songs that make you feel happy.  Here are some that do it for me: Don't Worry, Be Happy (Bobby McFerrin); What a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong); Don't Stop Believing (Journey); Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades (Timbuk 3); C'est La Vie (Robbie Nevil); Pocketful of Sunshine (Natasha Bedingfield); Ain't Nothin' Wrong With That (Robert Randolph); Feeling Good (Michael Buble); I'm So Excited (Pointer Sisters); Beautiful Life (Ace of Base); and Sing, Sing, Sing (Benny Goodman)
8. Songs that make you want to dance.  If you're one of those energetic beach types - always playing frisbee or building something out of sand - do be sure to include tunes that make your pulse race.  I respectfully suggest the following: anything by Michael Jackson, Bananarama, Van Halen/David Lee Roth, or Huey Lewis and the News; or anything with the word "disco" or "bootie" in the title
9. Silly songs.  Is there a better time to indulge your frivolous side than reclining seaside with a book in one hand and a drink in the other?  Some silly novelty songs that I've found work well on the beach: Secret Agent Man (Johnny Rivers); I Like to Move It (Madagascar soundtrack); Puttin' on the Ritz (Irving Berlin); Love Potion #9 (The Searchers); Rock Lobster, Love Shack (B-52s); YMCA, Macho Man (Village People);  Copa Cabana (Barry Manilow); and Oh Yeah (Yello).
10. Anything Caribbean/Reggae.  Nothing says "vacation" quite like Jamaican!  Some perennial favorites include the Red, Red Wine (UB40); Banana Boat Song (Harry Belafonte); Caribbean Queen (Billy Ocean); Hot, Hot, Hot (Buster Poindexter); and, of course, anything performed by Bob Marley.
11. Anything Hawaiian.  You could start at Don Ho but I wouldn't stay there for long!  Instead, try more authentic artists like Ku`uipo Kumukahi, Keali`i Reichel, or the Brothers Cazimero; Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's gorgeous version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow; or any other tune sung to the accompaniment of a eukalale. 
12. Mellow classics.  If you prefer music as smooth as the sound of the waves sliding onto shore, I respectfully suggest the following performers: Sade, Chicago, Carly Simon, Michael Buble, Andrea Bocelli, or any performer doing their version of the Cole Porter songbook.
13. Cuban music.  Cuban music may be a little hot and smoky for your typical family beach, but it's just the ticket for a hot summer night with your loved one!  Don't worry about genre (mamba, salsa, danzon, son, bolero, etc.) - they're all good.  For a quick overview, I recommend anything by Damaso Perez Prado, Buena Vista Social Club, AfroCuba Matanzos, or Celia Cruz.
14. Instrumental.  If you don't want voices cluttering up your enjoyment of sand and surf, it doesn't get any better than the Gipsy Kings - 5-10 superb guitar players who perform a range of salsa, flamenco & pop music.  Smoking hot music for a smoking hot day!

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do Playlist

Compiling this list made me reflect on how similar mourning the death of a relationship is to mourning the death of a loved one.  If you're very, very lucky, you may finally achieve the poignant acceptance of moving on (I'm Moving On, You're My Favorite Mistake), but first you have to pass through anger (Hit the Road Jack, Love Stinks), denial (I Ain't Missing You), negotiation (Baby Come Back, At This Moment), and regret (Even Now, Hard Habit to Break).  

Call me a hopeful romantic, but my favorites are the ones that, while acknowledging that both parties may have gone their Separate Ways, hold out the hope that maybe, Somewhere Down the Road, Against All Odds, things may yet work out.  Where there's love, there's hope ...!

1. Achy Breaky Heart, Billy Ray Cyrus
2. Against All Odds, Phil Collins
3. Ain't No Sunshine, Bill Withers
4. All By Myself, xxx
5. All Out of Love, Air Supply
6. Always on My Mind, Elvis Presley 
7. At This Moment, Billy Vera
8. Baby Come Back, Player
9. Bluer Than Blue, Michael Johnson
10. Burn, Usher
11. Careless Whisper, George Michael
12. Crazy, Patsy Cline
13. Cry Me A River, Justin Timberlake
14. Crying, Ray Orbison
15. Damage Is Done, Foreigner
16. Don't Speak, No Doubt
17. Even Now, Barry Manilow
18. Everybody Needs A Little Time Away, Chicago
19. Every Rose Has Its Thorn, Poison
20. Every Time We Say Goodbye, Rod Stewart
21. Ex-Factor, Lauryn Hill
22. First Cut is the Deepest, Rod Stewart
23. Good Riddance, Green Day
24. Goodbye Girl, Bread
25. Goodbye to You, Scandal
26. Hard Habit to Break, Chicago
27. Hard to Say I'm Sorry, Chicago
28. Heart of the Matter, Don Henley
29. Heartbreak Hotel, Elvis Presley
30. Hit the Road Jack, Ray Charles
31. How Am I Supposed to Live Without You, Michael Bolton
32. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, Bee Gees
33. How Do I Live, Trisha Yearwood
34. Hurt, Nine Inch Nails
35. Hurt So Bad, Little Anthony
36. I Ain't Missing You, John Waite
37. I Don't Care Anymore, Phil Collins
38. I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues, Elton John
39. I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Marvin Gaye
40. I Hope You Dance, Lee Ann Womack
41. I Was A Fool (to Let You Go), Barry Manilow
42. I Will Remember You, Sarah McLachlan
43. I Will Survive, Stephanie Bentley
44. I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor
45. I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now, Ray Charles
46. If You Leave, OMD
47. If You Leave Me Now, Chicago
48. I'm Moving On, Rascal Flatts
49. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, Hank Williams
50. It Must Have Been Love, Roxette
51. It's My Turn, Diana Ross
52. It's Too Late, Carole King
53. Last Goodbye, Jeff Buckley
54. Look Away, Chicago
55. Love Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Faith Hill
56. Love on the Rocks, Neil Diamond
57. Love Stinks, J. Geils Band
58. Lyin' Eyes, Eagles
59. Memory, Barbra Streisand
60. My Favorite Mistake, Sheryl Crow
61. My Heart Will Go On, Celine Dion
62. New Attitude, Patti Lbelle
63. One Last Cry, Brian McKnight
64. Over You, Daughtry
65. Please Don't Go, KWS
66. Right Here Waiting, Richard Marx
67. Send Her My Love, Journey
68. Separate Ways, Journey
69. She's Gone, Hall & Oates
70. Since I Don't Have You, Skyliners
71. Single Ladies, Beyonce
72. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Louis Armstrong
73. Somewhere Down the Road, Barry Manilow
74. Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word, Elton John
75. Stormy Weather, Lena Horne
76. Take Good Care of My Baby, Bobby Vee
77. These Boots Are Made For Walkin', Nancy Sinatra
78. These Eyes, Guess Who
79. Thnks Fr Th Mmrs, Fall Out Boy
80. Tonight I Wanna Cry, Keith Urban
81. Too Much Too Little Too Late, Johnny Mathis
82. Total Eclipse of the Heart, Bonnie Tyler
83. Tragedy, Bee Gees
84. Unbreak My Heart, Tony Braxton
85. Unchained Melody, Righteous Brothers
86. Usta Be My Girl, O'Jays
87. The Way We Were, Barbra Streisand
88. We Just Disagree, Dave Mason
89. What Hurts the Most, Rascal Flatts
90. Whenever You Come Around, Vince Gill
91. Wherever You Will Go, The Calling
92. While You Loved Me, Rascal Flatts
93. Wicked Game, Chris Isaak
94. Yesterday, The Beatles
95. You Give Love a Bad Name, Bon Jovi
96. You Keep Me Hangin' On, Kim Wilde
97. You Won't Forget Me, Carly Simon
98. You'll Think of Me, Keith Urban
99. You're Only Someone That I Used to Love, Natalie Cole
100. You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling, Righteous Brothers

Did I omit your favorite breakup song? Let me know!

High-Energy Playlist

Here's a playlist for those times when you need a boost of musical adrenelin.  I realize that I could probably just copy the index of any "Club Music CD", but have decided, completely arbitrarily, that that would constitute cheating: instead, I've laboriously culled my music library for my favorite go-to up-tempo classics, sure to leave you feeling both energized, empowered, and possibly craving a disco mirror ball in your bedroom.

1. 1999 - Prince
2. 25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago
3. Accidentally in Love - Counting Crows
4. Ain't Nothing Wrong With That - Robert Randolph
5. All Star - Smashmouth
6. Beat It - Michael Jackson
7. Beautiful Life - Ace of Base
8. Blinded By the Light - Manfred Mann
9. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy - Andrew Sisters
10. Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen
11. Boys Are Back in Town - Tin Lizzy
12. Couple Days Off - Huey Lewis
13. Crocodile Rock - Elton John
14. Dancing Queen - ABBA
15. Dancing With Myself - Billy Idol
16. Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
17. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
18. Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
19. Fame - Irene Cara
20. Far From Over, Frank Stallone
21. Final Countdown - Europe
22. Firework - Katy Perry
23. Girl Gets Around - Sammy Hagar
24. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndy Lauper
25. Glamorous Life - Shiela E.
26. Gloria - Laura Brannian
27. Gonna Fly Now - Rocky soundtrack
28. Gonna Make You Sweat - C+C Music Factory
29. Goody 2 Shoes - Adam Ant
30. Hit Me Up - Gia Farrow
31. Hit the Road Jack - Ray Charles
32. Holding Out for a Hero - Bonnie Taylor
33. Hot, Hot, Hot - Buster Poindexter
34. Hot Stuff - Donna Summer
35. How Will I Know - Whitney Houston
36. I Get Around - Beach Boys
37. I Like to Move It - Sacha Baron Cohen
38. I Want Candy - Bow Wow Wow
39. I'll Be There for You - Rembrandts
40. I'm So Excited - Pointer Sisters
41. I'm Walking on Sunshine - Katerina & the Waves
42. It's Raining Men - Weather Girls
43. It's the End of the World as We Know It - REM
44. Jump - Pointer Sisters
45. Jump - Van Halen
46. Kiss - Tom Jones
47. Kiss Him Goodbye - Nylons
48. Legs - ZZ Top
49. Let's Get It Started - Black Eyed Peas
50. Let's Go Crazy - Prince
51. Livin' La Vida Loca - Ricky Martin
52. Livin' On A Prayer - Bon Jovi
53. Live to Win - Paul Stanley
54. Love Train - O'Jays
55. Lovin' Every Minute of It - Loverboy
56. Macho Man - Village People
57. Manhunt - Karen Kamon
58. Maniac - Michael Sembello
59. Mikki - Toni Braxton
60. Modern Love - David Bowie
61. My Sharona - The Knack
62. New Attitude - Patti LaBelle
63. Oh Yeah - Yello
64. One Way or Another - Blondie
65. Part-Time Lover - Stevie Wonder
66. Philadelphia Freedom - Elton John
67. Pocketful of Sunshine - Natasha Bedingfield
68. Poison Ivy - Coasters
69. Proud Mary - Tina Turner
70. Push It - Salt 'n' Pepa
71. Rhythm is Gonna Get You - Gloria Estefan
72. Rock and Roll All Night - Kiss
73. Rock You Like a Hurricane - Scorpions
74. Round and Round - Ratt
75. She's a Lady - Tom Jones
76. She Works Hard for the Money - Donna Summer
77. Sing Sing Sing - Benny Goodman
78. Single Ladies - Beyonce
79. Spirit in the Sky - Norman Greenbaum
80. Still the One - Orleans
81. Superfreak - Rick James
82. That Thing You Do! - Wonders
83. Theme from Hawaii 5-0
84. Tubthumping - Chumbawamba
85. Turn the Beat Around - Gloria Estefan
86. Two Princes - Spin Doctors
87. Turning Japanese - Vapors
88. U Can't Touch This - MC Hammer
89. Uptown Girl - Billy Joel
90. Venus - Bananarama
91. Walk This Way - Aerosmith
92. Waterloo - ABBA
93. We Will Rock You - Queen
94. We're an American Band - Grand Funk Railroad
95. What I Like About You - Romantics
96. Workin' for the Weedend - Loverboy
97. Yeah - Usher
98. YMCA - Village People
99. You Shook Me All Night Long, AC/DC

Night Driving Playlist

This playlist is for when you're in one of those "moods" - dark, brooding, perhaps a little melancholy.  For those nights when - literally or metaphorically - you're driving down long, dark, barren roads with only your ghosts to keep you company and the borderlands between you and your dark side have shrunk to the width of a lane of darkly glistening highway.  A mood that can only be soothed by songs with dark, brooding lyrics about loss and dispair; horns solos that tear at your heart; and minor chords that jar your soul.

1. 16 Tons, Tennessee Ernie Ford
2. Adagio for Strings, Barber (any cover)
3. Always Something There to Remind Me, Naked Eyes
4. American Pie, Don McLean
5. Big John, Tennessee Ernie Ford
6. Big Man on Mulberry Street, Billy Joel
7. Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen
8. Brothers in Arms, Dire Straits
9. Cell Block Tango, Soundtrack from Chicago
10. Cold as Ice, Foreigner
11. Come Sail Away, Styx
12. Crazy, Gnarls Barkley
13. Crying Game, Boy George
14. The Damage is Done, Foreigner
15. Desert Rose, Sting
16. Don't Fear the Reaper, Blue Oyster Cult
17. Downbound Train, Bruce Springsteen
18. Dream On, Aerosmith
19. Don't Tell me 'Cause It Hurts, No Doubt
20. Folsom Prison Blues, Johnny Cash
21. Gangsta's Paradise, Coolio
22. Garden of Allah, Don Henley
23. Ghost Riders in the Sky, Outlaws
24. Ghosts, Dan Fogelberg
25. Goodnight Saigon, Billy Joel
26. Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: O Fortuna, Orff (any cover)
27. Hallelujah, Jeff Buckly
28. Hazy Shade of Winter, Bangles
29. Hot Summer Nights, Night
30. Hotel California, Eagles
31. House of the Rising Sun, Credence Clearwater Revival
32. I'm a Fool to Want You, Carly Simon
33. I'm on Fire, Bruce Springsteen
34. In the Air Tonight, Phil Collins
35. In the Midnight Hour, Wilson Picket
36. Into the Night, B.B. King
37. Into the Night, Santana
38. I've Loved These Days, Billy Joel
39. Kashmir, Led Zeppplin
40. A Kiss From a Rose, Seal
41. Lies, Elton John
42. Live and Let Die, Paul McCartney
43. The Living Daylights, A-Ha
44. Logical Song, Supertramp
45. Lonely in Your Nightmare, Duran Duran
46. Mad World, Michael Andrews
47. Maddest Kind of Love, Big Bad Voodoo Daddies
48. Magic, Ghostbuster's Soundtrack
49. Mission Impossible Theme, U2
50. New Religion, Duran Duran
51. New York Minute, Don Henley
52. Night on Bald Mountain, Mussorgsky (any cover)
53. Nights in White Satin, Moody Blues
54. On the Dark Side, John Cafferty
55. One, Three Dog Night
56. One Night in Bangkok, Murray Head
57. Peter Gunn Theme, Blues Brothers
58. Piano Man, Billy Joel
59. Pressure, Billy Joel
60. Promentary, Soundtrack from Last of the Mohicans
61. Purple Rain, Prince
62. Relax, Frankie Goes to Hollywood
63. Requiem: Lacrimosa, Mozart (any cover)
64. Riders on the Storm, The Doors
65. Save a Prayer, Duran Duran
66. Secret, Maroon 5
67. Six Silver Strings, B.B. King
68. Sound of Silence, Simon & Garfunkel
69. Stairway to Heaven, Led Zepplin
70. The Stranger, Billy Joel
71. Streets of Philadelphia, Bruce Springsteen
72. Struggle, Nuttin' But Stringz
73. Summer in the City, Lovin' Spoonful
74. Sunglasses at Night, Corey Heart
75. Sunset Grill, Don Henley
76. Take On Me, A-Ha
77. Tainted Love, Soft Cell
78. They Won't Go When I Go, George Michael
79. The Thrill is Gone, B.B. King
80. Thunderball, Tom Jones
81. Too Low for Zero, Elton John
82. Too Much Sex, Not Enough Affection, Timbuk 3
83. Total Eclipse of the Heart, Bonnie Tyler
84. Town Without Pity, Brian Setzer
85. Trouble, Bitter:Sweet
86. Twilight Zone, ManhattanTransfer
87. Unfaithful, Rihanna
88. Uninvited, Alanis Morisette
89. Until The Night, Billy Joel
90. A View to a Kill, Duran Duran
91. Voices Carry, 'Til Tuesday
92. When Doves Cry, Prince
93. While the Night Is Still Young, Billy Joel
94. Who Wants to Live Forever, Queen (Seal also does a great cover of this)
95. Wicked Game, Chris Isaac
96. Winner Takes It All, ABBA
97. The World is Not Enough, Garbage
98. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitgerald, Gordon Lightfood
99. You Belong to the City, Glenn Fry