1000 Minutes Vol. 1

So I completely stole this idea from Totally Twitterpad, who borrowed it from the creators at Tympanogram. The Project: If you were stuck on a desert island and could bring with you precisely 1000 minutes of music on your mp3 player, what songs would you fill it with? We listen to so much music on a daily basis that sometimes appreciation and meaning are lost in translation. But what if you had only a limited, select amount of songs to love for the rest of your life? What would bring you the most joy, the most comfort, the best variety through your numbered days? Chicago Public Radio's Sound Opinions also has a similar running segment, where Jim and Greg trade off throwing tracks into their "Desert Island Jukebox".

So begins my 1000 minutes. I've decided to take it slow, and only knock songs off one or two at a time. It's easy to feel rushed or make selections based on emotional mood, so I'd rather my choices reflect true contemplation, in the spirit of the project's origins.

1. Otis Redding - That's How Strong My Love Is (2:27) [Time Remaining: 997.73]
I know I've raved about this one before, going so far as to call it perfect - possibly the greatest single recording I've ever owned. Otis was unbelievably talented, his career tragically short. I could listen to this one for hours on end because with each new listen he is more convincing, his emotion more palpable. I'm able to feel the physical weight of loving someone so much it hurts. This is a song for anyone who loves with every fiber of their being. It touches on our most basic human desire to be loved, yearned for, needed to the point of agony.

2. James Brown - Try Me [Live at the Apollo, 1962] (2:26) [Time Remaining: 995.47]
Although James Brown recorded four different Live @ The Apollo albums, the '62 recording with Brown's backing band, The Famous Flames was by far his best. Despite the simplistic lyricism of "Try Me," or perhaps because of it, I love this track in particular. What could have been a concise appeal from man to woman is transformed into this incredibly emotional lover's plea. Brown's charismatic stage presence and commitment to the material only make for an improvement of the track live. Sidenote: Brown financed the recording of this album completely on his own, without any inclination that the album would become a bestseller.

Thanks to Andy and Dave, as well as Jim and Greg for coming up with this great idea.

Otis Redding - That's How Strong My Love Is [mp3]