So technically this is not a new blog “entry” but it is something I wanted to share with everyone again now that I have started Tones of Yo. I have added more detail in this post than what I initially had when I posted this as a Facebook note almost two years ago.
The purpose of this exercise is to create a soundtrack that explains your life and there are two views on how it can be created. One way to go about this endeavor (and I do mean endeavor because it is a tough task) is to pick songs that meant a lot to you at different pivotal points in your life. The other way to start this project, and the way I chose to use, is to view yourself from another person’s perspective and create the soundtrack based on what they would play during the movie about your life. I highly recommend all music lovers to try this at some point.
I threw my iPod on shuffle and listened to every song that was on it at the time when I started to think about what songs I wanted on my soundtrack. The task can get tedious when you have 11,000+ songs, so there is no way that I got through every song (side note: I am now over 15,000). However, I was unemployed at the time and making the Nashville-Memphis-Nashville trek at least once every two weeks so I did make it through a good bit. I gave every song a chance by listening to it for at least one minute before skipping to the next song and I actually discovered some new songs and artists that I might have normally skipped if I did not try this project. I remember my initial list of songs came to about 35 and I had to narrow down from there. You are probably tired of reading my narrative by now, so I will get on to the music. A post on why each song made the cut will come soon.
RULES:
- No more than 20 songs
- Must fit on one disc
THE SOUNDTRACK:
1. Blind Melon – “No Rain”
2. Cary Brothers – “Blue Eyes”
3. The Killers – “Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll”
4. Modest Mouse – “The World at Large”
5. Aerosmith – “Dream On”
6. The Doors – “Break On Through (To The Other Side)”
7. Jeremy Kay – “Have It All”
8. The Beatles – “In My Life”
9. Bill Withers – “Lean On Me”
10. Cake – “Friend is a Four Letter Word”
11. Dashboard Confessional – “The Places You Have Come to Fear The Most”
12. Survivor – “Eye of the Tiger”
13. Gov’t Mule – “I’ll Be The One”
14. The Beach Boys – “When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)”
15. Ben E. King – “Stand By Me”
16. The Weepies – “Can’t Go Back Now”
17. The Meters – “Mardi Gras Mambo”
18. Bobby McFerrin – “Don’t Worry Be Happy”
19. Wade Yohanek – “Adam”
20. Semisonic – “Closing Time”
Bonus Track (because “Adam” is not recorded anywhere): Ben Harper – “Glory & Consequence”
Tones of Yo 