Apple does celeb playlists. But when they asked Kevin Smith to do one, the one he did was too long. So they nixed it. He released it on his blog:

http://stereogum.com/4053/kevin_smiths_aborted_itunes_playlist/celebrity-playlist/

So if Apple can ask celebs to do playlists, non-celebs on the Reelviews can do them as well.

Mine's forthcoming. Any overlapping between mine and Smith's is coincidental.

Here's Mine.

No Woman No Cry (Live)-Bob Marley (From Africa Unite. The Singles Collection)
Toss between starting with this or a Beatles selection. I ultimately opted for the Marley song. It's Bob Marley, what more needs to be said.

Not For You-Pearl Jam (From Vitalogy)
Seeing that Pearl Jam is easily my favorite band aside from the Beatles, picking one song instead of twenty was hard. My first inclination was to choose either the hard rocking Do The Evolution or the touching ballad Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town. But I picked this one ultimately for having some lines that are true ("restless soul enjoy your youth") if a tad tried in spots ("Can't escape from the common rule/If you hate something don't you do it too").

Silent All These Years-Tori Amos (From Little Earthquakes)
If I had directed Magnolia, it would've been full of Tori Amos songs rather than Aimee Mann ones (no offense to Aimee Mann, who's superb in her own right). The lyrics in this are purely cinematic ("I got the antichrist in my kitchen yelling at me again") while the piano backing drives home the feeling of suburban isolation Tori seems to want to convey.

Across The Universe-The Beatles (From Let It Be)
Having to pick just one Beatles song was close to impossible. On anotehr day it might've been "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" or "I'm Only Sleeping" or "She Said She Said" or "Come Together" the list goes on. I picked this one for its pure philosophical approach and striking emotion.

Mouth For War-Pantera (From Vulgar Display of Power)
If you're looking for a track to vent anger to, look no further than this one from these Texas headbangers. While most of Pantera's later output would get drowned out in a sea of sound and furying signifying nothing, here their anger was on target.

Freebase-Richard Pryor (From The Anthology 1968-1992)
Pryor was one comedian who relied less on jokes and more on a combination of personal storytelling/social commentary. This account of the famous freebasing incident that nearly killed him in 1980 is proof positive of this. Hilarious yet harrowing, it's a prime example of that fantastic genre: Dark comedy (no pun intended).

Wanna Be Starting Something/Human Nature-Michael Jackson (From The Essential Michael Jackson)
If I had compiled this a few years ago, before MJ's sad death, I might've listed this as a guilty pleasure. But now I say screw that! Michael Jackson earned his superstar status with legitmate talent (unlike many of the artists that rip him off nowadays ALA Justin Bieber). Technically I'm cheating by putting two songs here. But since they segue into each other, it makes sense to link em. WBSS whenever i hear it takes me back to a morning at work when a few of us decided to use the break room as a dance floor to this classic. And Human Nature reflects for me on a time when I was in love with a woman and a lot of the rest of the world didn't seem to approve. Yeah, Michael was the king of pop.

Ready Or Not-The Fugees (From The Score)
The whole album is great. But I chose this one because it's my personal favorite from it and it has the great line: "I play my enemies like a game of chess".

Airbag-Radiohead (From OK Computer)
Deciding on which Radiohead song to use, I ultimately chose this one because the line "In an interstellar burst/I'm back to save the universe" is fantastic.

Goodnight A**holes-David Cross (From Shut Up You F***ing Baby)
Smith nailed it in his playlist when he observed that this is one of the greatets comedy albums of all-time not to mention the all-around best one since Bill Hicks. This last cut from the second disc of the 2-cd behemoth is a rant on Cosi's square bagels. Hilarious, yet it's only the tip of the iceberg. If you're tired of defanged "comedy" give this album a listen.

Here Is No Why-The Smashing Pumpkins (From Mellon Collie)
One of my favorite cuts off my senior year favorite.

Lemon-U2 (From Zooropa)
Bono's falsetto on this is fantastic and the song works as a perfect comment on visualization (or so it seems). I plan to use it over the closing credits of Sunset Tango (the movie I'm writing now to make after i get Dead Man's Lead made).

She Watch Channel Zero-Public Enemy (From It Takes A Nation Of Millions)
Sound and fury signifying something, namely the soullesness of daytime TV.

B.O.B-Outkast (From Stankonia)
Power music electric revival!

Rehab-Amy Winehouse (From Back To Black)
Best I don't wanna drink but I'm going to anyway song.

I'm A Mess-Anthony Hamilton (From Coming From Where I'm From)
The perfect break-up song

Bigmouth Strikes Again-The Smiths (From The Singles)
Teen angst at its most poetic.

Outtasite (Outta Mind)-Wilco (From Being There)
Perfect rock and roll and proof that the form will never die as long as Wilco's around.

Same Boy You've Always Known-White Stripes (From White Blood Cells)
And to close this playlist, we have this ballad from what is the Stripes best album.

Great idea, Jeff, and sweet playlist.

I plan on making at least a few of these, as it's rather fun. They're going to be broken down by theme
Timmy's Playlist of Really Long, Somewhat Pretentious but nonetheless Epic and Awesome Progressive Rock Songs

- Cassandra Gemini by The Mars Volta

This sprawling 30 minute epic is simply face-melting. You want jazz flutes? You got it. Trippy noises? Check. Pretentious weird prog noise? Of course. Saxophone? Check. Mile Davis-esque editing and assembling? You bet. One of my absolute all-time favorites.

- Atom Heart Mother by Pink Floyd

Ok, they didn't get to finish it, and if you notice towards the end it repeats itself from the beginning, but this 24 minute song is all kinds of awesome. RUMMAH TIKKAH, TOO DOO DAHHHHHH! The rest of the album is kinda weak though, so the song being 24 minutes is a very good thing.

- 2112 by Rush

The quintessential long prog song. Neil Peart + drums = eargasm.

- Larks' Tongue in Aspic Parts 1 and 2

Part 1 comes in at around 13 and 1/2 minutes, and part 2 comes in around 7. Combined, they make one of the most innovative rock songs ever created.

- Tarkus by Emerson, Lake and Palmer

Who doesn't love a moog modulator synthesizer?

- Echoes by Pink Floyd

The version of this song from "Live at Pompeii" is an awe-inspiring piece of artwork. The one from the original album (Meddle) is awesome too.

- Tetragrammaton by the Mars Volta

Clocking in at 16 minutes, this is my all time favorite song. It's the kind of song you don't fall in love with at first, but each time you listen to it, it becomes better and better, which is a pretty typical phenomenon for prog music.

- Achilles Last Stand by Led Zeppelin

Honestly, not one of Zeppelin's strongest songs, but it's still great, and at 10:28 min. it's long enough to qualify the list, and I wanted these guys to make the cut

- Bitches Brew by Miles Davis

Ok, I realize this is technically categorized as jazz, but it's amongst the most progressive jazz you'll ever hear. It's full of weird awesome stuff too. Clocks in at 27 minutes.

- Just kidding, there is no more. This playlist is too long as it is. And you thought I was going to put a Dream Theater song here, HA!

In order by artist name, one tune per artist, pulled semi-randomly from my iTunes.

Alice In Chains - "Them Bones" - Jerry's a beast on this one, and he and Layne sing their asses off.

Jeff Beck - "'Cause We've Ended as Lovers" - Very low-key, but batshit crazy at the same time.

Danzig - "Anything" - Danzig's performance here is great, and John Christ contributes exactly the right mood.

Death - "Overactive Imagination" - All those guys in the room at the same time... how did it happen?

Faith No More - "The Real Thing" - The different textures layered in here are a hint at the eclecticism in FNM's near-future.

Mercyful Fate - "Curse of the Pharaohs" - These guys tie up so many strands of heavy metal history on this album.

Meshuggah - "Neurotica" - Probably the most punishing item on this list. These guys do punishing exceedingly well.

W.A. Mozart - "Don Giovanni a Cenar Teco M'invitasti" - Okay, maybe this is the most punishing item on the list.

The New Deal - "Gone Gone Gone" - These guys cover a lot of moods and generate a lot of sound. This is them rocking out.

Ozzy Osbourne - "Mr. Crowley" - The guitar playing on this song is nuts, but it's tasteful all the same.

Rush - "Dreamline" - Great drumming, great bass playing, great guitar playing, thoughtful lyrics... hey, it's Rush.

Joe Satriani - "Mind Storm" - Joe is unfairly stereotyped as a flash guitarist. His compositions and his musical touch are always spot-on.

Soundgarden - "Jesus Christ Pose" - Is that a human being or an air raid siren?

Strapping Young Lad - "Room 429" - Awesome album, awesome cover of an awesome song. Hard to beat, as penultimate songs go.

Lao Tizer - "Fire and Ice" - This guy can play his ass off. Don't miss him live.

Devin Townsend - "Numbered!" - Devin Townsend is superhumanly talented, and his latest stuff is among his best.

Umphrey's McGee - "Push the Pig" - Jam music? Exciting? Doesn't compute. Don't miss these guys live.

Van Halen - "Drop Dead Legs" - I've been playing the guitar for 10 years because of this man.

Dave Weckl - "Synergy" - The best drummer, in the room with all the right people. This is a smoking jam.

Frank Zappa - "Ask Dr. Stupid" - Frank could make a guitar do crazy, ugly, beautiful things. Here, he makes it say "uncle."

Music For A Night Of Quiet Reflection

Pink Moon - Nick Drake - An instant mellower.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-Ya8adXZJE

Magnificent Seventies - The American Analog Set - 9 minutes of quiet groove.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NJkSdv2FZw

Atlantic City - Bruce Springsteen - A classic Nebraska track from The Boss.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3eu1gW-bQ8

A Little Soul - Pulp - Jarvis Cocker sings about parental fears and child abandonment; the result is something special.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1Nkq-NEyP8

Fade Into You - Mazzy Star - That fuckin' voice, man. Doesn't get much better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImKY6TZEyrI

Come In Out Of The Rain - Engineers - Underappreciated shoegaze.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mf9QGKPvnQ

Since K Got Over Me - The Clientele - Seems like a good "standing under streetlights in the rain" song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxUPoHgVId8

Rock 'N' Roll Singer - Mark Kozelek - The king of melancholy, covering AC/DC.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FheMX8zfMf0

After The Flood - Talk Talk - Both beautiful and threatening at the same time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9HsGsB-MCM

Allison - Slowdive - Classic shoegaze.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol787NjpBS4

The Moonbeam Song - Harry Nilsson - Have you ever watched a moonbeam as it slid across your windowpane?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYrySQsMjdE

Teardrop - Massive Attack - Obligatory trip-hop cut, gorgeous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7K72X4eo_s

Idiot Prayer - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - A strong cut from Nick Cave's ballad album (and my personal favorite), The Boatman's Call.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw9It-VKcuE

Major Leagues - Pavement - Baseball season is almost here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13DfvdeH-io

Faith/Void - Bill Callahan - The questioning God song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saQ3we9kE-A

Hold On - Tom Waits - Proof that Tom Waits can nail a ballad as good as anyone else, if not better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knII3S0MZtY

Come Pick Me Up - Ryan Adams - I wake up at night worrying about someone stealing my records.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM0mjukDGRw

The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore - The Walker Brothers - One of those tunes that remains timeless.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9wV7QWyXf8

The Only Living Boy In New York - Simon & Garfunkel - Forget this was in Garden State; one of the loneliest songs ever written.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IwYQ1Vqf_4

I See A Darkness - Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Really dark, pit of despair stuff right here, but in a good way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAriDxTeed8

Lost Verses - Sun Kil Moon - Probably my favorite track of the last decade.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65DxMFO9gg8

Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space - Spiritualized - Seemed like a solid playlist closer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB7E1D_3Na4

I need rules! Are we working with a song limit? Time limit? No limit?



Oooh. Long songs. May I throw out one or two recommendations? (That was rhetorical, I'm doing it either way...)

I've spoken favourably about Edge of Sanity's Crimson a few times. It's a little over 38 minutes and alternates between tender, contemplative periods and facemelting periods. Bonus: it tells a Children of Men style story:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9i-jaMaEpo

Morningrise isn't my favourite Opeth album, but Black Rose Immortal is the longest and best song on the album. Opeth songs are generally over 10 minutes anyway but I think this is their only 20+ minute song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew59UJASWYA

Post-rock's Mogwai is probably a better recommendation for general audiences. Mogwai Fear Satan is their Magnum Opus. Don't let the title put you off. This is a beautiful little (well, not little) instrumental that encapsulates everything that can be beautiful about post-rock:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwDbJXRjvUg

Much, much shorter is Mastodon's Prog Metal masterpiece The Last Baron. I'm not sure if it's their longest song but it's their most beautiful:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pvfQtUhtNE