Just Call Me Cupid: Woo Music
Is there anything more romantic, or potentially disastrous, than a lovey-dovey mix CD? You're putting the future of your relationship in the hands of your favorite, entirely suspect musicians. Do you really want to use Lita Ford's Kiss Me Deadly to say you care? Allow me to help.
Spanning decades and bridging relationships, here's SEAN DALY'S CAN'T-MISS KISS-KISS PLAYLIST, 14 songs that say I love you, I need you, I wanna see your pajama collection:
1. Tell It Like It Is, the Neville Brothers (from The Very Best of the Neville Brothers) Best slow-dance song ever. Period.
2. Run to Me, Raul Malo (from You're Only Lonely) Can't type . . . too busy . . . crying . . . and hugging myself.
3. I Go Crazy, Flesh for Lulu (from Some Kind of Wonderful) Here's your to-do list: 1) Find Goth hottie, 2) play this song, 3) fall in love, 4) buy more eyeliner.
4. Space Age Love Song, A Flock of Seagulls (from Platinum & Gold Collection) Underrated '80s love song, about aliens or otherwise.
5. Something, the Beatles (from Abbey Road) Most honest love song ever. Period.
6. After the Lovin', Engelbert Humperdinck (from Behind Closed Doors: '70s Swingers) One word: Humperdinck.
7. I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By, Mary J. Blige & Method Man (from the I'll Be There for You EP) Tough MC and the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul swoon on rare romantic rap duet.
8. The Right Man, Christina Aguilera (from Back to Basics) Xtina uncorks bombastic wedding-night thank-you note.
9. Here We Go Again, Ray Charles and Norah Jones (from Genius Loves Company) May-December pairing shouldn't work but does -- really well.
10. Crying, Roy Orbison and K.D. Lang (from King of Hearts) A tutorial in crooning with a big weepy finish.
11. Always on Your Side, Sheryl Crow and Sting (from the Always on Your Side single) Originally just a Crow song, now devastating as a duet.
12. This Is Us, Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris (from All the Roadrunning) A sweet travelogue of a modern marriage. Bring Kleenex.
13. Make You Feel My Love, Bob Dylan (from Time Out of Mind) Even Dylan haters dig this unabashed come-on.
14. Let's Get It On, Marvin Gaye (from Let's Get It On) My job here is done.
Sean Daly is the pop music critic for the St. Petersburg Times. His CD collection -- from Journey to Dylan, Prince to U2, Public Enemy to Stan Getz -- is much bigger and better than yours.
Hmmm, seems like you have added some more favorites from the 80s:
Good Feeling (Violent Femmes)
Hold Me Now (Thompson Twins)
The Power of Love (Frankies Goes to Hollywood)
And of course, if you're more into alternative lifestyles...
Strip (Adam Ant)
Master and Servant (Depeche Mode)
Posted by: Spears | February 01, 2007 at 11:59 AM
Eighties, Schmeighties. My love spans decades.
Posted by: Sean Daly | February 01, 2007 at 01:09 PM
To get the disco flavor going, what about GAP Band - You've drop a bomb on me
Posted by: sparky | February 01, 2007 at 01:40 PM
Wow, you must get funky in the boudoir, Sparky.
Posted by: Sean Daly | February 01, 2007 at 02:02 PM
Daly,
Your list is pretty good, but I've got a few of my own....
I Fall to Pieces - Patsy Cline
Hold on Loosely - .38 Special (this is my parents' theme song - hence the reason they're still together)
All of My Days - Alexi Murdoch
Circle - Big Head Todd and the Monsters
Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers (Try not to think of Knotting Hill and just enjoy this one, dangit.)
At This Moment - Billy Vera and the Beaters (My first [and only true] love will always be connected to this one for me, so even though it's 80's cheese, it's gotta be here.)
More - Bobby Darrin
Stellar - Incubus
Better Together - Jack Johnson
The Nearness of You - Norah Jones
Hold You in My Arms - Ray LaMontagne
Crazy Love - Van Morrison
All I Want is You - U2
Fall to Pieces - Velvet Revolver
And for a little bit of kink...
Black and Blue - Van Halen
Love ya babe. You rock!
Posted by: Sara Hall | February 01, 2007 at 02:10 PM
Where's "True" by Spandau Ballet???
Posted by: Spears | February 01, 2007 at 03:45 PM
Spears is right ya know. There are tons of us Jake Ryan fans out there that LOVE "True." We just can't help it.
Posted by: Sara Hall | February 01, 2007 at 04:30 PM
Why don't you two just go get a room?
"True" blows with a hurricanical intensity.
Posted by: Sean Daly | February 01, 2007 at 04:33 PM
What Category though?
Posted by: sparky | February 01, 2007 at 04:45 PM
Oh, "True"'s a Category 5 for sure. That's hardcore blowing.
Posted by: Sean Daly | February 01, 2007 at 04:48 PM
I second the addition of "All I Want is You" to the playlist. What's a V-Day playlist without at least one song about unrequited love?
That gets me thinking ... how about an anti-Valentine Day playlist, Daly. We could load it with songs that let you wallow in the memories of loves dead and dying.
Posted by: Guy | February 01, 2007 at 04:53 PM
I would have thought it would of sucked with tornadic intensity, but I could be wrong.
Posted by: sparky | February 01, 2007 at 04:54 PM
"Dead and dying" was figuratively-speaking, of course.
Posted by: Guy | February 01, 2007 at 04:54 PM
Holy sh--, Guy. Did you have a bad day or something?
Posted by: Sean Daly | February 01, 2007 at 05:10 PM
While my mom would fiercely defend your inclusion of Engelbert (though she is more of a "Quando, Quando, Quando" kinda lady), I would submit that no get-busy compilation is complete without Chris Isaak's "Wicked Ways." Or Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic." Or Eric Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight." Or practically anything by Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music.
Posted by: Tonianne | February 01, 2007 at 05:15 PM
Here's one for SDCMKK 2 "Kiss You All Over" by Exile.
Posted by: DC | February 01, 2007 at 05:16 PM
RE: "Dead and dying" was figuratively-speaking, of course.
Hey, there's always "Girlfriend in a Coma."
Posted by: Tonianne | February 01, 2007 at 05:18 PM