Henderson Oracle

Issue date: 3/3/08 Section: Opinion

Media Credit: Arshia Khan

The old adage that one person's trash is another's treasure is made painfully obvious to me every time I see the garbage that composes most of Billboard's Top 100.

So in an effort to offer a few solutions, rather than just problems, I have compiled an hour's worth of music that will change your life - or at least your mood.

Your ears will thank you.

6:31 - "Time" off of Pink Floyd's 1973 opus, "Dark Side of the Moon." The etherealness of this track slowly envelops and lulls the listener into a false sense of security, until the tempo picks up, mirroring the awakening call to action in the lyrics. Genius.

3:32 - "Rocky Raccoon" was originally released on the Beatles' highly acclaimed "White Album." Honestly, the only excuse for not liking this song is being deaf. And if you aren't deaf, and still don't like it, then there is nothing between those useless ears. Seriously. It's the Beatles.

8:19 - "Stormy Monday" by Albert King. As is the case with almost all blues songs, several different artists have recorded this standard - artists ranging all the way from T-bone Walker to Isaac Hayes. If it is good enough for Shaft, it is good enough for me.

5:59 - "Nocturne in C sharp Minor, Op 48 No 1" by Frederic Chopin. Musical mastery embodied, Frederic F***ing Chopin. Does that really need any further explanation?

4:17 - "The Spy" is unadulterated, quintessential Doors. In this selection, Morrison - driven by any number of illegal substances - can be found rambling incoherencies and crooning over a relaxed piano-driven jazz number. Perfection. And if anyone claims to know what Morrison was talking about, they are either crazy or high - much like Jim.

11:33 - "Mediterranean Sundance/Rio Ancho." With a line-up of virtuosos such as Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucia, it is impossible to go wrong. You go to the circus - you can count on seeing a few clowns. You assemble three of the most polarizing figures of guitar playing as we know it - and expect magic.

5:26 - "Golden Slumbers," "Carry that Weight" and "The End" make up the final suite of the Beatles' 1969 release, "Abbey Road."

One aspect of the Beatles' that proves their musical aptitude is how seamlessly their songs flow together; each song is bettered by its predecessor. This ending suite contains a virtual vista of angelic melodies and harmony, enough to make me cry. If I could.

5:13 - "Down by the Seaside" by Led Zeppelin. It wouldn't be a list without Zeppelin. Just as it wouldn't be a massage without a happy ending. Plant's lyrics, all of which are never off target, seem to shine even more than usual on this track off of "Physical Graffiti." Which is, coincidentally, as close as you can get to the perfect album.

12:32 - "Machine Gun" is nothing short of awe inspiring. Jimi Hendrix, who never met a note he couldn't bend or shake to his will, was one of the most inventive and captivating guitarists of all time. This particular song had a key free-form element that kept it from ever being performed exactly the same way twice. Brilliant. One of the best versions of this song comes from a New Years' Eve performance in 1970. Put in its context, it is a subversive song about revolution; out of its context, it is 12:32 of lucid guitar dexterity and wizardry.

One hour.

Life is too short to listen to bad music.

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