Here’s a discussion of my selections for the Battle Of The Sexes mix, Volume 10 of the Green Monkey Music Project.

In the initial round of the Green Monkey Music Project I did with some folks from work, one of the guys chose “Girls, Girls, Girls” as a theme (all songs had to have a female name), so I knew for this mix I would be opting to choose songs of the male persuasion.

I thought it would be difficult, but as I searched for songs I realized there was a helluva lot of dude name songs I liked as well.

Charlemagne – John Cale
From Vintage Violence, John Cale’s first solo album. Sure, the title and cover of this album may be a little unsettling, but it’s quite the lovely slice o’ pop. This song is really wonderful, though I could just as easily have included “Gideon’s Bible” from the same record. Check it out.

Billy Two – The Clean
This is just a straight-ahead, no-nonsense two minute pop song. I saw Yo La Tengo play this at the Metro in Chicago. Their guest guitarist touring with them sang the song, who just happened to be David Kilgour of The Clean. From the Anthology compilation.

Captain Lou – NRBQ
I never really knew a lot about NRBQ, despite their beloved status among many musicians and music-lovers. I actually saw them open up for R.E.M. on the Green tour, in the unfriendly confines of the Assembly Hall in Urbana, Illinois. I really didn’t dig them too much, but conditions were pretty much as bad as they could be for me to appreciate their music. I recently heard this song on Yo La Tengo’s very enjoyable half-assed covers compilation Yo La Tengo Is Murdering The Classics. I liked the song so much I sought out the original, which I liked even more. Hey, it’s got Captain Lou Albano. How cool is that? From Lou and the Q.

Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing – The Minutemen
A great song off a great album – Double Nickels On The Dime. Has some really choice lines, my favorite being “So dig this big crux”. This song clocks in under two minutes. It shows what a rockin’ song is all about, in my humble opinion. Pure, pure stuff.

Adam Green – Momus
This song was one of my entries in a lyrics quiz, but no one ever got it. Off the interesting album Stars Forever, where for US $1000 you could have Momus write a song about you. Supposedly, the songs-for-pay on Stars Forever was concocted to enable Momus to recoup his legal costs incurred by being sued for a song on his previous album, The Little Red Songbook. Songbook contained a song “Walter Carlos”, about the famous Switched-On Bach virtuoso now known as Wendy. Wendy no like the song. Wendy sue Momus. I can assure you that the song wasn’t that offensive. Harvey Keitel got much worse treatment on the same album. Anyways, I was hesitant to include this song because it has a couple offensive lines, too. But hell, if this is my last Monkey Mix, screw it, right?

Thanks to Beckeye for hosting this time around.

As promised, here’s the track listing to the aborted Volume 10 of GMMP, another could-have-been masterpiece that never-was-finished.

It’s like the long lost version of the Beach Boys’ Smile, except it doesn’t have “Good Vibrations” or a song about vegetables (at least I don’t think any of these songs are about vegetables).

Ladies
01 – Darlene – Led Zeppelin [beckeye]
02 – Vicky Verky – Squeeze [beckeye]
03 – Blue Jean – David Bowie [beckeye]
04 – Hey Julie – Fountains of Wayne [beckeye]
05 – Always Claire – Knockout Drops [beckeye]
06 – Eleanor Rigby – The Beatles [distributorcap]
07 – Chelsea Morning – Joni Mitchell [distributorcap]
08 – Walk Away Renee – The Four Tops [distributorcap]
09 – Sad Lisa – Cat Stevens [distributorcap]
10 – Suite Judy Blue Eyes – Crosby Stills & Nash [distributorcap]
11 – Jenny (867-5309) – Tommy Tutone [flanneryalden]
12 – Maggie Mae – Rod Stewart [flanneryalden]
13 – Candy’s Room – Bruce Springsteen [flanneryalden]
14 – Oh Donna – Ritchie Valens [flanneryalden]
15 – Sarah Smiles – Hall & Oates [flanneryalden]
16 – Mustang Sally – The Commitments [moxie]
17 – Pandora’s Box – Aerosmith [moxie]
18 – Meet Virginia – Train [moxie]
19 – Jolene – Dolly Parton [moxie]
20 – Amanda – Boston [moxie]
21 – Valerie Loves Me – Material Issue [lulu]
22 – Sweet Jane – Cowboy Junkies [lulu]
23 – Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) – Edison Lighthouse [lulu]
24 – Cecilia Ann – Pixies [lulu]
25 – Jamie’s Crying – Van Halen [lulu]

Gents
26 – Charlemagne – John Cale [splotchy]
27 – Billy Two – The Clean [splotchy]
28 – Captain Lou – NRBQ [splotchy]
29 – Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing – The Minutemen [splotchy]
30 – Adam Green – Momus [splotchy]
31 – Paul Stanley – Hellacopters [allenl]
32 – St. Jimmie the Prankster – Dean Gray (Green Day Mashup) [allenl]
33 – Jonathan – Nerf Herder [allenl]
34 – Vincent – Don Maclean [allenl]
35 – Pablo Picasso Visitos Los Planetos de los Simios – Adam and the Ants [allenl]
36 – Can’t Con an Honest John – The Streets [barbara]
37 – Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner – Warren Zevon [barbara]
38 – Donald in the Bushes with a Bag of Glue – Ballboy [barbara]
39 – William, It Was Really Nothing – the Smiths [barbara]
40 – Our Retired Explorer (Dines With Michel Foucault in Paris, 1961) – the Weakerthans [barbara]
41 – Danny Boy – Hayley Westenra [j.d.]
42 – A Boozehound Named Barney – Maggie Roswell (as Shary Bobbins) [j.d.]
43 – Alfie – Lily Allen [j.d.]
44 – Samson – Regina Spektor [j.d.]
45 – Hey Jude – Joe Anderson [j.d.]
46 – Stagger Lee – Nick Cave [bubs]
47 – Peter Gunn – Henry Mancini [bubs]
48 – Making Plans For Nigel – Nouvelle Vague [bubs]
49 – Jimmy Jazz – The Clash [bubs]
50 – A Boy Named Sue – Johnny Cash [bubs]

UPDATE:

If any of the participants want to provide their own tracks to me for a (perhaps incomplete) publishing of this last mix, they’re welcome to email me the songs.

Okay, over and out.

Hi folks.

I am sad to announce the end to the Green Monkey Music Project.

I’m sorry to all the Monkey Masters who have not yet received the chance to make their own mix, and especially sorry to Beckeye, whose mix had just revved up. Once I get the song order from her, I’ll post the tracklisting for Volume 10 (but without the songs).

One thing I have really enjoyed in doing this bloggy thing over the past few months is the ability to connect with other people in interesting ways, whether it’s encouraging others to adopt a character actor, or making a mix tape with a variety of people across the globe.

Thanks everyone for your participation.

Love,

The Green Monkey What Lives In My Brain (deceased)