Not a fan. When one of your themes is, “My father left when I was 12, so you can’t blame me for becoming a drug dealer …” Look: Between the two of them, my kids lived in a total of 11 homes by the time the oldest was seven. They have never met—or even know who are—their biological parents. And neither, last time I checked, had yet to commit a misdemeanor, let alone a felony. Just saying.
Author: Joe
Janis Joplin
I hope that when Janis Joplin went to blooz heaven, she got her Mercedes-Benz. And if God is in the business of handing out cars, I’d like an Audi Q5, please. Blue.
Janet Jackson
When I lived with Al and Timmy in Daly City, I used to blast Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 so loud that Al said he could hear it on his way home from work from the bottom of the hill. We lived at the top. It was a big hill.
James Taylor
James Taylor is the epitome of the “sensitive white guy” school of rock. Also known as the “music I would happily never listen to for the rest of my life, ever” school of rock. (Bonus points for having Joni Mitchell sing backup on “You’ve Got a Friend,” because, you know … Joni Mitchell.)
James Brown
How cool is my son Daveon? When he was about 10, he got a gift certificate to a local record shop (remember those?) as a birthday present. The very first thing he picked out was James Brown’s 20 AllTime Greatest Hits! That’s how cool he is.
Jackson 5/Jacksons
This might knock me down a few more cred pegs, but I’d rather listen to early-period Jackson 5 than late-period Michael Jackson any day. On the other hand, I’d rather listen to … well, almost anything … than the “Michael’s-McCartney-duets-were-big hits-so-let’s-bring-in-another-aging-white-British-rock-legend-from-the-60s” Jagger collaboration “State of Shock.”
Isley Brothers
In the 2000s, Ron (I think) Isley did a weird/creepy duet with R. Kelly where (I think) Isley was the jilted lover, and Kelly was the guy fooling around with Isley’s girlfriend. I’m pretty sure there was a mention of a gun, and I believe they even made a sequel. I vote we pretend the whole thing never happened and listen to “Shout” or “It’s Your Thing” one more time. Also: Lots of songs with parts.
Isaac Hayes
In the history of cool, there’s cool, and then there’s Isaac Hayes. In the history of gold chains, there’s gold chains, then 80s rappers, and then Isaac Hayes. And in the history of songs with really long spoken word introductions, Isaac Hayes stands alone. Plus (for you younger folks out there): Chef.
House
Here’s where I really lost my gay membership card. When my friends and I used to go out regularly (roughly a million years ago), the clubs all played hip-hop and funk. Loved it. After a couple of years, they all switched to house. Hated it. Which is a bit ironic, given my teen love of disco and how closely the two styles are related. On the other hand, I never said I was consistent.
Horace Silver
“Song for My Father” is one of those landmark songs that everybody knows, even if they don’t know what it’s called or who it’s by. If either of my sons ever writes a song for me (hint), I hope … well, actually I don’t care if it becomes popular. It would just be nice.
Playlist of the Day 