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Monday, January 25, 2010
Lists / Tip Burn to Speed: A Real Stretch Toward a Mixtape for Running
Posted by Dave Segal on Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 12:22 AM
Per Brendan’s request, I’ve gathered the ingredients for a mix geared for optimal running inspiration. Your mileage may vary (literally).
As someone who’s been running long distances since 1977, I have come to the conclusion—after many sweaty hours on the roads, in the fields, and over the hills (but never over dales, for some reason)—that the best music for providing aural adrenaline possesses one of two main qualities (sometimes, if you're lucky, both): 1) a chugging, (mostly) metronomic, 118+ bpm propulsion, and 2) an expansive, soaring melodic quality; a tune that imbues you with an ineffable feeling of optimism and determination. Such music is akin to the greatest drugs and the most salubrious religious ideas packed into waveforms.
I could easily just list a bunch of obscure techno bangers from the last 20 years and the uptempo hits from a best-of Motown boxed set and call it good, but that would be too easy. Instead I’ve compiled the following specimens of precious bodily motivators that have worked wonders for my own running over the years. May they do the same for you.
[I won’t presume to put these tracks in any order, as everyone’s tastes, body types, and running durations and intensities differ. To dictate one strict sequence is ridiculous. The music below should be viewed as raw materials to be sampled by individuals and then arranged according to each’s requirements. Know that this represents but the tip of the iceberg of tracks that could seriously help you get your stride on, but time and space are limited and I have other business to attend to. Full list of recommendations follow after the cut. I hope they give you a leg up on the competition.]
Eddie Kendricks, "Keep on Truckin'"
Curtis Mayfield- “Super Fly”
Isaac Hayes, “Theme from ‘Shaft’”
Funkadelic, "One Nation Under a Groove"
Billy Cobham, “Quadrant 4”
Dennis Coffey- “Scorpio”
Sly & the Family Stone- "Everyday People"
Brick, "Dazz"
Michael Viner’s Incredible Bongo Band, “Apache”
Smokey Robinson- “Tears of a Clown”
Stevie Wonder- “Uptight”
Melvin Van Peebles- "Sweetback’s Theme"
Lightnin’ Rod- “Sport”
Lafayette Afro-Rock Band- "Hihache"
Cymande- "Bra"
The Commodores- "Machine Gun"
Young MC- “Know How”
Public Enemy- “Revolutionary Generation”
Gang Starr- “B.Y.S.”
LL Cool J, "Mama Said Knock You Out"
Brand Nubian- “Concerto in X Minor”
George Kranz, “Din Daa Daa”
Orlando Riva Sound- “Moonboots”
Chemical Brothers- “Chemical Beats”
LCD Soundsystem- “Yeah” (both versions)
Stone Roses- “Fools Gold”
Miles Davis- "On the Corner"
Pharoah Sanders- "The Creator Has a Master Plan"
Matthew Dear- “Dog Days”
Plastikman- “Plasticity”
Aphex Twin- “Didgeridoo”
Matias Aguayo- "Rollerskate"
Still Going- "Spaghetti Circus"
Akufen- "Jeep Sex"
Hawkwind, “Hurry On Sundown”
Edgar Winter Group, “Free Ride”
The Doors, “Peace Frog”
Guess Who, “No Time”
Royal Trux, “¡Yo Se!”
The Howling Hex- “Now, We’re Gonna Sing”
Battles-"Atlas"
Deep Purple- “Hush”
Black Sabbath- “Supernaut”
Jesus & Mary Chain, “Never Understand”
Spiritualized, "Electric Mainline" (live)
Hüsker Dü- “Up in the Air”
Primal Scream- “Movin’ on Up”
Yardbirds, “Over, Under, Sidways, Down”
Stooges, “Shake Appeal”
MC5- "Shakin' Street"
Jimi Hendrix Experience- "You Got Me Floatin'"
Os Mutantes- “Bat Macumba”
Mercury Rev- “Syringe Mouth”
Roxy Music- “Street Life”
My Bloody Valentine- “Soon”
Terry Reid- “Superlungs (My Supergirl)”
The Nazz- “Open My Eyes”
Bob Seger- “Heavy Music”
Vangelis- “Come On”
Boredoms- "Vision Creation Newsun"
Nilsson- “Jump Into the Fire”
John Lennon- “Cold Turkey”
George Harrison- “What Is Life”
Paul McCartney- “Coming Up”
Rolling Stones- “Hot Stuff”
Can- “Mother Sky” (preferably the 14-minute Soundtracks version)
Neu!- “Hallogallo”
Kraftwerk- "Airwaves"
Tussle- “Don’t Stop”
Complete & Total Asskicking Music
http://www.asskicking-music.com/
for additional drugs and religion craftily disguised as four-minute tracks . . .
5
But maybe you had to be there.
@7 Good call on "Isi"; I always considered that and "Hallogallo" to be musical siblings.
11
I think maybe a female drummer and a female flutist snuck in there - tell Eric Grandy to do a better editing job.
14
Then there are these:
Kirsty MacColl "Free World"
The Manic Street Preachers "The Love of Richard Nixon"
Swoop "Apple Eyes"
Moev "Yeah Whatever"
And of course:
Kings of Convenience "I'd Rather Dance with You"
16
For what it's worth, My Bloody Valentine, Boredoms, Os Mutantes, Orlando Riva Sound, Royal Trux, and LCD Soundsystem either have female lead vocals and/or prominent female members.
But, two things: I admitted that this list is but the tip of the iceberg, and it's missing the point to run everything listed here through a demographic filter. The main goal of this post is to locate songs that inspire you to run faster. Gender/racial/ethnic/geographical/etc. affiliations are irrelevant for this purpose.
21
I was sure there was some helmut lotti or john tesh that would be great to run to (or away from)!
22
Seems one of "W"'s Handlers loaded Bushes Ipod with it, for Bush Jogs and Bush Bike Rides, and Alejandro himself could no longer stomach playing his own song, knowing the W was rocking out to it...
Never did see a complete list of Bush running songs, but its probably on the interwebs somewhere.
Does Obama load his own Ipod?
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