As the story of General Stanley McChrystal's interview with Rolling Stone started to rock our world, I was at the airport headed for London. When I arrived in the Mutha-land, I was stunned to see that the story's impact was just as massive over there. Indeed, the remarkable tale of McChrystal's journalist-assisted career suicide seemed to dominate the other big news in England, like the World Cup 2010 going on in South Africa or Wimbledon happening just down the road. Personally, I haven't witnessed this much global interest in a Rolling Stone story since my own historic on-the-road piece with New Kids On The Block back in the Nineties. And considering the New Kids' relative lack of impact on military history and connection to the Pat Tillman cover up, this amazing and revealing article by Michael Hastings arguably dwarfs even my own journalistic masterpiece.
So now that that I'm safely back on American soil, I wanted to offer my own loose-lipped playlist for Stan the Man, a dude with a big ego and a very mixed record who finally accomplished the impossible -- actually stealing some of the cultural spotlight away from Lady GaGa. And to General McChrystal, here's some free specific advice from a recovering rock critic: next time you decide to crash and burn in flames in Rolling Stone, at the very least, have your publicists demand the cover.
TALKING OLD SOLDIERS - Elton John
I NEVER TALK TO STRANGERS - Tom Waits with Bette Midler
EVERYBODY'S TALKIN' - Harry Nilsson
DON'T START ME TO TALKIN' - Sonny Boy Williamson
BIGMOUTH STRIKES AGAIN - The Smiths
DON'T TALK (PUT YOUR HEAD ON MY SHOULDER) - The Beach Boys
DON'T TALK TO STRANGERS - Rick Springfield
GENERALS AND MAJORS - XTC
SHUT YOUR MOUTH - B.B. King
SHUT UP - Black Eyed Peas
FIRED - Ben Folds
UNDO IT - Carrie Underwood
SO MUCH TO SAY - Dave Matthews Band
MY BIG MOUTH - Oasis
SHOULD HAVE SAID NO - Taylor Swift
TALK OF THE TOWN - The Pretenders
WHAT'D I SAY - Ray Charles
TRUST ME TO OPEN MY MOUTH - Squeeze
TALK TO ME BABY - Elmore James
SAY - John Mayer
TALK TALK - Talk Talk
LIFE DURING WARTIME - Talking Heads
WHY DO MEN FIGHT? - Carbon/Silicone
CRYSTAL - Stevie Nicks
COMMANDER - Girlyman
TALKIN' 2 MYSELF- Eminem featuring Kobe
INTERVIEWS - Alpha Band
YOU TALK WAY TOO MUCH - The Strokes
SOMETHING STUPID - Frank & Nancy Sinatra
SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT - Bonnie Raitt
HEARD 'EM SAY - Kanye West featuring Adam Levine
MOUTH ALMIGHTY - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
WHEN YOU SAY NOTHING AT ALL - Alison Krauss & Union Station
SPEAK YOUR MIND - Joe Firstman
COME TALK TO ME - Bon Iver
SAY IT TO ME NOW - Glen Hansard
SHUT UP AND DRIVE - Rihanna
TALK - Coldplay
OH YEAH, YOU'RE GONE - Brad Paisley
YOU TALK TOO MUCH - George Thorogood
TALKING 'BOUT A REVOLUTION - Tracy Chapman
TALK TO ME - Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
I'M LOOKING AT YOU BUT I'M TALKING TO MYSELF - Utopia
IF YOU TALK IN YOUR SLEEP - Elvis Presley
LOOSE TALK - Carlene Carter featuring Carl Smith
AIN'T TALKIN' - Bob Dylan
ON THE COVER OF THE ROLLING STONE - Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show
Troops, you know your orders -- please add your own songs for Stanley here.
Follow David Wild on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Wildaboutmusic
Straight Shooter – Mamas and Papas
Aint That a Shame – Fats Domino
Hit the Road, Jack – Ray Charles
Bad News – Johnny Winter
I Don’t Trust Nobody – Willie Dixon
Trust Me – Elton John
News from the Front – Bad Religion
Now where's the other 999,993 ?
I was listening to some late-60s/early 70s stuff a couple of nights ago and came up with these:
I’ll Go Alone – Humble Pie
Silver Tongue – same
Say No More – same
Shut Up and Don’t Interrupt Me – same
It’s a Plain Shame – Peter Frampton
Shooting Star – Bad Company
Movin’ On – BadCo
Fade Away – BadCo (Old soldiers never die, they just…)
Gone, Gone, Gone – BadCo
Communication Breakdown – Led Zeppelin
Dazed and Confused – Zep
Ramble On – Zep
Nobody’s Fault but Mine – Zep
Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood – Animals
We Gotta Get Outta This Place – Animals
Don’t Bring Me Down – Animals
Inside Looking Out – Animals
And finally, there was this nugget which Ive used before and is recommended viewing for all:
So Long, Farewell – The Vandals – certainly not the von Trapps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXNG5EeIOeg
Masters of War - Dylan
Talking Vietnam Potluck Blues - Tom Paxton
The End - Doors
Say Goodbye To Hollywood - Billy Joel
Oh well, given the future book deals and movie scripts, he can reasonably say
"I'll Be Back Again" - The Beatles ;)
But knowing our culture today, it's probably only the
"Beginnings" - Chicago
Book deal.
Screenplay.
Reality Show "I'm Stuck In Afghanistan, And I Can't Get Out!"
"Only Time Will Tell" - Etta James ;)
End of the Line -Travelin' Wilburys
When It's Over = Sugar Ray
Time to Move On - Tom Petty
"Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone"
Don't know who first recorded it, but it was written in 1930 (by Sam Stept & Sidney Clare) and has been done by the Mills Bros, Sinatra, Fitzgerald, Martin, Holliday and even Jerry Lee Lewis and Bill Haley. My favorite rendition: the great Cleo Laine.
"Long Way Down (Look What The Cat Drug In)" - Michael Penn
"And Your Bird Can Sing" - Oh if only McChrystal had been a full bird Colonel, this pick would be perfect!
"I'll Be Gone" - Manfred Mann
And this little gem from Ben Folds Five
"Song For The Dumped"
Which I think everyone here, starting with David's excellent list, did a good job of providing! ;)
Roy Orbison - If you can't say something nice
Green Day - Good Riddance
The Sanford-Townsend Band - Smoke From a Distant Fire ("...Don''t let the screen door hit you, on your way out..")
No duplicates. :-)
Roland the Thompson Gunner- Warren Zevon
That McC had lost his head??
http://www.plyrics.com/lyrics/propagandhi/stickthefuckingflagupyourgoddamassyousonofabitch.html
:)
Poor you.
Don't Speak - No Doubt
I'm on vacation, back to fishing.
I figured you must be on vacation. Have an excellent time!
Kiss Off - Violent Femmes
Fadeaway- Da Bodeans (Original name)
I'm Not Crying For You - Save Ferris
Just a random thought that came to mind (and still makes me laugh).
Tolstoy contributed proceeds from his book Ressurection to pay for the ships. The Doukhobours and the Tolstoy family still have strong ties. I met Tolstoy's great-grandson some years ago when he came to Grand Forks to celebrate 100 years of Doukhobours in Canada. And Canadian Doukhobours have built a tribute to Tolstoy at Yasnya Polanya.
John is 100% Russian descent and I'm half Russian, half English/Irish. Of course we're third generation Canadians, but we still can't live without our Russian food.
Silence Is Easy – Starsailor
Don’t Talk to Strangers – Rick Springsfield
Shut Your Mouth - Garbage
Too much Information – Duran Duran
Talking In Your Sleep – The Romantics
Think Twice – Celine Dion
Didn’t Cha Know? –Erykah Badu
Reflections – The Supremes
Did you know that was a nearly note-for-note cover of a Four Seasons recording (except for a percussion line that's an odd amalgam of western and bossa nova) from three years earlier?