Roadtrip - A Raving Playlist

What's the best part of driving across country? Well it's not traffic, gas prices, stupid drivers and bad weather. Nope - it's the music. It's always been the music. We've compiled a list that celebrates the Roadtrip - a uniquely American experience from two angles; 1 - songs about cars and driving, 2 - songs that are fun to listen to while driving (for example, "The Devil in Me" by the 22-20's which is also on the Driver San Fransisco soundtrack - it's a video game). So the next time you're driving from sea to shining sea or even from the Great Lakes to a shining sea load this list up and enjoy. As always this list is also on Spotify.

The Killers

 

Roadtrip:

The Killers – Joy Ride
R.E.M. – Pop Song 89
The Cars – Drive
Gary Numan – Cars
Deep Purple – Hush
Derek & The Dominos – Layla
Lenny Kravitz – Are You Gonna Go My Way
Gerry Rafferty – Baker Street
Deep Purple – Highway Star
The Cars – Moving In Stereo
Sheryl Crow – Everyday Is A Winding Road
Golden Earring – Radar Love
Phil Collins – Take Me Home
Counting Crows – Big Yellow Taxi
Aerosmith – Back In The Saddle
Maná – No ha parado de llover - unplugged
The Edgar Winter Group – Free Ride
War – Low Rider
The Cars – Good Times Roll
Christopher Cross – Ride Like The Wind
Dishwalla – Counting Blue Cars (Tell Me Your Thoughts On God)
Foghat – Slow Ride
The Doobie Brothers – Rockin' Down The Highway - 2006 Remastered Album Version
Fatboy Slim – The Rockafeller Skank
The Spencer Davis Group – Gimme Some Lovin'
Eddie Money – Take Me Home Tonight
Billy Ocean – Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car
John Mellencamp – Rumbleseat
Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars
Stone Temple Pilots – Interstate Love Song
The B-52's – Love Shack
America – Ventura Highway
Gipsy Kings – Bamboleo
John Mayer – Route 66
The Jesus – Blues From A Gun
Journey – Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'
22-20s – Devil In Me
Don McLean – American Pie
Buckcherry – Highway Star
Bruce Springsteen – Thunder Road
Green Day – Hitchin' A Ride
Thin Lizzy – The Boys Are Back In Town
AC/DC – Highway to Hell
Bruce Springsteen – Born To Run
Sting – We'll Be Together - 2011 Remix
Peter Frampton – Show Me The Way - Live
Joe Jackson – Steppin' Out
Lenny Kravitz – Can't Get You Off My Mind
Steppenwolf – Magic Carpet Ride
Jane Wiedlin – Rush Hour
Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Pump It Up
ZZ Top – Waitin' For The Bus
Incubus – Drive
Crosby, Stills & Nash – Wasted On The Way
ZZ Top – Legs
Meat Loaf – Paradise By The Dashboard Light
Counting Crows – Mrs. Potters Lullaby
INXS – Pretty Vegas
Steve Miller Band – Take The Money And Run
Bruce Springsteen – Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Janis Joplin – Me And Bobby McGee
Roy Orbison – I Drove All Night
The Knack – My Sharona
The Doors – Roadhouse Blues
ZZ Top – La Grange
Three Dog Night – Joy To The World - Single Version
Soul Survivors – Expressway To Your Heart
REO Speedwagon – Back On The Road Again
Blondie – One Way or Another
Steppenwolf – Born To Be Wild
Martha & The Muffins – Echo Beach - 2002 - Remaster
Sniff 'n' The Tears – Driver's Seat
ZZ Top – Cheap Sunglasses - Remastered LP Version
ZZ Top – I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide
Stealers Wheel – Stuck In The Middle With You
Racing Cars – On Days Like These
INXS – Devil Inside - Australian Single Edit
Chris Spedding – Motor Bikin'
Billy Joel – The River Of Dreams
Carmine Appice – Silver Machine
ZZ Top – Jesus Just Left Chicago
The Wallflowers – One Headlight
Wilson Pickett – Mustang Sally
The Jesus – Sometimes Always
Lenny Kravitz – Mr. Cab Driver
Train – Drive By
Iggy Pop – The Passenger
The Black Crowes – Hard To Handle - Live
T-Rex – 20th Century Boy
Journey – Wheel In The Sky
Aerosmith – Road Runner
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Sweet Hitch-Hiker
Talking Heads – Road To Nowhere
Blood, Sweat & Tears – Spinning Wheel - Single Version
John Mellencamp – R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A. (A Salute To 60's Rock)
Vanity Fare – Hitchin a Ride
Prince – Little Red Corvette
Simon & Garfunkel – America
Eric Clapton – Cross Roads
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers – Runnin' Down A Dream
T-Rex – 20th Century Boy
Elastica – Car Song
Sammy Hagar – I Can't Drive 55
Steely Dan – Do It Again
The Allman Brothers Band – Midnight Rider
Blackfoot – Highway Song
Mason Williams – Classical Gas
Ray Charles – Hit The Road Jack
Chicago – Saturday In The Park
Jackson Browne – Running On Empty
Junior Brown – Highway Patrol
George Thorogood And The Destroyers – Six Days On The Road
Bo Diddley – Road Runner - Single Version
Tenacious D – The Road
Willie Nelson – On The Road Again
Mountain – Mississippi Queen
Blur – Song 2
David Bowie – Modern Love (Single Version)
Aretha Franklin – Freeway Of Love
Grateful Dead – Truckin'
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Crosstown Traffic
Neil Young – Motorcycle Mama
Weezer – The Good Life - Radio Remix
Joe Walsh – Life In The Fast Lane
Vampire Weekend – A-Punk
The Decemberists – One Engine - from The Hunger Games Soundtrack
Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out
Alanis Morissette – Hand In My Pocket
Dead Or Alive – You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) - Original 7" Mix
Five Man Electrical Band – Signs
Eric Clapton – Lay Down Sally - Live 1978 Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, California
Prince – Little Red Corvette
Marlena Shaw – California Soul - Diplo Remix
The Black Crowes – Share the Ride
REO Speedwagon – Roll With The Changes

Copyright 2012 - Raving Reviews - All Rights Reserved

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What The Frack? Galactica on Youtube.com

It sounds a bit like a Cylon plot, but this week the SyFy network and Youtube announced that the much anticipated "Blood and Chrome" prequel will be aired on the the Youtube's Machinima Prime channel starting this Friday. It seems like the Digital launching a surprise attack on the Analog, doesn't it? We're not quite sure what to think and perhaps this will be interesting experiment - will viewers be able to tolerate spreading the prequel pilot into 8 to 12 minute chunks? Will playing it on Youtube first generate more interest than might have otherwise been the case?

The Cylons will be streaming into your home, but will they be fully buffered?

It's not clear whether any more of the series will be produced but it seems as though this move certainly puts that in jeopardy if the result ends up being that the SyFy premier (which will air sometime after the web series concludes) has fewer viewers instead of more. Not too long ago we heard news about Netflix pursuing original content as well. Way back in the stone age, similar questions arose when the fledgling cable networks like HBO and Showtime starting producing original content instead of just airing cinema releases or reruns. Business models in Hollywood are shifting again although this time with the media product being released more or less simultaneously across two mediums it may be a little harder than usual to measure success. If it does well, it's not clear who would produce a follow-on series and whether that would be presented in the same manner as the pilot.

Before the Cylons got sexy - they had Heavy Metal...

As for story, we haven't seen it yet but have always been intrigued by the Adama back story. It promises to be purer than the somewhat confusing Caprica series (which went off into its own virtual reality tangent - although for the most part we did like it). The biggest problem it has to overcome is that we already know the outcome in advance, the humans win - this time around anyway. 

The ever-popular Cylon Toaster

There are a few things about Galactica that we know we'll really enjoy no matter what happens with the plot; for example the prolific use of the word "Frak" and Cylons in general. Cylons are the more menacing, robotic alter-egos of Star War's storm-troopers. There's something about chrome that is undeniably irresistible as most car-lovers can attest to. In the years since Gallactica was first released we have seen a number of household products patterned after Cylon technology. We'd like to suggest several more products that might benefit from a Cylon design makeover:

• The Cylon Washing Machine - A stylish stainless steel and chrome finish allows you to make a fashion statement while keep your skintight bodysuits super-clean. It even comes with an 'eradicate all humans' washing cycle.
• The Cylon Upright Vacuum - It's intelligent, can vacuum by itself and perform hyper-light jumps into other rooms for the speediest clean ever.
• The Cylon Ipad - It wasn't designed by Steve Jobs, it is Steve Jobs as he inserted his brain patterns into each and every unit as its AI engine. Watch out, he's or it is a bit temperamental.

Speaking of AI, we will be reviewing a Raving Classic next time - "2001, A Space Odyssey" and will even write some suggested Epic Rap battle lyrics for a HAL versus Watson duel. Stay tuned.

Copyright 2012 - Raving Reviews - All Rights Reserved

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Election Night Highlights - 2012

Last night, for the first time perhaps since the 2000 election, we watched the election coverage from about 6 until 2:00 in the morning. We decided to watch because we were thinking the race might be very close and potentially have some historic twists and turns. Also, since we're from Ohio, we just thought it was cool that we get to pick the Presidents - we used to elect Presidents from Ohio, now we just pick them - whatever - it's still cool. This ability to pick winners has not extended our to sports franchises leaving us stuck with the Bengals, Indians, Browns and Reds (and Ohio State doesn't count cause it's a college) - so lucky in politics and unlucky in sports?

Anyway the big controversies that we thought might happen didn't materialize; that's probably a good thing. So instead we focused our attentions on the coverage of the election itself and watched most of the major networks over the course of the evening. We thought we'd share our more memorable observations with you...

The More Memorable Moments of Election Night 2012:

• On CNN - Anderson Cooper seemed to be the ringleader for the coverage but it was highly confused and despite the many walls full of graphics it was just awkward as the cameras followed him from one part of the set to the other. It seemed often as though he was lost or that he or the cameraman were going to trip over something.  Next time just sit down, ok, all that pacing around made us nervous. We did like the way Wolf presented the projections - it was better than Dancing with The Stars.

Which camera I am supposed to look at?

• On PBS - It really seemed as though Gov. Romney had already taken Big Bird down a notch and defunded the network. We were treated to a desk and two chairs and a handful of commentators who seemed determined to be duller or more confused than Jim Lehrer was during the first Presidential Debate. PBS - if you've still got money go out and hire some new blood.

B. Bird was our write-in candidate of choice yesterday...

• On MSNBC - Rachel Maddow was is rare form and outperformed every other anchor on every other network. Olbermann, Olbermann, who? Rachel has taken control of the MSNBC political line up.

• Also on MSNBC - Ok, Rev. Al Sharpton seems like a nice enough guy but he's becoming the Tom Brokaw of MSNBC - he's a bit hard to follow and he looked a lot better before the diet (take a lesson from Gov. Christie and go carb out will you). Why not invite Jess Jackson ?

PBS: "Let's be careful not to scratch this table, they're repossessing it tomorrow..."

• On NBC - Chuck Todd, who usually does a great job seemed obsessed with his Microsoft Windows 8 touchscreens and Florida. How many times do you have to tell us there are lots of Puerto Ricans living in Orlando before we get it - we got it already. (and BTW we have traveled to Orlando a lot and actually know Puerto Ricans so it wasn't a big surprise).

• On CBS - Bob Schieffer was flinging colorful metaphors fast and furious all to the effect he didn't have a clue what was going on. Well, that was clear from the way he handled the third Presidential debate. CBS, it's time to find some new blood. Where's Cronkite when you need him?

• All Networks - The collective quote "It's all about Ohio" was done to death last night. Besides we knew that already. It's always about us, right?

• All Networks - Very few interviews with actual voters. Strange. We've all become statistics; exit polls and returns and electoral votes - heck these numbers seem to be running everything - what do they need us for?  

• ABC News - When we tuned in after watching all the info-graphics for hours the set of the ABC team almost blinded us - hey guys ever hear of contrast or brightness settings? It looked a little bit like Jeff Bridge's condo in Tron Legacy.

• Romney Concession Speech - The first 5 minutes were great - spot on. But, he must have thought he was in a debate and kept going. This guy needs some kind of internal stopwatch.

• Obama Victory Speech - The President managed to take a remarkable event and suspenseful evening and make it absolutely boring. This is a relatively new skill for the President that he has been honing over the last two years and seemed to have perfected during this year's general election.

• Biggest Freak Out of the Night - It was a tie between MSNBC and Fox News in reaction to all the networks calling Ohio and the election for Obama (remember how we told you it was all about us - huh uh). Anyway, the MSNBC crew were jumping all over Romney for being unable to accept reality and Fox was preparing the next Revolution. Please calm down guys - it's better for your health, really. It was a close race and it's no surprise there would be questions about Ohio given how close it was. Few people were expecting the race to be called that early and each campaign would have probably reacted the same way. And you would have been hesitant to throw in the towel too if you had wasted two 2 billion dollars and gotten absolutely nothing to show for it - ouch! There's no second place prize in politics...

Aren't we special ! - the candidates couldn't get enough of us here in the Buckeye State - all them pasing through Ohio up until the last minutes of the election

• Best Conspiracy Theory for the Evening - Microsoft and Windows 8 picked all the winners as the diabolical new operating system came one step closer to declaring judgement day.

All in all, things went well last night and we in America (including Ohio :) have maintained our Democracy. Over the coming weeks we hope to regain our collective sanity as the Tsunami of negative ads of 2012 became a distant, unpleasant memory (at least until next time).

Copyright 2012 - Raving Reviews - All Rights Reserved

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