Skipped on Shuffle

The sixty-third Skipped on Shuffle episode will be a Christmas-themed special. In this episode, Scott and Jason will each go over their top-five passed-over Christmas songs. Usually, Skipped on Shuffle focuses on one song by one artist. With this special episode, Scott and Jason will go over 10 different songs from a variety of artists. Each song is themed around Christmas but isn’t one of the “classic” tunes you hear most often during the holiday season. For whatever reason, these songs haven’t gone on to be radio staples and most listeners will likely be unfamiliar with them. Scott and Jason hope listeners will enjoy these forgotten gems and add them to their holiday playlists this year!

The sixty-second Skipped on Shuffle episode will be focused on the song “Seeds” by Bruce Springsteen off his 1986 album Live/1975-85. After his first two records struggled to find a mainstream audience, Bruce Springsteen created a smash hit with 1975’s Born to Run. The album kicked off a successful career that continues unabated to this day. Perhaps the high point in his five decades as a musician would be considered 1984’s Born in the U.S.A., a record that spawned seven Top 10 hits and has sold 15 million copies in the United States alone. Presumably written during the sessions for Born in the U.S.A., “Seeds” first appeared on the tour to support that record. The late 70s and early 80s were a prolific time for Springsteen’s writing. He churned out dozens of songs, only some of which have made it to official releases. While studio logs note a song called “Gone Gone Gone,” a phrase repeated in the lyrics of “Seeds,” there is no official confirmation that a studio version exists. But given the fact it has been played a few hundred times on numerous tours over the years, and in a variety of arrangements, it is hard to imagine Springsteen did not try to record it at some point. Scott and Jason reflect on this and wonder if Springsteen, who is known for having an incredibly passionate live show, particularly when backed by the E Street Band, perhaps prefers to keep it that way rather than nail the song down in one version on one specific studio release. The song is a dark and depressing tale of frustration and disappointment as a man struggles to find work and care for his family, turning towards bitterness and anger that the song justifies with its driving beat and Springsteen’s growling delivery that has our narrator reaching fatalistic conclusions about life. It could be that Springsteen, whose songs often reflect on the plight of the American working class, has captured these thoughts and feelings more aptly on other tracks and believes this one is better expressed in a live setting and among the other hits and favorites. Jason discusses how the power of Springsteen’s live act cannot be understated, having recently seen him perform his Springsteen on Broadway show, a moving reflection on his life and career. Scott reflects on how his former boss, a huge Springsteen fan, made him better appreciate Springsteen’s music, especially once he heard the track “Jungleland.”

The sixty-first Skipped on Shuffle episode will be focused on the song “Seven Months” by Portishead off their 1997 album Portishead. One of the pioneers of the trip-hop genre, Portishead found success with their debut album, Dummy, in 1994. Using unique production methods, such as recording their music onto vinyl records to then sample and scratch and re-record it, the band crafted a hit record that received unanimous praise from critics and commercial success for the trio. Despite the attention, the band kept a low profile and released their self-titled follow-up three years later. Portishead delved into a darker and rawer sound than found on its predecessor. This is also reflected lyrically in songs of obsession and desperation that singer Beth Gibbons delivers with smooth, jazz-inspired elegance punctuated by haunting howls. This is perfectly encapsulated on “Seven Months.” “Seven Months” starts with a cinematic stinger, crashing in and out like waves during the song. It quickly finds a groove, but it comes in fits and starts, seemingly reflecting the “quietly whisper when my heart wants to scream” lyric. Scott and Jason discuss the noir atmosphere on the record and ponder the lyrics, which, quite interestingly, never mention the song’s title creating a further air of mystery. Scott discusses how Portishead’s music is the perfect complement to nearly everything and often finds its way onto his playlists. Jason reflects on how in preparation for the episode and listening more intently to the band, he gained a more nuanced appreciation of the band’s evolving sound.

The sixtieth Skipped on Shuffle episode will be focused on the song “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” by Otis Redding off his 1968 album The Immortal Otis Redding. Redding first made a name for himself as a singer in Macon, Georgia. As a teenager, Redding competed in a local talent show, winning so frequently he was eventually barred from participating. His big break would come when driving friend and occasional bandmate Johnny Jenkins to Stax Records in Memphis. Jenkins had a rough recording session and Redding took the opportunity to lay down tracks he had been working on. Stax co-founder Jim Stewart heard Redding and signed him to the label. What followed was a steady climb up the charts with Redding starting to successfully cross over into mainstream success, bringing his mix of rhythm and blues, soul, and gospel to white audiences in an America that had only recently desegregated. Working at a breakneck pace, he was constantly recording and performing. In a three-week stretch in late 1967, he recorded a number of songs before heading back out on the road. He would not get a chance to finish them as his life would end tragically in a plane crash while on his way to his next show. The Immortal Otis Redding is culled from these sessions, though is often overshadowed by The Dock of the Bay, the first posthumous release that included Redding’s first and only number one hit, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” Guitarist Steve Cropper, who recorded and wrote with Redding, took charge of finishing up the tracks Redding had left behind for these first posthumous releases, including the song “Nobody’s Fault But Mine.” Scott and Jason discuss how “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” has a number of incarnations and though Redding’s version is original, it is likely inspired by Blind Willie Johnson’s gospel song of the same name. The Johnson song tells of a spiritual struggle of someone who must read the Bible to find salvation or risk eternal damnation. They reflect on how Redding was able to take the title and related themes to craft a different song focusing on a relationship, showing how he could remain true to his gospel influences but with subject matter relatable to all listeners. This leads Scott to wonder what might have been next for Redding, especially when considering the difference in sound on “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” as well and the direction his last recorded material was heading. Jason talks about the importance of appreciating Redding’s live material as well, encouraging everyone to watch his mesmerizing appearance at 1967’s Monterey Pop Festival.

The fifty-ninth Skipped on Shuffle episode will be focused on the song “Til The Day I Die” by Garbage off their 2001 album Beautiful Garbage. Garbage began with producer Butch Vig, bandmate Duke Erikson, and sound engineer Steve Marker in 1994. The three had worked together in the bands Spooner and Fire Town. Vig had already achieved success in the music industry as a producer on albums such as Nirvana’s breakthrough Nevermind and Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins. These experiences left him eager to do more than the guitar, bass, and drums of rock music at the time, interested in how different instruments and the studio could be used to expand soundscapes. The trio began writing songs and recording demos, starting their work with Vig on vocals, but they quickly decided to find a female singer to front their band. Marker saw a music video for Angelfish’s “Suffocate Me” and they sought out the band’s singer, Shirley Manson. After a rough initial rehearsal, the band found its footing and began completing material with Manson trying her hand at songwriting for the first time. They first finished “Vow,” released it, and the track started receiving radio airplay and good press. Their self-titled debut album quickly followed and featured a string of strong singles, including “Only Happy When It Rains,” “Queer,” and “Stupid Girl.” The album slowly climbed the charts, helped by positive reviews and a regular rotation of videos on MTV. The band, particularly Vig, had only intended Garbage to be a studio band, but soon found themselves headlining their own tour while also supporting bands, including The Smashing Pumpkins. They continued their success when they returned to the studio for Version 2.0, which garnered critical and commercial success and Grammy Award nominations for Album of the Year and Best Rock Album. In addition to these achievements, Garbage had also contributed hit songs to the soundtrack of Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo & Juliet and one of the most coveted movie contributions imaginable: the theme song to the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough. These accomplishments had the band feeling confident and energized. Incorporating new influences from hip hop, new wave, and 60s girl groups, they crafted Beautiful Garbage, a unique record that pushed even further to define Garbage as a unique and complex band. While receiving mostly positive reviews, fans were not as receptive to the new record and sound. It marked the start of a turbulent period for the band. Only familiar with the band’s greatest hits release, Absolute Garbage, Jason discusses how ahead of its time Beautiful Garbage sounds and feels listening to it front-to-back for the first time. Scott reflects on how despite the pop sensibilities of the album over the more rock-based approach of the band’s earlier material, they still achieve a level of darkness that can be tough to handle, especially “Til The Day I Die,” which Jason and Scott feel is a song about Manson’s struggling relationship with her then-husband, artist Eddie Farrell.

The fifty-eighth Skipped on Shuffle episode will be focused on the song “Hey Bulldog” by The Beatles off their 1969 album Yellow Submarine. The Beatles started as a humble rock band from Liverpool who soon found themselves elevated to musical and cultural icons as the 60s unfolded. By the time they called it quits in 1970, after roughly a decade together, they had crafted an incredible legacy that is unparalleled to this day. Yet even for a band as big as The Beatles were, there are still a few tracks that seem to be blind spots for fans and casual listeners. While the song has experienced a resurgence in the last few years thanks to numerous factors, “Hey Bulldog” from Yellow Submarine, released a little more than a year before the band dissolved, is a track we feel deserves more attention. And we’re not alone in feeling that way. In this unique Skipped on Shuffle episode, Scott and Jason welcome special guest BJ Leiderman. Leiderman is a composer, perhaps most known for writing the theme music to a number of NPR programs. Having grown up listening to The Beatles in their active years, Leiderman shares his personal perspective with Scott and Jason as two different generations of music fans reflect on the band.

The fifty-seventh Skipped on Shuffle episode will be focused on the song “Sifting” by Nirvana off their 1989 album Bleach. Nirvana was arguably the biggest of the grunge-era rock bands to emerge from the explosive Seattle music scene in the ’90s. With no financial support from their record label, Sub Pop, the band received help from a friend who paid $600 for time in the studio to create their first album, Bleach. The record gained some notice from critics but was not commercially successful. It was, however, an important stepping stone as their next record, Nevermind, bloomed into a smash hit that eventually landed the band on the top of the charts with their music videos constantly playing on MTV. The quick rise to fame took the band — particularly vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter Kurt Cobain — by complete surprise. Cobain would grow increasingly frustrated with all the media attention he received and struggled to deal with Nirvana’s newfound success. Cobain pushed the band to return to the raw and abrasive sound of Bleach on what would be their third and final album, In Utero. Cobain was consciously rejecting the cleaner sound of the band on Nevermind in an effort to return to their punk and underground roots. Their record label, DGC, was apprehensive upon hearing the new record. After a few compromises on the final mixes, In Utero was released and continued the band’s success, debuting atop the charts in September 1993. On the tour to support the record, Cobain’s heroin addiction, which grew increasingly problematic over the last several years, began to take its toll. After overdoses on heroin and other substances, Cobain entered rehab in March 1994. After a week, he left the detox facility, returned home, and took his own life. His body was discovered by an electrician working at Cobain’s house on April 8. Jason and Scott both reflect on being slightly too young to appreciate Nirvana’s music before Cobain’s suicide in 1994. Jason discusses deepening his appreciation for the band and their raw sound with the release of the live album From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah. Scott remembers hearing the news about Cobain’s death and considers how the band and Cobain continue to be hugely influential today.

The fifty-sixth Skipped on Shuffle episode will be focused on the song “I Never Thought I’d Get This Lonely” by Harry Nilsson off his 1977 album Knnillssonn. Harry Nilsson slowly worked his way into the musical spotlight, building his talents as a songwriter and improving his vocal abilities thanks to lessons from his uncle, as he networked with producers and arrangers and steadily built a name for himself. He pursued his musical ambitions by day while working a bank job at night. It wouldn’t take long for Nilsson to reach mainstream success once his recording career began, thanks to “Everybody’s Talkin”’ and its inclusion in the film Midnight Cowboy. His career was further bolstered by the public admiration he received from The Beatles, who first heard Nilsson when their publicist shared copies of one of his records with the band. Nilsson would continue to gain commercial and critical success for the next few years, but this would be a brief high point in his career. After releasing Nilsson Schmilsson in 1971, which featured his Grammy-winning hit “Without You” and a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year, Nilsson found himself unable to reach his earlier success. His drinking and drug use — combined with problems in the recording studio and refusing to listen to the advice of producer Richard Perry, who had helped Nilsson craft Nilsson Schmilsson — led to impulsive creative decisions and recordings that broke with the polished work of his early career and failed to maintain the level of commercial success he had recently achieved. It marked the start of the slow decline of his career as Nilsson continued to put out albums to less and less acclaim and a notable decline in each release’s commercial success. By the time Knnillssonn was released in 1977, it was Nilsson’s last record with RCA Records and represented a final chance to change the course of his career. He crafted a record of all originals that showcased the best of his songwriting and featured his best vocal delivery in years, having recovered from damaging his voice years prior. RCA agreed to help promote the record, and since Nilsson did not tour or perform live, this support was crucial to finding success again and turning his career around — but fate would intervene. Elvis Presley, also on the RCA label, died and the company turned its focus, and diverted its promotion, to cashing in on the death of Elvis. Nilsson, who proudly proclaimed Knnillssonn to be the best of his career, saw his album released into obscurity and his career mostly at an end, save for a few unsuccessful projects over the next decade. Scott reflects on how unique Nilsson’s music and his life was. While following the clichéd rise and fall that accompanies most rock star stories, he was a gifted songwriter who made recording and production decisions that even the most revered and trailblazing artists at the time did not attempt. It made Nilsson stand out in the era of the singer/songwriter. Jason discusses his lifelong love of Nilsson’s music, thanks to a vinyl copy of The Point! that his parents had in their record collection. The experience introduced him to Nilsson and he fondly remembers first listening to the story of Oblio and Arrow as a young child.

The fifty-fifth Skipped on Shuffle episode will be focused on the song “Air” by Ben Folds Five off the 1998 soundtrack Godzilla: The Album. Ben Folds Five — a quirky rock trio led by pianist and main songwriter Ben Folds — came to the music scene as alternative rock was peaking. The band’s self-titled debut in 1993 stood out by eschewing guitars and presenting quirky piano-based pop tunes with humor and harmonies in sharp contrast to the rock music dominating radio at the time. While associated with funny songs about a variety of eccentric characters, Ben Folds Five did have a more serious side, most notably heard on their sophomore album Whatever and Ever Amen and the poignant track “Brick.” As the band climbed into the mainstream with critical and commercial success, they contributed “Air” to the soundtrack to the 1998 film Godzilla, a huge summer blockbuster movie that placed them alongside some of the biggest popular artists at the time, including Rage Against The Machine, Puff Daddy, and Green Day. “Air,” in many ways, was a preview of the new Ben Folds Five. The band would go on to further reveal their more mature and nuanced sound with The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner the following year. It marked a serious transition for the band, featuring lusher instrumentation and production with bandleader Ben Folds striking a more somber tone in his lyrics and delivery. Scott and Jason discuss how this transformation ultimately failed when The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner hit store shelves and appeared on the radio. While fans of the band would find songs such as “Army” familiar, much of the new material did not fit the mold Ben Folds and his bandmates had established on their first two records. “Air” serves as a notable, yet easy-to-miss song by a band in a profound stylistic change. It preserves the three-part vocal harmonies mostly absent from The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner album and highlights an emotional experience one could argue is about a struggle of one kind or another. While more ambiguous than the story told in “Brick,” the song relies equally on music and lyrics to take listeners on a mesmerizing journey. While not a Ben Folds Five fan, Jason discusses how “Air” helps a listener connect with the band on a deeper level, thanks to its vague lyrics that leave interpretation up to the audience, allowing individuals to feel themselves through the words and music to apply their own experiences to it. Jason discusses how this is a powerful contrast to the earlier Ben Folds Five, who can make listeners feel like a bit of an outsider when they struggle to find comparable situations and people in their own lives to make the songs resonate. Scott reflects on an experience seeing Ben Folds perform by himself, shortly after the first breakup of the band, and how it helped him think about the man behind this unique music.

The fifty-fourth Skipped on Shuffle episode will be focused on the song “Price I Pay” by Jane’s Addiction off their 2003 album Strays. To say Jane’s Addiction is a volatile band would be an understatement. Surviving numerous breakups and personal excesses, the original lineup of the band initially lasted only five years, from 1986 to 1991. But their impact on music — particularly the alternative scene — far outweighed the length of their career. While Jane’s reconvened for reunion tours that brought together three-quarters of the band (and one time around with all four members) and two new albums this millennium, the peak years of the band laid a blueprint for alternative rock. The band represents a celebration of the fringe of culture and rejection of the mainstream. They approached all aspects of sex, violence, and drug use with no judgment and accompanied by the unparalleled musicianship of its members. Strays serves as the third Jane’s reunion and the first to be accompanied by a record of mostly new material. Returning to the studio proved difficult for the band, even with a seasoned producer, Bob Ezrin, at the helm. After a changing of the guard on bass, the newly invigorated Jane’s took their latest material on the road, resurrecting the Lollapalooza music festival, and inviting a public that had changed quite a bit in the ensuing years since their 1987 self-titled indie debut. Scott and Jason feel “Price I Pay” encapsulates the sound and perspective of the newer Jane’s, which can appear to be a bit more mature and reserved, but is still as sonically and lyrically experimental and over-the-top as the early days. There is a bit more thoughtfulness this time around, most notably on “Price I Pay,” acknowledging the band’s tumultuous history and commitment to reckless behavior. The electricity of the track bursts from a deep bass groove that climbs out of a psychedelic intro in which lead singer Perry Farrell asks for forgiveness for his actions and thoughts, but also concedes that his personal reasons — an unabashed lust for life and love and fame and a good time — always justifies them. For all their flaws and theatrics, on stage and off, Jane’s is committed to transparency and honesty about who they are, what they love, and how they love. Scott and Jason discuss seeing Jane’s perform, emphasizing how the live experience of the band is so critical to understanding and appreciating the band’s ethos as well as their prowess as entertainers and musicians.