Doin' the Friday Shuffle

1. "King for a Day" - XTC - Upsy Daisy Assortment
What is the line between homage and plagiarism? This (quite good) XTC song has very similar chord changes, lyrics, and melody and theme as Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." Discuss.

2. "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" - Harry Connick, Jr. - When Harry Met Sally (Soundtrack)
Connick's spare arrangements work, but I was disappointed that the soundtrack didn't have the original renditions found in the film.

3. "Brothers in Arms" - Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
The use of solo guitar as a kind of call-and-response with the hushed lyrics is simply inspired. It's really duet between voice and guitar.

4. "Original of the Species" - U2 - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
I sing this to my little girls on occasion.

5. "I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Met) - Bob Dylan - The Bootleg Series, Volume 6: Live 1964 - Concert at Philharmnic Hall
One of those early Dylan songs I just can't get into.

6. "Battle of the Heroes" - John Williams - Star Wars: Episode III--Revenge of the Sith (Score)
Just a stellar piece of scoring, and a worthy final theme for the Star Wars trilogy.

7. "Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and the Journey to Hogwarts" - John Williams - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Score)
The main theme Williams wrote for the Harry Potter films is pretty much perfect, but some of the incidental music feels very much phoned in - this is a case in point.

8. "On the Road Again" - Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home
Dig that Spy Hunter-like beat.

9. "Solfeggio (1964)" - Arvo Part - De Profundis
Hushed and glacially slow. Oh, and uncommonly beautiful.

10. "Little League" - Andrew Lippa - John and Jen
A kid hates baseball because his mother is overbearing. I still can't figure out why I'm so indifferent to this when Lippa's Wild Party is so good.

Until Whenever