Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Vegetation, Venice, and Top Ten California Songs

Vegetation is a good word -- at first, I thought it was the v followed by the soft g, and then I realized that the only other word that has those sounds is vagina, which I don't think has the nice soft warm green sound vegetation has. Vestigial is close, but other than that it's only vegetable/vegetation and vagina.
Anyhow, Florida smells good, which I think is aromatherapeutic. I'm not sure what all the flowers are, but one of them definitely smelled like a candle I enjoy (isn't it sad how I have to identify the source by its product rather than vice-versa), so I think it may be jasmine (I just wikipedia-ed it, and I'm closer to certain now).

Went to Venice (FL) today. The beach is beautiful, as is the pier that runs right off a touristy shack of a restaurant called Sharky's across from the municipal airport. Boogieboards on the frond ceilings, plastic palm tree sculptures in impossible colors, and really bad burgers.

I've been thinking about California songs, and how many good ones there are. I think it warrants a Top Ten, so here's the working Top Ten so far. If you have different opinions or have thought of songs I forgot, lemme know. I'm not explaining my choices because explanation of such a list would be utterly silly.

10. California, by Phantom Planet
9. Hot Fudge and Song 3, by Robbie Williams
8. Route 66, by (I don't know which version is best; most need to pick up the tempo)
7. California Stars, by Wilco (not a great "California" song, but still quite good)
6. Dani California, by Red Hot Chili Peppers
5. Folsom Prison Blues, by Johnny Cash ties w/ All I Wanna Do, by Sheryl Crow
4. Californication, by Red Hot Chili Peppers
3. I Left My Heart in San Francisco, by Tony Bennett
2. Hotel California, by the Eagles
1. California Dreamin' by the Mamas and the Papas.

If I thought "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" was a California song more than a general dock on any old bay song, then I would have put this way up there... I've also discluded Beach Boys songs about California b/c personally, I find their non-California songs far superior. I don't mind Yellowcard's Ocean Avenue and Weezer's Beverly Hills, but I don't think they really cut it.

1 comment:

Fonzy Mann-Johnson said...

"Los Angeles" by Frank Black
"California" by Weezer
"Going Back to Cali" by Biggie Smalls
"L.A." by Murs
"Straight Outta Compton" by N.W.A.

In summing up, I wish I had some kind of affirmative message to leave you with. I don't. Would you take two negative messages?
-- Woody Allen