Hard drive blues

On Friday, the hard drive crashed on my computer at work. Everything was backed up, except my mp3's, which I really never considered backing up. So, now I'm going to need to rebuild most of my mp3 collection- minus what I had on my Sansa, my laptop, and old computer. I think I'm definitely going to start with the following songs:

The Sky is Crying- Elmore Leonard (and maybe the Stevie Ray version)- This song encapsulates the essence of the blues. His woman left him and the sky is crying...look at the tears running down the street. A nice guitar lick.

Negra Tomasa- Jaguares/Caifanes- A great beat to it. In my bachelor days, my friends and I used to play the song to set the mood before going out.

Y Que Paso- Banda Limon- One of the great the hell with you songs. The woman left him, but now she's back and he's wondering...did she forget something? A truly distinctive voice by the lead singer.

I guess I told her- Robert Cray- Alanis should listen to this song to learn the meaning of the word irony. Cray is so good that this pick could be one of 20 songs. "He doesn't live here anymore" is heartbreaking.

Luna Llena- Elvis Crespo- One of the best songs to take your lady on the dance floor and show your meringue chops. Some great lyrics as well.

I can't stand losing- Police- A top 40 song, but one of the greatest "loser" anthems ever. If I ever feel sorry for myself, I just have to play this song and instantly I become aware that there's someone worse! "But you'll be sorry when I'm dead, all this guilt will be on your head." Classic.


Voy a pintar mi Raya- Banda Arkangel- you have to listen closely to this song- beautiful lyrics about a man giving up his woman to the men that she now loves, but in the last repetition of the chorus, there's an almost imperceptible change of a word- changing the meaning of the song entirely. He's actually saying; "Go ahead and go with him, I know you'll be back."

Revolver- Rage Against the Machine- brilliant, but sad reflection on sexism and domestic violence. You can hear the beating through the staccato of the music.

El Rey- Jose Alfredo Jimenez/Vicente Fernandez- a much deeper song than most people realize. Every man is a king and his word is the law, so long as he realizes that he rules only himself.

Baby Grand- Billy Joel/Ray Charles- a wonderful song about their greatest love- music, but also a song about how fame/riches are fleeting.

Fight the Power- Public Enemy- I love just a couple lines in this song; "Elvis was a hero to many, but he never meant nothing to me. Motherfuck him and John Wayne." A good song to listen to on occasions when you are angry with everything.