Did anyone else make mix cds for someone this holiday season?

[Music Machine]

I put this one together for my mother's stocking;

1. Heaven Heath - MELLOW CANDLE [The Virgin Prophet demo version with more of a stripped down arrangement, my mom likes folk music and celtic stuff, I think she'll really go for this.]

2. Behind Blue Eyes (1999 Re-recording) - PETE TOWNSHEND [This is similar to Pete's 1971 demo except it has some keyboard drones as well as guitar and vocal.]

3. Hello [I Love You] - ROGER WATERS [My mom said she heard this one on the radio and liked it.]

4. Mercy Street (Live Montreal 2003) - PETER GABRIEL [She's always liked Gabriel's stuff and I think she'll really like the arrangement on this live version]

5. Where True Love Goes- YUSUF ISLAM aka CAT STEVENS [My mom's a huge fan of Cat Stevens' stuff and has yet to hear the An Other Cup album.]

6.  Strange Times - MOODY BLUES [She's very into the Moody Blues too but never heard anything off Strange Times from the late 90's, I hadn't either till I got this track, it sounds like the stuff on the soft rock station she likes but with better production, lyrics and singing.]

7. Picasso - YES [She enjoys some Yes stuff and this is a good mellow ballad, a bonus track from the Tormato reissue.]

8. Any World - STEELY DAN & MICHAEL McDONALD [There was a Michael McDonald album from the early 80's I forget the name of she was always playing when I was a kid and liked his stuff with the Doobies. I think she might never have heard this.]

9. The Crystal Ship (Live 1970) - THE DOORS [She loved the Doors when she was young, she never saw them live and they played Toronto a few times which is where she lived when she was young, so maybe this'll make up for that a bit.]

10. Will You Still Love Me (Live 2003) - CAROLE KING [My mom had the Tapestry album when I was young, this is a really good slightly updated arrangement.]

11. Your Own Special Way - GENESIS [Apart from once or twice when I played Wind and Wuthering for her I don't think my mom's ever heard the album length version of this song, and she's probably forgotten about that by now. She has some of the 80's Phil Collins stuff, she should get to hear the better 70's stuff a bit.]

12. Factory - MARTHA WAINWRIGHT [My parents grew up enjoying the Mcgarrigle sisters' music, I played this cut to them when I helped them move last summer and they really liked it.]

13. Lived in Bars - CAT POWER [My mom's never heard this before but I think it sounds alot like Carole King's stuff so it should go over well.]

14. In the Country Way (New York Tenderbury Out-take) - LAURA NYRO [My mom's always been crazy for Laura Nyro, she'll likely really enjoy this out-take from her favorite Laura Nyro album.]

15. Car on the Hill - JONI MITCHELL [My mom and her sisters all love Joni Mitchell, my mom doesn't own Court and Spark, this should bring back good memories. I love this song too, I'm impressed with how complex an arrangment with so many dynamics changes was able to  fit into under four minutes and managed to not sound too overloaded.]

16. Joanni - KATE BUSH [My mom likes Kate's stuff alot and has hardly gotten to hear anything off Aerial.]

17.  When I Was in My Prime - PENTANGLE [My mom mentioned to me a couple of times she loves this band but doesn't own anything by them, I think she's been trying to give me a hint there.]

18. The Mountain - PJ HARVEY [I don't believe my mom has ever heard any PJ Harvey, I think she may like this short track from PJ's new album, it's kind of a dark folk piece.]

19. Nothing and Nowhere - EMILY HANES [This is in the singer/ songwriter vein my mom really likes, I think she's heard Emily once or twice on CBC, they probably played the single off Emily's album, Dr. Blind.]

20. Julia - THE BEATLES [My mom's always liked the Beatles but doesn't own anything from them. If she likes this being on here I'll probably make her a Beatles mix cd in the future.]

[Sheriff John Stone]

A sampling of my All-Timers. Not earth shattering, but hopefully the people I give it to will discover something new that they like. The songs (lyrically) are in a specific order:

1. "I Saw Her Standing There" - The Beatles
2. "Lola" - The Kinks
3. "Perfect Day" - Lou Reed
4. "Be My Baby" - The Ronettes
5. "God Only Knows" - The Beach Boys
6. "Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime" - The Korgis
7. "Arnold Layne" -  Pink Floyd
8. "New York Mining Disaster 1941" - The Bee Gees
9. "Folsom Prison Blues" - Johnny Cash
10. "Always On My Mind" - Willie Nelson
11. "Wichita Lineman" - Glen Campbell & Michelle Shocked
12. "Lay Lady Lay" - Bob Dylan
13. "On The Road Again" - Canned Heat
14. "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us" - Sparks
15. "Atomic" - Blondie
16. "The Crystal Ship" - The Doors
17. "Hero And Heroine" - The Strawbs
18. "Thoughts Of You" - Dennis Wilson
19. "Dreamboat Annie/Crazy On You" - Heart
20. "Astronomy" - Blue Oyster Cult
21. "Can't Get It Out Of My Head" - ELO 

[SloopJohnB]

Here's the last mix cd I made for a friend:

01 - "Meant For You" - The Beach Boys
02 - "Prelude" / "To Claudia On Thursday" - The Millennium
03 - "The March Of The Black Queen" - Queen
04 - "You’re Breakin’ My Heart (So f*** You)" - Harry Nilsson
05 - "Lettre A France" - Michel Polnareff
06 - "My World Fell Down" - Sagittarius
07 - "The Wedding List" - Kate Bush
08 - "Wall Street" - Van Dyke Parks
09 - "Hide And Seek" - The Feminine Complex
10 - "Sweet Mountain" - American Spring
11 - "Initials B.B." - Serge Gainsbourg
12 - "Sweet Nothin’s" - Brenda Lee
13 - "One-Piece Topless Bathing Suit" - Jan & Dean
14 - "Deep Purple Dreams" - Nino Tempo & April Stevens
15 - "Love Potion No. 9" - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
16 - "That Lucky Old Sun" - Ray Charles
17 - "Nancy’s Minuet" - The Everly Brothers
18 - "Le Sud" - Nino Ferrer
19 - "How Can I Be Sure" - Dusty Springfield
20 - "Good Time Girl" - Nancy Sinatra
21 - "Footsteps On The Roof" - The Shangri-Las
22 - "You’re Still A Mystery" - The Beach Boys
23 - "In The Back Of My Mind" (Instrumental) - The Beach Boys

(bonus track: the "Dom Dom Kingdom" music)

[Uncomfortable Seat]

for my mom and stepdad:

1. The Cryan Shames - A Carol For Lorelei
2. Petula Clark - Downtown
3. Harpers Bizarre - Come Love
4. Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose - It's Too Late To Turn Back Now
5. The Ballroom - Spinning, Spinning, Spinning
6. The Free Design - I Found Love
7. The Association - No Fair At All
8. The Mike Sammes Singers - Just Like Swingles
9. The Cowsills - The Rain, The Park, And Other Things
10. Mercy - Love Can Make You Happy
11. The Seekers - Georgy Girl
12. Spanky and Our Gang - Like To Get To Know You
13. The Association - Happiness Is
14. Harpers Bizarre - 59th Street Bridge Song(Feelin' Groovy)
15. Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 - The Look Of Love
16. The Mamas and Papas - Dedicated To The One I Love
17. The Cryan Shames - It Could Be We're In Love
18. Rotary Connection - Didn't Want To Have To Do It
19. Marianne Faithful - As Tears Go By
20. The Five Stairsteps - O-o-h Child
21. Petula Clark - Don't Sleep In The Subway
22. The Mike Sammes Singers - Grass On The Pitch
23. The Ballroom - Magic Time
24. The Association - Everything That Touches You
25. Harpers Bizarre - Small Talk
26. Barbara Mason - Yes I'm Ready