Circle 6.0 March 2007
Jeremy Sullivan
Couplets



Coupletas

1) One – Three Dog Night (1969)
2) Future Sound – Jurassic 5 (2006)

3) Que Sera, Sera – Sly & the Family Stone (1973)
4) Que Sera, Sera – Pink Martini (1997)

5) Gold Digger – Kanye West (2005)
6) Gold Digger (Katrina Remix) – K-Otix (2005)

7) Watermelon Man – Herbie Hancock (1962)
8) Watermelon Man – Herbie Hancock (1973)

9) While My Guitar Gently Weeps – George Harrison (July 25, 1968)
10) While My Guitar Gently Weeps – Beatles (September 6, 1968)

11) Mothership Connection – Parliament (1975)
12) Let Me Ride – Dr. Dre (1992)

13) Summertime – Billie Holiday (1936)
14) Summertime – Preservation Hall Jazz Band (1999)

15) Superstition – Oberlin Obertones (2005)
16) Superstition – Stevie Wonder (1972)

17) Son of a Preacher Man – Dusty Springfield(1969)
18) Hits from the Bong – Cypress Hill (1993)

I have participated in five Mark Korsak CD Circles. My previous four offerings have fallen into the broad category of “party mix.” Two were mostly hip-hop music, one was a collection of oldies and classic rock, and one traversed numerous genres but was still “up” enough to use as background at a festive occasion. This mix is probably not a party mix, or, if it is, it’s the kind you might play near the end of the evening, when most people have gone home and a core group remains for one last beer or joint or to help with the clean-up.

I had been thinking for a while about putting together a mix grouped in couplets. I started by looking for interesting covers of songs, but as I began digging through my CD collection I decided to broaden the concept to include a few hip-hop songs and the source material for their samples. I also stuck in a remix, and even if you don’t like rap music, I urge you to listen to Track 6, Gold Digger (Katrina Remix) by the Houston-based rap group K-Otix, a few times. Their use of Kanye West’s popular beat and their frustration and anger at the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina creates a remix that I think is superior to the original.

I hope you enjoy.
Jeremy Sullivan, March 2007

Circle 6.0 February 2007
Matthew Dubovick
New Jersey Turnpike Authority






New Jersey Turnpike Authority

She's Everything - Brad Paisley
Amarillo Sky - Jason Aldean
The Impossible - Joe Nichols
Good Good Lovin' - Brian McComas
Little Bit of Life - Craig Morgan
Why, Why, Why - Billy Currington
A Feelin' Like That - Cary Allan
Nothin' To Lose - Josh Gracin
Feels Just Like it Should - Pat Green
Watching You - Rodney Atkins
Once in a Lifetime - Keith Urban
My Oh My - The Wreckers
Would You Go With Me - Josh Turner
Red High Heels - Kellie Pickler
Isn't That Everything - Danielle Peck
Let's Get it On - Carolina Rain
It Just Comes Natural - George Strait
The Dollar - Jamey Johnson
Every Mile of Memory - Dierks Bentley
Mountains - Lonestar
8th of November - Big & Rich
Alyssa Lies - Jason Michael Carroll


Back on an unseasonably warm December 1st I was traveling back to my home in Columbia, MD from Moonachie, NJ. As I hopped into the truck with a three and a half hour drive ahead of me I thought, “this is a perfect day to roll down the windows and crank up the XM Radio”. Earlier in the week I had a co-worker in my vehicle that liked country music so I put a country station on low as background music. This station was still on. I had not listened to country music since 2002 when I was stuck in Pikeville, KY for three weeks. I was forced to grow an appreciation for this genre because there were only two radio stations in town (and the other one was oldies).

Anyway, as I was driving I heard some really great songs. I started writing them down figuring this could be my next CD for the circle. I soon found myself in traffic and I started talking to myself. I almost talked myself out of it because I realized that country is a genre you have to like if you are to listen to it. Then I heard Mark Korsak’s voice in my head saying, “your last two CD’s were a bit dark”. Although both had death as the theme, they were tribute CD’s (we won’t talk about the photography). In that split second I saw ‘New Jersey Turnpike Authority’ come to life.

If you are not familiar with the NJ Turnpike let me give you one man’s view. 99.8% of the time you will hit traffic somewhere along your trip, predominantly between exits 6 and 8A and most points north of exits 14A – B & C. This is because New Jersey drivers are crazy. If you think you are driving fast at 80 MPH there are 20 cars and 3 tractor-trailers ready to push you off the road. The state could make this roadway 10 lanes wide and it would not make a difference. Not to mention excessive tollbooths, summer shore traffic, Giant Stadium traffic, inadequate signs and not being able to make a left turn add to the hysteria.

So, if your ever sitting in endless traffic staring at brake lights for as far as you can see just pop ‘New Jersey Turnpike Authority” into your CD player and enjoy the ride.

Matt Dubovick