Middle-aged Dummies are back and bursting at the "themes" to get going! Full theme ahead! (3 Viewers)

[Eephus]

Likewise I don't think "Coffee & TV" by Blur was new to me but is now a saved favorite.

It didn't my my Albarn countdown because it's a Graham Coxon song

 

[Don Quixote]

Likewise I don't think "Coffee & TV" by Blur was new to me but is now a saved favorite.

Unsure if heard Mystery Theme Dictator song before?

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I knew the vast majority of the #6 songs already, but still managed to snag a few new-to-me favorites:

"Borrow Trouble" by Feist - yes, a lady singer. I actually listened to her quite a bit in her early years but lost track along the way.
"Wfl" by Happy Mondays - yummy.
"Clear Skies" by Keane was not new to me but I didn't have it saved as a favorite, so now I do.
Likewise I don't think "Coffee & TV" by Blur was new to me but is now a saved favorite.

Why I remember stuff like this, I have no idea, but I think Coffee & TV was picked for the Microphone #2 playlist in GP4.

 

[titusbramble]

GTA #5 - Danzig - Mother (Radio X, SA)

Radio X is probably what I would be listening to if I was transported into the GTA universe at the time in question, playing a bunch of grunge and alt/hard rock, it's really very good and has a fairly good spread of tracks across its playlist from the previously used Living Colour, Primal Scream, Stone Roses, Guns n Roses (ALL the roses), Stone Temple Pilots and my pick from Danzig. An artist used by someone else earlier in the countdown on their own theme, they went for a different track to not go for the obvious if I remember their write up. I will go for the obvious. If only because only the obvious is played on the radio.

 

[Eephus]

GTA #5 - Danzig - Mother (Radio X, SA)

Radio X is probably what I would be listening to if I was transported into the GTA universe at the time in question, playing a bunch of grunge and alt/hard rock, it's really very good and has a fairly good spread of tracks across its playlist from the previously used Living Colour, Primal Scream, Stone Roses, Guns n Roses (ALL the roses), Stone Temple Pilots and my pick from Danzig. An artist used by someone else earlier in the countdown on their own theme, they went for a different track to not go for the obvious if I remember their write up. I will go for the obvious. If only because only the obvious is played on the radio.

This one came up on the playlist last night while I was in the kitchen w/ Mrs. Eephus. She recognized the song two chords into the intro.

 

[shuke]

8s - don't think I heard any sax here, even with a Springsteen song. I think the Dario song was all trumpet

shukelist appearances
Charlie Steiner – Piece of My Heart - Janis Joplin (appearing as Big Brother and The Holding Company)

New to me favorites
KarmaPolice – Memories - The Coathangers
Don Quixote – No Condition is Permanent (Spotify) - Marijata
krista4 – The Woman Downstairs – The Handsome Family

Other great songs that deserve mention
Pip’s Invitation – Stage Fright - The Band
Raging weasel – Ballrooms of Mars - T Rex
landrys hat - This Time Tomorrow - The Kinks - Lola v Powerman
Chaos34 - Here Comes Your Man - Pixies

 

[shuke]

shuke – Saxytime

Tweezer (Spotify) - Phish w/Giant Country Horns

This is the last of my selection where the sax isn't distinctive. Phish toured with Giant Country Horns in '91. I chose the best song that was available on a release on Spotify.

 

[shuke]

7s

shukelist appearances
DrIanMalcolm – Summer in the City - The Lovin' Spoonful
Zegras11 – West End Girls - Pet Shop Boys

Saxy?
-OZ- - On And On - Curtis Harding - regardless, great song that's new to me

New to me favorites
simey – Dusty Boxcar Wall - Eilen Jewell
Don Quixote – Talkin’ Talkin’ (Spotify) - Matata
krista4 – Slow Down Chicago – Canasta

Other great songs that deserve mention
scorchy – Made Of Stone - The Stone Roses
El Floppo – The Silent Orchestra - Hamilton Leithauser
Chaos34 - Lost In The Dream - The War On Drugs

 

[shuke]

6s

shukelist appearances
Mrs. Rannous – Send Me On My Way - Rusted Root - really used to like this song but feel it's lost its luster with commercial usage
Don Quixote – Khala My Friend (Spotify) - Amanaz - still one of my favorites I've discovered in the MAD threads
landrys hat - Move On Up - Curtis Mayfield - Curtis - top 100!
Zegras11 – Don't Change – INXS

Saxy!
Dr. Octopus – Money, Love and Change - Trey Ansastasio Band - sax not obvious but I assume James Casey is in this mix (RIP). This series of concerts help me keep my sanity during the COVID shutdown.
John Maddens Lunchbox – Galaxy (Spotify) – War
rockaction - Disco Inferno - The Trammps

New to me favorites
KarmaPolice – Teenage Crime - The Pack A.D.
MrsKarmaPolice – Fragile Bird - City and Colour

Other great songs that deserve mention
Charlie Steiner – I'm A Man - Spencer Davis Group
simey – It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry - Bob Dylan
Mt. Man – 20th Century Boy - T-Rex
jwb – Subdivisions – Rush

 

[shuke]

5s - it's a shukelist spectacular!!!

shukelist appearances
Charlie Steiner – You Keep Me Hangin' On - Vanilla Fudge - top 50!
Yo Mama – Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town - Pearl Jam - top 100!
Pip’s Invitation – Baby Blue - Badfinger - top 50!
Raging weasel – All the Young Dudes - Mott the Hoople - top 25!
titusbramble – Mother - Danzig
El Floppo – You! Me! Dancing! - Los Campesinos!

Saxy!
Don Quixote – Soul Makossa (Spotify) - Manu Dibango
rockaction - Rock 'n' Roll Suicide - David Bowie

New to me favorites
Chaos34 - Without U - Beach Goons

Other great songs that deserve mention
kupcho1 – It Never Rains In Southern California - Albert Hammond
simey – Empty Trainload of Sky - Gillian Welch, David Rawlings
jwb – Old Man (live at Massey Hall) - Neil Young
landrys hat - China Cat Sunflower - Grateful Dead - Aoxomoxoa
DrIanMalcolm – Across 110th Street - Bobby Womack

 

[rockaction]

El Floppo – Mallet Rock

You! Me! Dancing! - Los Campesinos! (for 3yo Floppinho)

#5 (I'll have to get to my #6... sorry- was on vacation)

this is another case of using a mallet (glockenspiel) to plonk along melodically and rhythmically with the other instruments to add some texture to both.

nothing incredible about it's use here, imo. but I include it because I've always loved the song, on its own but primarily because it was the first "my" song that little floppinho took to... at 3yo. he had a whole dance routine worked up whenever it came on (also had one for "the bucket" by kings of leon around the same time) building in crazy energy as the song did.

so whenever I hear this song, I think of him at 3yo in our temporary digs (back when we had a fire) going joy-filled apeshit. fills me with so much happiness- can't even describe. second only to the other song I have attached to him- Heart it Races, by Architecture in Helsinki- which popped onto my ipod (ipod!!) as I headed back to the hospital the first time after he was born to bring mom some stuff. hell yeah, my heart it races.

Great story. Great intro to this song. Could be the most memorable I've ever heard because I can't think of one better off of the top of my head and whenever I hear a "greatest intros" discussion or list, I check to see if this one made it.

You! Me! Dancing!

 

[krista4]

Huh, guess I'm supposed to post this morning. Have totally lost track of my days. Coming up shortly.

 

[Yambag]

I just spent way to long analyzing, adding, subtracting, reordering, alphabetizing, picking out words, letters, you name it in order to guess the mystery theme and still have nothing. I even have a friggin' Excel sheet going. Kinda reminds me of a time I did a holiday Jeopardy game for my family that I though was super easy and I think they got a total of like 4 questions right.

 

[krista4]

I just spent way to long analyzing, adding, subtracting, reordering, alphabetizing, picking out words, letters, you name it in order to guess the mystery theme and still have nothing. I even have a friggin' Excel sheet going. Kinda reminds me of a time I did a holiday Jeopardy game for my family that I though was super easy and I think they got a total of like 4 questions right.

You're on the right track. Re-read yesterday's posts.

And by the way, this theme is nowhere near easy, so it's not like your Jeopardy game!

 

[krista4]

#4 songs

kupcho1 – rain

It's Raining Again – Supertramp


Eephus – Single (Named) Ladies

By Your Side - Sade


Charlie Steiner – songs from Mad Men

My Way - Frank Sinatra


simey – train songs

Wabash Cannonball - Willie Nelson


Yambag – Metal songs from 1988-1992 that became the gateway into the world of music for a young Yambag

Raining Blood - Slayer


Dr. Octopus – guitarists I’ve seen live

Jessica - Allman Brothers Band (Dicky Betts)


Yo Mama – World’s Worst Superheroes

Crackerman - Stone Temple Pilots


Mrs. Rannous – umlauts

It's A Miracle – Crashdïet


KarmaPolice – songs from artists not on shuke’s list

Pokin' Around - Mudhoney


Don Quixote – Afrobeat

It’s Not Easy (Spotify) - Ofege (Nigeria)


JMLs secret identity – songs in D#Minor, the saddest key of all

Enola Gay (Spotify) - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark


-OZ- - song / music moments from the Marvel cinematic universe

Family Affair - Mary J. Blige


Mt. Man – Number, Please

18 and Life - Skid Row


Pip’s Invitation – songs from albums produced and/or engineered by Todd Rundgren

More - The New Cars


falguy – songs by 31 different Canadian artists

Blown Wide Open - Big Wreck


Raging weasel – name-checking Beatles or their songs

The Seeker - The Who


jwb – songs that sound great on a decent 2-channel system

The Sound of Silence (Acoustic Version) – Simon and Garfunkel


scorchy – songs by Manchester(-ish) artists

Dreams Never End - New Order


titusbramble – Grand Theft Auto, specifically the 3D era

It Was A Good Day - Ice Cube (SA - Radio Los Santos)


shuke – Saxytime

National Anthem (Spotify) – Radiohead


Ilov80s - One song from each of the 31 best albums of 1984

Escape (I Need a Break) - Whodini


John Maddens Lunchbox – Batman

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me (Spotify) - U2


Mister CIA – Texas Places in Song Titles

Amarillo by Morning - George Strait


El Floppo – Mallet Rock

Swordfishtrombone - Tom Waits


landrys hat - favorite Side 2 Track 1s from my record collection

Everyday People - Sly & the Family Stone - Stand (1969)


rockaction - Songs that state the genre they’re in

Hip-Hop - Dead Prez


ditkaburgers - Girl Groups X Boy Bands

Cool It Now - New Edition


MrsKarmaPolice – Animal Kingdom

Weird Fishes / Arpeggi - Radiohead


Tau837 – Hair metal

Photograph - Def Leppard


DrIanMalcolm – Songs about New York

Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters - Elton John


higgins – Instrumentals with places in the title

Orient Blue - Al DiMeola


Zegras11 – New wave

I Ran (So Far Away) - A Flock Of Seagulls


Chaos34 - Post Surf Rock Surf Rockish (80s fwd)

Everything Turns Grey - Agent Orange


krista4 – Chicagoland

Lake Shore Drive – Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah


Anonymous Mystery Theme Dictator - ???

Word Up - Gun


MAC_32 – Songs to play during (and after) a funeral

Wherever You Are Tonight - Kenny Chesney

 

[krista4]

#4 Playlist

 

[krista4]

Selections:

31. If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next - Manic Street Preachers

30. Hear The Drummer Get Wicked - Chad Jackson

29. Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band

28. Virtual Insanity – Jamiroquai

27. Another Chance - Roger Sanchez

26. Living On My Own - Freddie Mercury

25. Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top

24. Better Off Alone - Alice Deejay

23. Love Is The Drug - Roxy Music

22. By The Time I Get To Arizona - Public Enemy

21. I Kissed A Girl - Katy Perry

20. Goddess On A Hiway - Mercury Rev

19. Dark Therapy – Echobelly

18. Run To You - Bryan Adams

17. Inside Out – Anthrax

16. There's Nothing I Won't Do – JX

15. You - Bad Religion

14. Don't Stop Me Now – Queen

13. Moving – Supergrass

12. The Time Is Now – Moloko

11. Ms Jackson – Outkast

10. Ray of Light - Madonna

9. Winter Hill – Doves

8. Carnaval de Paris - Dario G

7. Seven Days and One Week - B.B.E.

6. Coffee and TV – Blur

5. Losing My Religion – REM

4. Word Up - Gun



Incorrect guesses:

Songs that give advice

Bands That Have Never Been in My Kitchen

Songs by artists who have headlined Glastonbury

Songs featuring the Mellotron

Fear mongering

Song titles that could be part of geometry proofs

Bands who have a member whose first or last name is a James Bond reference

Bands with family members

Songs that reference a location in another country

Songs that have nine or more words in the title

Songs that mention famous streets

Bands who had a member mysteriously disappear, get declared dead, but no body has ever been found

Songs that reference footballguys user names

Songs without a guitar

Song titles that are commands

First two words of song titles in order of lyrics from The Youngbloods’ Get Together

Songs about resilience in the face of adversity

Songs about the importance of progress

Songs to make people overthink and speculate about an imaginary theme that doesn't really exist

31 songs that MADs submitted in prior MAD rounds, but judge disqualified because the submitting MAD failed to get the long-form birth certificate of all band members before submitting

Songs NOT produced by Todd Rundgren

Artists without umlauts

Songs Sam Rockwell has danced to in a movie

Songs about navigating and adapting to a constantly changing world

Songs credited to more than one songwriter

UK top ten singles

Singles released by UK artist/bands

31 British Isles Songs That Did Not Appear in the MAD British Isles Countdown

Non-guitar driven songs

Songs in 4/4 time

Broadway shows

Songs that all charted in the same six countries:
UK
Australia
Germany
France
Ireland
Netherlands

Songs under 5 minutes

Songs where artists let out excessive vocalizations of the “ahh,” “ooh,” “dee,” etc. variety

A break up and starting over

Things that will drive a bunch of middle aged dummies who are trying to find a pattern go crazy

Stages in Rustoleum’s marriage

Guinness World Records

Songs that can qualify for other people’s themes

Songs by people with facial hair

All songs use an instrument with keys

Songs that are the narrative arc of a divorce

Addiction

Songs with 125 BPM or more

Songs that sample other songs on the list

Songs representing different Nicholas Cage movies / characters

Songs

This is your life, Krista

Something to do with Tina Turner/abused women

Jimi Hendrix

Detailing Britney Spears’ descent into madness

Addiction ... to love

Songs in A Minor

The plot to Thelma and Louise

Kourtney Kardashian

Songs about a major change in someone's life

Midlife crisis

Songs with a subject you should see a therapist about

Mental illness

Songs about the world's worst super heros

Mania

Things you do impulsively

Songs that use the word “The” at some stage in the lyrics

The Ballad of @krista4 and OH

Songs the were on the UK official singles chart for the week ending on Aug 16, 2008

Songs from multiple decades

Songs about exploration of identity

Dancing

Each of these songs holds a special place in the hearts of listeners, and they remain influential in the genres they represent

krista's iconic playlist

struggle, rebellion, and survival

songs that have no connection to each other whatsoever - y'all are just wasting your time - ha ha ha suckers

Id, ego, and superego

Each song is somehow connected to one of the first 31 themes submitted for this countdown

Songs that qualify for more than one of the MAD31 themes submitted

Obscure chess strategies

All of these songs tie into the movie Thelma and Louise

history repeating itself

Songs for which there exists another song with the exact same title

Songs that implicate the seven deadly sins

The plot of a movie

the arc of Pink Floyd’s The Wall

Being in an oppressive relationship, and the journey to take back control of your life

the arc of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

trapped in a continuous cycle and finding a release that feels like freedom

Moving on through suicide

Things that require immediate action

Determining your own destiny

the life and tribulations of Pamela Anderson

[Eliminating/adding characters to a title -or- re-ordering the words in a title] give you the title to another song.

the Kiefer Sutherland life story

Awakenings

Coming full circle

Trials and tribulations involving breasts?

My dad sucks

finding liberation

The trips Judas made and the things he did before he turned Jesus over to the Romans

If you add up the number of characters in the song titles and divide it by pi, you get the key to the universe.

the song/artist contains the letter J, K, Q, V, W, X, Y or Z

Birth to Death

Playlist of artists and songs that contain all letters of the alphabet

This a Jesus theme as we head towards Easter

Some voodoo with the running times of each song that I haven’t figured out yet

The first letter of the song title and artist name stand for contrasting elements in someone’s life story. Some examples are challenges vs achievements or resilience vs. fear and so on. The words combine to show the theme of duality or two sides/contrasts to a person’s journey.

the plot to The Matrix

Things that rhyme with purple

things that rhyme with orange

Things that rhyme with antidisestablishmentarianism

 

[Zegras11]

I Ran (So Far Away)

A Flock Of Seagulls · We Are The '80s · Song · 1981

open.spotify.com

"I Ran (So Far Away)", also released as "I Ran", is a song by English new wave band A Flock of Seagulls. It was released in 1982 as their third single and it was the second single from their self-titled debut album. It topped the chart in Australia, and reached number seven in New Zealand and number nine in the United States. It was not successful in Europe and only reached number 31 in Germany. In the band's home country of the United Kingdom it reached number 43. However, the song was certified silver by the BPI.

In an article for Rolling Stone titled, "Anglomania: The Second British Invasion", Parke Puterbaugh wrote of the impact of the song's music video on its US chart success, "Fronted by a singer-synth player with a haircut stranger than anything you'd be likely to encounter in a month of poodle shows, A Flock of Seagulls struck gold on the first try.

Space Age Love Song

A Flock Of Seagulls · We Are The '80s · Song · 1981

open.spotify.com

Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)

A Flock Of Seagulls · We Are The '80s · Song · 1981

open.spotify.com

Telecommunication

A Flock Of Seagulls · We Are The '80s · Song · 1981

open.spotify.com

 

[Yambag]

I just spent way to long analyzing, adding, subtracting, reordering, alphabetizing, picking out words, letters, you name it in order to guess the mystery theme and still have nothing. I even have a friggin' Excel sheet going. Kinda reminds me of a time I did a holiday Jeopardy game for my family that I though was super easy and I think they got a total of like 4 questions right.

You're on the right track. Re-read yesterday's posts.

And by the way, this theme is nowhere near easy, so it's not like your Jeopardy game!

I have all the clues, even ChatGPT can't figure it out! The range of rabbit holes I just went down is wild. I'll share a few once this is done.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Round 4 - It's A Miracle - Crashdïet

Swedish glam metal. I've been everywhere, man.

​

 

[krista4]

I have all the clues, even ChatGPT can't figure it out!

You are smarter than ChatGPT.

 

[Yambag]

I have all the clues, even ChatGPT can't figure it out!

You are smarter than ChatGPT.

One last guess today because I need to walk away. Going down the list, you can use the first letter of the title or artist to see acronyms/abbreviations.

 

[Yambag]

#4 songs

Yambag – Metal songs from 1988-1992 that became the gateway into the world of music for a young Yambag

Raining Blood - Slayer

Summary: Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981. Their fast and aggressive musical style made them one of the "big four" bands of thrash metal, alongside Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax. Slayer’s third album, Reign in Blood has been described as one of the heaviest and most influential thrash metal albums of all time. The band has received five Grammy Award nominations and two wins.

Times Seen Live in Concert: 3 = 1991 (Clash of Titans with Anthrax and Megadeth), 2004 (Ozzfest with Judas Priest), 2019

Personal Connection: Probably my favorite metal band behind Metallica, and some days #1. I was so fortunate to have 1986’s Reign in Blood be my first Slayer album as it hit exactly what I was looking for, 12 songs and 34 minutes of pure speed. They are fantastic live and my first concert experience with them was as it should be, nonstop headbanging and red lights everywhere. I got so excited to pick a Slayer song that I made a mistake in choosing Raining Blood before this writeup and now realize it doesn’t fall into my 5-year timeframe. 1990’s War Ensemble from Seasons in the Abyss is the replacement below:

Other songs to consider: War Ensemble, Angel of Death

 

[krista4]

#5 playlist only had a handful of songs I didn't already know and love, so I don't have much to report on new-to-me favorites. It feels like somewhere around the #11s and going forward, each playlist has been phenomenal!

Of the few new-to-me, I give big hearts to "Empty Trainload of Sky" by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings and "Fun for Me" by Moloko. On the latter, I really don't know what I was listening to nor did I understand it, but somehow I loved it. I also enjoyed "Flying in a Blue Dream" by Joe Satriani (though admittedly I can't figure out the "place name" in that title), "Without U" by Beach Goons, "Dream of a Child" by Burton Cummings, and the fantastic "No Woman No Cry" cover by Tems.

 

[higgins]

also enjoyed "Flying in a Blue Dream" by Joe Satriani (though admittedly I can't figure out the "place name"

In my introductory primer, I included “figurative” place specifically so I could include this song. But nobody reads my posts so….

 

[krista4]

krista4 – Chicagoland

Lake Shore Drive – Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah

Artist connection to Chicago (1-5 scale): 5 - Chicago band through and through. Sadly the last remaining member of the band, Ted Aliotta, died yesterday.
Song connection to Chicago (1-10 scale): 8 - I was shocked to find this song in my research, because I think it's amazing, and to my knowledge I had never heard it before! The piano work by John Jeremiah is :chefskiss:.

In terms of Chicago-y-ness, it's incredibly descriptive of the most important road in Chicago. It's not the most important because it's the fastest or most convenient, but it simply defines Chicago. As the song says, it truly did connect the best and worst parts of the city (in the 70s and still today):
Lake Shore Drive, the road is called and it'll take you up or down
From rats on up to riches, fifteen minutes you can fly

Harkening back to my selection of Justin Townes Earle's "Rogers Park," the road starts at that North in that questionable neighborhood, but as you get closer and closer to downtown it becomes so ****ing beautiful, with the skyline coming into view and the beaches to your left:
And it starts up north from Hollywood, water on the driving side
Concrete mountains rearing up, throwing shadows just about five
Sometimes you can smell the green if your mind is feeling fine
There ain't no finer place to be, than running Lake Shore Drive

Lake Shore Drive orients you to the city. I was so used to "water to the East" from my years of living here, that when we moved to Memphis, where the water (Mississippi River) was on the West, I was constantly lost until I mentally flipped my map of Memphis over. Instead of adapting to the idea that the water could be to the West, I flipped the entire city around in my head so that I could orient myself with water on the East.

Total: 13

 

[Leroy Hoard]

I could see a horror movie soundtrack that has Raining Blood fading into My Way.

 

[rockaction]

Lake Shore Drive orients you to the city. I was so used to "water to the East" from my years of living here, that when we moved to Memphis, where the water (Mississippi River) was on the West, I was constantly lost until I mentally flipped my map of Memphis over. Instead of adapting to the idea that the water could be to the West, I flipped the entire city around in my head so that I could orient myself with water on the East.

Nice anecdote. I'd get so confused about "water to the East" and which way and what that meant that I'd be lost in a heartbeat. I have a staggeringly bad sense of direction and require many maps and much hand-holding by GPS to go anywhere. I cannot orient myself around rivers or natural landmarks. Good thing I never tried to be a Boy Scout or whatever the older version of that is. If you asked me to mentally flip a city in my head? Oh my.

I think I've just revealed the only weakness I have (lol) right now for your consumption. Treat me gently.

 

[krista4]

Nice anecdote. I'd get so confused about "water to the East" and which way and what that meant that I'd be lost in a heartbeat. I have a staggeringly bad sense of direction and require many maps and much hand-holding by GPS to go anywhere. I cannot orient myself around rivers or natural landmarks. Good thing I never tried to be a Boy Scout or whatever the older version of that is. If you asked me to mentally flip a city in my head? Oh my.

I think I've just revealed the only weakness I have (lol) right now for your consumption. Treat me gently.

OH is like this; has an almost unfathomably bad sense of direction. It was particularly noticeable when we used to go hiking. We could do an out-and-back that only involved one turn, and on the way back he somehow could choose the wrong way 100% of the time. (And I would gently correct him. )

 

[rockaction]

Nice anecdote. I'd get so confused about "water to the East" and which way and what that meant that I'd be lost in a heartbeat. I have a staggeringly bad sense of direction and require many maps and much hand-holding by GPS to go anywhere. I cannot orient myself around rivers or natural landmarks. Good thing I never tried to be a Boy Scout or whatever the older version of that is. If you asked me to mentally flip a city in my head? Oh my.

I think I've just revealed the only weakness I have (lol) right now for your consumption. Treat me gently.

OH is like this; has an almost unfathomably bad sense of direction. It was particularly noticeable when we used to go hiking. We could do an out-and-back that only involved one turn, and on the way back he somehow could choose the wrong way 100% of the time. (And I would gently correct him. )

Yep. I can relate to OH. I can get lost going from one stop to another down a straight street. Pretty funky problem to have. I always have to allow extra time to go places unless I know the way already.

 

[krista4]

Pretty funky problem to have.

Brains, and our individual blind spots, are fascinating. Maps and directions seem deeply ingrained in mine. Very natural and easy. On the other hand, something that you or OH could do would be befuddling to me. Like, he could sit down and easily write a kickass poem. I'd never know where to start on something like that.

 

[rockaction]

Other songs to consider: War Ensemble

Easily the pick of Slayer's, um, litter. Nah, I'm kidding. I really dug Slayer back when they recorded with Rick Rubin and then some. There was something melodic about their heaviness that very few other bands had. Megadeth had chops, Metallica had power chords and songwriting, but Slayer could be melodic as all get-out along with their heavy jams. Some of their later stuff holds, too. I particularly like "Bitter Peace."

simey – train songs

Wabash Cannonball - Willie Nelson

We had to sing this song and "City of New Orleans" in grade school for chorus. Oof. I think they made me put on an engineer's hat and solo to the uncool version of "Casey Jones." Yes, I can't believe I hadn't remembered we did a whole concert about trains until just now. These are tough memories and I need therapy. Thank you for understanding.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

If you asked me to mentally flip a city in my head? Oh my.

Mr R has a freely spinning map in his head. I'm a top class navigator, and even I think that's weird.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

The piano work by John Jeremiah is :chefskiss:.

Oh, yeah. That's what I'm talking about.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

krista4 – Chicagoland

Lake Shore Drive – Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah

Artist connection to Chicago (1-5 scale): 5 - Chicago band through and through. Sadly the last remaining member of the band, Ted Aliotta, died yesterday.
Song connection to Chicago (1-10 scale): 8 - I was shocked to find this song in my research, because I think it's amazing, and to my knowledge I had never heard it before! The piano work by John Jeremiah is :chefskiss:.

In terms of Chicago-y-ness, it's incredibly descriptive of the most important road in Chicago. It's not the most important because it's the fastest or most convenient, but it simply defines Chicago. As the song says, it truly did connect the best and worst parts of the city (in the 70s and still today):
Lake Shore Drive, the road is called and it'll take you up or down
From rats on up to riches, fifteen minutes you can fly

Harkening back to my selection of Justin Townes Earle's "Rogers Park," the road starts at that North in that questionable neighborhood, but as you get closer and closer to downtown it becomes so ****ing beautiful, with the skyline coming into view and the beaches to your left:
And it starts up north from Hollywood, water on the driving side
Concrete mountains rearing up, throwing shadows just about five
Sometimes you can smell the green if your mind is feeling fine
There ain't no finer place to be, than running Lake Shore Drive

Lake Shore Drive orients you to the city. I was so used to "water to the East" from my years of living here, that when we moved to Memphis, where the water (Mississippi River) was on the West, I was constantly lost until I mentally flipped my map of Memphis over. Instead of adapting to the idea that the water could be to the West, I flipped the entire city around in my head so that I could orient myself with water on the East.

Total: 13

At least you wouldn’t be confused by Philly if you ever moved there.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Lake Shore Drive orients you to the city. I was so used to "water to the East" from my years of living here, that when we moved to Memphis, where the water (Mississippi River) was on the West, I was constantly lost until I mentally flipped my map of Memphis over. Instead of adapting to the idea that the water could be to the West, I flipped the entire city around in my head so that I could orient myself with water on the East.

Nice anecdote. I'd get so confused about "water to the East" and which way and what that meant that I'd be lost in a heartbeat. I have a staggeringly bad sense of direction and require many maps and much hand-holding by GPS to go anywhere. I cannot orient myself around rivers or natural landmarks. Good thing I never tried to be a Boy Scout or whatever the older version of that is. If you asked me to mentally flip a city in my head? Oh my.

I think I've just revealed the only weakness I have (lol) right now for your consumption. Treat me gently.

@Yo Mama needs to work this into one of his World’s Worst Superheroes writeups.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

krista4 – Chicagoland

Lake Shore Drive – Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah

Artist connection to Chicago (1-5 scale): 5 - Chicago band through and through. Sadly the last remaining member of the band, Ted Aliotta, died yesterday.
Song connection to Chicago (1-10 scale): 8 - I was shocked to find this song in my research, because I think it's amazing, and to my knowledge I had never heard it before! The piano work by John Jeremiah is :chefskiss:.

In terms of Chicago-y-ness, it's incredibly descriptive of the most important road in Chicago. It's not the most important because it's the fastest or most convenient, but it simply defines Chicago. As the song says, it truly did connect the best and worst parts of the city (in the 70s and still today):
Lake Shore Drive, the road is called and it'll take you up or down
From rats on up to riches, fifteen minutes you can fly

Harkening back to my selection of Justin Townes Earle's "Rogers Park," the road starts at that North in that questionable neighborhood, but as you get closer and closer to downtown it becomes so ****ing beautiful, with the skyline coming into view and the beaches to your left:
And it starts up north from Hollywood, water on the driving side
Concrete mountains rearing up, throwing shadows just about five
Sometimes you can smell the green if your mind is feeling fine
There ain't no finer place to be, than running Lake Shore Drive

Lake Shore Drive orients you to the city. I was so used to "water to the East" from my years of living here, that when we moved to Memphis, where the water (Mississippi River) was on the West, I was constantly lost until I mentally flipped my map of Memphis over. Instead of adapting to the idea that the water could be to the West, I flipped the entire city around in my head so that I could orient myself with water on the East.

Total: 13

At least you wouldn’t be confused by Philly if you ever moved there.

Well, except that y'all can't give rivers names that can be pronounced by anyone else in the world. Example A

 

[Pip's Invitation]

krista4 – Chicagoland

Lake Shore Drive – Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah

Artist connection to Chicago (1-5 scale): 5 - Chicago band through and through. Sadly the last remaining member of the band, Ted Aliotta, died yesterday.
Song connection to Chicago (1-10 scale): 8 - I was shocked to find this song in my research, because I think it's amazing, and to my knowledge I had never heard it before! The piano work by John Jeremiah is :chefskiss:.

In terms of Chicago-y-ness, it's incredibly descriptive of the most important road in Chicago. It's not the most important because it's the fastest or most convenient, but it simply defines Chicago. As the song says, it truly did connect the best and worst parts of the city (in the 70s and still today):
Lake Shore Drive, the road is called and it'll take you up or down
From rats on up to riches, fifteen minutes you can fly

Harkening back to my selection of Justin Townes Earle's "Rogers Park," the road starts at that North in that questionable neighborhood, but as you get closer and closer to downtown it becomes so ****ing beautiful, with the skyline coming into view and the beaches to your left:
And it starts up north from Hollywood, water on the driving side
Concrete mountains rearing up, throwing shadows just about five
Sometimes you can smell the green if your mind is feeling fine
There ain't no finer place to be, than running Lake Shore Drive

Lake Shore Drive orients you to the city. I was so used to "water to the East" from my years of living here, that when we moved to Memphis, where the water (Mississippi River) was on the West, I was constantly lost until I mentally flipped my map of Memphis over. Instead of adapting to the idea that the water could be to the West, I flipped the entire city around in my head so that I could orient myself with water on the East.

Total: 13

At least you wouldn’t be confused by Philly if you ever moved there.

Well, except that y'all can't give rivers names that can be pronounced by anyone else in the world. Example A

Easier to pronounce than spell. School-kill.

 

[rockaction]

As I was scrolling upthread, I noticed that somebody guessed "Kourtney Kardashian" for the Mystery Theme. That's inspired shenanigans right there. I don't know why, but I did a double take and



Then I thought of the weirdness with her and Lamar Odom (was that Kourtney or Khloe?) and after that I just sort of sat there, trying to figure out which sister was which (refused to Google it) and then I snapped out of it saying "Slava Ukraine" or something like it. Man, I have nothing profound to say other than we live in weird times.

eta* Does Khlöe have an umlaut? Which letter is it over (I refuse to Google that, too)?

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Lake Shore Drive orients you to the city. I was so used to "water to the East" from my years of living here, that when we moved to Memphis, where the water (Mississippi River) was on the West, I was constantly lost until I mentally flipped my map of Memphis over. Instead of adapting to the idea that the water could be to the West, I flipped the entire city around in my head so that I could orient myself with water on the East.

Nice anecdote. I'd get so confused about "water to the East" and which way and what that meant that I'd be lost in a heartbeat. I have a staggeringly bad sense of direction and require many maps and much hand-holding by GPS to go anywhere. I cannot orient myself around rivers or natural landmarks. Good thing I never tried to be a Boy Scout or whatever the older version of that is. If you asked me to mentally flip a city in my head? Oh my.

I think I've just revealed the only weakness I have (lol) right now for your consumption. Treat me gently.

@Yo Mama needs to work this into one of his World’s Worst Superheroes writeups.

Maybe he'll tell to you to sit on a RItz.

I'm looking forward to this one. There are about twenty ways to go here.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

As I was scrolling upthread, I noticed that somebody guessed "Kourtney Kardashian" for the Mystery Theme. That's inspired shenanigans right there. I don't know why, but I did a double take and



Then I thought of the weirdness with her and Lamar Odom (was that Kourtney or Khloe?) and after that I just sort of sat there, trying to figure out which sister was which (refused to Google it) and then I snapped out of it saying "Slava Ukraine" or something like it. Man, I have nothing profound to say other than we live in weird times.

Duuuude. Whatever you're having, I'll have two, please.

 

[rockaction]

Duuuude. Whatever you're having, I'll have two, please.

I'm just trying to figure out how we got to where we are (given my awful sense of direction, no less).

 

[simey]

simey – train songs

Wabash Cannonball - Willie Nelson

This is an old classic folk train song that many people have covered. Willie covered it in 1970 on his Both Sides Now album, and his version is my favorite. I like Boxcar Willie's version, too. They're both Willie good.

This song seems to have lit up some old coals of rockaction's grade school chorus days. rock, why don't you lead the MADs in starting out the tune. 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4...

From the great Atlantic ocean
To the wide Pacific shore
To the queen of flowing mountains
For the hills and by the shore
She's mighty tall and handsome
And she's known quite well by all
She came down from Birmingham
On the Wabash Cannonball

 

[simey]

Selections:

31. If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next - Manic Street Preachers

30. Hear The Drummer Get Wicked - Chad Jackson

29. Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band

28. Virtual Insanity – Jamiroquai

27. Another Chance - Roger Sanchez

26. Living On My Own - Freddie Mercury

25. Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top

24. Better Off Alone - Alice Deejay

23. Love Is The Drug - Roxy Music

22. By The Time I Get To Arizona - Public Enemy

21. I Kissed A Girl - Katy Perry

20. Goddess On A Hiway - Mercury Rev

19. Dark Therapy – Echobelly

18. Run To You - Bryan Adams

17. Inside Out – Anthrax

16. There's Nothing I Won't Do – JX

15. You - Bad Religion

14. Don't Stop Me Now – Queen

13. Moving – Supergrass

12. The Time Is Now – Moloko

11. Ms Jackson – Outkast

10. Ray of Light - Madonna

9. Winter Hill – Doves

8. Carnaval de Paris - Dario G

7. Seven Days and One Week - B.B.E.

6. Coffee and TV – Blur

5. Losing My Religion – REM

4. Word Up - Gun



Incorrect guesses:

Songs that give advice

Bands That Have Never Been in My Kitchen

Songs by artists who have headlined Glastonbury

Songs featuring the Mellotron

Fear mongering

Song titles that could be part of geometry proofs

Bands who have a member whose first or last name is a James Bond reference

Bands with family members

Songs that reference a location in another country

Songs that have nine or more words in the title

Songs that mention famous streets

Bands who had a member mysteriously disappear, get declared dead, but no body has ever been found

Songs that reference footballguys user names

Songs without a guitar

Song titles that are commands

First two words of song titles in order of lyrics from The Youngbloods’ Get Together

Songs about resilience in the face of adversity

Songs about the importance of progress

Songs to make people overthink and speculate about an imaginary theme that doesn't really exist

31 songs that MADs submitted in prior MAD rounds, but judge disqualified because the submitting MAD failed to get the long-form birth certificate of all band members before submitting

Songs NOT produced by Todd Rundgren

Artists without umlauts

Songs Sam Rockwell has danced to in a movie

Songs about navigating and adapting to a constantly changing world

Songs credited to more than one songwriter

UK top ten singles

Singles released by UK artist/bands

31 British Isles Songs That Did Not Appear in the MAD British Isles Countdown

Non-guitar driven songs

Songs in 4/4 time

Broadway shows

Songs that all charted in the same six countries:
UK
Australia
Germany
France
Ireland
Netherlands

Songs under 5 minutes

Songs where artists let out excessive vocalizations of the “ahh,” “ooh,” “dee,” etc. variety

A break up and starting over

Things that will drive a bunch of middle aged dummies who are trying to find a pattern go crazy

Stages in Rustoleum’s marriage

Guinness World Records

Songs that can qualify for other people’s themes

Songs by people with facial hair

All songs use an instrument with keys

Songs that are the narrative arc of a divorce

Addiction

Songs with 125 BPM or more

Songs that sample other songs on the list

Songs representing different Nicholas Cage movies / characters

Songs

This is your life, Krista

Something to do with Tina Turner/abused women

Jimi Hendrix

Detailing Britney Spears’ descent into madness

Addiction ... to love

Songs in A Minor

The plot to Thelma and Louise

Kourtney Kardashian

Songs about a major change in someone's life

Midlife crisis

Songs with a subject you should see a therapist about

Mental illness

Songs about the world's worst super heros

Mania

Things you do impulsively

Songs that use the word “The” at some stage in the lyrics

The Ballad of @krista4 and OH

Songs the were on the UK official singles chart for the week ending on Aug 16, 2008

Songs from multiple decades

Songs about exploration of identity

Dancing

Each of these songs holds a special place in the hearts of listeners, and they remain influential in the genres they represent

krista's iconic playlist

struggle, rebellion, and survival

songs that have no connection to each other whatsoever - y'all are just wasting your time - ha ha ha suckers

Id, ego, and superego

Each song is somehow connected to one of the first 31 themes submitted for this countdown

Songs that qualify for more than one of the MAD31 themes submitted

Obscure chess strategies

All of these songs tie into the movie Thelma and Louise

history repeating itself

Songs for which there exists another song with the exact same title

Songs that implicate the seven deadly sins

The plot of a movie

the arc of Pink Floyd’s The Wall

Being in an oppressive relationship, and the journey to take back control of your life

the arc of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

trapped in a continuous cycle and finding a release that feels like freedom

Moving on through suicide

Things that require immediate action

Determining your own destiny

the life and tribulations of Pamela Anderson

[Eliminating/adding characters to a title -or- re-ordering the words in a title] give you the title to another song.

the Kiefer Sutherland life story

Awakenings

Coming full circle

Trials and tribulations involving breasts?

My dad sucks

finding liberation

The trips Judas made and the things he did before he turned Jesus over to the Romans

If you add up the number of characters in the song titles and divide it by pi, you get the key to the universe.

the song/artist contains the letter J, K, Q, V, W, X, Y or Z

Birth to Death

Playlist of artists and songs that contain all letters of the alphabet

This a Jesus theme as we head towards Easter

Some voodoo with the running times of each song that I haven’t figured out yet

The first letter of the song title and artist name stand for contrasting elements in someone’s life story. Some examples are challenges vs achievements or resilience vs. fear and so on. The words combine to show the theme of duality or two sides/contrasts to a person’s journey.

the plot to The Matrix

Things that rhyme with purple

things that rhyme with orange

Things that rhyme with antidisestablishmentarianism

He said, She said She said, He said

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Duuuude. Whatever you're having, I'll have two, please.

I'm just trying to figure out how we got to where we are (given my awful sense of direction, no less).

Maybe that's your next theme, with songs such as "Do you know the way to San Jose?"

 

[krista4]

He said, She said

Oops, you had that one before, right? Forgot it on the list.

 

[simey]

He said, She said

Oops, you had that one before, right? Forgot it on the list.

Yes, but I don't really have a new guess for today, so we can see it as my last guess is what he said, and today's guess is what she said. I probably should have said She said, He said this time.

 

[Yo Mama]

World’s Worst Superheroes #4

Crackerman
Artist - Stone Temple Pilots (1992)

Strengths - Won an online contest by fitting a stack of 15 Ritz crackers in his mouth at one time without breaking any; honest to God, one time he was able to throw a cracker over the length of his house (he swears he could clear that nearby mountain if the wind was right but nobody believes him).

Weaknesses - While those cracker-related tricks can make you incredibly popular on a fake football message board, there is no practical use in real life.

Origin Story - One time in Jr High while he was showing off his best moves to Flock of Seagulls at the Spring Fling dance, one of his classmates pointed at him and yelled: “Check out Crackerman over there!” Everyone laughed and he left the dance in tears. The name stuck, so Crackerman ultimately leaned into the bit and learned all sorts of tricks with crackers to amuse his friends.


There Goes My Hero

Situation - You spend an insanely inordinate amount of time on a message board with people you’ve never met who may or may not have ever played an imaginary form of football. Your family desperately needs you to be there for them in real life.

Day 1
You’re at your daughter’s piano recital, and during a particularly difficult section, you snicker audibly while looking at your phone and everyone looks at you angrily.

Your wife: “Shhhhhh! What are you laughing at anyway?”

You: [still looking at phone] “There’s this guy who looks like an old Steelers coach who found some poop in the ceiling of one of the bathrooms at work. You should read some of the funny things he’s doing to try to find the culprit.”

Your wife slaps the phone out of your hand and moves to another seat.

Day 2
Your son asks to use your laptop to do some homework.

Your son: “Hey dad, are you looking to buy mommy some exercise clothes? Is that what this page with a bunch of yoga pants is for?”

You: [quickly reaches over to close tab] “Uh yeah, you know how much your mom loves to exercise.”

Your son: “Why are you signed in to this Siberian dating site? Are you and mommy breaking up?”

You: [grabs laptop away from son] “No, no, of course not. See, there’s this funny online draft where we take turns choosing Russian brides. . . You know what, just use your mom’s computer.”

Day 3
You’re sitting at the dinner table with your family, but you haven’t touched your food and haven’t spoken a word for over an hour.

Your wife: “Is everything ok honey? You look upset. I thought things were going better since they shut down the politics page of your sportsy-talking website.”

You: [forming the mashed potatoes on your plate into the shape of a football] “Sorry, babe. I’ve just been arguing with people all day. There’s this guy in my TV draft who said Frasier is just a modern-day Three’s Company. And in my dangerous animal draft everyone disagrees with me that 10,000 rats would defeat two grizzly bears. And I’ve been adding up the words and letters in this mystery theme thing all week. I think I think too much.”

Day 0
You walk into your home after work (your stupid boss recently made you get your butt back in the office). Inside, you’re met by your entire family as well as a huge group of strange-looking people that you’ve never met.

Your wife: “Honey, come have a seat. We’re here to talk to you about your recent behavior. We all love you and need you in our lives.”

You: “What is this, an intervention of some kind?”

Your wife: “Yes dear, we’re all here for you. I even got some of your online friends to show up. There are people from Canada, Africa, New York, and some town in England here. There’s a guy with a new wave haircut and two guys with heavy metal hairdos. There’s a woman putting dots over all the vowels on our books and a woman with 500 cats with an I Love Trains t-shirt on (I’m not sure if she knows what that means). There’s a woman with a Chicago accent making everyone try to guess at the meaning of some riddle (I think everyone’s stopped paying attention to her a while ago). There’s a guy and his wife over there having an argument about the time she hooked up with a musician at a concert before the two of them met. There’s a guy watching Mad Men, a guy in a Thor costume, a guy playing video games, a guy hitting everything with mallets, and a guy looking at our stereo and shaking his head disappointingly at our setup. There’s a guy and his daughter. . . “

You: “Hey, it’s the dice guy who loves noodles! Roll man, roll man roll! How did you find everyone anyway?”

Your wife: “I sent a private message to the guy holding a saxophone over there and he had all the answers. There’s a bunch of other people here but I can’t think of anything funny to say about them right now and I think I’m getting close to my character limit (sorry if I left you out). Anyway, there’s someone really important to talk to you.”

Joe Bryant: “Crackerman, you most definitely have not been excellent to your family. I’m giving you a two month ban from our website. Have a nice offseason, guy.”

You: “NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!”

 

[Yo Mama]

Lake Shore Drive orients you to the city. I was so used to "water to the East" from my years of living here, that when we moved to Memphis, where the water (Mississippi River) was on the West, I was constantly lost until I mentally flipped my map of Memphis over. Instead of adapting to the idea that the water could be to the West, I flipped the entire city around in my head so that I could orient myself with water on the East.

Nice anecdote. I'd get so confused about "water to the East" and which way and what that meant that I'd be lost in a heartbeat. I have a staggeringly bad sense of direction and require many maps and much hand-holding by GPS to go anywhere. I cannot orient myself around rivers or natural landmarks. Good thing I never tried to be a Boy Scout or whatever the older version of that is. If you asked me to mentally flip a city in my head? Oh my.

I think I've just revealed the only weakness I have (lol) right now for your consumption. Treat me gently.

@Yo Mama needs to work this into one of his World’s Worst Superheroes writeups.

Maybe he'll tell to you to sit on a RItz.

I'm looking forward to this one. There are about twenty ways to go here.

I ended up going 100 different ways with it. Phew, that took over an hour to write up.

 

[Yo Mama]

In my head, Joe Bryant sounds like Jeff Probst with Crackerman getting voted off the island.