ipod one

April 12, 2005 4:59 AM

"This is basically boomer rock 'n' roll and more recent music out of Nashville made for boomers. It's safe, it's reliable, it's loving. What I mean to say is, it's feel-good music. The Sex Pistols it's not." 3 things dear to mefites hearts. The music (NYT) on George W's ipod.
posted by DelusionsofGrandeur (58 comments total)

From the NYT link:

John Fogerty, "Centerfield"
Van Morrison, "New Biography," "Brown Eyed Girl"
John Hiatt, "Circle Back"
Alan Jackson
George Jones
Alejandro Escovedo, "Castanets"
Joni Mitchell, "(You're So Square) Baby, I Don't Care"
The Gourds, "El Paso"
Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, "Swinging From the Chains of Love"
Stevie Ray Vaughan, "The House is Rockin' "
James McMurtry, "Valley Road"
The Thrills, "Say It Ain't So"
The Knack, "My Sharona"
posted by DelusionsofGrandeur at 5:02 AM on April 12, 2005

It can't be NewsFilter, because it isn't news.
posted by veedubya at 5:02 AM on April 12, 2005

some songs were selected by Mark McKinnon, the chief media strategist in the 2004 campaign

Well, no shit. The whole list looks assembled by a PR department.
posted by Mayor Curley at 5:09 AM on April 12, 2005

Let us pray: Thank you, Jesus, that none of these songs also reside on my iPod. Amen.
posted by ChrisTN at 5:34 AM on April 12, 2005

I'm hoping his Gourds collection extends to Gin and Juice.
posted by bwerdmuller at 5:35 AM on April 12, 2005

On preview:

Dammit, bwerdmuller! You stole my joke!
posted by emptybowl at 5:36 AM on April 12, 2005

See - the iPod *must* be easy to use if GWB can manage it :-)
posted by Chunder at 5:38 AM on April 12, 2005

CNN.com - 'iPod One' reveals Bush's musical tastes

When I got up two hours ago, that's not what it said. It said "Bush bares soul with 'iPod One'".

And CNN isn't playing to the fundies? Whatever.

His playlist truly shows what a cultured man he is - Americans, nay, the WORLD, should take comfort in the fact that fearless leader will not suffer from playlist anxiety.

(Although...if he's not having playlist anxiety, why'd he bring it up? Hmmm....)
posted by bwilliams at 5:40 AM on April 12, 2005

"Sometime I'm overcome thinking 'bout
Making love in the green grass
Behind the stadium with you
My brown eyed girl
You my brown eyed girl..."

Scandalous!
posted by The Dryyyyy Cracker at 5:40 AM on April 12, 2005

Y'know, looking at that picture of The Sex Pistols in The Guardian makes me realize just how weird-looking they were... sometimes you forget.

Otherwise, well... if I'd had to guess what kind of music George W. Bush listened to, I'd have said roughly that... boomer dad to the hilt.
posted by Kattullus at 5:42 AM on April 12, 2005

Now, ya see I would have thought that the iLog was more GWB's level ...
[engadget]
posted by crocos at 5:45 AM on April 12, 2005

And...

..."playlist anxiety"??? Good grief. This sort of thing is why iPod users bug me...and I've got (and, yes, like) one of the things. People posting their playlists on the internet is pure masturbatory narcissism. NO-ONE CARES HOW COOL YOU ARE.
posted by The Dryyyyy Cracker at 5:46 AM on April 12, 2005

No "American Jesus"? You don't have to tell him it's by Bad Religion...
posted by klangklangston at 6:01 AM on April 12, 2005

Wait, the Sex Pistols are still threatening?
Geez, I missed that memo.
posted by ITheCosmos at 6:07 AM on April 12, 2005

I wonder how many of these songs are songs that he owns. Does he own The Knack cd? Are they downloaded? Are they DRMed?
posted by OmieWise at 6:15 AM on April 12, 2005

i want to be sedated.
posted by three blind mice at 6:17 AM on April 12, 2005

He has a guy who shops for him and loads it for him. Although Mr Bush doesn't do anything so vulgar as download the songs himself - that duty is performed by an aide ...

He's just plain folks, tho, like you all--ugh.

This article was just another blowjob for him from the NYT--you know, that "liberal" paper.
posted by amberglow at 6:20 AM on April 12, 2005

Alejandro? James McMurtry? Blackie? At least his aide has good taste.

Considering the legs this story's had the past few days, I can't help but think this is completely fabricated.
posted by notsnot at 6:28 AM on April 12, 2005

I feel an uncontrollable urge to burn my iPod now.
posted by soyjoy at 6:37 AM on April 12, 2005

What were you all expecting? NWA's "Fuck Tha Police"? On second thought, maybe its on his party mix.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 6:43 AM on April 12, 2005

At this point I consider the Sex Pistols safe, reliable and loving.
posted by scratch at 6:44 AM on April 12, 2005

I wonder if Bumiller gets free kneepads from the Times? or from Rove?
posted by amberglow at 6:53 AM on April 12, 2005

I have to admit that I'm impressed by the James McMurtry, John Hiatt, George Jones and Alejandro Escovedo. And Stevie Ray is always welcome. But then again, Lee Atwater, one of the most foul, devious men to ever work in politics, had exquisite musical taste.

And FWIW, I don't neccessarily believe that music always has to be 'challenging.' We all have our musical comfort foods.
posted by jonmc at 6:53 AM on April 12, 2005

I wonder if he's got either of these on there.
posted by uncleozzy at 6:54 AM on April 12, 2005

Does this mean the iPod is no longer cool?
posted by drezdn at 6:58 AM on April 12, 2005

At this point I consider the Sex Pistols safe, reliable and loving.

Real exchange between me and my mother about a year ago:

mom: What are you listening to?

me: This is the Sex Pistols.

mom: Why do you have the Sex Pistols?

me: They're pretty much "classic rock" now. They're not really shocking anymore.

mom: Ha! They were supposed to destroy civilization. How naive.
posted by Mayor Curley at 7:00 AM on April 12, 2005

What, no "Amer-uh-cuh We Stand as One"?
posted by nyterrant at 7:05 AM on April 12, 2005

derail.
I recently saw the Sex Pistols DVD, Live at the "Longhorn Ballroom" (their second to last show ever) and tried to put it in the context of today's music. Basically you had Sid nearly OD'ing on stage (he fell over twice), bloddied from someone headbutting him and then Johnny Rotten calling him a "walking circus" right there on stage. What a complete and fucking beautiful mess they were at the end.
/derail
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 7:07 AM on April 12, 2005

The Sex Pistols were never "supposed to destroy civilisation". They were a bunch of piss-taking cheeky monkeys who were supposed to get right up the noses of both the late-70s British establishment and the purveyors of prevailing musical prejudices; period.

They succeeded admirably. And I know, because I was there. So there, you young whippersnappers.
posted by Decani at 7:08 AM on April 12, 2005

Right on Decani. I remember the first time I dropped the needle on NMTB and nearly shit myself. After a couple of years of listening to Boston and Fleetwood Mac, it was like getting an iced enema and a boot to the chest. Ok, I'll quit with the old fogie shit. What were we discussing again?
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 7:13 AM on April 12, 2005

God save the Queen!
posted by basicchannel at 7:17 AM on April 12, 2005

Does this mean the iPod is no longer cool?

Or does it mean that G-Dub is cool?
posted by aceyim at 7:19 AM on April 12, 2005

We were just laughing at the fact you listened to Boston and Fleetwood Mac.

Dammit, so did I.

_{Double Dammit, so do I.}
posted by Dagobert at 7:20 AM on April 12, 2005

We were just laughing at the fact you listened to Boston and Fleetwood Mac.

Dammit, so did I.

It was the law back then--A Carter Whip Inflation Now thing ; >
posted by amberglow at 7:22 AM on April 12, 2005

This is pretty much what I imagined, except somehow I expected more.. like... The Bloodhound Gang or something, Weird Al?

The Gourds though, I don't understand how anyone can listen to the Gourds and be such a dick (ok yes, I understand, musical taste does not correlate to evil, I heard Idi Amin loved Brian Eno and the Funky Meters). But Bush is an enemy of fun and the Gourds are fuckin' fun as hell.

Do you think Dick Cheney's ipod just has some kind of darkside pervert mashup of the screams of people being tortured to death by Chilean death squads over Oompah music?
posted by Divine_Wino at 7:27 AM on April 12, 2005

My Fleetwood Mac and Boston album covers were like spent shells on the battlefield of alcoholism. Ah good times!

*high fives DW*
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 7:33 AM on April 12, 2005

A Carter Whip Inflation Now thing

WIN was Ford's thing, not Carter's. I'm disappointed in you, amberglow, for passing up the chance to zing a Republican.

We were just laughing at the fact you listened to Boston and Fleetwood Mac.
Dammit, so did I.

Heh. Well, really, who didn't? Nothin' to be ashamed of there.

Double Dammit, so do I.

*uncomfortable silence*
posted by soyjoy at 7:42 AM on April 12, 2005

A Carter Whip

I'm sure that's a drink I had back When.
posted by Dagobert at 7:46 AM on April 12, 2005

So where are the Naziesque cuts from Joy Division? I'm disappointed in my Fearless Leader.
posted by AlexReynolds at 7:50 AM on April 12, 2005

Do you think Dick Cheney's ipod just has some kind of darkside pervert mashup of the screams of people being tortured to death by Chilean death squads over Oompah music?

Do you think I can find that on SoulSeek? Is it a Boyd Rice project?
posted by spartacusroosevelt at 7:57 AM on April 12, 2005

I want to hear what James McMurtry & John Hiatt have to say about it; from a few of the things I've heard them say at live shows I doubt they'll be pleased. What about Steve Earle? Why not, Mr. President?

Two of my all time favorites. . on dubya's ipod. . *sobs quietly to herself*
posted by mygothlaundry at 7:59 AM on April 12, 2005

I'm sure that's a drink I had back When.

Orange Whip? Orange Whip?
posted by papercake at 7:59 AM on April 12, 2005

I always kind of thought of the Sex Pistols as being on the right side of the political spectrum anyway.
posted by rush at 8:00 AM on April 12, 2005

We were just laughing at the fact you listened to Boston and Fleetwood Mac

Could be worse.
He could have been a big Asia fan back in the day.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:18 AM on April 12, 2005

I still listen to Fleetwood Mac and Boston. And the Sex Pistols, FWIW. Some of the stuff from the Peter Green days is incredible if you've never heard it. And despite Mac's mellow image, "Go Your Own Way," is one of the nastiest songs ever recorded.
posted by jonmc at 8:21 AM on April 12, 2005

Does this mean the iPod is no longer cool?
Or does it mean that G-Dub is cool?

Just so long as it's not the Chemical Brothers, 'Push The Button'....
Dom, London, UK
The countdown for the extinction of CDs is about to begin.
posted by thomcatspike at 8:25 AM on April 12, 2005

Interesting link, thomcat. I feel like the only thing holding back the complete death of the CD/LP is the fact that people like to be able to show off their possessions and a computer full of MP3s will never look as impressive or as aesthetically appealing as a shelf of CDs or records. But maybe that's 20th-century thinking....
posted by The Dryyyyy Cracker at 8:41 AM on April 12, 2005

Should we be surprised that the one Joni Mitchell cut on the POTUSPod is the only purely vacuous and dispensable track she has recorded in 35 years?
posted by digaman at 9:18 AM on April 12, 2005

The Sex Pistols were never "supposed to destroy civilisation".

I think Mum was referring to the sensational press they received. She was nearly 30, a parent and living in Maine in 1977. So punk kind of passed her by.
posted by Mayor Curley at 10:18 AM on April 12, 2005

The countdown for the extinction of CDs is about to begin.

Not as long as downloads are DRM'd and CDs aren't. The guy in that article sounds like Mr EarlyAdopter and is a very long way from being typical. I'm Mr OldSchool, I like having a CD collection and like browsing through my own library of discs. However I could be convinced to buy some music online (mostly experimental purchases, if you get my drift) if it was cheaper and did not have DRM - in fact I have done on Bleep and Ape. That model however is probably at least five years from getting serious adoption. Even then, I still want the option of buying the music I really love on a hard copy in a nice sleeve - and I don't think that'll change too much amongst most music purchasers, especially heavy purchasers like me.
posted by dodgygeezer at 10:35 AM on April 12, 2005

Wow! The NYT write-up was possibly the least compelling article I have ever read on their site. If this is a blowjob they need to be fired; I don't think they could even be fluffers. Lamers shouldn't have even bothered. However, the comments submitted by BBC News readers (and those from fellow MeFites) make it all worthwhile.

Mygothlaundry: don't let it get you too down, like Mayor Curley said, "The whole list looks assembled by a PR department."
posted by horseblind at 12:13 PM on April 12, 2005

This playlist proves that Bush cannot be Satan, since Satan is known to have one of the sickest, most rad playlists in the universe.
posted by Hildago at 12:38 PM on April 12, 2005

divinewino: I heard Idi Amin loved Brian Eno and the Funky Meters

You're joking, right?

Right?

Please?

(on a sidenote: The father of a friend of mine once had the experience of flying first class and next to him is an old man he can't quite place, but looks really familiar. About halfway through the flight he realizes that it's Idi Amin)
posted by Kattullus at 12:40 PM on April 12, 2005

Dancehall Voice
Don Dada, Idi Amin Don Dada
/Dancehall Voice

Yeah I'm kidding, or at least I made that up, who knows what that crazy mofo was capable of?
posted by Divine_Wino at 2:00 PM on April 12, 2005

The guy in that article sounds like Mr EarlyAdopter and is a very long way from being typical.

dodgygeezer, a little background info about the guy for you as you are in the UK. The blog is written by Mark Cuban who is a self made billionaire. He made that fortune selling his online service where you could listen in on a sport’s game live to yahoo for 3.5billion.

I do agree with you about records and cd’s being around to be played on peoples' possessions. But not for the,
"look what I have value.” See it more like the mechanical functions of the music being played. Like watching an old steam locomotive train engine’s moving parts being seen as it rolls down the track.
posted by thomcatspike at 2:36 PM on April 12, 2005

Idi, Idi, Idi Amin
Most amazing man there's ever been
He de General, de President, de King of de Scene
Idi, Idi, Idi Amin
posted by Sparx at 7:30 PM on April 12, 2005

But Bush is an enemy of fun

Which, for an ex-alcoholic cokemonkey, is quite an accomplishment.

I shudder every time I see Bumiller's name on the front of the IHT. Shameless Shrub hagiography. She's mouthed the president's cock more times than Monica ever did, by god.

Metaphorically speaking.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:39 PM on April 12, 2005

Shrub listens to The Thrills? Does this mean I have to stop? More importantly, does this make him a pirate?
posted by szechuan at 6:13 PM on April 13, 2005