The other day, my girlfriend noticed my excitement over the Same Old Madness video link that was posted here, so she watched it with me, and immediately afterwards demanded that I put some Ministry on her iPod. Later, while blah blah blahing about Ministry to her, I played something like Same Old Madness back-to-back with Thieves, and she was (understandably) bewildered.
To get to the point, I want to create a playlist for her that tracks the progression from the early Wax Trax! singles to HOTM (or even Rio Grande). I know this can be done, and I know it can happen fairly seamlessly. Despite the long path they’ve traveled, there are clear steps taken with each album, and definite songs that connect them.
I want it to sound like you can’t tell where one album ends and the next starts. If you were me, what songs (2-3 from each album) would you use to connect the goddamn dots?
COLD LIFE
REVENGE
ALL DAY
WE BELIEVE
OVER THE SHOULDER
HIZZBOLLAH
FLASHBACK
STIGMATA
THIEVES
SMOTHERED HOPE (LIVE)
SO WHAT
NWO
JBMHR
SCARECROW
THE FALL
LAVA
RELOAD
SUPERMANIC SOUL
STEP
WHAT ABOUT US
ANIMOSITY
BROKEN
UNSUNG
LEPER
kinda like that on the quick thought
if to include trax from latest 2 albums:
(instead of leper)
WORLD
NO W (ROCK AGAINST BUSH VER)
THE GREAT SATAN (RGB VER)
RIO GRANDE BLOOD
KHYBER PASS
Same Old Madness
The Angel
Over the Shoulder
We Believe
Hizbollah
The Land of Rape and Honey
Stigmata
Thieves
So What
Breathe
Scarecrow
Hero
Just One Fix
Reload
Paisley
Lay Lady Lay
Brick Windows
Bad Blood
Kaif
10/10
Leper
The Light Pours out of Me
Impossible
Worthless
Worm
Lies Lies Lies
Yellow Cake
Khyber Pass
Cold Life
Work for Love
Revenge
Same Old Madness
Halloween
All Day
Angel
We Believe
Over the Shoulder
The Land or Rape and Honey
You Know What You Are
Stigmata
Tonight We Murder
Thieves
Breath
Just One Fix
Scarecrow
Filth Pig
Lava
Bad Blood
Step
What About Us?
Broken
Shove
Worm
No W
Something new
Include America (Live '82) to show that the content was always there, and don’t skip over the trippy '90-'92 stuff - by that I mean Dream Song, or Grace. Also throw in Paisley towards the end (Filth Pig Era) and maybe substitute the 12" mixes for some of the older tunes…or the update version of NWO is pretty good.
Cold Loif
Primental
Work for Love
Revenge
Here We Go
Everyday is Halloween
All Day
Over the Shoulder
Just Like You
Where You at Now?
LoRaH
You Know What You Are?
Stigmata
The Missing
Thieves
Breathe
Burning Inside
Jesus Built My Hotrod
N.W.O.
Reload
The Fall
Bad Blood
What About Us?
No W
Your lists are all too long. A good mixtape is tastefully short and to the point. I feel With Sympathy could be skipped because you’ve still got that basic sound with Everyday is Halloween.
Everyday is Halloween
We Believe
I Prefer
Stigmata
Thieves
NWO
Psalm 69 (title track)
Crumbs
Dead Guy
Step
Nursing Home
Impossible
World
Something from Rio Grande Blood (haven’t heard it)
This mix isn’t a best of by any means, but I think it shows the songs that best display each leap forward in the band’s sound.
And 14 is the perfect number of tracks for a not-so-hardcore fan to see the evolution without getting bored and skipping.
[reply]Your lists are all too long. A good mixtape is tastefully short and to the point.
It’s going on an iPod, not a tape.[/reply]
That doesn’t change the fact that it needs to be concise to hold a new listener’s interest for the whole way through. No one new to the band wants to hear more than 15 songs back to back. It’s just too much.
No, JLW is correct. It’s going on an iPod, and the goal is to be comprehensive. You may have noticed the initial request for “2-3 songs from each album.”
Thank you to everyone for the food-for-thought thus far. I’ll probably post my final listing in a week or so. I have With Sympathy coming in the mail, and I want to include stuff from there as well.
Aside: I’ve been searching for WS for a few months now, and I finally found a copy for 8 bucks on Amazon.co.uk. For anyone else looking for a reasonably priced copy, try searching for Work For Love.
The only problem I have with Work For Love is the sequencing of the disc - I’m too used to With Sympathy’s track order. Also, a couple of the songs crossfade, so no clean breaks between certain songs.
Also, “What He Say” is re-titled “Do The Ettawa”…but that’s old news around these parts.
I decided to try this out, and I really liked the results. This is my current MP3 Player playlist, kept in chronological order -
I’m Falling (unreleased 1980 version)
Cold Life
Same Old Madness
America (Live '82)
So-So Life (Live '83)
Revenge
Work For Love (7" Edit)
A Walk In The Park
All Day
Everyday is Halloween (12" Mix)
Move (unreleased '84)
The Angel (unreleased 7" mix)
Isle of Man (Version II)
We Believe
I Prefer
16,17. The Missing/Deity
Tonight We Murder
Burning Inside (I used the 12" Mix for the longer intro, but either works)
Cannibal Song
Faith Collapsing
Smothered Hope
Jesus Built My Hotrod (Short, Pusillanimous…mix)
Just One Fix (V.E.)
TV II
Grace
TV III
Paisley
Dead Guy
Scarecrow (Sphinctour)
Lava (Sphinctour)
The Fall (Sphinctour)
10/10
Supermanic Soul
Nursing Home
What About Us?
Supernaut (Greatest Fits version with Al vox)
Animosity
Shove
Leper
Bloodlines
Worthless
WTV
World
Wrong (Update Mix)
N.W.O. (Update Mix)
Unsung (Alternate Mix)
Ass Clown (f/ Jello Biafra)
Yellow Cake
Rio Grande Blood
There - a fifty song list that I just listened to all the way through. It may be long, but if it’s going on an iPod that doesn’t matter. What’s really cool here is that the transitions are nearly flawless…It spans the entire career of the band, but nothing really sounds out of place. Enjoy!
I think that the Clutch Cargo Detroit version of Overkill would also be an important track to add towards the beginning of the list. It hints at the aggression that would later become prominent. Never Asked For Nothing would be another good track that showcases that early live sound that wasn’t as polished as With Sympathy.
Well… I looked at it and just had to know and I would agree. I set up this playlist and played it and it’s quite good and definitive. Especially if you are trying to just go through the years and keep it seamlessly flowing. There are a few tracks that I think I would have done a bit differantly but not many. Using your basis I would have said this :
I’m Falling (unreleased 1980 version)
Cold Life
Same Old Madness
America (Live '82)
****5. I See Red
Revenge
Work For Love (7" Edit)
****8. I Wanted To Tell Her (Tongue Tied Mix)
All Day
****10. Everyday is Halloween (Blacklight Mix)
Move (unreleased '84)
The Angel (unreleased 7" mix)
Isle of Man (Version II)
We Believe
****15. Stigmata
****16. You Know What You Are
****17. The Missing/Deity (Live From In Case…)
Tonight We Murder
Burning Inside (12" Mix)
****20. So What/Breathe (from Kill For Kicks boot)
Faith Collapsing
****22. Smothered Hope (Any live version)
Jesus Built My Hotrod (Short, Pusillanimous…mix)
Just One Fix (V.E.)
TV II
Grace
TV III
Paisley
****29. Reload
****30. Dead Guy
****31. Filth Pig
The Fall (Sphinctour)
Supermanic Soul
Nursing Home
****35. Eureka Pile/Whip Or Chain/Kaif (any of these would work here)
What About Us?
Supernaut (Greatest Fits version with Al vox)
Animosity
Shove
Leper
Bloodlines
****42. Palestina
WTV
World
Wrong (Update Mix)
N.W.O. (Update Mix)
Unsung (Alternate Mix)
Ass Clown (f/ Jello Biafra)
****49. The Great Satan (from Rantology)
Rio Grande Blood
Optional “Hidden/Bonus” track (also just a great way to end any Ministry compilation)
Dream Song
And it seems damn strange to me to leave out some things like Scarecrow, Gameshow and a few others but they are a bit overplayed and monotonous, which could make it hard for others to get into. All in all though, great job man. =)
I’m Falling (original vinyl version)
Cold Life
Primental
Same Old Madness
Never Asked For Nothing (live 82’)
America (live 82’)
I Wanted To Tell Her (extended 12" mix)
Revenge
Work For Love (short)
Everyday Is Halloween (original 12" mix)
All Day (from Twitch)
The Angel
We Believe
You Know Who You Are
Land Of Rape and Honey
Stigmata
So What
Burning Inside
Theives
Jesus Built My Hotrod (R/W)
N.W.O
Just One Fix
Reload
The Fall
Bad Blood
Animosity
The Light Pours Out Of Me
No.W
Bonus Tracks:
Revenge (live 82’)
Halloween (live 86’)
Smothered Hope (live 90’)
JBMH (“karioke version” [where Al lost his voice] live 99’)
We Believe (live 2003’)
In reply to Krowe -
10. Everyday is Halloween (Blacklight Mix)
I think this is an “unofficial” mix; I prefer the 12" Remix anyway.
14. We Believe
****15. Stigmata
I don’t like Stigmata after We Believe. The transition is too harsh…I really was itching to include Stigmata, but couldn’t make it fit.
***42. Palestina
I really dig Palestina a lot, and it should be included - but I’m keeping them in chronological order, so this would have to be later.
43. WTV
***49. Great Satan (from Rantology)
I also prefer this version.
Overall, good input. I might have to change up my playlist a bit. I especially like the inclusion of I See Red.
Cheers!
Oh and Crash_n_Burn - good call on Never Asked for Nothing. I guess I was trying to keep the early years kinda sparse, but that would’ve been good.
Update - wanna hear a stoner joke? My 50 track playlist above clocks in at…wait for it…4:20. Not bad for 26 years of material.
I think “Primental” to any of the “With Sympathy” tracks is a key segue. It’s hard for Al to denounce the sound of “With Sympathy” when “Primental” is essentially an instrumental of “I Wanted to Tell Her.”
“Here We Go” into “Everyday is Halloween” is another great transition, because “Here We Go” is probably the harshest, if not, most cynical track on WS, and you get the record scratching that would become the hallmark of “Everyday is Halloween.”
Everyday is Halloween (Blacklight Mix)
I think this is an “unofficial” mix; I prefer the 12" Remix anyway.
It is an unofficial remix, I just like it and it never gets any credit. =)
I think it’s important to remember the influence and inspiration that Al and Co. have given to others throughout the years, but I didn’t know if you would care to have any of the stuff from the tribute albums thrown in there (and I don’t care what anyone says, Meg Lee Chin and a few of the others like Scary German Guy did great cover jobs)…
We Believe
****15. Stigmata
I don’t like Stigmata after We Believe. The transition is too harsh…I really was itching to include Stigmata, but couldn’t make it fit.
True, but it has to happen somewhere. The differance in sound direction that Al took between Twitch and LORAH is quite differant. But yeah, there could be an easier transition. I was just basically saying that it should be included in the compilation since I guess you would consider it a “greatest hit” and all.
***42. Palestina
I really dig Palestina a lot, and it should be included - but I’m keeping them in chronological order, so this would have to be later.
Eh, true, but it depends on how it sounds. You don’t have the RGB stuff in your list particularly in order and the general sound of the last 3 albums can pretty much shift and flow together reasonably well.
***49. Great Satan (from Rantology)
I also prefer this version.
Thank god I’m not the only one. =)
But yeah… Throw I See Red in there, and Never Asked For Nothing would be kinda nice. But it’s your playlist. Do your thing. Lemme know what the final setup winds out to so I can see what it sounds like. For the most part, great job though man. =)
Yeah, I really dig the Meg Lee Chin stuff, especially Scarecrow. That would make a good bonus track…my point with the list was just to showcase some interesting points in the style of the music - it’s certainly not a “greatest hits” or even a list of my favorite songs (I didn’t even put So What in there!), while keeping my selections from widely available sources, such as albums and singles. It can’t be helped but to throw in some bootleg stuff in the beginning, though.
I may make a bootleg playlist for my MP3 player next, if I get bored enough. I ripped the audio from my VHS of “In Case You…” and made an mp3 of “Breathe” with the Rieflin/Atkins intro, if anyone’s interested. It’s in my “In Case You…” folder on Soulseek.