Absolute Reality

• About a Girl - Nirvana
• Absolute Reality - The Alarm : "You may have love/You may have hate/You may be the president of the United States"

While watching the inauguration of President Obama earlier this week, I was struck by a sense of deja vu. It seems like we've been here before - like in 1981, when President Reagan took office. Obviously, there are huge differences between the two. Mr. Obama's young, as presidents go; Mr. Reagan was the oldest man to take the oath. Mr. Obama is a liberal Democrat; Mr. Reagan was THE conservative Republican. And, of course, there's race.

But think about the similarities in the circumstances in which they each took office. There's the economy. Our current situation is well-documented. In 1981 we were fighting an all-time high "misery index" - double digit unemployment and inflation. There were lines at gas stations, even though consumers were only allowed to gas up on alternating days. Today, we are fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and are trying to rid the world of terrorists. In 1981, 52 Americans were being held hostage by Iranian terrorists/revolutionaries. Mr. Obama's inauguration was watched by a huge audience estimated at 37.8 million, the most since...Mr. Reagan's in 1981.

The most striking similarity, though, is the almost palpable sense of foreboding of the American people. Let's hope that Mr. Obama can have the same influence as Mr. Reagan did, and return our sense of national pride and confidence.

• Accelerate - R.E.M. : "Where is the rip cord, the trap door the key/Where is the cartoon escape hatch for me?"

Another observation on Mr. Obama's inauguration: he could accomplish many things and be one of the finest presidents in our history, and yet be viewed as a failure. The expectations for him are that high. His book "The Audacity of Hope" and the basis of his campaign (as he deftly avoided any specifics) of hope and change, may wind up in his echoing R.E.M.'s lyrics - "Hope has never been so grating." Many people seem to believe that Mr. Obama's election has or will solve all the world's problems. Case in point: Two of our credit union's borrowers, when faced with repossession this past week, told our staff that we couldn't take their vehicles now that Mr. Obama is president. There's some audacity, not to mention false hope.

Enough politics.

• Aces High - Iron Maiden : "Live to fly/Fly to live/Do or die"

Speaking of a sense of foreboding. This is a song about The Battle of Britain - describing British pilots scrambling to their fighters to engage the planes of the Nazi Luftwaffe. (Hey, that's not politics, it's history.)

• Ache For You - Ben Lee
• Acrobat - U2 : "Don't let the bastards grind you down"
  
• Across the Universe - The Beatles
• Act Naturally - The Beatles

My first encounter with consecutive songs by the same artist. It's hard to imagine two more different. "Across the Universe" is a transcendant John Lennon piece. "Act Naturally" was one of The Beatles' more successful attempts to feature Ringo on vocals. In this case, he does an admirable job on a song written by Buck Owens of Hee-Haw fame.

• Actually It's Darkness - Idlewild : "Why can't you be more cyncial?"
  
• Adding to the Noise - Switchfoot : "If we're adding to the noise/Turn off this song" - It takes some guts to tell that to the listener.
  
• Adrenaline - 12 Stones
• Adrift - Jack Johnson

I'm a big fan of Jack Johnson's. However, the title of this song aptly describes my thoughts on his latest CD. He tosses off his sandals and his cool Hawaiian vibe in favor of protest songs. I don't think this song should be listened to while operating heavy machinery. What a snoozer.

• Afterimage - Rush : "I remember/I feel your presence/I feel the way you would" - A pervasive sense of loss, but a determination to keep going.
  
• Again - Kutless : "I don't deserve this love You give to me"
  
• Again Tonight - John Mellencamp
• Age of Innocence - Iron Maiden
• Agoraphobia - Incubus : "I want to stay inside for good"
  
• Ah! Leah! - Donnie Iris
• Ain't Enough - Army of Anyone : "More than love is needed this time/Love ain't enough" - I couldn't disagree more, but it's a good song.
  
• Ain't Even Done With the Night - John Mellencamp
• Ain't It the Life - Foo Fighters
• Ain't My Bitch - Metallica
• Ain't That Unusual - Goo Goo Dolls
• Ain't Too Proud to Beg - The Temptations
• Aint It Something - Lyle Lovett : Ain't it something, Lyle Lovett was married to Julia Roberts? How did that happen?
  
• The Air Near My Fingers - The White Stripes
• Air Raid - Triumph : The first "instrumental" in my alphabetic journey.
  
• Airportman - R.E.M.
• Airstream - Fastball : "Free/I don't wanna be stuck in the city/With the cars and people downtown/Waiting in a line/Wishing I was far away/Where no one knows my name or my address/It's a place I've never been/When it gets too familiar, I'll be gone" - Sounds like the retirement I'm dreaming of.
  
• Alexander the Great - Iron Maiden
• Alien Shore - Rush : "For you and me race is not a competition/For you and me race is not a definition" - I really like how this song expresses not just a willingness, but a desire to find and embrace the differences between all of us.
  
• Alive Again - Chicago : A tower of sappy lyrics, built on the foundation of driving disco drums and those signature Chicago horns. I don't mean to imply that I dislike the song. In fact, I really like it.

Summary:
Listened to 32 songs. Skipped 2 (live acoustic versions of "Ain't It the Life" and "Airstream").
7 "Ain'ts". 1 instrumental. Too much thinking about politics.

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Now playing: The Alarm - Absolute Reality
via FoxyTunes