C'mon Get Happy

Recently, a friend who was in serious need of cheering up sent out a request for happy thoughts. The best I could muster apparently garnered a mere smile--alas!. But I started thinking about the way I try to manipulate my own mood when the need arises.

Of course, there's always food--I'm a sweets man, myself. But I also turn to music. There are just some songs that reliably bring out a grin or a chuckle. So here's a virtual mix tape for those of you who need to kick the blues.

1. "Indiana," by Joe Venuti and Zoot Sims. I love the opening riff on this track so much that sometimes I'll restart it several times after just a few seconds when I need a pick-me-up. The song is so lighthearted and joyful that it even makes up for the boring wasteland that is its namesake (sorry, Tim, but you know it's true). There are other good versions out there, but "Four-string" Joe's is my absolute favorite, and one of my all-time favorite songs by any artist in any genre.

2. "Symphony No. 3 in C (first movement)," by Luigi Boccherini. It starts out light and dainty, but after a few seconds Boccherini sneaks up on you with a theme that is so unrestrainedly exuberant that you start to worry that you won't be able to stand it. Then he brings it back down, toying around with a minor key, but he keeps coming back to that wonderful theme.

3. "Summertime," by the Sundays. Yeah, it's girl-rock. But I defy any man to withstand the charms of Hariett Wheeler's pixie-like voice. Can't be done, so don't even try. The first time I heard this one on the radio, I thought it was decent, until the final chorus. That was when the chintzy synth-horns kicked in, and I was hooked.

4. "Shulie A Bop," by Sarah Vaughan. My favorite female vocalist, and this track shows that she could scat with the best of them. She throws in a line from "I Ain't Mad at You, Pretty Baby" for good measure.

5. "I Wanted to Tell You," by Matthew Sweet. I don't know what happened to this guy, but in the 90s he sure could write a hooky rock song. While "Girlfriend" is more recognizable (and a fantastic tune, to be sure), I might like "I Wanted to Tell You" even more. The great thing about Sweet's work on this album (and especially this track) is the bright, cheery backing vocals that contrast the stripped-down "garage" sound of the instruments. I'm pretty sure the BGVs are just Sweet's own voice overdubbed a few times. It works.

6. "That's Right (You're Not from Texas)," by Lyle Lovett. This song actually makes me wish I was. And that's saying a lot.

7. "Baraat," by Mychael Danna. This song that plays during the opening credits in the film, Monsoon Wedding (it's a pretty good title sequence, by the way). The song is performed by an Indian marching band, so it sounds a little like halftime entertainment in Mumbai.

8. "3:00 A. M. Blues," by Dick Hyman Group featuring Howard Alden. Another soundtrack number, this time from the Woody Allen movie, Sweet and Lowdown. As soon as I finished watching this movie, I told Watoosa I wanted the soundtrack for Christmas. It's got lots of good stuff on it, but this New Orleans-style jazz number is the tops. Toward the end, when the trumpet comes back in, I come undone.

Finally...

9. Pretty much anything by AC/DC. It's just so bombastic, I can't help but laugh. Which isn't to say I don't enjoy it. One night while riding in the car with a friend, one of their songs came on the radio, and we both just started snickering. I described their music as "big, dumb, and stupid," and I'm convinced that the redundancy is justified. Exhibit A: "For Those About to Rock," complete with actual cannon fire. It goes to eleven, if you know what I mean.

One other reason their music makes me laugh is that it reminds me of a funny story. The whole extended family had gathered at my grandparents' house for Christmas. As we were opening presents, my grandfather turned on the radio, thinking we'd all enjoy some Christmas music. But he didn't pay too close attention to what was actually being broadcast. It took us all a few minutes to realize it was "You Shook Me All Night Long." Watoosa was the first to realize the error, thanks to the line "... knockin' me out with those American thighs." Merry Christmas, indeed.