In this era of pick and choose selections off myspace, itunes and such it's almost odd that the concept of a playlist has even survived. But there really is something about a self-contained listening session as created for new itunes offerings, records or CDs, though I seem to be one of the few interested in buying CDs besides fans of Sarah Boyle. I've created playlists for myself for five years now -- sharing them with my friend from high school who just suggested I start writing about music!
My playlists are created somewhat seasonally as I fill up the space alloted on a CD. I like to start off strong with a "don't you love how music can move you" song, maybe even enough to get up and boogie. This might not even be the newest tune in the group, but one that has crossed my path for whatever reason and made itself known. From there I like to meander along different moods until some kind of reflective closure wraps up the playlist. If there's two or three more songs from one CD release, you can bet I've purchased it and listened to the entire thing from start to finish a few times if not lots.
I'm looking back over my 09 playlists back into time as a review course before creating my top ten list for the year. It'll be a nice time travel experiment to reflect on the year of music, a reminder of how a song instantly transports us to the who/what/where/how/when of our experience. I can state upfront that there won't be any head banging metal, what's been called 'brorock' (think Dave Matthews) or what I consider folky crap, but hopefully there is something new to intrigue the reader enough for a listen. Enjoy!