One Track Mind

You know how there are cookbooks that focus on just one specific food or ingredient? Say, burgers or pie or chocolate. And there are cable channels that focus on one specific interest. History, travel, food, sex without full frontal nudity, etc. And there are records that are specific thematic compilations of songs. I personally own a Songs for the Open Road (for when we want to take a "Free Ride") and Songs of Summer (oh, it's "Hot Hot Hot!") Of course, there are band cover albums, too. Those tend to sell well. Plus don't forget my Pure Funk Gold and The Golden Days of Doo Wop.

Okay, so you're amply primed for the idea now. Take the above specificity and apply it to music, but instead of a theme or a genre for albums, do just one song. All styles and covers and manners of sin., applied to just one song, over and over. Like reference albums.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard yet another cover of the same ol' Beatles song and wished I had it. If I had "Don't Let Me Down" as an album, then I'd have that old Phoebe Snow version again without buying the whole Best of Pheobe Snow. Because it was way better than "Poetry Man." Then there's all the times your kids hear a "new" song and you start singing along and they're all like, "Hey, how do you know Diddy Daddy Puff Brush, mom?" And you're all like, "I don't, but I know Sting."

So there you have it. I hope the record execs will start with a couple of classics. For my first two, I pick "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (I want the ukulele version and the Judy Garland version all in one handy place) and "Across The Universe" (Rufus Wainwright, oh my). They can contract out for some new covers to go with the best of what's already been recorded, and we'll be good to go. I think both Jack White and Gwen Stephani could do something really cool with "Three Little Birds."

Gosh I love that song; add that one to my list.