Waltz Wogging

There’s a good reason why most my songs on iTunes that employ 3/4 time do not make satisfactory walking or jogging songs: they’re either too slow or too fast. If a waltz-time number clocks in at 65 bars per minute, your only options are to crawl at 65 beats per minute or run like a maniac at 195 beats per minute. Thus a waltz has to have either fewer than 60 bars per minutes or more than 79 bars per minute to qualify as walkable, joggable, or runable.

Nonetheless, some waltzes do qualify. Here’s a few 3/4-timers that haven’t made into a set list on Podwogging.com. First some fast numbers:

1. Red Hot Chili Peppers—Breaking the Girl, 180 BPM
2. Donovan—Catch the Wind, 177 BPM
3. Traffic—Rainmaker, 166 BPM
4. Tori Amos—Barons of Suburbia, 163 BPM
5. John Lennon—Working Class Hero, 154 BPM

Now for a few slower ones:

6. Leonard Cohen—Sisters of Mercy, 138 BPM
7. Cat Stevens—Morning Has Broken, 131 BPM
8. Fields—School books, 128 BPM
9. Neil Young—Round and Round (It Won’t Be Long), 123 BPM
10. Dionne Warwick—What the World Needs Now Is Love, 108 BPM

Don’t be skeptical, be skiptical

There’s a reason why kids skip. Like climbing trees, doing cartwheels, or laughing hysterically, it’s just plain fun. It’s also good exercise. There’s lots of songs that are a bit slow as a walk, or if double-timed are a bit fast for jog. But they have an irresistible beat that makes you want to do that loosey-bouncy step, and suddenly there you are. Skipping.

SKBL (my code in iTunes for SKIPPABLE) songs generally run from 85 to 100 BPM, though some are in the 160 to 170 range, and I occasionally find songs up to 110 BPM that have that skipping quality. Virtually any song that ISN’T 3/4 time can be skipped to within these pace ranges. On Podwogging.com I have a few lists posted that are exclusively for skipping along to, but there are tons more SKBL songs that haven’t made it into any of my wogging playlists. Here’s just a few of my favorites:

1. At The Zoo, by Simon and Garfunkel. The zookeeper may be fond of rum; we’re just fond of skipping.

2. Mr. Blue Sky, by Electric Light Orchestra. Skipping to this makes me feel like I’m in a Hollywood movie.

3. Rock Lobster, by The B-52’s. Absolutely manic zaniness compels one to get that skip on.

4. Dreaming, by Blondie. You can run, walk, or skip to this upbeat number by the fabulous Debbie Harry.

5. Month of May, by Arcade Fire. Indie rockers put out their best head-banger for our skipping pleasure, from their newest album The Suburbs.

Podwogging posts will now be monthly

I have well over a hundred playlists posted on my Podwogging.com site now, so I’ve decided to decrease the rate at which I post new lists from once a week to once a month. The next scheduled list, English Teacher’s Bane, will thus be posted this Nov. 1st.

But peoples, the Podwogblog will continue weekly, with my fabulous insights into rock and pop music, wogging issues, and the like. So tune out not, and keep stepping spritely.

Jim

New Gold Walk

Like The Fixx, these Brit rockers came out with some of the best moody rock of the 80s, with far more humility than U2’s Bono. Lead singer Jim Kerr has that deep, throaty voice, similar to that of Billy Idol, that melds beautifully with the band’s artistic blend of heavy beats and synth riffs, resulting in mysterious, resonating music—check out New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84), quite simply one of the best rock songs ever, for a great example. While they have a dedicated following worldwide, they never reached the sort of pinnacle reserved for U2. (I don’t mean to diss U2, BTW. They rock.) Anyway this week’s wog is really a walk—turns out their best songs are all moderately paced; only Sanctify Yourself approaches jog. Who cares. Check it out at Podwogging.com.