Okay, I'm in. What was Corwood's first category, "dramatic entrance"? I was trying to rip the rest of my CDs to my hard drive last night and noticed that the first track on George Russell's The African Game is "Event I: Organic Life on Earth Begins". That's a pretty goddamned dramatic entrance! I took it as a sign, so I'm in.

One of the greatest bridges, and one that's useful here since JB points it out, is in "Get Up I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine". Catfish Collins's guitar gives a HELL YEAH! to the boss's query, "Can I take 'em to the bridge?" It's no coincidence that Zep's "has anybody seen the bridge?" schtick is on "The Crunge," their JB tribute.

Erin, this site may help you. (And this one may be even easier to use.) A lot of the tabs have headings for verse/chorus/bridge. Pick some songs you know and look at where the bridge happens. It will almost certainly be a case of something you already recognize that you just didn't know the name for. And once you have the basic idea it's easy to pick it out when you hear it. If my untrained ear can identify it yours can, too. Some bridges (just where they begin):

• "A Hard's Day Night": "When I home ev'rything seems to be right"
• "California" (Joni Mitchell): "Oh it gets so lonely"
• "Into the Mystic" (Van Morrison): "When that foghorn blows"
• "19th Nervous Breakdown" (the Stones; this is a particular fave): "Oh, who's to blame"
• "Alex Chilton" (the Replacements): "I never travel far"
• "Billie Jean" (Michael Jackson): "People always told me be careful what you do"
• "One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)" (Arlen/Mercer; Sinatra's version is definitive): "You'd never know it but buddy, I'm a kind of poet"
• "The Way You Look Tonight" (Kern/Fields, introduced by Fred Astaire, as was the previous song): "With each word your tenderness grows"

That should get you started. And yes, I know I'm stuck in the past, but there's lots of good stuff there.

I just sent "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" to buffistarawk. There may be other bridges I like more, but I can't think of one with a greater disparity between my affection for the bridge and my somewhat neutral feeling toward the rest of the song. And there's some bonus trivia with the email which should be of special interest to the New Yorkers and engineering fans in the crowd.

msbelle is crazy busy at work and cannot take part. She regrets this and will bribe participants for burns of said mixes or just mixes of stuff she'd like. She also regrets that she has not sent the Corwood family a copy of the Jesse Isaac show - technical difficulties, but is seeking help.

My category suggestions:

(Stolen from Corwood’s other mix) Song that reminds you of your first love

Song that evokes a specific memory from your childhood

Song that mentions a specific street address

Song that reminds you of someone you love who has died

Song that references some kind of technology

Song by a local, unsigned band (my brethren!)

Song to clean the house to

Song about a dog or other pet

Song you want played at your funeral

Is there any room for one more person? (that would be me, if there is)

A bridge should only appear once during a song. I get annoyed when one is repeated before the song's end.

Oh, another category:

1-2-3-4! Songs that start with the count in.

14 participants! I have: Lisah, Corwood, Tina, Jon, Michele, Hec, SA, Erin, Kate, DX, Sue, Sean, Joe, Perkins. Anyone else? Did I miss someone? Frank?

44 categories so far! Last call, 'cause I'm going to hone 'em down to 26 tomorrow.

Hey, msbelle, sorry you don't have time to play. Of course, if you're interested, you're welcome to log into the gmail account and download to your heart's content.

Last call, 'cause I'm going to hone 'em down to 26 tomorrow.

Songs about footware or bicycles

Songs with a chorus that compels you to singalong

Songs that start with a bassline

Songs that mention T. Rex

Songs that relate to science

Songs by soul musicians covering either pop or country artists

Songs from Africa

A song that reminds you of Polter-Cow or Allyson

A song you sing to your pet and/or child

Songs that make you go fast

A song that haunts you

A great but derivative song

The first song you'd put on a mix tape for somebody you were attracted to

A song less than 2:00 long

A song with an actor's name in the title

A good song for winter

Tonight a friend I was drinking with came up with

the song that you would sing to yourself if you were ever in a dire situation and needed it to keep going

And also from my night -

A song that even when you know it's time to LEAVE the BAR someone can put on the jukebox to make you stay

(tonight's was "Can't Hardly Wait" - I mean - how are you going to leave while that is playing?)

Pick well, Corwood!!