That’s Dangerous! :: The Mix
A thoughtful friend sent a book to our house around Christmastime called That’s Dangerous!. Originally published in France, it is a slightly alarming collection of cute drawings showing a scrawny little boy doing all sorts of dangerous things (kicking a bully, climbing into a washing machine) and after each picture, kids can easily learn that the facing page warns, “That’s dangerous!” My four year old was delighted and a little awed by all the varieties of heretofore unthought-of trouble that one could possibly get into if they were so inclined.
My mother taught me to always say thank you, but instead of a dull note this time around, I realized how rich my iTunes library was with fodder for a cautionary mix for adults, detailing all the perilous things we can get ourselves into. There’s some genuinely dangerous stuff here, sure, and then many things which are really just . . . not a good idea. Paradoxically, many of those things those are also kind of fun. Such is life.
I entertained myself thoroughly with the making this one, and sent it off by mail as my thanks to the gift-giver. The mix should all fit onto one CD and in addition to being funny, it also sounds hazardously good. What else would you expect? Cue the warning sirens:
THAT’S DANGEROUS!: THE MIX
Which Of The Two Of Us Is Gonna Burn This House Down? – The Star Spangles
Shadow Stabbing – Cake
U Make Me Want To Drink Bleach (Stylophone mix) – Easyworld
Running With Scissors – Ben Lee
Kicking Television (live in Chicago) – Wilco
You Left The Water Running – Otis Redding
Positive Bleeding – Urge Overkill
Street Fighting Man (Rolling Stones cover) – Oasis
Fairly Blacking Out – The Takeovers
Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window (outtake) – Bob Dylan
Riot In Thunder Alley – Eddie Beram
Touch Me I’m Sick – Mudhoney
Busting Up A Starbucks – Mike Doughty
Sink To The Bottom – Fountains of Wayne
(She Was) Only Sixteen – Sam Cooke
I’m On Fire – Bruce Springsteen
Fighting In A Sack – The Shins
A Quick One, While He’s Away – The Who
Wondering Where The Lions Are (Bruce Cockburn cover) – Donavon Frankenreiter
Tied Up And Swallowed – Black Crowes
Dancing In The Dark (Springsteen cover) – Pete Yorn
The Light At The End Of The Tunnel (Was A Train Coming The Other Way) – Richard Hawley
Bonus related tracks: My friend Tom is thinking is a similar direction when he posted these “warning label” songs about artists and their mercurial relationship with their record labels. A clever twist.
Name: Heather Browne
Great mix as always Heather. Donavon Frankenreiter played that tune when I saw him opening for Ben Harper last fall; just awesome.
- Neil
Anonymous — February 2, 2008 @ 5:05 pm
you better be preparing something special for yield’s 10th birthday, or i for one will be very disappointed
Anonymous — February 2, 2008 @ 8:58 pm
This is such a good idea! That song about Macdonalds and Pizza Hut oughta be on there,too…..
Russell — February 3, 2008 @ 4:27 pm
you’re showing a seriously scary dark side on this one.
I love it. great stuff.
p.s. thanks for the link
-tom — February 3, 2008 @ 8:09 pm
No Misfits “Skulls” ??
SINEDDIE — February 3, 2008 @ 8:53 pm
That’s such a great idea for a mix. Brava!
zara hemla — February 3, 2008 @ 9:04 pm
oh, so clever!
leave it to you, to master mind a mix like this.
might i offer up: “Like Eating Glass” – by Bloc Party
Luke — February 4, 2008 @ 11:15 am
Check Wilson Pickett’s version of “You Left the Water Running.” Quite tasty.
OneWag — February 4, 2008 @ 5:51 pm
thx for this “mix tape” – love your site
tumbling upwards — February 5, 2008 @ 11:23 am
I would add “Bomb Yourself” by TV On The Radio
My son is 4.5, so I totally understand!
Dynamic Meter — February 5, 2008 @ 11:54 am
Tied Up And Swallowed by The Crowes? Noice.
WARPAINT!
Anonymous — February 5, 2008 @ 10:16 pm
Loving the mix and your site Heather. Thx for all the work you put into it.
Dan — February 6, 2008 @ 9:32 pm
can you put this back up? i want to dl this mix! pretty please?? xo
gina — June 1, 2010 @ 10:39 pm
Will you PLEASE post this back up? That would make my day.
Dave — June 3, 2010 @ 6:43 am