Waltz metal by Metallica.

A strong contender for 'next song I learn on the guitar.'

According to the always accurate Wikipedia entry James Hetfield composed the opening arpeggio on the phone, hence the relative simplicity. Ah, E minor.

As of today, there are 8725 items in our iTunes library. 22.3 days worth of music. I have never listened to some of those songs and haven't heard others in ages. So, let's shuffle:

"Valentine and Garuda" by Frank Black from his 2002 release Black Letter Days.

I bought this album somewhat on a whim at the Union Square Virgin Records shortly after I moved to Brooklyn, so it reminds me of those early days in a new city, searching for bearings, mapping the landmarks, not knowing that in less than a month I'd meet my future husband.

This song was my favorite track. I am a sucker for slide guitar, jumpy melodies and slightly messy lyrics.

Frank Black has a podcast.

I had never noticed the oboe in the second chorus of Happy Together by The Turtles.

It's there, underneath the prep school boys choir vocal harmonies and white bread creepiness, a hint of Eastern Europe. A glimmer of Peter and the Wolf.

Number one on March 25, 1967. In a Golden Grahams commercial.

So happy together!