I Ain't No Monkey, But I Know What I Like

Much has happened since I blogged last. However, the major development that is most on my mind at this moment happens to be something quite frivolous, and thus quite worthy of a frivolous blog post.

A couple of days ago, I downloaded (with due hesitation) the new version of iTunes. Apple always screws up new versions of iTunes, and the "new and improved" version is always buggier and less user-friendly (read: less simple) than the last version.

However, the current version, no. 8, contains an extra feature that may actually be worth its salt. Apple calls it "Genius," but it's sort of analogous to Amazon.com's "suggested books" feature. "Genius" -- an interesting word choice, especially in view of 18th and 19th-Century definitions of the term (i.e., pure and original intellect; it seems that iTunes' concept of "genius" is of a far more collaborative sort) -- takes a look at your song library, and then looks at the song libraries and playlists of all other iTunes users, and suggests what in your song library might "go well" in a playlist with other songs in your library, or other songs in the iTunes library that you don't currently own.

Truly, this is a kind of "genius" feature. If it weren't for the fact that it means even more of my private life is being made public in potentially dangerous and frightening ways, I'd feel unequivocally happy about "Genius." Nevertheless, Apple has shown yet again that they are capable of turning the frown that is technological surveillance upside-down, helping both producers and consumers get along better by directing consumers who know what they like to other products they might also like, or (and this is Apple's best contribution) to what they already own but have forgotten about.

In the interest of actually "forwarding" something to you readers, as this blog promises to do, I forward here a sample playlist, made through iTunes Genius, based on the original song choice of "Buckets of Rain" by Bob Dylan, a song and an artist that has been on my mind lately as the days have been getting shorter, the seasons have been slowly changing, and life has carried on as it does. You might try assembling your own autumn playlist based on these iTunes genius suggestions. You might also decide to ditch iTunes and listen to whatever fallish tunes you please. Either option is a good one.

"Buckets of Rain," Bob Dylan
"Harvest," Neil Young
"Little Green," Joni Mitchell
"Moonlight Mile," Rolling Stones
"4 + 20," Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young
"Pale Blue Eyes," The Velvet Underground
"Nebraska," Bruce Springsteen
"When the Ship Comes In," Bob Dylan
"The Wind," Cat Stevens
"I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love with You," Tom Waits
"That's the Way," Led Zeppelin
"We Are Nowhere, and it's Now," Bright Eyes
"Stray Cat Blues," Rolling Stones
"Jesus, Etc.," Wilco
"Gone for Good," The Shins
"Needle in the Hay," Elliott Smith
"Vicious," Lou Reed
"Gideon," My Morning Jacket
"Tangled Up in Blue," Bob Dylan
"Blue," Joni Mitchell