The Trouble With Being God

Playlist Now Available Through iTunes

Posted by Bill under Music, book

At the suggestion of a reader, the suggested playlist for The Trouble With Being God is now available as a playlist through iTunes. The links throughout the site here on beinggod.com still will connect to Amazon, as it Amazon allows you to purchase through the web, and all of their music is DRM-free MP3, but if you prefer to shop at the iTunes store, you can now get the songs through the official The Trouble With Being God: Suggested Playlist iMix.

New Intro Song Selected for TTWBG

Posted by Bill under Music, book

After much deliberation, I have decided to change the opening song recommendation for The Trouble With Being God. In the first draft, the song suggestion was “Soul Auctioneer” by Death In Vegas - but due to the fact that the song does get a bet long and repetitive, as well as the fact that it is nearly impossible to find the song online it has been replaced.

The new intro song is Shuffle Your Feetby Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, from their Howlalbum. It actually gets across the mood of the opening a bit better than the original selection, and on top of that is shorter and much more “organic,” which is the feeling I wanted in the writing.

Book Playlist MP3s Now Available for Download

Posted by Bill under Music, book

Nearly all the songs from the suggested playlist for The Trouble With Being God are now available for purchase and download in mp3 format from Amazon.com.  I’ve gone through the full playlist and have added links for all songs that are available (meaning about two songs currently are not), and have added a link to them at the bottom of the Being God website.

As the book is posted online and songs come up within it, I will also link directly to Amazon to listen to a preview or download the full song.  As it stands, Day One only has one song, and since I cannot find it online anywhere I haven’t listed it in the online verison of the book yet… but in case you are curious, the book should start with the song “Soul Auctioneer” by Death in Vegas.

Partial Playlist from Project Playlist

Posted by Bill under Music, book

For those of you looking for the songs suggested in the book, I’ve put together a playlist on Project Playlist of all the songs I could find.  If I can dig up the rest somewhere, I’ll post it here on the blog.

Also, note that the version of “One By One” is live here… I prefer the studio version for the real playlist.

The Trouble With Being God: Suggested Playlist

Posted by Bill under Music, book

From the preface to the new book:

Throughout my life, I have held a deep-seated love for music. It has always been a part of me, and a part of everything I do. My professional career has rotated around it, and it has been a source of joy, sadness, and solace.

It has always been my belief that music can tap deeper into our souls than simple words could every hope to do. This is why the poets of yesterday have been replaced by the songwriters of today, and why certain songs will live on forever as true insights into our souls.

While writing this book, I was influenced by many things: people I met, events in my life, and most of all, music.

Therefore, music is an integral part of the telling of this story. Rather than being part of the story, I believe music can assist as another way to tell a story – to portray thoughts and emotions that are too delicate and precise to be described in words alone.

As you read ‘The Trouble With Being God’ you will come across a variety of footnotes marking preferred listening selections to go along with the mood or events of the book.

Unlike the soundtrack to a movie, however, the best way to experience these songs and the passages that follow them is to listen to the music first, then read on.

Of course, enjoyment of ‘The Trouble With Being God’ is does not require listening to the music selections. They are instead provided as a supplement to the story, a kind of “director’s cut,” if you will.

The Playlist for ‘The Trouble With Being God’

1. “Soul Auctioneer” by Death in Vegas
2. “Personal Jesus” by Depeche Mode
3. “Starlings” by Elbow
4. “I See Monsters” by Ryan Adams
5. “Eyes Without a Face” by Billy Idol
6. “Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space” by Spiritualized
7. “I Am a Wicked Child” by Radiohead
8. “Someone Great” by LCD Soundsystem
9. “Not Even Jail” by Interpol
10. “Posed to Death” by The Faint
11. “Walk Unafraid” by R.E.M.
12. “Suddenly Everything Has Changed” by The Postal Service (cover of a Flaming Lips song)
13. “A Bad Dream” by Keane
14. “These Eyes” by The Guess Who
15. “One By One” by Billy Bragg and Wilco
16. “Section 18 (Everything Starts at the Seam)” by The Polyphonic Spree
17. “Don’t Get Lost In Heaven” by Gorillaz
18. “King of All the World” by Old 97’s
19. “Feel to Believe” by Beth Orton

And yes, in that order.