I’ve seen this feature on several other blogs, and out of curiosity I decided to give the Friday Five a look. Five questions, nothing probing, but that may illuminate unique personality aspects. But it’s Monday, not Friday, so aren’t I a bit late? Timeliness has never been one of my strong points.
The most recent questions:
1. If you could only choose 1 cd to ever listen to again, what would it be?
Beatles Anthology, Volume 2.
I’ll be honest, I actually prefer Volume 3 because it covers the White Album/Abbey Road/Let It Be period, and I love the Beatles of that period. But Volume 2 begins with “Real Love,” a song that could have fit only any Beatles album post-Sgt. Pepper with ease, rolls through the Rubber Soul/Revolver era (my two favorite Beatles albums), then begins the second disc with three versions of “Strawberry Fields” and stays strong on the Sgt. Pepper/Magical Mystery Tour material. No, it’s not the final, finished product, but Anthology 2 has a purer feel to it, and it’s like a greatest hits package of the Beatles’ 1965-1967 period, with some live material sprinkled in for good measure.
Damn, I think I’ll listen to it right now.
2. If you could only choose 2 movies to watch ever again, what would they be?
Office Space. No, it’s not the funniest movie ever made. No, it’s not a great film. But it’s a true film about cubicle rats and their lives, and in that sense isn’t it perfect?
A Hard Day’s Night. Roger Ebert called this film “one of the great life-affirming landmarks of the movies.” He knows what he’s talking about. This is one of the funniest movies ever made. This is a great film. There’s not a scene I can do without. There’s not a line of dialogue that should be rewritten. The Beatles aren’t acting, they’re being, and the film succeeds because of it. If you can find the MPI Video release of six years ago, buy it. This is a film that deserves much better than the new DVD release can give with its bizarre sound mixing and boxy picture.
3. If you could only choose 3 books to read ever again, what would they be?
The Hound of the Baskervilles. My favorite Sherlock Holmes story. I read this for the first time when I was ten, and while it wasn’t the first adult book I read (that may have been The Lord of the Rings at age seven), it’s one that had a great influence in my life. (The Complete Sherlock Holmes, the one-volume edition, would be an acceptable substitute, for obvious reasons.)
The Foundation Trilogy. It’s not Isaac Asimov’s greatest work (most people would say The Gods Themselves is, and I could make a strong case for Nemesis), but the Foundation Trilogy encapsulates a great deal of what I like in science fiction, from space opera to historical and philosophical ruminations.
The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh. Obvious reasons.
4. If you could only choose 4 things to eat or drink ever again, what would they be?
The Subway Club, at Subway (obviously). Provolone cheese, no mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, onions, white bread.
Mint M&Ms.
Peanut Butter Captain Crunch.
Sam Adams Cream Stout.
5. If you could only choose 5 people to ever be/talk/associate/whatever with ever again, who would they be?
Trying to narrow this one down takes some effort, and in the end I’m going to concede defeat and take a pass. If I could draw from all of history I could think of twenty-five people I’d like to have a dinner party with. If I had to limit myself to people I actually know, there’s another twenty-five people. Add another half dozen if I could pick from people I know but have passed away. And then if I could draw from the realm of fiction I might never be able to draw a limit. So, I’m taking a pass on this one.
I might do this again. It’s been fun.