RW

My new computer here at work includes a DVD-Rom, so to "christen" it, I brought in a copy of Robbie Williams's "Live at the Albert" from a few years back. I didn't watch the entire thing, of course, but, um, I took extended "peeps" at it in between data entry. I'm still tapping my foot at the swinging good time that is his cover of "Beyond the Sea."

Off-the-top-of-my-head list of favorite songs from the past twenty or so years:

"With or Without You," U2 (1987). Surely my friend Patrick has already rolled is eyes at this one, but he can just return them to their proper places in their sockets. This is one of those songs that's as exciting for me to listen to now as it was when I first heard it.

"Why," Annie Lennox (1992). Ah, her voice.

"One," U2 (1992). "You ask me to enter/But then you make me crawl". I always imagine this as a song sung by a child to a parent as the parent asks for their forgiveness for whatever sort of distance has been created between them.