iShuffling

Over on The Dabbler, I bemoan my laptop's lack of eclecticism when choosing a random smattering of tracks from my entire music collection (800 CDs and counting, dontcha know). Well, it took more than 24 hours to transfer the buggers to my shiny new iPod, but once that was done, I thought I'd give things another go. Here were the first 10 pumped from its sleek black exterior. I'm not sure if you can draw any conclusions from any of this, except that it likes hip-hop artists and it has no quality control.

1. James Brown, I Don't Mind

From: Live at the Apollo (1963)

A short, elegant slice of down-tempo bluesy soul, showcasing JB's yearning vocals. I love these live soul albums where you can hear (but never quite discern the words) individual shouts from the audience. 4/5

2. N.W.A., Straight Outta Compton

From: Straight Outta Compton (1988)

Full of everything that makes the moral majority hate gangsta rap - swearing, violence, unashamed misogyny - this nonetheless has a deeply funky central groove and can trace its history (sort of) back to the above Godfather. Contains the memorable line "AK47 is the tool, don't make me out a motherfuckin' fool". 4/5

3. Eels, Rock Hard Times

From: Shootenanny! (2003)

Like all the best Eels songs, this mixes a modern, depressive outlook with a musical backing that is classic Americana. A bouncy country rock number from an underrated songwriter. 4/5

4. David Bowie, The Jean Genie

From: Aladdin Sane (1973)

A song about his friend Iggy Pop, and Bowie's genius is to make it sound simultaneously like an Iggy song and one of his own. See also his Lou Reed tribute, Queen Bitch. 5/5

5. Fatboy Slim, Kalifornia

From: You've Come a Long Way, Baby (1998)

Contains all the usual Fatboy hallmarks - a heavily treated vocal riff, drugs references, bouncy beats and unthreateningly phased instrumentals. But it's no Rockefeller Skank. 3/5

6. Oasis, Hey Now!

From: (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995)

Oh, now this is getting depressing. One of the songs that stopped Morning Glory being as good as their debut, this is lazy filler, slow paced and deathly dull. Is "Hey now" the laziest chorus ever? 1/5

7. Pixies, Rock Music

From: Bossanova (1990)

After Nevermind, Nirvana did a short, nasty, raucous song called Radio Friendly Unit Shifter. That was sarcastic, but this feels like Pixies' literal interpretation of its title. Rock music in its purest form: caveman beatas, incomprehensible lyrics, sub two minutes. Elemental fun. 3/5

8. The Black Crowes, Sometimes Salvation

From: The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion (1992)

Spirit of old-time blues, slacker styling of the Stones; great drawling vocals from Chris Robinson. This was one of the first albums I was given as a present, and I still pop it on occasionally now. A minor classic. 4/5

9. Kate Bush, Under Ice

From: Hounds of Love (1985)

Solemn and string-led, this is part of Hounds of Love's fantastically odd second-half suite. It sounds like the album's dark heart; gloomy but perversely pretty. 4/5

10. Eminem, Steve Berman

From: The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)

Ah, the skit. The thing which every hip-hop album seems to contain, and which every one would be better without. This is no exception. 2/5