Man, I'm really glad I made that "Wire" tag on my gmail account months ago.  I get a lot of crap emails and I would have lost most of these in the shuffle. 

I'm passing these two along, even though they caused one of the most dedicated Wire devotees to declare he was tired of reading about the show.  Of course, he's an old curmudgeon, so what do you expect?

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200801/bowden-wire - A pretty interesting look at Simon, but nothing too groundbreaking

http://www.slate.com/id/2181449/entry/2181450/ - Slate is consistently fellating the show, and I have no problem with that, because they provide me lovely quotes to use as salvos against those fools who argue that Sopranos is a better show:

And he tops it all of with a nice cherry:

I met David Simon this summer.  For the record, I did not detect a hint of monomania.  It was at Peter's in Fells Point, and after spotting him during my meal, I spent the rest of the time working up the courage to say hello  I failed.  Luckily, my sister spent that time more constructively, drinking wine and growing annoyed at my indecision, so she approached Simon and his wife to say hello for me.  He was quite nice.  No monomania.  Did not mention the Sun.  Wanted to get back to his meal, I am sure. The moral of the story is - I'm nearly 30 and my big sister still tells me what to do.
Finally, check our the prequels, if you have not.  I have not.

After a long hiatus, which perhaps no one noticed, I decided to revive this little project.  There's only ten weeks in this season, and after watching #51 last Sunday, all of my obsession with the show has come rushing back to me.  I guess it was inevitable; after all, every person with a blog, byline or email is writing about the Wire.  To be honest, I'm suffering from a bit of overload, as I imagine many others are.  I, of course, won't get on any sort of high horse and point out that I first started watching in the summer of 2002 on my crappy TV in the cheapest apartment ever.  No, that wouldn't be right - I think everyone should watch the show, and those who do not need some sort of intervention.

So, I'm just going to try and give a bit of local commentary on the show. There won't be essays on racial undertones or the tragic plight of the postindustrial city.  For starters, I live both every day, and second, I reserve those conversations for nights that I've decided to polish off the better half of a bottle of bourbon (some of you have been the recipients of my tangents - I would apologize, but I'm just going to do it again). 

But I need help - there's no way I know as much about this city or the show as I'd like to think I do.  Chances are, if you are reading this, you know me personally.  In that case, just email me and I'll show you how to post something, or will do it for you.  If you don't know me, email me anyway (I think its on here somewhere) or put something in the comments.  Oh, and pass this along to others, both within Charm City and without.

Check out the previous post - it refers back to #51.

    I'm not quite able to break the show down like the crowd at Heaven and Here, but I can add a few local insights from last night's episode.

    First, the law nerds might appreciate that when Rhonda directs Chris to the criminal clerk's office in the Courthouse (which is known as the Mitchell Courthouse to non-Baltimoreans), not only does she direct him down the proper hall to get to the clerk's office, he reviews the file in the actual criminal clerk's office.  No word on if you're allowed to take pictures from the files.  One thing that irked me about that scene is that the entrance Chris used (the St. Paul entrance) is not accessible to the public, I don't think.  I guess the reason is that the main entrance is used as the establishing shot for the basement offices of Season 1, and they didn't want to confuse people.  And the room where Pearlman and Daniels talk to the State's Attorney is the second-floor lobby, and its really beautiful in real life.  Most of the building is.  In fact, that room is where they shot the dancing scene in the beginning of Avalon.  Oh, and in a bit of truly inspired fiction, David Simon made the State's Attorney somewhat useful and intelligent.

Just a few spot locations - Marlo's place hasn't changed, and as I may have told people before, its probably scarier in real life than it is in the show. 


McNulty and Dozerman were spying from a church that is actually across the street.  You definitely could see the "lair" from there.  I bet the overhead shots are taken from the church.  It's just off of Broadway, north of Hopkins Hospital.  The surrounding neighborhood looks a lot like this. 


Quick note on bars - Herc buys drinks at the Wharf Rat downtown.  It really would be that empty, so long as there isn't an Orioles game or a convention of plastic surgeons or K-12 Principals.

By far my favorite scene was the one with Naresse, Carcetti and the US Attorney.  They couldn't have crammed more references to local politics if they tried.  First off, there's the US Attorney's office going after the state senator, just like they did with Tommy Bromwell.  Too bad they didn't talk about the great writing in that case.  Not to mention that the US Attorney even looked kind of like Rod Rosenstein.  The whole schools controversy is copied directly from the crisis in 2003; the city bailed the school out after rejecting the state's offer of help.  Many (rightly) speculated that O'Malley did so to keep the ammunition from Ehrlich.  Looks like he made the right move.  He's Governor, and the schools are great!  And finally, there's Noresse under investigation for impropriety.  Sheila Dixon, current mayor and patron of the Starbucks near my apartment, was city council president when O'M was mayor.  She was "next in line" like Noresse claims to be.  She was also suspected of wrongdoing surrounding a property deal; hers dealt with a development company, Doracon, that was raided recently.

Though I'm sure no one doubts that any outrageous or seemingly unbelievable scene is pulled right from real life, I can tell you that the photocopier/lie detector is a true story.  It happened in the Southern (or maybe Southwestern - I'm not 100% sure) District.  A few cops hooked people up to an old copier and told them it was a lie detector, and they all bought it.  Needless to say, when it was discovered, they were forced to stop.  And I'm sure my PD friends will agree - that young man's Miranda rights were being violated.

Final question - I thought that the bar where McNulty tries to pay with his OT slips might be Club Charles - anyone recognize it?

Final observation - according to IMDB, Jen Carcetti is not in this season.  That is terrible...bring back Megan!

If you're in the Greater Baltimore* area next week, stop by Loyola College's McGuire Hall on Loyola's North Charles Street Campus.  I, for one, immediately assumed that it would be on this campus, as when I was growing up, fine institutions of higher education like Loyola and Hopkins didn't have "campuses" in strip malls and office parks.  Maybe people wanted to get an MBA while sandwiched between "#1 Fun Chinese Takeout" and RadioShack.  Anyway, it's at Loyola.

David Simon, Creator, Writer and Executive Producer of HBO's The Wire, to appear Feb. 6

If you've watched the special features on the Wire DVDs, you know this will be good.  Simon is entertaining and refreshingly honest in interviews.  Yours truly will be there with a few other Wire devotees.  I'm hoping to get some pictures, which I'll add to the album.  Simon's appearance is part of Loyola's larger 2007 Humanities Symposium, “Urban Spaces, Urban Voices.”  It looks interesting, and I'm trying to attend as much as I can, in between fake trials and catering to my pets' every whim. 

Michael K. Williams, one of my favorite actors on the show, recently gave a interview to AllHipHop.com.  Be careful when clicking.  It's the "world's most dangerous site."  I recommend some sort of protective gear, like wrist guards or goggles.  Perhaps you should click and step away.  Anyway...

The interview is very entertaining, as you might imagine. Williams, though scary as Omar, always struck me as the kind of guy who would just be chill and cool to hang around with.  I was a little surprised to learn that he got his start as a dancer, but that did work for other great performers (who spent time in Baltimore as well), though not all dramatic turns by ex-dancers go so well. 

Williams discusses Omar's whistling:

The whole whistling thing is great.  I tried to appropriate it, but in the end it just freaked out the barista at Starbucks.  I don't know if that was because some random dude was whistling while waiting for his redeye, or because I was holding a shotgun.  It's a mystery.

Williams also gave one of the most honest answers I've ever see when asked about newfound fame.  I love it because its what I'm sure everyone else would be thinking:

Then, he dropped a bit of a bomb.


Um....what?  The album will be by Omar, not Michael K. Williams?  How does he know what Omar has to say?  He may do a great job of portraying Omar, but he doesn't write the character.  Simon/Burns/Pelicanos/etc are the heart and mind of Omar, not Williams.  Releasing an album by a character is....well, up there with a "very special episode" and "the moppish cousin coming to live with the faily we've grown to love over the past five seasons."   Not that I think the Wire will jump, but still...this sucks.  Actually, I doubt that he'd even be able to do this as Omar.  Omar is the intellectual property of HBO or Simon or Burns, and I doubt whoever owns the image will allow this. God, I hope they wouldn't.

Well, XXL had this to say in an open letter:


I concur.  Don't do this. 

    -FPM

Very interesting Q&A between David Simon and a friend of his from days on the University of Maryland college newspaper posted at Undercover Black Man.  This is different from many of Simon's interviews.  He and his old friend quickly get into Marxism:


Check it out.  More will be posted soon, so I'll let you know when its out.  Mills also makes mention of this editorial in XXL by Byron Crawford: Y kant Tryone Read?  It's a brief and biting article that really gets to the point I have been making about the main problems with the schools is that the students very often don't have the support at home that a) reinforces the lessons they learn, but also b) doesn't place them in an atmosphere where they can succeed.  The readers at XXL generally were NOT pleased - check out the comments.

Whether the parents are absent or apathetic, or possibly even actively contributing to the child's general delinquency, it will have profound and negative effects on the child's learning.  I welcome comments from any teachers out there, because in the many conversations I've had with teachers, this reason is often cited above funding and NCLB as the main cause of student failings.

Interesting diatribe against those who blame everything on NCLB at DY/DAN - In Defense of NCLB.

- FPM

Close them!  This is genius. After all, a school and its students can't perform badly if no one is there.  The worst that can happen is that junkies can break in and steal your copper tubing.  Or they could make them condos.  Actually, I bet that's pretty likely. 

I find it a little strange that two of those schools (Canton and Lombard) they mention are in predominantly white neighborhoods, ones that are (still) undergoing a resurgence (read: gentrification).  Then again, it could be that enrollment is low at those schools are low because many of the families that would have sent their kids there left as home prices rose and they were bought out.  The new residents are much less likely to have school-age children, and if they did, more likely to send them to private or parochial schools. 

Reading further in the article, the whole thing seems more reasonable:


Here's to hoping it works out.  Sheila Dixon took over this morning, so we'll see what she does.

Many viewers anointed Season 4 the best season of the Wire yet, and I believe that a lot of that praise stems from the show touching on a subject matter to which everyone can relate.  Seeing the state of public schools in Baltimore shocked some and validated others’ experience.  There are two interesting aspects to the Baltimore schools situation: the current state of the students, and the economic/political status of the schools.  Of course, the two are intertwined.  The school’s funding dictates what programs it can offer and (to some degree) the quality of teachers and administrators the schools can attract and retain.  On the other hand, the environment from which the students come dictates their social skills and interaction with authority, and thus ability to learn in a school atmosphere.  That then dictates how school resources are utilized.  I know, you get it, its all connected.

 What interests me is how the schools got into the fiscal morass in which they found themselves at the end of Season 4.  As you may imagine, those clever writers didn’t make this one up out of thin air.  Wire Baltimore of 2006-07 is mirroring Real Baltimore of 1999 and 2003-04.   In 1999, charming Martin O’Malley was elected Mayor of Baltimore after serving on the City Council for 9 years.  Sound familiar?  Well, it obviously is.  Just one point on Marty, since this post isn’t really about him: he attended the best law schoolGreatest City in America (it was on the benches, people). Sorry...little shout out. in the

 So, jump forward to 2003.  All of a sudden, the Baltimore City School System is insolvent to the tune of $52M.  That’s bad.  You may be wondering how the city government could be unaware that its school system was being run with the fiscal aptitude of a pile of sweaty laundry.  Many were.  The Sun has many articles, and a few detailed chronologies, but unless you were forced to read it all, I don't suggest you do it voluntarily.  Here's a summary:

It's 1996.  Under pressure because of the dire fiscal straits of the city school system, then-mayor Kurt Schmoke agrees to a plan to ceded the city’s sole control of the public schools to a board that will be comprised of members appointed by the city and state governments.  You may remember him as Mayor Royce’s public health advisor in Middle Ground in season 3.  Ironically he suggested that drugs were a public health problem but that Royce would be crucified if he allowed Hamsterdam.  But that’s a different story.  Schmoke is doing fine.

 To add to Schmoke’s problem, the schools were facing a spate of state and federal legislation (much of which is ongoing) attacking the schools’ use of federal funds and possible violations of education acts like the IDEA.  This seemed like a good way out for Schmoke and the proper thing to do for the students.  At the time, the plan was lauded by many as pioneering.  Turns out six years later that the details weren’t quite worked out as they should have been.  To make it overly simple, once the schools were on their own, they told City Hall to get bent and did things on their own.  That’s all well and good, but the city provided the lion’s share of management and financial expertise up to that point, and managing the multi-million dollar budget of a municipal school system is slightly more complicated than serving as the banker in Monopoly, so after generating budget surpluses in the first years, the deficit ballooned to the afore-mentioned $52M in 2003. 

 This is where we pick up with the Wire.  From the moment O’Malley was elected, there were thoughts that he would run for Governor.  He did not run in 2003, and Robert Ehrlich, a Republican, was elected.  In Maryland, which is only slightly less inclined to vote democrat than Washington DC, it is no small feat.  The national fear that terrorists would spring from your clothes hamper to shove anthrax and dirty bombs and steal your freedom and your Levis, plus the fact that Maryland democrats succeeded in nominating a wet bag of hair to oppose him all contributed to Ehrlich’s big win.  I admit, I voted for him.  Ehrlich knew from day one that O’Malley wanted his job, and O’Malley knew that Ehrlich was sitting in his seat.  Shortly after Ehrlich is sworn in, this story breaks and O’Malley has to go to Annapolis, hat in hand, asking for money.  All of the concerns that Carcetti expressed about not wanting to alienate Montgomery County voters for the next gubernatorial election are right on.  Still, O’Malley went to Annapolis and asked for the money, and Ehrlich offered to give the schools the money on the condition that the state take over the school system.  This would have been political suicide for the Mayor, so the city eventually bailed the schools out with loans that threatened the city’s bond rating, and some charitable funds. 

 In the midst of this, there’s a great (read: petty) exchange between O’Malley and Ehrlich that was faithfully and wonderfully recreated on the Wire.  Carcetti goes to “Annapolis” (actually the second floor lobby of the Clarence Mitchell Courthouse, which is a beautiful city courthouse) to speak with the Republican governor, and is forced to sit outside on a bench for hours while the governor is on a call.  Well, that happened.  O’Malley went down to speak to Ehrlich and was left waiting outside for quite some time. Then, at the press conference, O’Malley was relegated to the background.  Not long after, O’Malley pushed his non-state-involved bailout plan through the city council over quite legitimate reservations.  

In season 4, Carcetti and his aide begin to  leave, but are stopped by a security guard and told that the governor is now ready to see them.  The actor playing that guard?  Robert Ehrlich.  They convinced the Governor to play a small role in a scene criticizing him.  Brilliant.  The episode aired just after the elections this fall in which Ehrlich lost to O’Malley.  The man may not have sideburns, but he has a sense of humor.  And his wife wants to kills Britney Spears.  I’d settle for her putting some undies on.

 Part of the genius of the Wire is the ability to so succinctly capture the callous nature of the politicians who have been elected by the people to solve these kinds of problems with their best interests in mind.  Once again, institutions fail people.  In this case, miserably.  The school system is in no better financial position.  The bailout was temporary, and will likely be needed again in the future.  At that point, it will fall on the shoulders of Sheila Dixon, or if we’re lucky, it hangs on until the next Mayor.  But here, on the eve of O’Malley’s inauguration and on the heels of his promise to spend $400M on schools, the schools just blocks away from where he served for years are still in dire straits. 

 I chose to first talk about the mechanics of the fiscal problems the schools face because its what I understand best.  Also critical in an honest look at the current state of the schools are the condition of the people inside them.  There’s no simple answer to the question of why things are the way they are in the city - vestiges of segregation, economic disparities, the decimation of the family unit by drugs or incarceration or indifference, or possibly the decline of the middle class in Baltimore and other postindustrial cities – they’re all right answers.  I don’t work in the schools, but I do know that students only go so far as the support they receive at home.  Without an environment that is conducive to learning and proper socialization, we can’t expect students to learn within the structure that worked for us.  So, since I have little to add, I thought I’d add some insight from a friend who teaches in a similar place: Washington, DC.  DC is stuggling with a school takeover issue just like Baltimore did  (free subscription may be required).  As I said, I don’t have much firsthand knowledge, so I’ll defer to my friend, who had this to say:

---

A couple of things...

They way overemphasized the influence of The Corner. They made it seem like the drug game recruits half of the kids. In my experience, it's far less. Sadly, the smartest kids are the ones the dealers go after.

They made it seem like there is this huge gulf between the bad 25% and the good 75%. Like once they removed the knucleheads from his classroom it was Potomac Middle. It's more like 80% of the kids are nice, relatively honest, kids--but terribly, terribly behaved. 10% have truly, amazingly, awful behavior, and 10% have decent behavior. I use decent very broadly. It's not like they're jerks--they're not, they're good kids--but they are unbelievably wild. No home training at all. One of the characters on the show said "When we get these kids, they're barely housebroken." Pretty accurate.

Real city kids are almost never quiet. Whispering is almost unheard of. When one kid wants to communicate with another, he/she shouts. I usually teach a little lesson on how to whisper. I try to get the kids to say stuff about me in the back of the class without me being able to hear it. I figure it's a useful skill.

Real city kids can't sit down. Kids often stand up, I give them a look of death, and they have an expression on their face that says "Damn. To be honest I actually have no idea why I'm standing up, either." Like sleepwalking.

The constant fighting between the kids is pretty accurate. Maybe not so many physical altercations, but even MORE verbal altercations. Constant. They'll be taking a test and someone will scream that someone else is "Disrespecting my rubber band!" When I take them out to play football they'll run 8 plays in a half hour. The rest of the time is spent fighting over who gets to play quarterback, whose uncle is on crack, who stepped out of bounds on the previous play, and who has on last year's Jordans.

Tracking really IS banned. It's absurd. Most kids are 3 grades below level, some are 5 grades below level, some are 3 AHEAD of grade level. They're all in the same class, though.

 Another crazy thing. "Writing across the curriculum" for test prep is real. So at the beginning of math, art, or chemistry class, everyone works on subject-verb agreement or pronouns for 15 minutes

In a not-so-surprising turn of events, Felicia Pearson (Snoop) was arrested on Tuesday.  She was apparently soliciting sex from a woman (also not terribly surprising) who turned out to be an undercover police officer. 

Check out the article here: Snoop from HBO's The Wire Caught in Prostitution Sting!!!

By many accounts, Pearson had reformed herself from her previously criminal ways, so while this isn't good by any means, its not the same as if she were caught with an AR-15 or kilos of coke.  Soliciting prostitutes?  All the greats  (last link nsfw) do it. 

I don't know what the "Media Take Out" site is, but they need to chill with the exclamation points.

I think solicitaion (of prostitution, not murder - that's serious) is a hilarious crime.  For example, I once had the pleasure of sitting in the Baltimore City District Court on North Ave and Harford Road for the better part of a day.  I was not there as a criminal, but as a witness. Someone had stolen my old car (the Down Easter Intrepid) and I was there to testify that I did not give the man who was found driving my car permission to do so.  This was before law school and I was actually surprised that besides the judge, clerks and attorneys, I was the only person in a suit.  The guy caught with heroin - no suit.  He figured the Capitals hockey jersey was ok for court.  Anyway, a nicely-dressed, professional-looking man has his case called.  This guy was clearly ready.  HE had a suit on, AND his own lawyer.  No overworked public defender for him!  Anyway, he was charged with soliciting fellatio from an undercover BPD officer (a woman, so there was no added same-sex element).  He wanted a trial right then and there.  So, the SA calls the officer who relays the following:

[Police Officer]: "I have been a police officer for [many] years.  I was at the corner of [street] and [street] at [time] on [date] posing as a prostitute.  [Defendant] approached me in his car, and through an open window said: 'what's up?'  So I said 'what's up?'  He said 'what's up?'  I said 'what's up?'  He said 'what's up?' I said 'what's up?'  and then he asked me for head and was arrested. 

City States' Attorney: Your witness
Slick Defense Lawyer: No questions.
City States' Attorney:  I rest my case.
Slick Defense Lawyer: I call [Defendant].

[Defendant]: I was driving by the at the corner of [street] and [street] at [time] on [date]. I saw [Police Officer] standing on the corner.  She looked at me, and said: 'what's up?'  So I said 'what's up?'  She said 'what's up?'  I said 'what's up?'  She said 'what's up?' I said 'what's up?'  and then the police swarmed in and arrested me.

Slick Defense Lawyer: No further questions.
City States' Attorney:  No questions.
Slick Defense Lawyer: I rest my case.

Judge: [Rolls eyes] Closings?

City States' Attorney:  Your honor, this is a simple  case of credibility.  [Police Officer] has an impeccable service record and no reason to lie.  [Defendant] has every reason to lie.  You should believe the officer.

Slick Defense Lawyer: Well, you know, HE says you can't believe my client, but, I don't know....I believe him, so you should find him not guilty.

Judge: [Rolls eyes again.  Sighs]  I'm going to have to hold this over for a jury.

So that day, I knew I'd be ok in law school.

So…music.  Truth be told, music isn’t quite my forte.  Don’t get me wrong, I love music and listen to lots of different artists.  But apart from being a fervent Johnny Cash fan, and having one of the most random music collections there is, I can’t say that I really “get” music.  So, when I post about the music of the Wire, I hope that the more music-savvy of my friends  will feel free to chime in. 

 You can’t begin any discussion of the music of the Wire without first discussing the title song.  I hesitate to call it a “theme song” because it doesn’t specifically  pertain to the characters or the plot, like the Green Acres Theme Song.  However, it does fit the show perfectly in its depiction of the struggle against sin and the drive for redemption.  I don’t see anything particularly poetic or symbolic in the use of different versions for different seasons, except to the extent that the song neatly summarizes the common plight of the characters (Baltimore included as a character), different renditions simply underscore that we all suffer similarly but uniquely.  Oh, and its cool. 

 So, for the unaware (and no judgment here, we welcome fans old and new), the four versions are as such:

Season 1: The Blind Boys of Alabama
Season 2: Tom Waits
Season 3: Neville Brothers
Season 4: Ivan Ashford, Markel Steele, Cameron Brown, Tariq Al-Sabir and Avery Bargasse (aka “DoMaJe”)

 For my money, Waits’ version is the best.  Maybe because its his song or because his voice is the coolest in music next to the late, great Johnny Cash.  I will say that the version by the Blind Boys of Alabama is great and turned me on to a great CD (“Soldier” is one of my favorites, ever). 

Season 4’s version is wonderful, too, if for no other reason than its done by Baltimore singers (in case you haven’t realized, Baltimoreans are some of the most uniquely self-obsessed people in the country).  In fact, this version made Julianne Shepherd’s (from Pitchfork Media) list of top songs of 2006.

 Then, of course, there’s the show’s use of ambient music the sole (see below) source of music on the show.  Just another notch in the storytellers’ collective belts.  I love that they do this, and to be honest, didn’t notice that they did this until someone pointed it out to me.  That’s the point.  It adds another layer of realism in that it does not destroy the fiction.  It did present problems for me as I tried to construct a soundtrack for the show.  Most of the songs I knew and liked were played for a few bars in a scene or blared semi-intelligibly as Slim Charles or Donut rolled by.

 
Thankfully, the ban on non-ambient music gives way for the season finales.  These are some of the greatest moments of the show.  The montage, so often used by lazy filmmakers to connote the passage of time or the gradual development of a relationship, is employed in a masterful manner to sum up the season and bring the fully weight of that section of the story to one or more of the characters in what may be their defining moment and may also be their exit from the story (see Niko, Season 2).  I am not smart enough to add anything to these, so enjoy:

 

 

Season 3
Hip-Hop obviously plays a huge role on the show.  It’s a common denominator among the corner participants (let’s be honest, police too).  But Baltimore has always been unique in its relationship to Hip-Hop.  It’s never had the big scene like New York (of course), but it hasn’t registered as a blip on the national scene with the rise of southern rappers from Houston, Atlanta , even North Carolina and Virginia .  Hell, even Philly gets  love . 

 But Baltimore has its own, if little know, style of music.  Though it gets very little play on the local hip-hop station, local music does get some play and sometimes it gets a LOT of play, particularly in high school.  Also, it can apparently save your life.  If two scary people ever approach you on the streets of Baltimore and ask who does “Jiggle It” you say YOUNG LEEK.

Here’s a few more articles on Baltimore Club:

 Why Baltimore House is the New Dylan
Listening To "The Wire": This Post Could Someday Save Your Life
Baltimoreclubtracks.com
Basslines? We Don't Need No Stinking Basslines!

 But Baltimore’s more “usual” hip-hop scene has been getting some attention lately.  Aside from some smaller, less successful forays into the national music scene, Darkroom Productions’ Hamsterdam mixtape made some noise last year.  Maybe more than a little.  The mixtape is sold out.  But have no fear!  A second volume is forthcoming.  If you want, you can go to the CD release party.  Careful. It’s a school night.

 They’ve been asked by Blak Leyh to produce some music for the show, which  they did this season.  Leyh does the original music for the show, including the fantastic end credits music.  It’s one of my ringtones.  I’m a nerd.  Check out Leyh’s website [], or if you like, his blog.  Though its prominently displayed on his site, here’s a very interesting blog post about Wire music.

 

Before I get on to my final piece, here’s a funny little fan video I found:

So, here’s how I started the idea for this post.  I wanted to put together a soundtrack for the show.  It’s very difficult.  Each episode may use many songs briefly (or not at all) but aside from the montage songs and the title song, there is almost never a song clearly identified with a critical scene.  Would you associate Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line” with the Wire?  Doubtful.  But it was part of the opening scene in “Storm Warnings” in season 2.  So, I used this outstanding website and HBO’s list as well.

 I can’t really pull a soundtrack or “best of” out of this, so I’m taking any and all suggestions.  But for now, here’s the full list.

 
1.1       H to the Izzo                                         Jay Z

Use Me                                                Bill Wither

1.2       American Woman                                 The Guess Who

            Good Times                                         Chic

            Love is Strange                                     Mickey & Slyvia

1.3       2-Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten                          Lucinda Williams

Down Ass Bitch                                   Ja Rule

It Takes Two                                        Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock

1.4       Sugar in my Bowl                                 Nina Simone

1.6       Fleurette Africaine                                Duke Ellington

Wax Music Box                                   Cytoplastik

1.8       The Lion Sleeps at Night                       The Tokens

1.9       Rock the Nation                                   Michael Franti

1.9       Spearhead                                            Stay Human

1.10     Hater Players                                        Mos Def & Talib Kweli

1.13     Put You Head on My Shoulder             Paul Anka

Step by Step                                        Jesse Winchester

2.14     Search and Destroy                              The Stooges

Sixteen Tons                                         Nighthawks

2.15     Goodbye Carolina                                Lyle Lovett

The House that Jack Built                     Aretha Franklin

2.16     Cisco Kid                                             War

So Fine                                                ?

2.17     He Was Really Saying Something          Velvelettes

I Promise to Remember                        Frankie Lymon

Magic Carpet Ride                               Steppenwolf

Ruler of My Heart                                Irma Thomas

Streets of Baltimore                              Gram Parson

Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad          Tammy Wynette

2.18     Midnight at the Oasis                            Maria Muldaur

The Hand that Rocks the Cradle           Akrobatik

2.20     Love Child                                           The Supremes

2.21     Transmetropolitan                                 The Pogues

2.22     You Beat Me to the Punch                    Mary Wells

2.23     I Walk the Line                                     Johnny Cash

Roadrunner                                          Joan Jett

2.24     Ena Sidero Amameno                           Stelios Kazantzidis

She's Gone, She's Gone                        Vassilis Vassiliadis

To Psomi tis Xenethias                          Stelios Kazantzidis

2.25     Have You Ever Seen the Rain               Joan Jett

I Feel Alright                                        Steve Earl

3.26     In Da Club                                           50 Cent

3.27     Atomic Dog                                          George Clinton

Stand Up                                              Ludacris

3.28     In My Life                                            DJ Technics

Sally MacLane                                     Shane McGowan

The Body of an American                     The Pogues

3.29     Ain't No Mountain High Enough            Marvin Gaye

3.29     My Downfall                                        Notorious B.I.G.

Splash Waterfalls                                  Ludacris

3.30     Me and Baby Brother                           War

On Fire                                                Lloyd Banks

3.31     Dirt Off Your Shoulder                         Jay-Z

3.32     Are You Strong Enough to be my Man?  Sheryl Crow

Head Sprung                                        LL Cool J

3.33     Buffalo Soldiers                                    Bob Marley

The Payback                                        James Brown

Tipsy                                                    J-Kwon

3.36     A Place Nobody Could Find                Sam & Dave

Little Bit of Soul                                    Music Explosion

White Tees                                           Dem Franchise Boys

3.37     Drop it Like Its Hot                              Snoop Dogg

Fast Train                                             Van Morrison

4.38     At Her Open Door                               Dead Meadow

Give More Power to the People            The Chi-Lites

Handle the Vibe                                    Bone Thugs-n-Harmony

Krazy                                                   Elephant Man

Something Wrong                                 Kid Kurrupt

Tear the Roof Off This Sucker              Parliament

4.39     Love Rollercoaster                               Ohio Players

Ring of Fire                                          Johnny Cash

Salt Shaker                                           Ying Yang Twins

Ur Uh Freak                                         Chingy

White Lightning                                     George Jones

4.40     2nd Winter                                           Sm Town

9 Volt Heart                                         The Iguanas

Arrimate                                               The Iguanas

Can't You See  Alfonso                        Christian Lover

Cool Stepper                                        Max Harris

Crunk Muzik                                        The Diplomats

Mrinquen Mi Raza                                Paco

Organic                                                Billy Sherwood

Why Don't You Call Me                       Macy Gray

4.41     Cissy Strut                                            The Meters

Jumpin Like Rope                                 Damian Champ

La Marelle                                            Jerome Sedeyn

Nobody Knows When You're Down and Out  Deacon John

Oh Nuel Man Eun                                Super Junior

Pumpkin                                               DJ Technics

Ridin                                                    Chamillionaire

Smoke My Peace Pipe                         The Wild Magnolias

This Old Heart of Mine                         The Isley Brothers

4.42     A Woman's Worth                               Alicia Keys

Another One Bites the Dust                  Clint Eastwood

Back Stabbers                                      The O'Jays

New Millenium                                     Vybz Kartel f/ Wayne Marshall

Walkin the Wild                                    Black Toast Music

Yo (Excuse me Miss)                           Chris Brown

4.43     Give it to me Baby                                Rick James

Got to Let it Go                                    Angela Johnson

Move on Up                                         Curtis Mayfield

We Are Family                                     Sister Sledge

4.44     Bumpin' My Musi                                 Ray Cash

Dance My Pain Away                           Rod Lee

Jail Flick                                               Diablo & Darkroom Productions

Lot of Leavin' Left to Do                      Dierks Bently

You'z a Trick                                        Lil' Flip

4.45     B.O.B.                                                 Outkast

Body of an American                            The Pogues

Soldierz Story                                       Tyree Colion & Darkroom Productions

Thumparella                                          Funkadelic

Where's the Love                                 Angela Johnson

Won't Love you Back                           Paula Campbell

4.46     Picture Perfect                                      Chamillionaire

            Get Ready                                            Mullyman & Darkman Productions

            Eso Ehh                                                Alexis Y Fido

            Don’t Leave Me This Way                   Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes

            Water                                                   Pump Audio

            Goodbye is all We Have                       Alison Krauss

            Lord Give Me a Sign                            DMX

4.47     That’s the Sound                                  Dirty Hartz

            Projects                                                Tyree Colion & Darkroom Productions

            Dope Game                                          Ray Cash

            Be Thankful for What You’ve Got        William De Vaughn

            Stay Fly                                                Three 6 Mafia

            Got to Get You Off My Mind               Solomon Burke

            Ven Bailalo                                           Khriz & Angel

            Feelin’ Alright                                       Joe Cocker

            Slip Away                                            Clarence Carter

4.48     Carta Del Hijo Preso                            K'Luba

            Come and Get These Memories            Martha and The Vandellas

            Land Downunder                                  Men At Work

            Comin' From Where I'm From  Anthony Hamilton

            Music Maker                                        Opus1

            Pocky Way                                          The Meters

            Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It                       Dem Franchize Boys

4.49     Toma                                                   Pitbull

            Round My Hood                                  Diablo & Darkroom Productions

            New Suit                                              The Wild Magnolias

            Things Could Be Better                         Raymond Winnfield

            In The Cabin of My Uncle Jam             Funkadelic

            Get Up Everybody                               Salt-n-Pepa     

4.50     Corrido a Santa Adelaida                     Dueto Bertin Y Lalo

            When You See Us                                Tha Plague & Darkroom Productions

            I'm a Baller                                           Sqad Up & Darkroom Productions

            Love and Happiness                             Al Green

            I Walk on Guilded Splinters                  Paul Weller

            The Life, The Hood, The Streetz           Mullyman

 

 

Ok, now I’m tired.  Night.