The iTunes Genius "No Hiding Place" Experiment

[BlueChair]

Has anybody played around with iTunes 8 yet? The genius feature will construct a playlist based around one song of your choosing. I thought it might be fun to take a song we all have in our iTunes and see what kind of playlist it generates.

Here are the first twenty songs that come up in a "No Hiding Place" playlist on my computer:

1. "No Hiding Place" - Elvis Costello & The Imposters
2. "Welcome To The Working Week" - Elvis Costello
3. "Tears, Tears and More Tears" - Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint
4. "Frank & Ava" - Suzanne Vega
5. "I Believe In You" - Cat Power
6. "So it Goes" - Nick Lowe
7. "This Song" - George Harrison
8. "Hollywood Bass Player" - Josh Rouse
9. "Cruel" - Calexico
10. "I Was Made For You" - She & Him
11. "Still" - Elvis Costello
12. "Hate It Here" - Wilco
13. "Clubland (Alt. Version) - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
14. "Stella Hurt" - Elvis Costello & The Imposters
15. "Great Beyond" - Aimee Mann
16. "You Cheated Me" - Martha Wainwright
17. "Loving Cup" - The Rolling Stones
18. "Goodnight Rose" - Ryan Adams
19. "Modern Guilt" - Beck
20. "He Doesn't Know Why" - Fleet Foxes

[migdd]

The true genius award will go to the lucky soul who can make a valid connection between No Hiding Place to each of the songs on this list.

Put on your thinking caps. . .!

[And No Coffee Table]

My results:

1. "No Hiding Place" - Elvis Costello & The Imposters
2. "Freeway" - Aimee Mann
3. "Welcome To The Working Week" - Elvis Costello
4. "In A Moment" - Ray Davies
5. "Brilliant Mistake" - The Costello Show
6. "So It Goes" - Nick Lowe
7. "Only Mama Knows" - Paul McCartney
8. "Sweet Lullaby" - T Bone Burnett
9. "Yer Blues (Live)" - The Dirty Mac
10. "Tear Off Your Own Head (It's A Doll Revolution)" - Elvis Costello & The Imposters
11. "Can't Come Down" - Sam Phillips
12. "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes (Live)" - Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve
13. "Yours Truly Confused N10" - Ray Davies
14. "Better Things" - The Kinks
15. "Beyond Belief" - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
16. "The Great Beyond (Acoustic Version)" - Aimee Mann
17. "(Antichrist Television Blues)" - Arcade Fire
18. "American Gangster Time" - Elvis Costello & The Imposters
19. "On Your Way Down" - Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint
20. "Frank & Ava" - Suzanne Vega

[Otis Westinghouse]

Three songs in common, so maybe it's less random than you might have imagined (though one of those is Working Week, which isn't really genius as an association, though out of all the songs both fixed on that). I wonder how many parameters guide the selections. It's a relatively safe bet that most things in both lists would appeal to a Costellohead, but does that indicate a (probably necessary) lack of originality and healthy eclecticism in the programming of it?

[martin]

Mine generated the following
1 No Hiding Place EC
2 Stuck between Stations The Hold Steady
3 Suffering Jukebox Silver Jews
4 Hate It Here Wilco
5 Waving Flags British Sea Power
6 All In Good Time Ron Sexsmith
7 Mr Tough Yo La Tango
8 Down By the River Neil Young
9 Wartime Prayers Paul Simon
10 Tonite Jarvis Cocker
11 Go Away EC
12 Never gonna Change Drive-by Truckers
13 The Big Country Talking Heads
14 Falling Up Ricky Lee Jones
15 Hickory Wind The Byrds
16 Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further? EC & AT
17 Discovering Japan Graham Parker & the Rumour
18 Less Than Zero EC
19 Become The Enemy Lemonheads
20 Cruel Calexico

If you refresh the playlist it keeps 10 or 15 of the songs in previously. I was hoping it would pull up Arcade Fire but i refreshed it a few times and it never found them. Still i think its a good feature as it stops you picking favourites all the time.

[Miclewis]

What's wierd is that I have much of the music in my iTunes that is listed in the playlists already posted.
Yet, they did not appear on my Genius playlist.

1 No Hiding Place - Elvis Costello & The Imposters
2 Love You Again - John Hiatt
3 How Am I To Be - The Watson Twins
4 GfC - Albert Hammond, Jr.
5 Man-Sized Wreath - R.E.M.
6 Soul On Fire - Spiritualized
7 Orphans - Beck
8 Two Times - The Blakes
9 Man Out of Time (Live) - Elvis Costello & The Imposters
10 Frank & Ava - Suzanne Vega
11 I Trained Her To Love Me - Nick Lowe
12 Dirty City (Album Version) - Steve Winwood featuring Eric Clapton
13 Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
14 In My Arms - Teddy Thompson
15 Clubland - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
16 Help Me, Suzanne - Rhett Miller
17 Stella Hurt (Live) - Elvis Costello & The Imposters
18 Looking for Nothing - Aimee Mann
19 My Sweet Love - John Mellencamp
20 Living Well Is the Best Revenge - R.E.M.
21 She Called Up - Crowded House
22 Behind The Ritual - Van Morrison
23 Castanets - Alejandro Escovedo
24 Alison (Live at the Nashville Rooms) - Elvis Costello
25 Tears, Tears and More Tears - Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint

[Who Shot Sam?]

I got...

No Hiding Place - Elvis Costello & The Imposters
Cold Moments - Paul Weller
Tears, Tears And More Tears - Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint
High Fidelity [Live] - Elvis Costello & The Attractions Get Happy!!
Local Girls - Graham Parker
The Road To Gila Bend - Los Lobos
All The Things That Go To Make Heaven And Earth - The New Pornographers
California Girls - The Magnetic Fields
I Was Made For You - She & Him
Crash Into The Sun - Jim White
The Needle Has Landed - Neko Case
I-95 - Fountains Of Wayne
Maybe Tonight - Nicole Atkins
Just A Little Lovin' - Shelby Lynne
Gypsy Biker - Bruce Springsteen
New Lace Sleeves - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
American Gangster Time - Elvis Costello & The Imposters
Welcome To The Working Week - Elvis Costello
So It Goes - Nick Lowe
He Doesn't Know Why - Fleet Foxes
Brilliant Mistake - The Costello Show
Modern Guilt - Beck
5-22-02 - Golden Smog
(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea - Elvis Costello
Man Out Of Time - Elvis Costello & The Attractions

[Lester Burnham]

This is fun! Genius is interesting, to say the least ...

1. No Hiding Place - EC
2. Welcome to the Working Week (Demo) - EC
3. Beautiful Bluebird - Neil Young
4. The Needle Has Landed - Neko Case
5. Take It So Hard - Keith Richards
6. Pagan Angel And A Borrowed Car - Iron & Wine
7. Things Ain't Like They Used To Be - The Black Keys
8. Beanbag Chair - Yo La Tengo
9. Yer Blues - The Dirty Mac (seems to be a popular one)
10. My Baby Gives It Away - Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane
11. Better Things - The Kinks
12. Cynical Girl - Marshall Crenshaw
13. Got Ma Nuts from a Hippie - The Fratellis featuring Pete Townshend
14. Stella Hurt - EC
15. It's Alright For You - The Police
16. Thanksgiving Day - Ray Davies
17. This Song - George Harrison
18. Getting Closer - Paul McCartney
19. Mystery Dance - EC
20. Black Widow's Eyes - The Who
21. Hate It Here - Wilco (another popular one)
22. Brilliant Mistake - EC
23. Sentimental Heart - She & Him
24. Strange Times - The Black Keys
25. She Was Hot - The Rolling Stones

[BlueChair]

Wow - beyond Elvis, we all have pretty similar tastes around here don't we?

[Otis Westinghouse]

Indeed, nice lists. 4 out of 6 get Working Week (one a demo!). I'll have to try it out when my iPod is connected - dying to know if I get WW too! Also, WSS gets a repeat of So It Goes and, like Blue, He Doesn't Know Why is singled out from Fleet Foxes (which I can dig as it's my song of the year and the standoutest track on a totally standout LP). But why no Arcade Fire? Their database says that EC fans are ageing and wrinkly, or younger but a bit retro, so Fleet Foxes is included, but no AF. It's all too stereotypical - loads of us love AF and I bet loads of AF fans are digging FF.

Still, it's a fun feature.

[Boy With A Problem]

Some similar results -

1. No Hiding Place - EC & The Imposters
2. Cold Moments - Paul Weller
3. Welcome To The Working Week - Elvis Costello
4. Man Sized Wreath - REM
5. Man Out of Time (Demo) - EC
6. False Hearted Lover Blues - Levon Helm
7. Dad's Gonna Kill Me - Richard Thomspon
8. New Lace Sleeves - EC & The Attractions
9. Dirty City - Steve Winwood
10. Old Enough - Racentours
11. The Other Side of Summer - EC
12. The Rightous Path - Drive By Truckers
13. The Needle Has Landed - Neko Case
14. Creedence Song - John Fogerty
15. Learning How To Live - Lucinda Williams
16. I Will Dare - The Replacements
17. American Gangster Time - EC & The Imposters
18. Murder (Or A Heart Attach) - Old 97's
19. Loving Cup - Rolling Stones
20. Horse To Water - REM
18

[Otis Westinghouse]

WW 5 - NoWW 2

[so lacklustre]

I Keep Faith Billy Bragg
Wanderlust Björk
Stormy Weather Echo & The Bunnymen
Brilliant Mistake Elvis Costello
Welcome To The Working Week Elvis Costello
(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea Elvis Costello
Tears, Tears And More Tears Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint
New Lace Sleeves (Alternate Version) Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Bedlam Elvis Costello & The Imposters
No Hiding Place Elvis Costello & The Imposters
Stella Hurt Elvis Costello & The Imposters
God Give Me Strength Elvis Costello With Burt Bacharach
Ragged Wood Fleet Foxes
Local Girls Graham Parker
Invisible Man Joe Jackson
I'm The Man (Live) Joe Jackson
My Mistakes Were Made For You The Last Shadow Puppets
Unsuffer Me Lucinda Williams
I Will See You In Far Off Places Morrissey
Have You Made Up Your Mind Paul Weller
Cold Moments Paul Weller
Harps And Angels Randy Newman
Bend Down The Branches Tom Waits
Better Things The Kinks
Man Out Of Time (Demo) Elvis Costello & The Attractions

[martin]

Its uncanny how many of the same songs we all have. I must have 90% of the non EC songs and all the EC songs mentioned in my itunes library. We're all obviously people of exquisite taste

[Boy With A Problem]

It seems that the song needs to be somewhere in their store for this to work correctly. For example, none of the songs from Bespoke Songs, Lost Dogs, Detours & Rendevous: Songs Of Elvis Costello - and many many other records on my iPod don't seem to work either.....they're setting themselves up a little bit by calling the thing genius.

[Who Shot Sam?]

they're setting themselves up a little bit by calling the thing genius.

They considered "Bumblefuck" but Jobs vetoed it.