The Library Of Congress Loves Sonic Youth

Tomorrow, the Library of Congress will officially announce this year's 50 sound recordings selected for addition to the The National Recording Registry, having been deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and therefore worthy of restoration and preservation. Note that "or". Apparently any recordings found, for instance, both culturally and historically significant are considered ineligible for protection. Perhaps any such copies submitted to the Library of Congress for their consideration are immediately burned. It wouldn't be pretty, but rules are rules.

The full list of 2006 selections is already available, but the press conference is not a pointless, going-through-the-motions farce. It will feature "a five-minute comedy routine" by "members of the Firesign Theatre". Coincidentally, the Firesign Theatre's "Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers" is on the list.

Other special guests include Martha Reeves (of Martha and the Vandellas, whose "Dancing In The Street" made the cut) and Jimi Hendrix's cousin Bob Hendrix ("Are You Experienced?" was found one kind of significant). Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation is also on the big list, but apparently the band is unable to attend the press conference. They already filmed their guest spot for the show, but maybe they're still too busy hanging out with their new friends at "Gilmore Girls". Or maybe they're exhausted from having to talk so quickly. The folks at the Registry would understand that.

The Registry has been adding 50 recordings a year since 2002. The selections are wildly diverse. Songs and albums chosen for protection in previous years include Bruce Springsteen's Born To Run, the Star Wars soundtrack, Nirvana's Nevermind, Public Enemy's Fear Of A Black Planet, the satirical Songs by Tom Lehrer, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book, Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust", Ethel Waters' "Stormy Weather", the Okeh Laughing Record, and Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit".

Non-musical content on the list includes "NBC radio broadcast coverage of Charles A. Lindbergh's arrival and reception in Washington, D.C.", Abbott and Costello's first radio broadcast of "Who's On First", Katharine B. Payne's recordings of Asian elephants (which demonstrated methods of communication between them), and General Dwight D. Eisenhower's D-Day radio address to the Allied nations.

The nomination form isn't up to date for the next round yet, but the rules and forms are online... "Individuals may submit up to ten Registry nominations per year" Ten nominations... hmm...

The 2006 National Recording Registry's 50 Historic Recordings:

"Canzone del Porter" from "Martha (von Flotow)," Edouard de Reszke 1903

"Listen to the Lambs," Hampton Quartette; recorded by Natalie Curtis Burlin 1917

"Over There," Nora Bayes 1917

"Crazy Blues," Mamie Smith 1920

"My Man" and "Second Hand Rose," Fanny Brice 1921

"Ory's Creole Trombone," Kid Ory June 1922

Inauguration of Calvin Coolidge, March 4 1925

"Tanec pid werbamy/Dance Under the Willows," Pawlo Huemiuk 1926

"Singin' the Blues," Frankie Trumbauer and his Orchestra with Bix Beiderbecke 1927

First official trans-Atlantic telephone conversation Jan. 7, 1927

"El Manisero" ("The Peanut Vendor"), Rita Montaner, vocal with orchestra, 1927; "El

Manisero," Don Azpiazu and his orchestra 1930

Light's Golden Jubilee Celebration Oct. 21, 1929

Beethoven's Egmont Overture, Op. 84, Modesto, Calif., High School band 1930

"Show Boat," Helen Morgan, Paul Robeson, James Melton and others; Victor Young, conductor; Louis Alter, piano 1932

"Wabash Cannonball," Roy Acuff 1936

"One O'clock Jump," Count Basie and his Orchestra 1937

Archibald MacLeish's "Fall of the City," Orson Welles, narrator, Burgess Meredith, Paul Stewart April 11, 1937

"The Adventures of Robin Hood" radio broadcast May 11, 1938

Joe Louis-Max Schmeling fight, Clem McCarthy, announcer June 22, 1938

"John the Revelator," Golden Gate Quartet 1938

"Adagio for Strings," Arturo Toscanini, conductor; NBC Symphony 1938

"Command Performance" show No. 21, Bob Hope, master of ceremonies July 7, 1942

"Straighten Up and Fly Right," Nat "King" Cole 1943

Allen's Alley segment from "The Fred Allen Show", radio broadcast Oct. 7, 1945

"Jole Blon," Harry Choates 1946

"Tubby the Tuba," Paul Tripp (words) and George Kleinsinger (music) 1946

"Move on up a Little Higher," Mahalia Jackson 1948

"Anthology of American Folk Music," edited by Harry Smith 1952

"Schooner Bradley," performed by Pat Boone 1952-60

"Damnation of Faust," Boston Symphony Orchestra with the Harvard Glee Club and Radcliffe Choral Society 1954

"Blueberry Hill," Fats Domino 1956

"Variations for Orchestra," Louisville Orchestra 1956

"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," Jerry Lee Lewis 1957

"That'll Be the Day," Buddy Holly 1957

"Poeme Electronique," Edgard Varese 1958

"Time Out," The Dave Brubeck Quartet 1959

Studs Terkel interview with James Baldwin Sept. 29, 1962

William Faulkner address at West Point Military Academy 1962

"Dancing in the Street," Martha and the Vandellas 1964

"Live at the Regal," B.B. King 1965

"Are You Experienced?" Jimi Hendrix Experience 1967

"We're Only in It for the Money," Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention 1968

"Switched-On Bach," Wendy Carlos 1968

"Oh Happy Day," Edwin Hawkins Singers 1969

"Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers," Firesign Theatre 1970

"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," Gil Scott-Heron 1970

"Will the Circle Be Unbroken," Nitty Gritty Dirt Band 1972

The old foghorn, Kewaunee, Wis., recorded by James A. Lipsky 1972

"Songs in the Key of Life," Stevie Wonder 1976

"Daydream Nation," Sonic Youth 1988

Count Basie - One O'Clock Jump (from One O'Clock Jump)

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five (from Time Out)

Buddy Holly - That'll Be The Day (from Greatest Hits)

Sonic Youth - Teen Age Riot (from Daydream Nation)