Jingles reborn

By now it should be very clear that everything is for sale. Accusing someone of selling out is really no longer that useful or relevant since we all do it. Still, commercialization is sometimes so bizarre and creative in its manipulation of all that we love and hate that sometimes all you can do is say, “Wow.” The just-released CD, As Seen on TV — Songs From Commercials ($14.99 at www.amazon.com), is one of these situations. It’s a compilation of all those cool songs that have recently been featured in television commercials. Included are Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon” (used in VW ads), plus songs from Badly Drawn Boy (The Gap), Iggy Pop (Royal Caribbean Cruises and Mitsubishi), etc. There are 20 tracks in all, drawing from the best of jazz, pop and indie rock. An optimistic way to look at this CD and its implications is to envision a car wash. The original songs are cars that have been dirtied by use in TV commercials, but after being driven through this car wash-compilation, they reappear fresh and clean — just like before, but with a newfound lust for life.