I think this may be the most entertaining change in the iTunes Music Store: the full integration of audiobooks gives you Music To Listen To Ann Coulter By.

Herbie Hancock, on Apple.

Herbie Hancock, in the iTunes Music Store.

The interview is interesting reading (“I was using it [OS X] before other musicians were using it.” and “I hate OS 9 (laughter). I hate going back to that.”), but what I really like is the commentary on the “celebrity playlist.” Sheryl Crow has a bland paragraph that was probably written by her publicist, but Hancock explains in detail why each of the tracks is interesting and significant (sometimes to him, sometimes to the world). Note to Apple: Hancock’s commentary sells, Crow’s doesn’t.

[and if you’re a Windows user who hasn’t installed iTunes yet, Great Googlimoogli, what are you waiting for? It’s not as fast as it is on a Mac, but all of the features are there, including Rendezvous music sharing.]

Update: After purchasing Hancock’s picks, I’d say that I like everything except Missy Elliot’s Slide. Miles Davis’ 27-minute Bitches Brew starts off rather … “non-musical” … for my tastes, but picks up several minutes in. Elliot I just don’t get; Hancock sees something in her music that separates it from typical posturing {c,}rap, but all I hear is the surface, and it’s so grating that I can’t get past it to look for what he found. Obviously I won’t be buying her recommended playlist.

No, I didn’t buy another big batch of music from the iTunes Music Store yet, although I probably will soon, to stock up the iPod for my next road trip to Las Vegas. I have been keeping an eye on the store, though, and after corresponding with Brian Tiemann, I decided to investigate an oddity we’d both noticed: the week-by-week “Just Added” report ain’t no such thing.

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Just in case anyone was wondering, her debut album provides no evidence that Hilary Duff can sing, or even that she has a voice to sing with. Generically slick production combines with blandly stupid lyrics and the most obvious electronic voice modification since Cher’s last hit, resulting in an album so forgettable that you’ll wonder what you’ve just thrown into the trash.

Fortunately she’s one of the most beautiful young women I’ve ever seen, because I think she’s the least convincing pop-tart in the business. And I like pop-tart music.

Curiously, the album photos, like many recent pictures of her, play down the fresh-faced beauty and open charm that made her a Disney Princess. I suppose they’re trying to separate Hilary-the-singer from Hilary-the-actress.

Makes sense, since only one of them has a future.

Okay, my iTunes Music Store purchases are getting a bit silly now:

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The only thing that keeps me from spending even more money than I already have at iTMS is the limited selection. Broad but not deep, that is. Some recent artists that I like aren’t listed at all, while some old favorites have just a fraction of their catalog online. And then there are the ones who were never on a major label, or who have renounced their sinful past (warning: the Flash in this site ground my browser into the dust).

Anyway, here’s what I’ve bought recently.

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I like Dean Martin. I picked up one of his albums on the iTunes Music Store recently, and I’m glad to see that Capitol Records is actively promoting him once again. But what eagle-eyed halfwit thought that “light gray on white” was an appropriate color scheme for body text, especially at a size as small as 9px?

I apologize in advance to anyone who follows that link. Especially anyone old enough to remember Dino.

Just for amusement, a list of the albums and songs I’ve purchased from the iTunes Music Store since it went online.

Complete albums:

1. A Wonderful World, Tony Bennett & k.d. lang
2. Jazz Cello, Ray Brown
3. The Best of Ray Charles: The Atlantic Years, Ray Charles
4. In Blue, The Corrs
5. Count Basie's Finest Hour, Count Basie
6. Getz for Lovers, Stan Getz
7. Stan Getz and the Oscar Peterson Trio, Stan Getz
8. Best of Al Jarreau, Al Jarreau
9. B.B. King: Anthology, B.B. King
10. Late at Night with Dean Martin, Dean Martin
11. The Best of the Moody Blues, The Moody Blues
12. Confirmation: The Best of the Verve Years, Charlie Parker
13. Blues Etude, Oscar Peterson
14. Tracks, Oscar Peterson
15. We Get Requests, Oscar Peterson Trio
16. With Respect to Nat, Oscar Peterson Trio
17. Oscar Peterson: Stéphane Grappelli Quartet, Vol. 1, Oscar Peterson & Stéphane Grappelli
18. Liz Phair, Liz Phair
19. The Dynamic Duo, Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery
20. Great American Marches I, John Philip Sousa
21. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Trevor Jones & The London Symphony Orchestra

Individual Songs:

1. You've Made Me so Very Happy, Blood, Sweat & Tears
2. Do You Wanna Hold Me?, Bow Wow Wow
3. Takin' It to the Streets, The Doobie Brothers
4. What a Fool Believes, The Doobie Brothers
5. Radar Love, Golden Earring
6. The Day Basketball Was Saved, Jackson 5
7. I Think It's Love, Jermaine Jackson
8. Laura, Billy Joel
9. Beth, Kiss
10. Detroit Rock City, Kiss
11. King of the Night Time World, Kiss
12. Shout It Out Loud, Kiss
13. Head to Toe, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
14. Insanity, Liz Phair
15. Don't Stand so Close to Me, The Police
16. Every Morning, Sugar Ray
17. Macho Man, Village People