Trent Reznor, Neil Young And Tom Waits Walk Into A Bar…

The fourth volume of The Bridge School Collection drops today, with a 22-song sampling of various artists that have played at Neil and Pegi Young’s annual Bridge School Concert over the years, which benefits children with severe physical impairments and challenging communication needs.

Featuring Trent Reznor, Tom Waits, Death Cab for Cutie, My Morning Jacket and more, the diversity of the collection certainly makes for some strange musical bedfellows. But the omissions – such as any of Pearl Jam’s several notable appearances over the years, as well as Billy Corgan, Fleet Foxes, Incubus (watch out for their cover of Teardrop by Massive Attack) and the Red Hot Chili Peppers – are glaring. Especially when both Death Cab and Jerry Lee Lewis were both featured on Volume Three, and we still don’t have a proper version of Ministry’s cover of the Grateful Dead’s Friend Of The Devil after all this time. But because it’s so damn good, here it is anyway:

Volume 1 was a six-disc affair of extreme overkill that no casual listener who didn’t warm themselves by the fire of hundred dollar bills in winter could have possibly bought. Volume Two wasn’t much more practical, with four discs spanning the forgettable likes of Sammy Hagar, John Lee Hooker and Jill Sobule, who sang that I Kissed A Girl song before Katy Perry co-opted the title and turned it into an even more embarrassingly vapid song.

Volume Four has been mercifully trimmed 22 songs, which means you won’t go broke picking up this oddball collection as a gift in the holiday-buying frenzy. Proceeds will be donated to the Bridge School. For more information visit www.bridgeschool.org.

The Bridge School Collection, Vol. 4 tracklist:

01 Ministry: Here They Come (11/2/94)
02 Ministry: Paisley (11/2/94)
03 John Mellencamp: Jackie Brown (10/29/05)
04 Jerry Lee Lewis: Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On (10/30/05)
05 Trent Reznor: Fragile (10/22/06)
06 Trent Reznor: Hurt (10/22/06)
07 John Mayer: Heart Of Life (10/27/07)
08 John Mayer: Waiting On The World To Change (10/27/07)
09 Regina Spektor: Ain’t No Cover (10/27/07)
10 My Morning Jacket: Gideon (10/28/07)
11 My Morning Jacket: Just One Thing (10/28/07)
12 Tegan and Sara: Dark Come Soon (10/28/07)
13 Tegan and Sara: Like Oh, Like H (10/28/07)
14 Tom Waits And Kronos Quartet: What Keeps Mankind Alive (10/28/07)
15 Tom Waits And Kronos Quartet: The Part You Throw Away (10/28/07)
16 Band Of Horses: Marry Song (10/25/08)
17 Band Of Horses: The General Specific (10/25/08)
18 Norah Jones: Jesus Don’t Cry (10/25/08)
19 Death Cab For Cutie: Cath (10/26/08)
20 Death Cab For Cutie: I Will Possess Your Heart (10/26/08)
21 Josh Groban: Changing Colors (10/26/08)
22 Josh Groban And Neil Young: Harvest Moon (10/26/08)