Stephen Mejias

It's stupid to lose control of something as simple as sleep, but I've been having trouble with it.

I should be more specific. I've been having trouble staying with it. I've been having trouble staying asleep. Falling asleep is easy: I get in bed, I'm gone. Invariably, however, some time around 3 or 4am — maybe because an outside noise cuts a hole into my dream, or maybe because the dream itself is somehow unpleasant, or maybe because JA once told me that most people who die in their sleep do it at around 3 or 4am, when their body temperatures are lowest — I wake up. I wake up. Once awake, I start thinking about how great it is to be in bed. I take delight in the comfort, in the warmth. "Ah, wonderful bed. I love you." And, then, I realize that I'm awake. "Wait, why am I awake?" And, then, I get angry. "Go to sleep, you fool!"

It's a problem. This lack of sleep. I've been reading about it, and frequent sleeplessness — I've read — can be costly to my well-being. It, this sleeplessness, can make me moody, irritable, depressed, it can reduce my physical and mental performance, lessen my ability to handle stress, damage my immune system, and even make me accident prone. This morning, in fact, I spilled three drinks and twice nearly fell down the stairs. No loudspeakers were hurt, I'm relieved to say.

It's funny because, recently, I received a batch of CDs from Baby Rock Records. "Baby Rock Records," I thought. "What the hell is this crap?" Curious, I tore through the packaging and found Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Nirvana. "What? Is someone trying to tell me something?" I wondered. I took a look at the one-sheet, and read:

With the lights out, it's less dangerous. This album echoes the simple pleasures and innocence of infancy. Smells like nap time.

Maybe I'm easy, but that little bit of marketing made me smile. I continued to read. The sheet for Lullaby Renditions of Metallica quips:

We've turned down the volume from an eleven to a two, and made the bed ourselves. Say your prayers little one. Tonight the sandman will be gently rocking you to sleep with these essential masterpieces of rock'n'roll.

And for Lullaby Renditions of The Cure:

Lullaby. A whisper. The Cure's music is just like heaven to their fans. Beautiful, infinite and captivating, The Cure's best work captures a dreamy sense of love and longing. This album is a mesmerizing and serene take on the kind of quirky, romantic songs that the Cure helped make famous. If only tonight we could sleep as soundly as your child will after hearing these interpretations of The Cure.

Cute, right? If nothing else at all, it seems clear that the creators of these compilations are familiar with the music. Songs even seem to have been selected for their lullaby value — Nirvana's "Territorial Pissings" isn't included, but "About a Girl," "Heart Shaped Box," and "Come as You Are" are all present. The Cure album features "Boys Don't Cry," "Just Like Heaven," and, of course, "Lullaby." The wit continues throughout with Metallica's "Enter Sandman," "Fade to Black," and "Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)." The cuteness doesn't end there. The Rockabye Baby album art spoofs that of the original albums. For instance, instead of a baby swimming underwater, grasping for a dollar bill, we see a teddy bear reaching for a bill marked with the Baby Rock logo. And bonus features include a place for the proud rocker parents to list their little rockstar's name, first influential rock song, first time to play air guitar/air drums, and more. There's even a cut-on-the-dotted line activity for creating a baby mobile. This is too much cuteness, I swear.

So, I've been listening to the Nirvana renditions all day. And they are good. Certainly, some of the songs become a bit tedious. There's only so much one can do with the verse-chorus-verse simplicity of "In Bloom" — the magic there was always in Kurt Cobain's strange, half-searing, half-soothing vocals and Dave Grohl's powerful and relentless drumming, both, of course, missing here — but songs like "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Something in the Way" translate surprisingly well, all glockenspiel and vibraphone, to even offer something truly new and valuable. These songs exist beautifully as lullabies, lacking nothing at all. Indeed, some of the packaging's cuteness is shed here, as well. These are serious compositions, well conceived and well done.

As silly as it seems, I'm thoroughly enjoying these Lullaby Renditions and looking forward to hearing more of the series. New parents have a great gift to offer their little rockers, one that they, too, can enjoy. I might even take Metallica home tonight, and see if it helps me sleep better.