In Random Rules, The A.V. Club asks some of its favorite people to set their MP3 players to shuffle and comment on the first few tracks that come up—no cheating or skipping embarrassing tracks allowed.
Shuffler: Paul Rudd has been in many films, including comedies (Anchorman, Wet Hot American Summer) and dramas (Romeo + Juliet, The Cider House Rules), and he's also played extensively on Broadway, notably opposite Julia Roberts in Three Days Of Rain. But he's most often recognized as a cast member from the later episodes of Friends. Rudd can currently be seen in The OH In Ohio.
"So You'll Aim Toward The Sky," Grandaddy
Paul Rudd: I don't know. You know, I like that record a lot. I just skipped to the next one.
"Camera," R.E.M.
PR: This is off of Reckoning, which I think is a great record, and a very important record in my development. I would say that Reckoning was the first record that came out that started getting me off of synth-pop and into jangly guitars… which is an important move that everyone has to make.
"I've Got New York," The 6ths
PR: This is one of Stephin Merritt's offshoot bands—they have two records… Maybe they have three, I don't know. But I love what they do. The first record that The 6ths made was called [hilariously overpronouncing the "s"] Wasps' Nests, and the second one is called Hyacinths And Thistles. All those "ths."
"Norwegian Wood," The Beatles
PR: I'm glad that some good shit is coming up and it makes me sound cool. [Laughs.] I swear to God I haven't skipped.
"I Will Bury You In Time," Jeff Mangum
PR: Live At Jittery Joe's. Their live record. They are a great band.
"In A Little While," U2
PR: I think they're a great band. I always really liked them a lot. I was never like, "Oh my God!" but I was really into Unforgettable Fire and Joshua Tree. I would say that was probably the height of my U2 liking—and actually, Achtung Baby was really brilliant.
"World Where You Live," Crowded House
PR: Neil Finn is amazing. Great underrated band.
"I Turn Around," Elvis Costello
PR: These are all so hip that it sounds like I am skipping some, but I'm really not. I promise you.
"Street Of Dreams," Rainbow
PR: I have a real soft spot for, you know, like, Boston and Rainbow and April Wine, a lot of that kind of soft and kind of hard rock from like the early '80s. The big groups. I hated them growing up, but now there's something, I don't know… Like, I'll put on a Loverboy song, you know? I don't give a shit.
"Fly Robin Fly," Silver Convention
PR: Fly Robin fly! [Sings.] It's like a '70s—kind of like, you know—[Sings.] It's like that. You can almost taste somebody, like Liza Minnelli, doing a line of blow while hearing that song. I have a lot of '70s compilation music. There's something kind of great about it, I think. I've been listening to a lot of '70s soul lately—like The Main Ingredient. It's just really good, really good. You don't hear it any more unless you put on the '70s channel on your television, which I do. All the time.