Hasselhoff is a rebel singin' for freedom.

Have the cold, dark days of winter gotten you down? Well it's time to put away those Belle and Sebastian records and pull yourself out of your musical slump. The time has finally arrived for you to partake in the musical stylings of the greatest performer ever placed upon this earth: the immortal David Hasselhoff. Hasselhoff's music is the perfect remedy for winter blahs, no matter how fierce -- which accounts for his seemingly unexplainable popularity in former communist states. (His irrepressible poppy optimism could make any bread line cheery.) While you might not need that much cheering up, here is a brief overview of some Hasselhoff gems you should check out - quick, while Napster's still free.

Had David Hasselhoff actually written any of his songs it would be fair to say that he was an accomplished songwriter, tackling classic themes in a subtle context, skillfully intertwining content and melody. (And for the purposes of this article we shall assume that Hasselhoff himself wrote every note and every line.) Like his eloquent take on feelings of alienation and a quest for answers in "Looking for Freedom," a song seemingly inspired by a foray into Buddhism: "One morning in June, some 20 years ago/I was born a rich man's son./I had everything that money could buy,/but freedom I had none./I've been looking for freedom."

All your fave Hassel-hits on one CD.

Hasselhoff showcases his mastery in arrangement while weaving heartfelt vocals and a funky beat to create an updated version of the classic, "Hooked on a Feeling." This is a song that under normal circumstances, I despise with every ounce of my being, and even with a Hasselhoff version that continues to be the case. But the real draw of this song is the mental image of David Hasselhoff in the recording studio, giant headphones squashing his puffy hair, singing a series of "Hooga-cha-ca, Hooga-Hooga, Hooga-cha-cas" into a giant microphone. The song also includes a keyboard solo that is downright avant-garde, and seems to have been played on some kind of Casio-Harpsichord hybrid.

"Current of Love" is probably best known to the Popcrazy reader as being the ending theme to the original Baywatch series. And all sarcasm aside, it is the Hasselhoff song that I genuinely enjoy the most. It is Hasselhoff at his finest, belting out a story of a man overwhelmed by desire and passion, illustrated by beach/lifesaving metaphors.

Swim in the waves of Hassel-love.

Should all of this heady emotion become too much for you to handle, you'll be happy to know that if there's anything that "The Hass" does well, it's mindless, undeniable, rock and roll. Not like KISS or Iron Maiden rock and roll -- Hasselhoff's take on rock music is more a sexually charged Donny Osmond version of rock and roll. He gives a clever nod to the role that won him fame in "Night Rocker," when he suggestively croons, "I am the Night Rocker/I wanna rock you all night long/I am the Night Rocker/I wanna love you with my song." "Hands Up for Rock and Roll" is a workingman's rally chronicling the need for release from everyday drudgery, in the tradition of "Footloose" or "Bang On the Drum All Day"

Way before Christina Aguilera exploited her questionable Latin heritage, Hasselhoff explored his inner Rasta in the feel-good "Do the Limbo Dance." This song would be a perfect choice for any party setting, tropical or not. The intricate melody of the song clearly challenged Hasselhoff, and does not show him in his best vocal form, but fortunately for us, he has hired some stellar back-up singers who also add some authentic island flavor.

David is suited up for singing!

The undisputed ultimate Hasselhoff song has to be his triumphant opus "Everybody Sunshine." I cannot stress enough how revolutionary this song is. Featuring the best keyboard solos this side of the Eastern Bloc, Hasselhoff represents his utopian ideals of a world full of passionate back-up singers and hordes of children all raising their voices to "sing for freedom around the world." Hasselhoff takes an enormous lyrical risk with the debatable rhyme "sunshine" with "funtime" but the triumphant spirit of the chorus leaves all doubts at the door.