Why oh why must you do this to me Kotobukiya!?  As I try to limit my spending, and I try not to pre-order any figures, as I try to reduce my massive collection, you just keep pulling me back in.  There is absolutely no way to pass up on this new beauty coming our way.

I have been able to resist the temptation of many figures recently but after learning of this today, I fell prey to this magnificent item of PVC.

Not only have I been waiting for the next Venus on the Beach figure from Kotobukiya, but I’m a slut for just about anything Dead or Alive.

See my past review for Kokoro Venus on the Beach.

I apologize for my lack of updates but a shit load of games have been released recently it’s difficult to keep up with that as it is.  With news of Kasumi coming I may have to release the other VotB’s soon.  We’ll see what time allows.

One more for the road…

Kasumi can be pre-ordered through multiple figure retailers now

(release date will vary with retailer)

E2046 - Hobbyfan - Toyslogic - HobbySearch - AmiAmi

Pick your poison.

A newborn life, long, beautiful and divine
The soul shines through the eyes
Living while seeing only the white light
A vision, respectful and bright

Young and restless
Happy and fun
Feeling like a conqueror
Decadent and dominant

Old and grey
tolls on each street to pay
Sometimes i got away, and didn’t pay a dime
But the demons came from behind

Vicious cycle of life
No faith in fate, no fear of demise
Man is in loss, by time
Valley of the shadow of death, the white light

Am i really dead or alive?

Warning: This game talks about sex. This may make you feel uncomfortable. Sorry if it does (Not really.)

So there I was, thinking about what to blog, and not coming up with any answers. Our blog didn’t get even come close to the normal amount of views for our podcast and George’s soapbox posts last week. I needed a good topic that would put us back on the map. I needed a post that would intrigue enough of my friends to the point of “fine, I’ll read your dumb blog.” I turned to my play of Dragon Age: Origins, hoping for some divine inspiration. I then proceeded to woo two of my female companions, one after the other, in the same night. I then proceeded to invite them to ”join me in my tent” as my Human Noble Warrior so eloquently put it. That’s when it I realized my topic. If there’s one subject that can gain reader’s attention, that subject would be…

SEX!

Sex! It's just as good as these balloons!

Or secks, however you want to spell it. Sex is a sensitive subject in the United States. For some reason we’re ok with children watching Pikachu shock poor Meowth to a burnt crisp, but heaven forbid if Pikachu were to find his (her?) soul mate and make little Pikachus on the show. We allow kids to watch violent movies all the time, but cause a humongous ruckus when they see Janet Jackson’s boob while watching the Super Bowl.

VS.

I haven’t heard of any stories where kids run around trying to rip off women’s clothes. Stories of kids beating the shit out of each other trying to be Goku however…

I digress. Sex is a very important subject in entertainment, especially in video games. The interactive nature of the medium can create very powerful moments in love (see: Mass Effect). It can also create some very…controversial ones too.

Sex FTW!

VS.

Sex, FTL! (Game is Artificial Girl 2, look it up.)

So what should the medium do?  There are a thousand ways to view love and sex, yet we only see it portrayed in a couple of ways in video games.

1: Sex As the Ultimate Goal

Don’t get me wrong, I love BioWare. However, relationships in their games, and many other story-driven RPGs, are treated like mini games. What’s waiting for you at the end? A hot cut scene and an achievement notification. This is the least offensive of the ways that sex is being used in video games. It demonstrates that relationships need to be built up over time, and are not a guaranteed thing if you refuse to say the right things. There are however, some fundamental design flaws that fail to capture the essence of the relationship between sex and love between people.

The first issue I have with this style is the message that the gameplay sends. All a player has to do is say the right thing out of two or three options. They can also gift bought items over and over (I’m looking at you Dragon Age) and women will fall madly in love with you (on second thought, maybe this is accurate…). There’s no incompatible people. There’s no heartbreak. If you want her, you can have her (or him).

Second of all, after the start of a relationship (or you have sex), it doesn’t alter the game. Those in a relationship and those not in a relationship will know, people tend to view your choices, decisions and what you say in a very different light when in a relationship. It has a profound impact on a person’s life. If a relationship does alter the game, it’s minor. Maybe your partner might say something flirtatious in private. Maybe he or she might add something extra in dialogue, or show faint feelings of jealousy if you flirt with an NPC. However, it doesn’t fully explore the consequences of the relationship when the player is in one.

This isn’t to say that this approach to sex in video games isn’t bad. It just isn’t good. It fails to capture the nuances of relationships and the beauty of sex. I almost dare to say that games like Mass Effect should include a sex game. But that would make Fox News really angry.

LOL, Fox News fail!

It would also lead to comparisons to…

2: Sex as a Game

Call me Mr. Controversy, but sex games have some merit. Talking with a former EA intern (you know who you are) really made me consider the value of sex games. If there are paintings meant to capture “still life,” then there are video games that are meant to experience “life in movement.” If done well, a sex game has the potential to capture the beauty of a part of the human experience.

The problem with sex games, of course, is that simple-minded design and quick attempts to capitalize on someone’s strong libido has more than diminished the ability of this genre to be recognized as something that could be a legitimate part of the medium. It’s like the difference between a beautiful sex scene in a movie (300) and pornography.

Sex games more often than not focus on “how many girls you can bag” and treat women like objects. Even the taboo “H-game” basically comes down to “experiencing” pornography. It doesn’t help when you have games like Rapelay, a Japanese game that focuses on the main character raping three members of the same family. It has sparked widespread controversy in the United States, even though it’s never been released in the States.

WTF Japan.

Sex can’t be the only part of the game. It has to be one part of the game, just like sex is only one part of the relationship.

3: Sex as a Product Differentiation

Let’s face it, most gamers are straight guys. Designers are constantly looking for ways to differentiate themselves, to draw gamers toward their product. How does Dead or Alive differentiate itself from Soul Caliber? How did Tomb Raider differentiate itself from Soul Reaver? How does Bayonetta distinguish itself from Devil May Cry?

wait, what? Were you blogging?

Boobs. Gorgeous bodies. Women are objects for men to stare at while they play games. Video games are not the first medium to do this. Every entertainment medium has done this. I’m not saying it’s wrong either. I’m just saying video games has the potential to do better.

In the End…

Video games have the potential to tug on the heart-strings and capture the essence of a relationship. Not every game has to center around violence. Conflict can be captured in other ways. There are other ways to design a game. I’m waiting for the game that captures the ups and downs of relationships, of love, of sex!

All you need is love! Love is like Oxygen!

I’m waiting for the “chick flick” game, that dramatic game that leaves you breathless. It’s time video games expanded beyond the role of blockbuster action and sci-fi/fantasy. It’s time that the different genres of romance and drama are done well, and not Barbie Horseback Riding or Leisure Suit Larry

Ew.

Ew is right. Let’s do better game designers!

Welcome to Dead Or Alive? Don’t take that question too literally. Think of this as my version of “where are they now”, except sometimes they might be six feet under and other times they are judging chili eating contests at State Fairs.

This week, Adam Lambert’s Career. Did you see his performance on the American Music Awards last night? WTF? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a crotch-in-the-face musical number with plenty of guy-on-guy action. But Lambert’s performance was just bizarre, uninteresting and left me feeling icky afterwards like the first (last and only) time I went to a live Rocky Horror Picture performance.

So what do you think? Is Adam Lambert’s Career Dead Or Alive?

I woke up thinking about the act of forgiveness and the impact it has had in my life.  It has completely changed who I am as a person.

When my father was dieing, I came to a point that I had to forgive him for the years of neglect and abuse.  My sisters and I had flown in from around the country for the surgery to remove two tumors in his brain. The day before, my sister Paula and I found ourselves in a small Episcopal church in Evergreen, Colorado where my mom and dad were living.  It had a retro 60’s interior, as if modernity hadn’t reached the mountains.  But it also had a serene beauty, with carved wood and stained glass windows.  It was a relief to slip into a pew near the back, two of about a dozen people in the small sanctuary.

It was a beautiful service and I was deeply moved — emotional and fearful for the next day and days to come. My dad had been meeting with each of us daughters to have the “last conversation” just in case he didn’t make it.  I wasn’t ready for mine.

As is typical tradition in the Episcopal church, communion was offered.  As took that long walk to the front and knelt there, struggling with my heavy heart, I was aware that my father could very well die in surgery. And I also knew that I could not, and in many ways would not, be able or ready to forgive him.  As I wrestled internally between my hypocrisy and a need to be faithful to my experiences with my dad, I heard the voice of God saying: “Melody, forgive as you have been forgiven.”  Even as I write those words I’m floored by the power of that moment.

Whether it actually was ‘the voice of God’ or my memory returning to the eternal truths of my childhood faith, I don’t know for sure and it’s certainly up for debate.  But it mattered not at all to me, in that moment.  I knew that it was true and that I had to respond. And in as much as I understood what that meant in my life, I acknowledged: “I cannot forgive him.  But if you could help me…” And I experienced a miracle, my heart change in a moment!  I was given a heart of absolution toward my father.

Let me be clear, I believe that he was still responsible for the things he had done and said, but my heart was freed of the anger and hurt that had consumed it for many, many years.  At the very least, this experience allowed me to be “present” emotionally later, to bravely express my pain to my dad (which I had always been too afraid of him to do) and  to hear him, as he stumbled through an apology.  He asked me to forgive him for the hurt he had caused me over a lifetime.  If I hadn’t forgiven him the day before I would not have been able to receive his apology or grant him what he needed.

It was a little topsy-turvy and upside down and backwards, but it is up there on the list of one of most amazing spiritual experiences I have ever had.

————————

At some point we all find ourselves in the doghouse for something we have said or done.  It is interesting to see a culture of public apology as it has developed today.  It has become a natural next step by governments, politicians, cable newscasters, even ministers and it is easy to get cynical about such public apologies with our 24/7 public, cable-driven news cycle.

It is almost common place to mess up and need to apologize. My kids throw out “I’m sorry” like “please” and “thank you.’  I keep thinking we need to teach them this concept of forgiveness, but I don’t really know how.  When I was a child my father used to make us apologize, even when weren’t sorry.  Even when we truly felt we weren’t wrong.  And then he’d make the other person say “I forgive you.”  I cringe to think of it and refuse to do that to my children.

But what is the purpose of an apology?  It is an admission of wrongdoing.  An expression of regret for harm caused to another person by our actions or by our failure to act.  Sometimes we even apologize to get something off our chest or make ourselves feel better.   But people should apologize when they mess up and I want to help my kids understand this.  But it can’t be forced if it is genuine.

Or can it?  I think of the power it holds for people groups who have been mistreated and demand governments  to extend apologies for historical injustices.  The apology is called for and absolutely necessary. African-Americans deserved apology and reparations for two hundred years of slavery, Black South Africans for Apartheid, the Japanese Americans for the internment camps, Native Americans for stealing their land, imprisoning their people in Reservations, and demolishing their indigenous culture.  The same for what has happened to indigenous peoples in Hawaii and many places around the globe.  Many countries around the world, including the United States, have tried to make amends for past injustices by paying reparations, creating human rights tribunals and reconciliation commissions. This is all good and necessary.

But have those groups forgiven?  I think on an individual level this is needs to happen.  And sometimes as a public.  The story of the Amish here in the states, who, three years ago, unconditionally and publicly forgave the gunman who slaughtered five of their little girls.  It was an astonishing example of public forgiveness.

Until we can forgive we are condemned to remain victims.  All of us have been wronged, in big ways and in smaller everyday ways, through out our lives.  Until we can forgive those responsible we’ll be nagged by this sense of seeing ourselves as a victim.

That was certainly true for me with my father and I’m not done with the process of forgiving him as memory resurrects the past.  I don’t know how long it will take, but I’ll walk every day of my life needing to forgive him fully and working toward it.

What does that mean for those of us offended and hurt by the Deadly Vipers book or more importantly, the ongoing work between the white Christian community and multi-ethnic communities.

What does this mean for women that have been hurt by the Church/organized religion or organizations or men that have treated them with inequality and sexism?

It’s very easy for victimization to be internalized, but only forgiveness can release us from that.

“There’s nothing to compare with the therapeutic effect of forgiveness. Forgiveness is a far more liberating experience, both for those who forgive and for those who are forgiven, than a mere apology can ever be. It is one of the most generous acts we ever perform.” — Hugh Mackay is a social researcher and author.

Apologies are powerful in their symbolism admission and contrition, but asking for forgiveness is more important. It can’t be forced, either the asking or the granting.

But still, often the apology is not extended and we are forced to wrestle with that topsy-turvy and upside down and backwards experience of needing to extend personal forgiveness, for our own welfare and healing, even before the apology has been extended.   Listen up, friends, especially ladies, we may never get the apology.  But we cannot live in anger, because it’s a virus.

Only forgiveness can heal us.

Be well,

Melody

On a lighter note:

Apologizing is both an Art and a Science. The Art being the manner in which the apology is delivered while the Science is the recipe that forms the apology itself.  This is “Science” or ingredient list that when combined produces the perfect apology.

A proper apology should always include the following:

• a detailed account of the situation
• acknowledgment of the hurt or damage done
• taking responsibility for the situation
• recognition of your role in the event
• a statement of regret
• asking for forgiveness
• a promise that it won’t happen again.
• a form of restitution whenever possible.

Good Luck!

Der erste Würzburger Dead Or Alive Slam ist Geschichte – und zwar eine, die weitergeschrieben wird. Schon in der ersten von insgesamt drei After Show Locations einigten sich Slammer, Schauspieler und Entscheidungsträger des Theaters, die Veranstaltung mit den Prädikaten “rockbar”, “höchst wertvoll” und “fortsetzungswürdig” zu versehen. Im Choko Chanel brandete gar weit nach Mitternacht nach einer Spontanansprache eines Schauspielers noch einmal wohltuender Beifall auf. Und zwar nicht NUR, weil es plötzlich wieder Pommes gab.

Schon bei der Vorstellung der Teams war zu spüren, dass der Abend ein ganz großer werden würde. Die Vorschusslorbeeren, die das Publikum durch seinen Willkommensapplaus verteilte, standen den Dichtern gut zu Kopfe, ohne allzusehr nach innen zu dringen.

Die Konsequenz waren acht Vorrundenbeiträge, von denen jeder für sich ein Highlight darstellte, was auch die Jury in ihrer Wertung spiegelte. Nach Runde 1 führten die Lebenden mit  4,5 Punkten vor der toten Dichtern – und noch vier Finalbeiträge standen aus.

Harry Kienzler und Thomas Brandt taten ihr Bestes, um die Führung aufrecht zu erhalten, doch Heinrich Heine und Sarah Kane texteten sich in den Duellen nach vorne. Fast hätte es gereicht. Hätten wir einen Dramaturgen für den Abend engagiert, er hätte das Finale nicht besser in Szene setzen können. Erst nach dreimaligem Nachrechnen traute sich der Moderator schließlich, das Ergebnis zu verkünden. Die Mannschaft der Lebenden gewann mit 158 zu 157,5 Punkten!

Unmittelbar danach zeigten jedoch die Schauspieler, dass sie in der Kunst des Verbeugens die Nase ganz weit vorne haben. Vielleicht sollte man da mal einen Workshop besuchen.

Welcome to Dead Or Alive? Don’t take that question too literally. Think of this as my version of “where are they now”, except sometimes they might be six feet under and other times they are judging chili eating contests at State Fairs.

This week, the latest Twitter death rumor victim, Morrissey

So what do you think? Is Morrissey Dead or Alive?

Supongo que todos conocen la canción “Right Round” de Flo-rida. Bueno la cosa es que el coro está totalmente copiado con ritmo y todo de la canción “You spin me round” de una banda británica de los 80’s llamada Dead or Alive. Para que lo noten, aquí tenemos el coro de Flo-rida que dice:

“You spin my head right ’round, right ’round. When you go down, when you go down down.”

Y el coro de Dead or Alive:

“You spin me right ’round, baby right ’round like a record baby, right ’round ’round ’round.”

Entodocaso todo caso ambas canciones son nada que ver una de la otra, pero se nota claramente el plagio de coro. Pueden ver los vídeos más abajo para compararlas, pero el vídeo de arriba es el cover de Dope de la canción de Dead or Alive. Dope no tiene video oficial de esta versión, así que puse uno en el que hacen un mix de otros videos del grupo.

Dope es un grupo formado a finales de los 90 de la onda nu metal. Los descubrí hace poco, y las canciones que más me gustan hasta ahora son “Addiction” y el cover de ” You spin me round”

Es que la versión de Dope en verdad es demasiado buena!. Y aunque la letra no es exactamente igual a la original, osea, es igual en su mayoría, pero con excepción de una que otra frase tergiversada.

Como cuando al principio en la canción original dice:

“Yeah I, I got to know your name. Well and I could trace your private number baby“ (Sí, llegue a conocer tu nombre. Bueno y podría buscar tu numero privado”

Y en el cover dice : ” I don’t wanna know your name. And I, do want your private number, baby. (No quiero saber tu nombre. Y, sí quiero tu numero privado)

La verdad es que conocí primero el cover de Dope antes de la canción original de Dear or Alive, y al escuchar el coro inmediatamente lo reconocí, pero supuse que Flo-rida se la había copiado a ellos. Después al hacer un par de investigaciones me di cuenta de la existencia de la verdadera versión original, que en verdad era demasiado conocida!. Que pava!.

Bueno aquí esta el video de Dead or Alive, y abajo está la canción de Flo-rida que al parecer no tiene video porque no lo encontré.

I have to start with a ‘comment’ I noticed on one of the DOA videos in the last blog … ‘such people who balance between being woman and men caused interest to observe them…’ – says it all really. I spent time this week looking through my studio DOA archives and was astonished how much stuff there was. I found drawers full of original artwork for various DOA logos and hand-created type, artboards with overlay printer instructions (this is pre-computer still) for tour prgrammes, sleeves and posters. I also found sketches and ideas which were never used. Two things occurred to me rummaging through my drawers (so to speak) – firstly that there will have to be more of Dead or Alive at a later date and secondly that you may be intereseted in some great designs ‘that got away’ – either because they were never used or if they were, the albums were not commecially successful.

I came across a band a few years ago and fell in love with their music. I offered to design an album for them. They had no money but sometimes you have to follow your heart. I still listen to their wonderful music whenever I need cheering up or when I need reminding there is still amazing talent out there. Unfortunately, through circumstances and incompetant promotion, the album disappered without trace. I still rate it as one of my favourite albums and most successful designs.

After I created the logo for the brilliantly-named ‘GEEZERS OF NAZARETH’, I printed it out, screwed it up into a ball and kept it in my back pocket for over a week. There is no way a computer programme could create the authentic texture of the final logo …

Anyway, I digress. I went to see Pete one day and Lynne warned me Pete was recovering from an operation on his nose (the fourth I think he said) He was on good form and we quickly made decisions on the artwork. It was difficult not to react to the bandages, his swollen face and the two black eyes the operation had inflicted on him. I asked him why he did it and his answer was both enlightening and disturbing. ‘I’m addicted to the fear,’ he said, ‘Each time I do it I’m absolutely terrified it could all go wrong. On one level it’s about image but on another level it’s about overcoming the fear so I experience the unbelievable high when its over and everythings ok.’

Eventually it did all go wrong. One of the most honest interviews I’ve seen Pete do was on the ‘Richard and Judy’ show. As I’ve said before Pete is totally honest in any situation, and morning television was no exception. They asked the questions and he answered them. Simple. His clarity talking about surgery, Big Brother and relationships is so open and candid – it’s almost shocking. Watch the two-part interview and see for yourselves …

Richard and Judy Part One

Richard and Judy Part Two

Success fuelled Pete’s anarchic delight in creating an even more outrageous image. The photographs for the ‘Nude’ album were extraordinary and the design for the sleeve needed to be pretty full on …

I love this sleeve. We spent a day photographing a sea of roses, carefully selecting colours to tie in with Pete’s image. After combining the two images we decided the typography style should be as far removed from the image as possible – hence the blackmail/punk style lettering on a harsh black background. The combination of such disparate elements shouldn’t work but maybe that’s why it does – sometimes the most unlikely combinations succeed because of their audacity.

In the studio while I was working on the sleeve I had a dozen photos from the album photo-session pinned on the wall – large 20 x 16 colour prints. A courier who often delivered stuff to me walked through the door and his jaw hit the carpet when he saw them. ‘PHWOAR!’ he said, ‘I wouldn’t mind a bit of that. She’s fuckin’ beautiful mate. Who is it?’ ‘Pete Burns,’ I said heavily emphasising the ‘Pete’. He didn’t know where to put himself. With one foot already out of the studio and the other still firmly in his mouth, his face so red I thought he was going to explode, he fixed his gaze on the floor and squeaked, ‘Sign here please.’ He fled down the corridor and raced down the outside fire escape as if Beelzebub was in hot pursuit. I never saw him again. Pete would have loved it.

The last video is one of my favourite songs by Dead Or Alive. It’s that voice again. Also it’s a wonderful collage of photos from different periods of Pete’s career.

Reluctantly we now move on from Pete and DOA (but there WILL be more later). Next week we move to the opposite end of the music spectrum and go back a couple of years. I was invited by the legendary Peter Mensch to come up with ideas for the DEF LEPPARD ‘Pyromania’ album.

Let’s hit the ROCK’N’ROLL button ….

dadOriginally uploaded by M e l o d y

 

My father was diagnosed with two fatal brain tumors November 2002. This rendering (right) is of the last photo ever taken of him. Of course we had no idea that he was going to die a few days later.

I love it, because although he wasn’t able to speak by that time, he was watching his grand kids (my kids) play in the yard and this smile is sooo HIS SMILE! Makes me (smile) just looking at it.

For one human being to love another; that is perhaps the most difficult of all our tasks, the ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation.  –    Rainer Maria Rilke

This is my dad.  I’m missing him today.  He died May 19th, 2003.  When I look at this picture, it still doesn’t seem to be real.

He traveled a lot.  He was gone as much as he was at home growing up.  So when I think of him as dead, well it’s really more of a gone feeling.  Which is very different than dead.

My dad was a mixed blessing.  I guess you take the good with the bad when it comes to parents.  Right now, I’d take anything from him.  I miss him so much.

With all I have learned about photography, I wish that I had one last chance to take his photo.  Oh how I would have loved that.

I’m looking to hear your thoughts about my dad.

I’ll write more later about mine.  I do have poems about him, but I don’t want to focus on that pain right now.  If you want to read them look under Poetry.

Having chatted about New Romanticism a bit lately, I was going to save a discussion of this compilation disc for a little later. However, I have a philosophical disagreement with a friend of mine, wherein she would tie musical genres to flash-in-the-pan moments of when their popularity was at its height, while I would extend them through the entirety of their context within musical history–preferring to see them as living and growing still.

Recall my argument earlier over whether “punk is dead.” No, it’s not. It is only if you close your ears to it.

Music historians have a consensus that the roots of New Romanticism were alive in glam and progressive rock in the early 70’s and that the height of the genre carried through to 1985, where Live Aid sort of served as the last party that everyone could afford to attend.

New Romanticism, as a music genre, is still out there today. I’m sorry that the Blitz Club isn’t around anymore, but the genre grew way beyond that.

Anyway, EMI last month released a three-CD compilation called The New Romantics, which has been embraced by Steve Strange. The first disc starts out with Strange’s own band Visage and it’s number one hit “Fade to Grey.”

The first disc continues with selections largely from 1980, the year the movement crystallized around its demi-god, David Bowie, who appears on the compilation with “Ashes to Ashes.” Also having set the sound and trends of the music as far back as 1973, Roxy Music too have become fully enveloped in the fashion with their appearance on the compilation with “More Than This” from their extraordinary 1982 album Avalon.

Disc 2 starts out familiar enough with Gary Numan and his bolt-from-the-blue hit “Are Friends Electric” but then veers into more expansive territory with the inclusion of the Thompson Twins in the genre. The 1983 song “Love on Your Side” does not alone herald the extension of New Romanticism beyond when the party-going public at large were all dressed like pirates but it’s not alone here or in time.

In 1984, Dead or Alive released “You Spin Me Right Round,” the bombastic dance hit that refuses to die, and it too is included here for good reason. Singer Pete Burns and his androgynous look with synth hooks so catchy that the backbeat to the song is perhaps the most recognizable in the world.

In 1985, Human League frontman Phil Oakey, whose voice first provided a stark and deep companion to the electronic beats of what would become commercial synthpop and thus New Romanticism, teamed up with disco producer Giorgio Moroder to make the album named after them with the top song “Together in Electric Dreams,” which also appears on the compilation.

Disc 3 gets into the slightly more eccentric stuff and potentially songs that aren’t even properly here in my opinion. It’s all well and good to include “Warm Leatherette” by The Normal (aka Daniel Miller) but Brian Eno and David Byrne’s “The Jezebel Spirit” off their first collaboration album strikes a discordant and not very ethereal nor dancey tone. Sparks’ “No. 1 Song in Heaven” seems entirely appropriate somehow although Sparks covered so much ground in their career that their own collaborations with Moroder seem almost like an accident.

It is also entirely appropriate that the compilation wrap up with several songs that include “I’ll Tumble 4 You” by the Culture Club, who kept the sonic imprint of New Romanticism alive throughout much of the 1980s with their success in the United States.

See a full tracklisting of the compilation album

Welcome to Dead Or Alive? Don’t take that question too literally. Think of this as my version of “where are they now”, except sometimes they might be six feet under and other times they are judging chili eating contests at State Fairs.

This week, Richard Kline aka Larry from Three’s Company.

Catch you at the Regal Beagle

So what do you think, Dead or Alive?

Si, “Tekken”, otra más que va a probar suerte en el cine y con esta ya no se cuantas van… Los estudios siguen empeñados en hacer adaptaciones de este tipo viendo lo poco rentables que han sido sus antecesoras. Poco o nada se sabe de esta adaptación de uno de los juegos de lucha más conocidos del mundo consolero. Y es que en lo que a la calidad de las adaptaciones de videojuegos de lucha se refiere la cosa esta muy chunga teniendo precedentes como lo son “Doble Dragón”, las “Street Fighter” y “Dead or Alive” por mencionar algunas a bote pronto. Así que a priori, basandose en la historia, no se puede esperar nada bueno de este producto.

Tiene un presupuesto de 35 millones de dólares y su director es Dwight H. Little, el reparto no tiene nombres muy conocidos que se diga y algo que no es de sorprender, no tiene aun fecha de estreno fijada.

]]> http://aroundthesound.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/illegal-sunday-faroff-spins-like-teen-spirit/ Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:58:24 +0000 stoneberg http://aroundthesound.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/illegal-sunday-faroff-spins-like-teen-spirit/

Nirvana, Smells like teen spirit  +  Dead or Alive, You spin me round

Kurt Cobain’s voice over Dead or Alive’s “You Spin Me Round” … you gotta hear this mashup!

Wow! I promise this will be worth it… click below, scroll down and press play. Do it.

Illegal Sunday
FAROFF – Spins like teen spirit.

Illegal Sunday FAROFF - Spins like teen spirit , from AudioPorn Central by Simon Iddol

Check out AudioPorn Central for all kinds of great stuff to tease your brain and tickle your ears!

There were so many reasons why I adored Pete Burns. Like Grace Jones and Alannah his ‘difficult’ reputation preceded him. (You may by now have spotted a recurring client theme but believe me – there are those who really ARE difficult as we’ll discover.) Pete genuinely baffled people. His striking, androgynous public and private image seemed at first to contradict the person you met in real life. I was immediately struck by how beautiful he was. His skin was flawless, his make-up stunning and his clothes (admittedly extreme) were fabulous. What freaked people out was that everything except his appearance was unquestionably masculine – he was tall, muscular, not at all camp and he spoke with a deep strong voice in a broad Liverpool accent. What upset people even more than the apparent contradictions was Pete’s incisive and breathtaking honesty in any situation. Once I got to grips with that and he recognised I wasn’t phased by him – our relationship was refreshingly simple and direct. He was also fantastic company – knowledgeable and hilariously entertaining.

Pete and I had spent considerable time working on the ‘Youthquake’ album sleeve (the album with the ‘You Spin Me Round’ track) – and we were really pleased with the final design. However, when I took it to Epic/Sony to show them – they had a ‘major problem’ with it. I met up with Pete to share the record company grievances and he immediately called a meeting with executives of Epic and the MD of Sony. We went to Soho Square and Pete barely disguised his anger as marketing ‘experts’ outlined their ‘concerns’.

Pete was always totally in control of his image and my job was to produce graphics which complemented whatever it was at the time. Designing sleeves for him always began with an image he’d chosen – of him obviously! Sometimes it was playful, sometimes deliberately shocking and always sexy in all manner of different ways. The photo for ‘Youthquake’ was harder to define. It was taken by the comparatively unknown Mario Testino. (Pete was always at the heart of a talented and edgy creative London scene and many unknown photographers whose talents he recognised and used became famous.) The ‘Youthquake’ photograph was dark, richly textured and Pete’s pose was unconventional to say the least. The picture had an unnerving sense of menace about it. That wasn’t the record company problem though.

I had decided typography for the sleeve should be simple and classical – nothing fussy or too clever which detracted from the power of the image. Although we both agreed it was the right approach, I couldn’t get it to work well enough for a resounding ‘Yes, that’s it!’ from either of us. I wiped the slate clean and started again (‘no matter how hard you hit it etc …). My solution, which produced the resounding ‘YES!’ for us both was Sony’s ‘major problem’. The title of the album was four times bigger than the name of the band and in their infinite wisdom the record company thought the record-buyers would think ‘Youthquake’ was the name of the band (yes – I know!).

We both listened to uninspired ‘alternative solutions’ and – clearly fearful of Pete’s reactions – marketing constantly referred to their ‘respect for their artist’s views’. I knew Pete’s restrained silence was working up to a devastating negation of their ill-judged attempts to change his mind. He stood up when they’d finished, took the mock-up sleeve from the table and held it up in front of him. He turned slowly showing the sleeve to everyone in the room. Each word he spoke – in that deep voice, resonating with the authority of a Liverpool bruiser – was delivered like a bullet to the head.

‘This,’ he said, pointing at the sleeve, ‘is an album cover.’ He paused. ‘An album cover – NOT a FUCKING cure for cancer! This is what I want. Deal with it.’

Genius. With that perspective what could anyone say? Exactly. Nothing. We left. Job done. Another great Pete encounter after a short design interlude …

DESIGN OBSERVATION 3 – TYPOGRAPHY.

I love it. The 26 symbols which create our basic alphabet have (for obvious reasons) completely different shapes. Some, graphically and visually, fit together well and others don’t. This is a fundamental design consideration when creating large type headings or, in the case of YOUTHQUAKE’ – a single word title. A computer program produces the same space between each letter and often letter-spacing needs adjusting. Examples will make this clear …

On the top line (computer spacing) some spaces between letters obviously need adjustment. The ‘A’ and the ‘V’ of ‘AVID’ is probably the best example. Once this concept is understood it’s easy to see where other adjustments need to be made. There is no hard and fast rule to correct spacing – only an intuitive ‘eye’ will confirm what looks right. A total of three space adjustments were made on the second line and two in the word ‘YOUTHQUAKE’ on the fourth.

At the time of ‘Youthquake’ designers used typesetters and Letraset (rub-down individual letters) to create type on artwork. With Letraset this meant physically placing each letter on the artwork. The eye intuitively adjusted spacing between letters as they were laid down and, although it took time, it was no bad thing. These days too little consideration is given to adjusting type which is computer generated. It’s detail I know but if a piece of work is worth doing, it’s important to bring to it a whole range of skills to do it properly.

(I have a great story later involving Lars Ulrich from Metallica about typography. He had an eye for it which was verging on obsession.)

I can’t remember exactly when it was (things were pretty crazy on many levels at the time) but I went for a meeting with Pete at his home in Notting Hill. The three people living in the house were Pete, his fabulous wife Lynne and Steve Coy from the band. Whenever I visited the house I always looked forward to it. I was always made welcome, engaged in intelligent conversation, had many laughs and we usually reached agreement on artwork eventually.

There was something different this time. The large front room was littered with several lightboxes, piles of photographic contact sheets and hundreds of transparencies and 8×10 colour and black and white prints which covered every surface in the room. It was chaotic to put it mildly, Pete was more hyper-active than usual, less focussed which was unusual, somewhat self-conscious (!) and constantly diving in and out of the room. I asked him if everything was ok. He stopped, sat on the sofa and said, ‘I have to stop taking Prozac. It’s turning me into a monster – more self-obsessed than I usually am.’

Pete suffered and endured severe depression. I had never heard of Prozac before then but Pete had discovered the ‘new wonder drug’ to treat his illness. I don’t know what dosage he’d been taking or over what period ( I hadn’t seen him for a couple of months) but knowing him – probably more than he should have. What I was seeing, he said, were the chaotic effects of the drug.

‘I was nearly arrested last night’, he said. ‘I went to a party wearing something impractical’ (it was an outrageous trouser-suit I learnt later!) ‘and a pair of six-inch stilettos. On the way back to the car I decided the shortest way to get there was OVER cars not round them. God knows how many I damaged but I got stuck when the stilettos punctured the top of a soft-top Mercedes.’ (Hopefully not Christopher Hunter’s!)

Picturing Pete, his wild hair blowing in the wind, wearing a silver chain-mail, bell-bottomed trouser suit (oh yes!) attached to a sports car and calling for help in the middle of the night is an image that will stay with me for ever. However hilarious it seems on the surface it was the catalyst which made him realise something was horribly wrong. ‘You know what I did last week? I insisted my clothes designer move into our spare room – so when I woke up at four in the morning with some crazy idea for clothes, I could wake him up to start work immediately. Crazy – fucking crazy. The Prozac HAS to stop!’

Such encounters endeared me to Pete’s honest complexity. Conflict appears to come with the territory. Driving ambition for success to overcome depression, abuse or insecurity can take its toll. An overwhelming dedication to be adored and respected – despite the odds – takes a particular kind of courage.

Respect Mr. Burns. Respect.

Coming up in 12. DEAD OR ALIVE – Part Two:

Sleeves become more outrageous, the freaked-out courier, fear of surgery and Pete on ‘Richard and Judy’

RECOMMENDED VIEWING
‘Something In My House.‘

Check out DEAD OR ALIVE ‘You Spin Me Round’ Pop-up single HERE

Pass on the blog for Dead Or Alive and 80’s fans to enjoy

Welcome to Dead Or Alive? Don’t take that question too literally. Think of this as my version of “where are they now”, except sometimes they might be six feet under and other times they are judging chili eating contests at State Fairs.

This week, The original Beastmaster, Marc Singer,

So what do you think, Dead or Alive?

Danse with ze Rabbits!

• Food Girls 04-05! Cream-chan and Banana-chan! Okama-chan!
• Valkyria Chronicles doujinshi returns! Circle Suginami Sakura storming the beaches with “Squad 7: Pervert Women Detachment”! Features the title story and “Behind Her Big Breasts”! Lots of ACTION HENTAI! First ever Brolen joint release!
• Haaaaa? More Brolen joint! Commissioned by SETEBOS! “Sunset Glow” is MONSTER HUNTER hentai doujinshi! Yoshu Ohepe!
• Waaaaaaah! ANOTHER Brolen joint? ANOTHER Setebos commission? “Sweet Summer Peach”! Capcom vs. Snk 2 hentai doujinshi! CHUN-LI X ROCK HOWARD!
• Back to Reich…with new series! GUN FRONTIER chapter 01! Leiji Matsumoto! SEXY SEXY BLAMY BLAMY! It’s the Wild Wet West!
• Boy, Gun Frontier was just TOO manly! We need some lolipops…PSYCHO LOLIPOPS! Sadomi! Chapters 41-45! WRITTEN IN BLOOD.
• Oh look, it’s a version 2…of “I Am an Alien. I Have a Question”! Yoshitoshi Abe! Missing pages from last time…not missing no more! GETS!
• 30 DAYS OF OKAMA END! Cat’s World! New series! CATS!
• BROLEN JOINT! SETEBOS COMMISSION! “Spring Strawberry Vol. 01″! Ichigo 100% hentai doujinshi! YOSHU OHEPE ONCE MORE!
• Will all the YOSHU OHEPE end?? For this month, YES. “Summer Sakura”! Dead or Alive hentai doujinshi! DEAD OR ALIVE SUCKS.
• Cowslip? Nay! REICH: Gun Frontier chapter 02! BLESS YOU FALLEN! BLESS YOU HARROKU!
• HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Food Girls 6! PUMPKIN-SENSEI!

prettyprophet: Damn, what a fuckload of releases.

funny_bunny: CHILDREN KEPT INTERRUPTING.

prettyprophet: Man, they came out earlier this year.

funny_bunny: WHY MUST I HAVE PICKED THIS ACHTUNG…

Lavie Rhap: We’ve had twelve releases this month; four of them being joints with Brolen.

funny_bunny: No RABBIT ONLY COWSLIPS!

prettyprophet: Everyone’s getting ansty for yaoi though. Hey, c’mon, translators join up, help us do some yaoi.

Lavie Rhap: We would also like to say that we’ve decided to announce our Club Cowslip releases on the main Reich site from here on.

prettyprophet: Just a brief post to link you to the release. Because no one can figure how to get to the Club, it seems.

Killer Ink: Here comes a wave.

prettyprophet: Ah, fucking kids. Someone, go. Ok, so……Funny and Pat are in costume. Pat, what are you?

Kawaii Pattycakes: I’m a Takkun!

prettyprophet: And you?

funny_bunny: GIANT KILLER.

Killer Ink: Not an accurate hammer.

prettyprophet: Ghetto Giant Killer.

funny_bunny: Yeah!

prettyprophet: You know, because it is Halloween, the whole talk we wanted to do about…….a private commission Funny and I did…..well, I guess it’s getting pushed back.

Kawaii Pattycakes: DON’T WANNA HEAR ABOUT IT.

prettyprophet: Yo, everyone, Rabbit victory…….we got Pat, this fucking Japanophile slut….to read “Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane”.

Kawaii Pattycakes: Up to chapter 16 only since Miyazawa Takeshi LEFT.

prettyprophet: Alright, let’s move you onto Batgirl.

Kawaii Pattycakes: WE’RE A SCANLATION GROUP, LET’S TALK ABOUT SCANLATION.

funny_bunny: Let’s do Batman doujinshi!

nde: It exists.

prettyprophet: Chea, why don’t we do that? Batman, Halloween, it fits.

Lavie Rhap: Did I miss anything?

funny_bunny: Nothing! Nothing at all! WINKLE.

prettyprophet: Lavie, want to cover what we did?

Lavie Rhap: We’re doing joint projects with Brolen now (primarily doujinshi) and we have two news projects of our own: “Gun Frontier” by Leiji Matsumoto and “Cat’s World” by Okama.

funny_bunny: 30 Days of Okama! All done!

prettyprophet: “Gun Frontier” was advocated by ak and Fallen, “Cat’s World”…well, it was the choice between that or OKAMAX.

funny_bunny: Good choices!

prettyprophet: So yeah, instead of finishing off a project, we decided to start a new one. Rabbit brilliance at work.

funny_bunny: Overextension is the TRUE mark of a conquerer!

Lavie Rhap: And thus the Empire falls.

prettyprophet: Which is why we’re already in the Revolution. Huh, we haven’t really gotten around to using that motto.

funny_bunny: GOOD FOREVER.

prettyprophet: Alright, let’s bounce.

Lavie Rhap: Remember to keep your teeth healthy.

funny_bunny: NICE AND SHARP. Like Bunnicula!

nde: I read that.

prettyprophet: There’s probably stuff we didn’t cover. HEY, JOIN THE RABBITS. EMAIL PR.RABBIT[AT]GMAIL[DOT]COM. SEND US MORE RAWS FOR ACONY AND YOSHITOSHI ABE.

funny_bunny: SWEETS BODY TIME.

Working in the music industry in the 80’s guaranteed strange and surreal experiences time and time again. One of the first with the THOMPSON TWINS was visiting their squat in south London for a party. We arrived and there were a dozen fans camped in the garden, trying to catch a glimpse of their newly-acquired idols. There were no curtains on the windows and I remember being advised to crawl on the floor underneath windows to avoid being spotted by the youthful, exhuberant poparazzi outside. Inside – as the party got more and more out of hand – everyone forgot to duck under the windows and the evening was puncuated constantly by loud cheers from the enthusiastic encampment. What made it funnier was that Alannah had insisted we all raid her dressing room to find fancy dress. I don’t suppose the fans ever knew whether they’d seen Tom, Joe and Alannah or not – unable to distinguish them from the endless stream of weirdos strutting, stumbling and lurching across the brightly lit windows wearing pompadour wigs, masks, hats and strange outfits. They cheered enthusiastically anyway whoever and whatever they saw. Bless.

The period working for TT was an extremely creative one in the music industry. Vinyl was still the predominant format (although CD’s were beginning to appear) and 7 & 12 inch singles were a crucial ‘tool’ to promote albums. Pete Winkelman at Arista  recognised the value of collectible limited edition singles and both of us loved the Picture Disc format. The No 1 album –‘Into The Gap’ – was released in 1984 and I came up with a design for a single release that Pete loved. He wasn’t convinced it would work but I’d done my homework and talked to the manufacturers.

Again, I can’t stress how important it is to communicate with manufacturers and suppliers. Including them in the design process often inspires them to stretch the production process to its limits – often finding solutions a designer would never think of and also offer new processes which could be used for future projects. Also great ideas in design isolation often don’t translate in practical terms. Better to get constructive advice than piss people off with prima donna demands! In order to avoid disappointment at the final result – pre-empt possible problems. (Back to Christopher Hunter again – ‘… always imagine what could go wrong. It usually does – so prepare …’)

‘Take Me Up’ was the single from ‘Into The Gap’ and my idea was to create 3 picture discs which ‘jigsawed’ together.  Maps and map symbols were the theme for the album and as soon as I realised a world map neatly fitted into the right proportions required to produce the 3 interlocking discs the design process began …

I’ve had the three discs framed (coming up for auction in December at Bonham’s) and most people don’t believe, until close inspection, that they are PLAYABLE 12 inch vinyl discs.

It’s also important to note here that although the logo was essentially the same as ‘Sidekick’ the 3 colours were changed for ‘Into The Gap’ and there were new configurations of the different elements. Ideally logos should be open to development – especially with bands who are constantly developing musically. It also helps distinguish between different projects …

Then came ‘Here’s To Future Days’. I  still love the cover photo for this – the child is very disturbing – and once again the logo was adapted. It had to be more low-key‘ so it didn’t detract from the photo by Rebecca Blake.

Excuse me.’ said the aggressive customs officer at Heathrow. ‘What’s in your bag?’

I took a deep breath, knowing my answer was guaranteed to make him think I was taking the piss bigtime. ‘ A crown, a sceptre, and a large stuffed fish.’ I said, deadpan. He stiffened. ‘Empty it,’ he said, barely containing his anger.
I emptied the contents of the bag onto the table – a crown, a sceptre, and a large stuffed fish. It was one of those glorious moments when I thought ‘I love my job,’ and I smiled like a demented conjurer who’d performed a trick to wind him up. The guy, already prepared for a serious confrontation, literally froze. His brain refused to engage with what his eyes were telling him. He looked at me then at the table and then back at me. His eyes and brain still hadn’t connected. ‘YOU!’ he shouted, the volume of his voice taking him by surprise, ‘Yes, you Madam – I want you to empty your bag. NOW.’ The poor woman behind me, the object of the guy’s frustration, was clearly shocked by his aggression but put her bag down next to mine. That was it. He utterly blanked me. I collected my stuff and rejoined the photographic crew I’d travelled with back from a photo-shoot with the THOMPSON TWINS in Paris. Happy Days.

There will have to be more Twins stories but for now we move on.

My partner Michael decided in 82 to pursue his passion for painting. At first I was nervous of going it alone but friends insisted it was just what I needed. They were right and the transition was fairly seamless. It is obvious, I know, but I was given the opportunity to develop an individual approach as a person and a designer.

I met Peter Mensch who fronted one of the biggest management companies in the US – Q Prime.  Whilst working on artwork for DEF LEPPARD (SEVERAL chapters on them soon)  I was asked to work with another band who could not have been more different. It was 1985 and the comparatively new ‘disco scene’ was creating more nightclubs than had ever been seen in London. It’s hard to imagine but there were very few large dance venues before then. I went to a live gig which was being recorded for radio. I’d heard DEAD OR ALIVE but I wasn’t prepared for the powerful vocals and hi-energy performance of the charismatic lead singer who challenged every definition of masculinity. I’d been invited to work with PETE BURNS and couldn’t wait to meet him.

WHAT a voice!

There’s no doubt this kid has got some chops.  Idol knows it.  The world noticed it.  But do answer what exactly is going on with his latest album cover.  I am a professed child of the 80′’s.  But seriously, do we need to re-cover it from head to toe.  Or do we need to recover all together?   Well in this case, from head to neck.  Remember “You spin me right round baby right round like a record baby.”  Dead or alive!  What did they have?  One, two hits max.  But wow the visual longevity is eye opening.  Obviously, Adam Lambert has taken notice.  From mascara to a pinkish hue, it’s a dead ringer.  Sorry couldn’t avoid that one.  Pop roots can never be ignored even if the shades of pink can be blistering to the eye.  So maybe this is the case of tightening a grip on image gone awry or pop roots that never left the station.  Intentional or not, either way, we walk away knowing this Adam Lambert guy has got some serious vocal chops who left the Idol franchise on it’s greatest peak to date.  That dude from Dead Or Alive would be proud even if his legacy might just be mascara based.

Welcome to Dead Or Alive? Don’t take that question too literally. Think of this as my version of “where are they now”, except sometimes they might be six feet under and other times they are judging chili eating contests at State Fairs.

This week, Omri Katz, star of one of my favorite Halloween movies, Hocus Pocus!

So what do you think? Is Omri Katz Dead or Alive?

Get down to the CLUB!

“I lingered round them, under that benign sky: watched the moths fluttering among the heath and harebells, listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass, and wondered how any one could ever imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth.”

prettyprophet: Dead or Alive, two shots of Kasumi x Hayate, Amazake Hatosyo-ten, Yoshu Ohepe, Brolen, Rabbits.

funny_bunny: Commissioned by…NOT SETEBOS??

prettyprophet: Nah, it’s Setebos again. Fucking Ohepe flood right here.

funny_bunny: DEAD OR ALIVE SUCKS AND KASUMI AND HAYATE ARE JUNK. Pass it along to Eddy and Patty!

Killer Ink: You liked DOA.

funny_bunny: “LIKED” is the word. Oh Ayane, you’re so great. THAT’S IT, NO MORE DOA TALK.

prettyprophet: Couldn’t you play her in Ninja Gaiden 2? Eh, don’t matter, I ain’t getting it.

Killer Ink: I still don’t understand how you two have time for games.

prettyprophet: Uh, yeah, because you working all the fucking time is doing wonders for your health.

funny_bunny: Always time for fun! FIGHT FOR FUN!

prettyprophet: Peace out, kids.

funny_bunny: Powered to you by CAPTAINESS N!

Additional links:

On Brolen
On Depositfiles
On Megaupload

PSP:

On Megaupload

You spin me right round, baby
right round like a record, baby
Right round round round
You spin me right round, baby
Right round like a record, baby
Right round round round

I lived this song by “Dead or Alive” today.  This version  not the Flo Rida version. 

Unfortunately I had a pretty horrible bout of vertigo that rendered me docile and very much like a record.  So,  I chilled out on the couch in the five bedroom mansion I’m house sitting at and wondered if any vinyl collectors would be interested in stuffing me into a plastic bag and setting me on their “show and tell” shelf.  Don’t worry I’d have charged them a pretty penny-  I’m no pushover.

So, unfortunately, no yoga today and no meditation either, as it’s pretty hard ot meditate or do yoga when your equilibrium is off.  However, I did practice my Law of Attraction, did my visualizations, watched my attitude and took care of myself. I gave myself patience and love, and accepted incredible love, soup and a sandwich from my fabulous boyfriend.   

Any one know a cure for vertigo?