Who doesn’t love singing “Ooh-woo-hoo!” in falsetto? This is the best audio I could find of a live performance.

As regular readers remember, for over a year we counted down the 666 best songs of all time, one a day, until the end of this past September when Lucid Culture went halfspeed. As we get into December, we’re still at halfspeed but we’ll be back with new stuff on a daily basis here in just a couple of weeks. Which gives us plenty of time to say good riddance to the decade of the Zeros and welcome in the Teens – til then, here are the songs on the list which will take us up to the first of the new year. Enjoy!

237. Randi Russo – So It Must Be True

Careening, otherworldly, somewhat flamenco-inflected epic from the greatest writer of outsider anthems of this era. The studio version on the classic 2001 Solar Bipolar cd is great, but it can’t quite match the out-of-control intensity of the live version from Russo’s Live at CB’s Gallery cd.

236. Erica Smith – Pine Box

The multistylistic New York rock goddess has been off on a sultry jazz tangent lately, but five years ago she was writing lusciously jangly Americana rock and this is a prime example, ecstatically crescedoing yet dark and brooding as the title would imply. Recorded and leaked on a few bootlegs, but officially unreleased as of now.

235. The Electric Light Orchestra – From the Sun to the World

You can hear echoes of this clattering, frenetic suite in a lot of obscure art-rock and indie rock from the last thirty years. Jeff Lynne’s scary, out-of-focus apocalypse anthem kicks off with a Grieg-like morning suite, followed by a warped boogie and then an unhinged noise-rock outro that falls apart once it’s clear that it’s unsalvageable. From ELO II, 1972; mp3s are everywhere.

234. X – Nausea

The combination of Ray Manzarek’s organ swirling dizzyingly under Billy Zoom’s growling guitar and Exene’s thisclose-to-passing-out vocals is nothing if not evocative. From Los Angeles, 1980; mp3s are everywhere.

233. Stiff Little Fingers – Piccadilly Circus

Big punk rock epic about an Irish guy who gets the stuffing knocked out of him by a bunch of knuckleheads on his first night in London. From Go For It, 1981; there are also a million live versions out there, official releases and bootlegs and most of them are pretty awesome too.

232. The Wallflowers – Sixth Avenue Heartache

Elegiac slide guitar and organ carry this surprise 1996 top 40 hit’s magnificent eight-bar hook, the best song the band ever did and the only standout track on their disappointing sophomore effort Bringing Down the Horse. Mp3s are everywhere.

231. Bruce Springsteen – The Promised Land

This backbeat anthem makes a killer (literally) opening track on the Boss’ 1977 Darkness on the Edge of Town lp, perfectly capturing the anomie and despair of smalltown American life. In the end, the song’s protagonist speeds away into the path of a tornado. A million versions out there, most of them live, but it’s actually the album track that’s the best.

230. The Moody Blues – Driftwood

Towering powerpop anthem from the band’s 1977 “comeback” lp Octave, opening with a big whooosh of cymbals and lush layers of acoustic guitar. And Justin Hayward’s long electric guitar solo out, over the atmospheric wash of the strings, is a delicious study in contrasts. Many different versions out there, some of them live, and they’re all good (the link above is the studio track).

229. David Bowie – Diamond Dogs

Surreal, Stonesy apocalyptic anthem from the Thin White Duke’s vastly underrated 1974 lp. Did you know that’s Bowie on all the guitars – and the saxes too?

228. Mary Lee’s Corvette – 1000 Promises Later

Centerpiece of the NYC Americana rockers’ classic True Lovers of Adventure album, 1999-ish, this was a live showstopper for frontwoman Mary Lee Kortes and her steely, soaring, multiple-octave voice for several years afterward. It’s a rueful breakup anthem sung with typical counterintuitive verve from the villain’s point of view.

227. New Model Army – Luhrstaap

Written right as the Berlin Wall came down, this ominous, bass-driven, Middle Eastern-inflected art-rock anthem accurately foretold what would happen once East Germany tasted western capitalism: “You can buy a crown, it doesn’t make you king/Beware the trinkets that we bring.” From Impurity, 1989; the live version on 1992’s double live Raw Melody Men cd is even better (the link above is the studio version).

226. David Bowie – Life on Mars

Soaring epic grandeur for anyone who’s ever felt like an alien. Ward  White’s live Losers Lounge version (click on the link and scroll down) is equally intense.

225. Telephone – Ce Soir Est Ce Soir

Absolutely creepy, methodical epic nocturne that wraps up the legendary French rockers’ 1982 Dure Limite lp on a particularly angst-ridden note. ”Ce soir est ce soir/J’ai besoin d’espoir [Tonight's the night/I need some hope].”

224. Al Stewart – Bedsitter Images

The live acoustic track in the link above only hints at the lush, orchestrated original, a big radio hit for the British songwriter in 1969, Rick Wakeman doing his best Scarlatti impression on piano. It’s a masterpiece of angsted existentialist songwriting, the song’s narrator slowly and surreally losing it, all by himself in his little flat.

223. LJ Murphy – Pretty for the Parlor

Our precedessor e-zine’s pick for best song of 2005, this blithely jangly yet absolutely sinister murder anthem perfectly captures the twistedness lurking beneath suburban complacency. Unreleased, but still a staple of the New York noir rock legend’s live show.

222. Wall of Voodoo – Lost Weekend

Creepy, hauntingly ambient new wave string synthesizer ballad from the band’s best album, 1982’s Call of the West, a couple gone completely off the wheels yet still on the road to somewhere. Frontman Stan Ridgway soldiers on as an occasionally compelling if sometimes annoyingly dorky LA noir songwriter.

221. Randi Russo – House on the Hill

One of the New York noir rocker’s most hauntingly opaque lyrics – is she alive or dead? In the house or homeless? – set to an absolutely gorgeous, uncharacteristically bright janglerock melody. Frequently bootlegged, but the version on her 2005 Live at Sin-e cd remains the best out there.

220. The Wirebirds – This Green Hell

Our predecessor e-zine’s pick for best song of 2003 is this towering janglerock anthem, sort of a global warming nightmare epic as the Church might have done it but with amazing harmonies by songwriter Will Dial and the band’s frontwoman, Amanda Thorpe.

219. The Psychedelic Furs – House

“This day is not my life,” Richard Butler insists on this pounding, insistent, anguished anthem from the band’s best album, 2000’s Book of Days, the only post Joy Division album to effectively replicate that band’s unleashed, horrified existentialist angst. Mp3s are out there, as are copies of the vinyl album; check the bargain bins for a cheap treat.

218. X – See How We Are

The link above is the mediocre original album version; the best cut on this offhandedly savage anti-yuppie, anti-complacency diatribe is the semi-acoustic version on the live Unclogged cd from 1995.

217. The Sex Pistols – EMI

Gleefully defiant anti-record label diatribe from back in the day when all the majors lined up at Malcolm McLaren’s knee. How times have changed. “Unlimited supply,” ha!

216. Amy Allison – No Frills Friend

As chilling as this casually swaying midtempo country ballad might seem, it’s actually not about a woman who’s so alienated that she’s willing to put up with someone who won’t even talk to her. It just seems that way – Allison is actually being optimistic here. Which is just part of the beauty of her songwriting – you never know exactly where she’s coming from. Title track from the excellent 2002 cd.

215. X – Johny Hit & Run Paulene

One of the greatest punkabilly songs ever, nightmare sex criminal out on a drug-fueled, Burroughs-esque bender that won’t stop. From Los Angeles, 1980; mp3s, both live and studio, are out there.

214. The Sex Pistols – Belsen Was a Gas

Arguably the most tasteless song ever written – it’s absolutely fearless. The lp version from the 1978 Great Rock N Roll Swindle soundtrack lp features its writer, Sid Vicious along with British train robber Ronnie Biggs. There are also numerous live versions out there and most of them are choice. Here’s one  from Texas and one from San Francisco.

213. Randi Russo – Battle on the Periphery

Russo is the absolute master of the outsider anthem, and this might be her best, defiant and ominous over a slinky minor-key funk melody anchored by Lenny Molotov’s macabre, Middle Eastern guitar. From Shout Like a Lady, 2006.  

212. The Dead Kennedys – Holiday in Cambodia

True story: Pepsi wanted to license this song for a commercial despite its savage anti-imperialist message. Jello Biafra said no way – which might have planted the seed that spawned his bandmates’ ultimately successful if dubiously lawful lawsuit against him. So sad – when these guys were on top of their game they were the best American band ever. From Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, 1980.

211. X – Los Angeles

One of the great punk rock hooks of all time, title track to the 1980 album, a perfect backdrop for Exene’s snide anti-El Lay diatribe. Ice-T and Body Count would sneak it into their notorious Cop Killer twelve years later.

210. The Sex Pistols – Anarchy in the UK

Yeah, you know this one, but our list wouldn’t be complete without it. As lame as the rhyme in the song’s first two lines is (Johnny Rotten has pretty much disowned them), this might be the most influential song of all time. If not, it definitely had the most beneficial effect. Go download Never Mind the Bollocks if you haven’t already: the band isn’t getting any royalties.

Electric Light Orchestra – koncert legendy -FOTORELACJA.

W czwartkowy wieczór Hala Łuczniczka zapełniła się fanami zespołu Electric Light Orchestra, których nie brakuje w naszym kraju.

Brytyjczycy tym razem koncertują wraz z orkiestrą, co od zawsze było nieodzownym elementem ich studyjnej muzyki.

Rock God Cred Report:

Click here to check ELO “Telephone Line (Live)”….Jeff Lynne sounds great live.

Buy “A New World Record”…a classic

- Надежда -
Автор плэйкаста: maximilianna
Создан: 5 ноября 2009 20:00

Звук:	Just For Love – Electric Light Orchestra – Written-By, Producer – Jeff Lynne – http://www.discogs.com/Electric-Lig…303697
Изображение:	Starlight – by axelchevroulet – http://axelchevroulet.deviantart.co…948243 – с помощью maximilianna
Текст:	и идея плэйкаста – Котяра Виктор – Надежда – http://www.playcast.ru/?module=user…100435 , по мотивам стихов Булата Окуджавы

The Opening Acts Report:

Click here to go to TOA to check a batch of covers of ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky” by The Delgados, The Divine Comedy, The Decemberists, and The Spinto Band

L’Electric Light Orchestra è stato sicuramente il gruppo più barocco della storia del rock. Comprendeva persino un terzetto d’archi, mah. Arrangiamenti eccessivi, densi, troppo spesso stucchevoli, tra rock progressivo, Beatles e discomusic. In effetti l’obiettivo iniziale e dichiarato era proprio quello di ricominciare dove i Beatles avevano finito. Tra il dire e il fare stavolta c’erano di mezzo una certa estetica glam anni Settanta, che mal si sposava con la sobria classe dei Beatles, e l’abisso di genialità che separa il buon Jeff Lynne da Lennon e McCartney. Comunque, l’ELO riscosse un notevole successo per tutti i settanta e indovinò anche qualche pezzo notevole. Come Mr Blue Sky, questa sì palesemente in debito coi Beatles, rintracciabile anche nella colonna sonora di Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, capolavoro con Jim Carrey.

Nici pe asta nu puteam sa o sar cu vederea! :”>

Si la cand am venit din alt birou si de la tigara a gasit piesa care a fost si zilele trecute si care spune de ce am eu nevoie!

Oricum se pare ca postul asta TV s-a vorbit cu cineva sa se joace cu mine. Stie bine ca il ascult si ca incropesc povesti din orice, dar piesa de dupa NEED HER LOVE chiar se formeaza intr-un joc cu privire la mine!

Mi-am dat seama ca tot sunt piese de “notat” pe ROCK SOFT incat am modificat titlul si le voi tot pune pana la sfarsitul programului!

am intuit bine

sin inca ceva:

Cred ca maine voi face un lucru chiar interesant …. zic eu. O sa pun aici vreo cateva articole cu toata muzica care va fimaine pe ROCK SOFT! Cred am zis, nu promit!

Mda…. se continua se pare

si finalul care spune mai multe. Avand in vedere ca va place muzica mea ar trebui sa multumiti Guvernului Romaniei, sau mai bine zis MTS-ului, pentru ca ma tine disponibil pentru a adauga aici muzica pe care o asculta oamenii cu ureche muzicala buna!

Deci ultima pe ziua de astazi…… ziua de munca am vrut sa spun pentru ca cine stie ce noapte lunga o sa am in seara asta!

Nici pe asta nu puteam sa o sar cu vederea! :”>

Si la cand am venit din alt birou si de la tigara a gasit piesa care a fost si zilele trecute si care spune de ce am eu nevoie!

Oricum se pare ca postul asta TV s-a vorbit cu cineva sa se joace cu mine. Stie bine ca il ascult si ca incropesc povesti din orice, dar piesa de dupa NEED HER LOVE chiar se formeaza intr-un joc cu privire la mine!

Mi-am dat seama ca tot sunt piese de “notat” pe ROCK SOFT incat am modificat titlul si le voi tot pune pana la sfarsitul programului!

am intuit bine

sin inca ceva:

Cred ca maine voi face un lucru chiar interesant …. zic eu. O sa pun aici vreo cateva articole cu toata muzica care va fimaine pe ROCK SOFT! Cred am zis, nu promit!

Mda…. se continua se pare

si finalul care spune mai multe. Avand in vedere ca va place muzica mea ar trebui sa multumiti Guvernului Romaniei, sau mai bine zis MTS-ului, pentru ca ma tine disponibil pentru a adauga aici muzica pe care o asculta oamenii cu ureche muzicala buna!

Deci ultima pe ziua de astazi…… ziua de munca am vrut sa spun pentru ca cine stie ce noapte lunga o sa am in seara asta!

In homage to all you ghastly and ghoulish party ponies, Blurrb has shortlisted our favourite 10 tracks to inspire murder on the dancefloor this All Hallow’s Eve.  Enjoy the countdown with some black magic techno voodoo, disco gorefests, eerie rhythms and macabre beats, creepy house, a dash of comedy-horror and some slightly disconcerting,off-kilter action….

Just A Spoonful - Voodeux

Zombie – Methusalem

Tenebre - Goblin

Suspiria – Goblin

Horror Disco – Bottin

Thriller – Hindi Version….!

Evil Woman - Electric Light Orchestra

Lost Again – Yello (Greg Wilson Remix)

Warriors Theme – Les Edits Du Golem

Hurt – Teifschwarz feat. Seth Troxler (Jamie Jones Remix)

]]> http://lapluma.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/out-of-the-blue-una-obra-maestra/ Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:11:12 +0000 lapluma http://lapluma.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/out-of-the-blue-una-obra-maestra/

Nadie pensó que el éxito demoledor de su último trabajo se repetiría.  Nunca nadie pensó que se repetiría en tan poco tiempo.  Nunca nadie pensó que  el éxito sería doble, pero así sucedió.

“A new world record” (ANWR) fue el título del álbum lanzado en 1976 por la Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) de Birmingham Inglaterra, liderada por Jeff Lynne.  Éxitos tales como Telephone Line, Rockaria, Thight rope o Living thing, provienen de este álbum.  Aparte de los primeros puestos alcanzados en los charts de popularidad, esta obra fue catalogada por los críticos en su tiempo, como una obra de arte.

Jeff Lynne

Como se podía esperar después de un álbum semejante, los críticos creían que ELO ya no podría repetir el éxito alcanzado por ANWR, el cual se había mantenido 100 semanas en las primeras posiciones tan sólo en Inglaterra.

Fue entonces que bajo esa presión Jeff Lynne alquiló un Chalet en los Alpes Suizos y luego de tres semanas de arduo trabajo nacío “Out of the Blue” (OOB).

Si su anterior trabajo resultó ser todo un éxito comercial, Out of the Blue (un álbum doble) no se quedó atrás.  En su año de lanzamiento en 1977, se imprimieron 4 millones de copias en su primer tiraje (todo un record).  Luego se convirtió en el primer álbum doble de la historia inglesa en extraer cuatro sencillos musicales que entraron en el top 20.  En 1978 Capital Radio y The Daily Mirror nombraron a Out of the Blue, el álbum del año.  Y Lynne recibió su primer premio Ivor Novello por su contribución a la música británica.

Publicidad del album

En el año 2007 recibimos la re-masterización  de OOB y como premio un par de piezas inéditas: Latitude 88 Nort y The Quick and the Daft.  OOB contenía éxitos tales como: Turn to Stone, Sweet talkin´woman, It´s over, Nigh in the city, Mr. Blue Sky, etc.

Según leemos en la wikipedia, figura en el libro “1001 albums you must hear before you die”.  La revista Q lo colocó en el sitio 11º. de los álbumes más agradables de la historia.

Echoes In The Wind Report:

Click here to go to EITW to check ELO’s “Telephone Line”, Bruce Springsteen’s “57 Channels (and nothin’ on)”, and more.

Sia vs. ELO – Day Too Soon To Bring Me Down

Hade ju med Sia och låten Day Too Soon nyligen och i det inlägget så noterade jag även hur jag associerade den låten med ELO’s Don’t Bring Me Down. Så idag efter att jag gått en liten söndagspromenad satt jag mig ner och pulade ihop en liten mashup av de båda låtarna. Hade kunnat gjort mycket mer finlir men har inte riktigt orken i kroppen att sitta så länge som jag skulle önska.

Men jag är ändå rätt så nöjd med resultatet med tanke på att det bara tog en dryg timme att snickra ihop från remix av låtarna till färdigt klipp på YouTube. För den som undrar vad jag använder för program till redigeringen så är det Sound Forge Audio Studio 9.0 och Acid Music Studio 7.0. Sound Forge för att klippa till alla ljudsnuttar som används och sen använder jag Acid för själva mixningen. Sound Forge kostar lite drygt 48 Euro och Acid kostar lika mycket så för under en tusenlapp har men ett riktigt bra kit för remixning och musikproduktion i datorn.

Finns säkert andra lösningar som är ännu smartare men jag är så inkörd på Sound Forge och Acid så nu skulle jag nog ha svårt att byta. Det jag använder programmen mest till är rena mixar där man mixar ihop ett gäng låtar till exempelvis en timmes mix helt enkelt. Ungefär som när man mixade blandband en gång i tiden.

Tjillevippen

notbugs

I arose a little later than usual yesterday, as I’ve been battling a stubborn cold, and came into the study to check a few blogs and prepare a post. As the computer booted, I picked up the phone to tell the Texas Gal – already at work – that I was breathing and upright.

No dial tone.

I went to the front rooms and tried that phone. No dial tone there. So I went back to the study, planning on sending an instant message or an email. We had no ’Net access, either. I clicked on the TV, got a picture and sound and assumed that was okay. (That was an error: It turned out that most of our cable channels were down, too.) Now I really needed to talk to the Texas Gal as well as the cable company.

We gave up our cell phones a while back, so I drove down to the neighborhood convenience store. There, hunching my shoulders against a light rain, I dropped a couple of quarters into the pay phone. The Texas Gal said she’d call the cable company and told me to go home and get in out of the rain. An hour or so later, she came home for a few moments and said that a service tech would stop by during the early afternoon.

And actually, two of them did, with the second of them bearing the unwelcome news that our services would not be restored until sometime around two in the morning. He said that we were one of nine customers affected by an equipment failure, but making the ten-minute repair would require disconnecting about three hundred customers. So his bosses, he said, had told him not to repair the fault; instead, a truck would come out sometime after midnight and take care of the problem.

It was a perfectly sound business decision, but it was still annoying and a little worrying. Missing the high end cable channels for a day was no big deal. Nor was being offline, I thought. But being without a phone in case of emergency? That wasn’t good, and I told the fellow that. He nodded. “I understand,” he said. “And I’ll pass the word on. But I can’t do anything about it.”

I nodded back, and after he left, I went and found my deactivated cell phone. I think – though I’m not certain – that even deactivated phones can call 911. So I charged the phone and put it on the dining room table just in case the worst occurred. It didn’t. We had a pleasant evening: some television, some reading and, for me, a little bit of tabletop baseball. As pleasant as the evening turned out to be though, not having ’Net access was a major annoyance: Both of us missed our normal online activities. No email or Facebook, no new blog posts to read, no way to check my fantasy football teams or the Texas Gal’s quilting group. And that pointed out to us how large a part of our lives the online world has become. It’s amazing how, in a relatively brief bit of time, we’re living so much of our lives online.

Is that worrisome? Not so long as we can do without if we have to. The things that the ’Net brings to our lives are worthwhile, fun and maybe even important. But they’re not essential. (That holds true, too, for the high-end cable channels. The telephone is another story, I think.) Still, even though I was out of touch for only a day, it’s good to be back.

A Six-Pack of Communications
“Telephone Line” by the Electric Light Orchestra, United Artists 1000 [1976]
“57 Channels (And Nothin’ On)” by Bruce Springsteen from Human Touch [1992]
“(I’m A) TV Savage” by Bow Wow Wow from I Want Candy [1982]
“Race of the Computers” by Pete Carr from Not A Word On It [1976]
“TV Mama” by Big Joe Turner, Atlantic 1016 [1953]
“Pick Up The Phone” by Lesley Duncan from Moonbathing [1975]

The first two of these are pretty well-known, I think, and Bow Wow Wow is, too, though maybe this track is less well-known than some of that odd band’s other music. (Sorry for the low bitrate on that one, but it’s all I had.)

Pete Carr’s name is more familiar as a session guitarist at Muscle Shoals than as a solo artist, but Not A Word On It is a pretty good solo album. All-Music Guide has a date of 1975 for the record, but I’ve seen 1976 in other places I trust, so I’m going with that. (Thanks to walknthabass at Gooder’n Bad Vinyl.)

Big Joe Turner, one of the premier blues shouters, recorded from the 1930s into the 1980s, but seems almost forgotten today. “TV Mama,” recorded when television was still very new, is an example of using the most recent fad or craze as a framework for a salacious bit of music. (I ripped this from a library collection long before I ever thought about bitrates, so this track, too, is at a lower bitrate than I normally share.)

Lesley Duncan was a top session vocalist in England during the 1970s and released a few solo albums that were critically praised but didn’t sell all that well, from what I can tell. “Pick Up The Phone” is a nice piece of mid-1970s pop; if you like it, you’ll like the rest of Moonbathing as well as Duncan’s other work, I think.

Sia – Day Too Soon (Lifelike Remix)

Vad jag gillar med YouTube är att man får så mycket olika tips på klipp som kan passa ens smak utifrån vad man kollat på tidigare. Funkar speciellt bra när det gäller musik och det är utifrån ett sådant tips som jag hittade den här låten. När jag hörde första takterna så associerade jag direkt till ELO’s Don’t Bring Me Down som ju har en liknande fläskig takt. Vad som är lite komiskt är att hon faktiskt har släppt en låt som heter just Don’t Bring Me Down, men det är ingen cover på ELO’s gamla klassiker.

Men det som gjorde att jag riktigt fastnade för låten var den pulserande synten som driver hela låten framåt ovan på den tunga takten. Låten släpptes tydligen 2007 så helt purfärsk är den inte men det kvittar, det är länge sedan jag jagade nya låtar på det desperata viset som man gjorde när man var yngre.

Tjillevippen

notbugs

This post, a collection of artists covering Electric Light Orchestra’s “Mr. Blue Sky” from 1977’s Out of the Blue, is for Mr. Jonny Thunderstein.

“Mr. Blue Sky” was written by Jeff Lynne, who hid himself away to write enough material for a double album, wrote the track in Switzerland. After a two week period of writers block dampened by the inclement weather outside, Lynne was suddenly inspired to write “Mr. Blue Sky” following a break in the weather when the entire area was bathed in sunshine, quickly followed by the remainder of the Out of the Blue songs including “Concerto for a Rainy Day”.

Electric Light Orchestra “Mr. Blue Sky”

Charlie Recksieck “Mr. Blue Sky”

The Decemberists “Mr. Blue Sky (8/15/03)”

Lily Allen “Mr. Blue Sky”

Robopop “Mr. Blue Sky”

The Spinto Band “Mr. Blue Sky”

“Mr. Blue Sky” lyrics:

Sun is shinin’ in the sky
There ain’t a cloud in sight
It’s stopped rainin’ ev’rybody’s in a play
And don’t you know
It’s a beautiful new day hey,hey

Runnin’ down the avenue
See how the sun shines brightly in the city
On the streets where once was pity
Mister blue sky is living here today hey, hey

Mister blue sky please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long
Where did we go wrong?

Hey you with the pretty face
Welcome to the human race
A celebration, mister blue sky’s up there waitin’
And today is the day we’ve waited for

Hey there mister blue
We’re so pleased to be with you
Look around see what you do
Ev’rybody smiles at you

Mister blue sky, mister blue sky
Mister blue sky

Mister blue, you did it right
But soon comes mister night creepin’ over
Now his hand is on your shoulder
Never mind I’ll remember you this
I’ll remember you this way

Mister blue sky please tell us why
You had to hide away for so long
Where did we go wrong?

Hey there mister blue
We’re so pleased to be with you
Look around see what you do
Ev’rybody smiles at you
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba

Sheena Beaston Report:

Click here to go to SB to check the Spinto Band’s cover or ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky”

Happy October!

I’m currently sitting in my dorm room, and I had honestly only just finished typing “Happy October!” when I looked out my window and saw a guy running (very fast) across a field with a girl clinging to his back.  Some others were chasing along after them, barely able to control their laughter.  A completely silly moment, which maybe nobody else saw or cared about.  But I saw it.  And it made me smile.

What I love about the stage is, it is never static and it is always present.  What is a stage?  What are the definitions?  Does it have to be indoors or can it be outdoors?  Does it have to be a performance, or could it be a seminar, classroom discussion, church or religious festival, a concert, a practice hall, a parent/teacher meeting?  What is a stage, and who are the players?  Who’s who?  Is a man at a checkout and a woman purchasing something from a store a “stage relationship?”  If a student raises her hand to contribute something to class, might not the teacher say, “Julia, take the stage”?  And at church, when I was a young boy, there was something about the pulpit and the preacher and how he interacted with the congregation that made me feel like a stage had been created . . . as if theatre was occurring.  Even in some of Jesus’ parables in the New Testament, I discerned this sense of an audience and a speaker and a text, with the boundaries of this imaginary stage slowly forming in my mind.

The stage, even though we may not always acknowledge it, is constantly present in our lives.  In human relationships and interactions, there is always some form of a stage.  Someone is speaking.  Someone is listening.  Something is being said.  Something is being heard.  Sometimes this all seems to blend together, and not always quite so neatly as a tightly rehearsed stage production.  But I believe there is always something there.

As human beings, we like to think we are valuable.  We like to imagine that we have something meaningful to contribute to the world around us.  We like to be valued.  We like to be needed.  When individuals “take the stage” in life, whether or not they are in an actual theatre, it gives a sense of significance.  Even if it is for just 20 seconds in a business meeting, we feel the change in ourselves and in others when the focus shifts and suddenly WE are the center of attention.  Admittedly, we don’t always have something to say, nor do we always say it at the right time.  As Oscar Wilde says in his typically brilliant but cynical fashion, “The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast.”

And yet, if I am able to dismiss judgment for a moment and look at the world through the eyes of a child who is only just discovering its awe and splendor, I find myself enchanted.  We’ve all heard Shakespeare’s famous line so many times now that it seems cliche (so cliche that Oscar Wilde parodied it over a century ago), but what if there is some truth there which deserves re-examining?

“All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players.”

I think there is a reason this saying has become a cliche: because it is true.

And looking at the world through this lens, even if only from time to time, I begin to find enchantment.  I can’t discern where the stage begins, where or if it ends, or who’s playing what, but it doesn’t matter.  Because when life happens in such a way that we feel a brief glimpse of dizzy excitement, a moment of uncertainty rewarded with blissful surprise, we are experiencing the enchantment of the stage.  Just as I find a good play captivating, I find moments in my own life equally satisfying because (if only for a moment) everyone has remembered their lines, they’ve said them at the right time and with meaning, and the audience is applauding our efforts.

I have long been a fan of Jeff Lynne and the Electric Light Orchestra (perhaps more commonly known to some simply as ELO).  I sometimes think I should have been born in a different era, because a feeling of utter joy fills my entire being and washes over any worries or concern when I hear their music.  I sometimes experience the same feelings with much of the music of the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s, despite some of my favorites being considered “cheesy” or “dated” by many people in my generation.  It was through reading up about Jeff Lynne and his associated acts that I discovered “the Voice” – Roy Orbison.

Watch the video below of Roy Orbison singing “Only the Lonely”, and experience a moment of what I would consider “the enchantment of the stage:”

Just looking at Roy, before he starts singing, I am not particularly struck.  He is an ordinary looking man with a calm, almost introverted, stage presence.  And then, at the 0:25 second marker there is a moment which I could watch over and over and over again – myself and everyone in that room are waiting to hear what comes out of this unassuming man’s mouth and then, right on the money, a presence of such assured warmth and beauty fills the room.  The effect is so profound, even the individuals watching the performance live burst into applause and praise.  And this feeling is still tangible for me now, watching a recording over 25 years old!  I can’t help but find enchantment in that.

The next time you are with a group of friends or even amidst complete strangers, ask yourself this – are we on stage?  Who’s performing and what do they have to say?  If it’s you, don’t miss your cue.

I am going to embark on a topic that may be sensitive to some people… what really happens when a grocery store song gets you, well, psyched? I have decided tonight, to come out of the grocery store song closet. Yup. Please note, that department store chains also play songs over their central speaker system as well… I will refer to grocery store songs to simplify things. Be honest with yourself, there just had to be at least one moment in your life, where you were innocently shopping in a grocery store and then… that song was played. For me, I have had numerous experiences while grocery shopping and suddenly a song begins that just touches my Rock and Roll nerve. How do you act when this situation arises? Do you show emotion? Maybe you hide your psyched out – inner feelings and pretend that nothing is going on at all, you are in a public setting… a damn grocery store for Metal sakes. Let’s explore this incredibly taboo subject together now, shall we?

It is really senseless to ignore that this grocery store song phenomenon exists… it is o.k. to hear a song playing in a grocery store that psyches you out. My top three grocery store songs ever are: Lido Shuffle by Boz Skaggs, Sweet Talkin’ Woman by The Electric Light Orchestra and Call Me by Blondie. Seriously, I really strain to hold back my psyched out feelings when Lido Shuffle gets played at the grocery store – really. I can remember each moment when I heard these three songs in the grocery store… I felt so good I wanted to run up and down the aisles, high five strangers while shouting yeah! I have been fortunate enough to have heard Sweet Talkin’ Woman several times at the grocery store now, each time is a psyched out charm. Now, for the truth… when I do hear a grocery store song that gets me riveted, I stay cool and collected. My face may show signs of Rock Music satisfaction, a semi-grin if you will, however, staying cool is the best advice I can give anyone who hears a song they like in the grocery store. Just this evening, I was meandering about in an antiques mall, my wife and one half of my twin daughters were close by. Anyhow, inside this antiques mall, Old School Country Music was being played through the stores speaker system. No songs were psyching me out… no problem, until… Carly Simon came on with Your So Vain.

Uh, Carly Simon did get me semi-psyched out at the antiques mall tonight. Maybe it was due to my surroundings… all of this old stuff… antiques everywhere, the ambiance within the framework of this store is quite calm and somewhat like a rerun of The Walton’s. With all of this mellow and old fashioned stimulus around me, hearing Carly Simon sing Your So Vain in the midst of all the Old School Country Music just did it for me. Honestly, I now understand why Faster Pussycat did a cover of Your So Vain… this song most likely struck a chord with Taime Downe (lead singer of Faster Pussycat), like it did me tonight. Weird stuff. Remember, we as a society, are most likely 35 years away from hearing Megadeth and Obituary songs being played as grocery store songs. This is a shame. I have to take what is given to me here, then my Rock and Roll mind filters out the very best of what I do hear with these current grocery store songs that are being played… the psyche me out ones. Now, before you ever step foot into a grocery store again, please take some solid Metal advice in regards to getting psyched out by a song you may hear once there…

Please, if you like to hum along to your favorite grocery store song – stop! I find the annoying humming of a stranger in a grocery store, to be just as offensive as a stranger walking by me and dropping a fart. If you feel the need to sing along to a grocery store song that psyches you out – stop! The setting of a grocery store is not karaoke night at the Wonderland Pub. In the event you find yourself starting to dance and/or move in a groovy manner to a grocery store song – stop! I and potentially many other people, could possibly get anxious by your actions and report you to the store manager or security detail. Remember, the grocery store is not the dance floor of your cousin Jackie’s wedding. Then again, you may ignore my advice altogether and find me to be a tad too sensitive… however, when I hear my next psyched out city, grocery store song, I will remind myself that staying cool is the rule.

Typically, I avoid sharing albums. I like to share music, but I don’t want to undercut anyone’s ability to make a living.

But it’s my birthday. So I’m sharing the entire 1968 album The Birthday Party by the Idle Race (Jeff Lynne’s post-Nightriders, pre-Move, pre-ELO band). As a nugget of British sorta-psychedelia, it’s wonderful, lyrically adventurous, playful and highly entertaining–much like yours truly. So naturally you’ll be thinking of me the whole time you listen…because again, it’s my birthday.

Supposedly, there’s a terrific Idle Race box set in the works. I can’t wait to hear it, even if it’ll really just compile the band’s entire output and a few lost treasures. Given their talent and attitude, the Idle Race was justified in their intent to rub elbows with the Magical Mystery Tour-era Beatles. Jeff Lynne’s later stint in the Move was something of a misfire (to me), but his time with the Idle Race sketched out everything that would flower impressively with the Electric Light Orchestra years later.

Oh, and it’s my birthday. I was born today, many years ago. Before that day, there was no me. After–lots of me. A whole person’s worth.

The Idle Race The Birthday Party

Rock God Cred Report:

Click here to check ELO’s 70’s classic “Daybreaker”

Buy “On The Third Day”

So did you hear about who’s being nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for 2010? Here’s a list…

ABBA
The Chantels
Jimmy Cliff
Genesis
The Hollies
KISS
LL Cool J
Darlene Love
Laura Nyro
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Stooges
Donna Summer

Now… Okay. Some of these are a no-brainer. KISS is a big duh, along with Genesis. The Red Hot Chili Peppers? Mmmmaybe. They’re definitely someone who should be there at some point, but I’m not sure if it should happen just yet. But seriously, DONNA SUMMER? LL COOL J? Look, I like these artists as much as the next guy, but really? In the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? That’s just silly, friend! I mean, good grief, how many legends of Rock are being overlooked so we can get these people on the list? Oh look, another list!

Thin Lizzy
Blue Oyster Cult
The Doobie Brothers
Kansas
The Steve Miller Band
Billy Squier
Journey
The Cult
Rush (I’m not their biggest fan ever, but I do acknowledge where they belong in history)
The Moody Blues
Def Leppard
The Marshall Tucker Band
Heart
Ringo Starr (the ONLY Beatle that hasn’t been inducted yet)
Stevie Ray Vaughn!

The list goes on. Now granted, I understand they don’t want to cram everyone into a single year. They wanna space ‘em out. But does that really mean we should be giving non-rock and roll artists the opportunity to be inducted? Not that it’s gonna happen, but what if LL Cool J gets voted in over KISS?

You’d look stupid, 500 people who get to vote on this. Yes, you. I will blame you all. Shame on you, 500 people. Shame. On. You.

So, to summarize, vote for KISS. Because that’s the American way.

Or write in the Electric Light Orchestra. That’d be pretty dang sweet.

Anyway, I’m outta here at 11:30. Gotta go take my Computer Skills Placement Test, or whatever it’s called. After that, I’m going to go pick up my tux for Troll’s wedding. Rehearsal’s tomorrow night, and Troll’s big day is on Saturday. I really hope it works out for him, and I wish him nothing but the best. I’ve been mulling over my best man speech (I did tell you I got “promoted,” right?…), and I have a pretty good idea of the challenge I’m going to issue them as part of my toast. I just hope they take what I say to heart, because the stuff I’m going to say is the stuff that all married couples should remember if they want to live a long and happy life together.

Little blurb about the iPSotD… My brother, Mark, is in the special ed program here at the high school where I work. They have their own PE room where they go to work on a preset list of physical goals. Today the teacher had Mark on the stairmaster, which as you can see, Mark can do in his sleep. LOL! (he stayed up all night last night)

Wait wait wait. ABBA? ABBA!? That’s… well, I don’t know what to think of that.

iPSotD:

My brother, the Sleepwalker!