Love Songs for Valentine's Day 2017

Six years ago, I tried to go against my cynical and practical nature and be more positive about this time of year. For some unknown reason (heart ache, pain, rejection, loneliness, etc..), it didn't stick. After a few hours, I reverted back to my old slightly critical views on romantic love, and relationships. To be completely honest, I will admit that I am someone who tends to lean more towards the negative side of things. After all, if you're always expecting bad stuff, when the bad stuff comes you're ready and if good stuff comes you are pleasantly surprised. It's not MY fault that there have been fewer surprises than bad stuff. That's just how the cookie crumbles.

Thoughts On... The 2013 VMAs

I have always known that I had a disconnect with current popular music, but every once awhile I get a reminder. My most recent reminder came last night as I watched the 2013 VMAs with my roommate. And now the next day, I have to thank Kevin Hart, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry. Without them, I would not have made it through the entirety of the broadcast without my roommate strangling me with her blanket.

You'll Never Stop The Terror...

There is something that I must admit to you, my dear readers. Despite what you may believe, I am NOT a fan of musicals. Either on the silver screen or on stage, musicals just grate against my nerves. They have a shoestring storyline (usually just filler until the next song) and what story they have is exceedingly simple. When I can predict what's going to happen the whole musical just by watching the first 10 min, there is a problem. And then there's the music!! At best, it's just not interesting to me and at worst, the songs make the frantic wailing of a rabid cat strangling on piano wire sound  like Mozart.

In fact, until 1986, the best any musical could EVER do is get me to like ONE song. That's it. In a two hour show, I would enjoy, at most, 5 minutes. So, what happened in 86? I came across a newly released musical called "Little Shop Of Horrors". The concept alone got my attention: a HORROR based musical?? Really?? I watched it and to my surprise, it was AWESOME!!! The story was still very much predictable, but I didn't mind because the movie never took itself seriously enough to make that matter. It had three of my favorite comedic actors at the time (Rick Moranis & Bill Murray from Ghostbusters, and Steve Martin from SNL) and the music was based on 50s and 60s classics that I had been listening to my whole life!!! (All ten years of it, at the time.) It was even sung by one of the ORIGINAL Four Tops, Levi Stubbs! Except for TWO songs, I loved all the music!! Little Shop was simply a revelation to me!

A few years later, I delved into the history of Little Shop and I found it started out as a 1960s cult classic film (non-musical) starring none other than Jack Nicholson! Some Broadway people converted the story into a play and added the music and then Hollywood made the movie. It even made the history books as the first movie to cast an original member of the play! Ellen Greene, who played Audrey I in the play reprises her role in the film!! That was the good stuff. The bad stuff, well that was something else. See I went to see a production of the play and at which point I found out that the play and movie had radically different endings!! The movie had initially went with an ending in a similar style to the play, but test audiences hated it so the ending was scrapped, and they went with a more upbeat ending.

For the sake of completeness, the producers of the movie included a black & white work-print version of the original ending with the original release of Little Shop on DVD, but that was pulled due to the wishes of David Geffen, the head honcho of company that made the film. I searched and searched but I could NEVER get my hands on that ending to watch it. All the files I found were corrupted or just fakes. But now, things have brightened considerably!! Little Shop of Horrors has been released on blu-ray!!! And not only is it released but it's the DIRECTOR'S CUT!!! That's right, they have fully restored the original 20 minute ending sequence (which supposedly cost $3M of the movie's $25M budget) and released it to the public!! My copy is already on it's way to me now!! I can't WAIT to see it as it was originally intended!!! It's going to be EPIC!

Even now, in the midst of my excitement for the new blu-ray release, I can still remember the first time I watched Little Shop. It's been a very long time. Since then, I've gotten a few people hooked on the movie, and gained the eternal hatred of those who hate the film. I've also added a few other musicals to my library: Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Rent, Sweeney Todd, 5 Guys Named Moe, Les Miserables, and Rock Of Ages. But, none of them can elicit the same amount of joy and glee that bubbles out of me when I watch Little Shop. Just thinking about it brings a smile to my face! It's still my favorite musical of all time. what about you dear readers? What is YOUR favorite musical?

Upbeat Mix II

Since we're on the subject of music, I have a grievous error to correct. In a previous post, I told you about my re-starting a CD series of mine called Upbeat Mix. However, despite my promise in the debut post, I haven't posted the track lists for any of the other CDs in the series! I hope you understand, my dear readers, that there were reasons for this travesty. And I hope you can forgive me. I can assure you that the tracklists do exist. My cruelty in not releasing them to you ends now!!! Without further ado, I give you, in all its glory,  the full tracklist for Upbeat Mix 2nd Series Disc 2:

01) Chica - Viene Mi Gente

02) Jennifer Lopez - Let's Get Loud

03) Will Smith - Miami (Miami Mix)

04) MDO - Groove With Me Tonight (Pablo Flores Spanglish Remix)

05) Gloria Estefan - Oye

06) Robert Randolph & The Family Band - Ain't Nothing Wrong With That

07) Daniella Cotton - Rare Child

08) Nickelback - Something In Your Mouth

09) Rihanna - Shut Up & Drive

10) Kelly Rowland - Work (Steve Pitron & Max Sanna Radio Edit)

11) Lasgo - Gone

12) Cascada - Fever

13) Christina Aguilera - Ain't No Other Man (Ospina Sullivan Radio Mix)

14) Rihanna - S&M

15) David Guetta ft Kelly Rowland - It's The Way You Love Me

16) David Guetta ft Nicki Minaj - Turn Me On

17) Velvet - Chemistry (Radio Edit)

18) Bardot - A.S.A.P (KCB KlubbMix)

19) Girls Aloud - Jump

20) Milk Inc - Ouch Damn

If you don't get up and dance during THAT track list, then you should check your pulse, you might be dead!! (Which would be awesome! Having my blog read by the Dead, Undead or any other supernatural beings is pretty cool!) I have also completed disc 3 in the series (I'm currently working on disc 4) and will post that tracklist soon. Until then, enjoy!!!

Surprising Musical Find...

When it comes to music, there are some artists that I'm just never going to find interesting: Justin Bieber, N'Sync, Ke$ha, Nicki Minaj, etc. They aren't creating music for people like me, and that is fine. Until recently, I counted Taylor Swift firmly on that list. I would have never thought in a million years she would come up with a single song that I liked in any way, shape, or form. Well, it turns out, I was mistaken. Her latest song (which I first heard on one of the rare moments that I listen to broadcast radio) is not only interesting, but actually enjoyable!! You may have seen it, if not, here's the video for it.


Most of the people I know are women, as such, I've heard a lot more of Taylor Swift's music than I care to admit to. But this particular track is a major step forward for Swift. One good song doesn't make me a fan, or even a follower of hers. But there is hope for the future.What about you, dear readers? Do you have any surprising musical finds??

Top 5... Favorite Disney Songs

If you've been reading my last few blog posts, you know that I'm not in the greatest of moods, nor have I been for several months. Despite what my friends probably believe, I don't enjoy being depressed or living in frustration. As such, I keep trying to boost my morale with conversation, movies, TV, and music. A couple days ago, I decided to put together a top 5 list that I haven't done before. In fact, up until now, I hadn't even considered this list! You have no idea how much fun I had researching this list! I feel so much better right now it's amazing! Anyway, now I give you my top 5 favorite Disney songs.

Here are the criteria: First, it has to be from a straight up Disney movie with the castle graphic and everything. Second, it has to be a song that I genuinely like, meaning that I could listen to the song without the movie and still enjoy it. Also, that I could listen to the song at any time, anywhere and still enjoy it. Given my current mindset, these songs MORE than qualify for this list! So here we go:

5) Mary Poppins - Chim Chim Cheree
Most people like a certain other song from this movie which is really fast and very difficult to spell. But personally, this is the song that really got to me. This song was cheerful, mesmerizing, wondrous and atmospheric. It was simply awesome.

4) Tarzan - Strangers Like Me
I love education & learning.And one of the themes that I enjoyed the most about Tarzan was the exchange of information between Jane & Tarzan. As he learned about the human world, he taught about the jungle. But the fire of curiosity that was lit in his mind was perfectly characterized by this song. I can hear it over & over again and NEVER tire of it.

3) The Lion King - Be Prepared
I've always been a fan of villains. And Scar was one of the greatest that Disney ever created. The pure callousness and evil that he spewed was nothing less than OUTSTANDING. This song was absolutely perfect as a showcase for that evil. I'll never get tired of hearing it!!

2) The Little Mermaid - Poor Unfortunate Souls
Another villain song. Ursula earned my respect as one of the most manipulative Disney villains ever. And the way she uses Ariel's love against her was truly spectacular to behold. All the subtle prodding (well, subtle for Disney, at any rate) in this song was simply DELICIOUS to watch.

And my NUMBER ONE favorite Disney song is.....


1) Aladdin - Friend Like Me
Aladdin is my favorite Disney animated movie. It was nothing short of entertaining, but my absolute favorite part of the movie is the Genie. His introduction and first song just simply blew me away! I can honestly say that I LOVE this song! And I will till my dying day! Here's that first intro scene with song and everything for your enjoyment: 



   
Wasn't that awesome?? Go ahead, play it again, I'll wait!

Okay, now I do have some honorable mentions that didn't quite make the list. Songs like Under The Sea, Be Our Guest, Arabian Nights, Kiss The Girl, and Prince Ali. All fantastic songs, but the five listed above are just the best. What about you, my dear readers, what are YOUR favorite Disney songs??

To My Eternal Shame...

Despite my deep and abiding love for music, there are several arenas of music that don't really appeal to me. One of these arenas is the Musical. There are very few (about 4, actually) that I can honestly say that I like. Mostly because the bulk of musical theater can only get either the story OR the music right. It's rare for me to find musicals that get both of them. The musical I revile the most is Grease. I hate that movie with a passion that is almost holy.

The music sucks, the story is garbage, and the acting....BLECH!! Yet, despite my well advertised dislike for that damned movie, I get repeatedly bludgeoned with it by friends, family, even my beloved television programs. Earlier today, I was working on a playlist (Upbeat Mix 2nd Series Disc 3) when a song came into my head that I could barely remember. In fact, I could only remember a couple of lines from the chorus. I did some research online and, much to my horror, I found the origin of that song.

Now, I know what you're thinking, that the song I was remembering came from Grease, but no. That wasn't it. My research showed me something much, MUCH worse. The song came from......

Grease II

Yes, my dear readers, it's true... There is one song that exists in that atrocious hellhole of melodious torture known as Grease-related music that actually appeals to me.



 

 

Now, before you lose all respect for me, I do have three points in my defense!! One: This song is one the final releases of the old school Motown sound, but recorded in the early 80s when technology made recording music much higher quality. Two: It's song by the FOUR TOPS!!! One of the greatest groups in the history of music! Second only to the Temptations!! And Three: It's only that SINGLE track! Nothing else appeals to me!! That has to count for something, right? 

Right? 

 

I know, I know. I can only hang my head in shame, as I join the vast, unwashed masses who worship Grease and Grease II, if only for the one song. *sigh* Can you ever forgive me?

Top 5... Music Moments In Movies

There's no denying that I love movies. What you may not know is that I also have a deep, abiding passion for music. Some of the greatest movie moments were enhanced a thousandfold by the music accompanying them. Who can forget that moment in Back To The Future when the music swells up and then you hear that one line from Earth Angel just before George kisses Lorraine?? It's moment's like that which simply become nothing less than EPIC! Now I have listed my Top 5 Music Moments in Movies. BTTF is excluded because it's my favorite movie of all time and as such is in a class by itself. Other rules include: it has to be a live action movie (animated movies are too easy). It has to involve the main characters in the movie, so it can't just be your favorite song overlayed on a montage. If you can, it has to be part of the story line, but at the very least it has to have some of the main cast members involved somehow. Are we clear on the rules?? GOOD. Here now is my Top 5 Music Moments in Movies:

 #5) From "Get Over it" - Love Will Keep Us Together
Starting us off is the intro bit to a cute little film called "Get Over It". Have you ever had your heart broken? Have you looked around while heartbroken and see that the WHOLE WORLD is in love but you? This is kind of the epitome of that...


  

Personally, I think the Marching band was a little over the top, but I completely agree with Ben Foster's reaction at the end. If you haven't seen it, check the movie out. It's a really cool way to spend 90 min.

#4) From "500 Days Of Summer" - You Make My Dreams Come True 

This clip is at the complete OPPOSITE end of the spectrum. This scene happens just after our hero, a nice, but neurotic guy (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt), hooks up with his girl for the first time. 

Yes, ladies, this is how we see the world the morning after. (The song changes depending on your guy's preference, but everything else is dead on.)

#3) From "Ray" - Mess Around

This clip is from Jamie Foxx's tour de force "Ray". At this point in the career of Ray Charles, his producers are trying to get Ray out of his standard practice of copying everyone else's style and working on developing his own. One of his producers comes up with an intriguing method.


I loved the look on Ray's face when the producer says that he wrote it. If you haven't seen this movie, go watch it... RIGHT NOW!

#2) From "Shine" - Flight Of The Bumblebee

My number two entry (and it was close) is from the biopic for the piano player David Helfgott. A prodigy pianist who had a nervous breakdown and was never quite the same again. In this particular scene, he had been away from playing piano for awhile (his landlord locked the piano in his rooms) and had been haunting a diner close to the assisted living apartments where he was living. A waitress at the diner took kindly to him, but the owner of the joint was a bit of an ass. But Helfgott wouldn't be held down!



Talk about the epitome of a "SCREW YOU" to the owner!! This scene is the beginning of the upturn of Helfgott's life. The movie itself is a masterpiece and I STRONGLY recommend it to anyone who wants to see Geoffrey Rush in a NON Hector Barbossa role. I must warn you it is a heavy movie.

#1) From "Crossroads" - Guitar Duel

No, this is not the Britney Spears movie, go smack yourself in the face HARD, SEVERAL TIMES for even THINKING that I would deign to watch that... film. No, this is from the 1980s blues classic Crossroads, with Ralph Macchio and Joe Seneca. This is the final part of the film, where they finally make it back to the crossroads where Willie Brown made his deal with the devil and where he tries to get him to break the contract. WARNING: This is the END of the film, so if you haven't seen it, this is a spoiler. But enjoy it anyway!!



WOW, right? Talk about some fantastic guitar playing!! The tall, white guy is Steve Vai, a phenomenal guitarist. If I'm correct, I believe he wrote most of the guitar duel music. And in case you're wondering, Ralph Macchio wasn't playing the guitar, it was Ry Cooder, legendary blues guitarist, playing off screen. Again, this is a movie I STRONGLY recommend to anyone who is a blues fan. It's not an Oscar calibur film, but it's an amazingly good time.

And there you have it, my dear readers, my Top 5 Music Moments in Movies. What are YOURS?? Sound off in the comments below!

Return Of The Upbeat...

Last week, I went out with some new friends. While the club scene really isn't my thing, the night did end up with a few positive points. One of which was a discussion I had where I took issue with the music that is played at clubs, including the one we went to that night. The end result of that conversation being that I promised to make a CD of what I call "good music" for them. This lead to an idea for me, and the reason for this post. See, back in the 90s, I was distressed by the amount of slow, sad music that was being released. So, I decided to create a series of CD which I dubbed "Upbeat Mix" that would have NO slow songs of any kind... EVER!! In working on the CD which I had promised to my friend, I decided to re-create this series!! Why? Well, I'm glad you asked.

The first series was really fun to make, and I listened to them all the time! But, as the years passed, the discs got damaged or went "missing". Also, I wasn't as careful back then at keeping records, so I didn't have a listing of what I put on the CDs so I couldn't remake them either. Plus, MP3s have made HUGE leaps forward in how well they reproduce sound. So, I figured, it would be awesome to restart the series from scratch, so to speak!! Thus Upbeat Mix: 2nd Series was born!!!

Here is the tracklist:

01) Mary J. Blige - Family Affair

02) Marc Anthony - I Need To Know (Miami Remix)

03) Nelson Polanco - Cana Dulce (Spanglish)

04) Usher Feat. Pitbull - DJ Got us Fallin' In Love

05) Finger Eleven - Paralyzer (Atlantic City Beats Lenny B. Radio Edit)

06) David Guetta - Night Of Your Life (Feat. Jennifer Hudson)

07) Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love (Moto Blanco Radio Edit)

08) Enrique Iglesias - Dirty Dancer (With Usher, Feat. Lil Wayne)

09) Pitbull - Rain Over Me (Feat. Marc Anthony)

10) David Guetta - Repeat (Feat. Jessie J)

11) Bananarama - Move In My Direction

12) Lionel Richie - Angel (Metro Mix)

13) Soluna - Bring It To Me

14) Ciara - Love Sex Magic (Original Version feat. Justin Timberlake)

15) Nikki Costa - Everybody Got Their Something

16) Jamelia - Superstar

17) Mis-Teeq - Scandalous

18) Steppenwolf - Magic Carpet Ride (Crystal Method Remix)

19) My Darkest Days - Porn Star Dancing (Feat. Chad Kroger, Ludacris, and Zakk Wylde)

20) Nickelback - Shakin' Hands

21) AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long

Doesn't that list of songs just make you want to groove?? And I'm already working on the next disc in the series!! Very soon, I'll have the play list up for you to enjoy!!! What about you dear readers? What tunes make you want to get up and dance??

An Eighties Playlist....

When it comes to music, the 80s was a very bizarre decade. There were so many different styles of music that there isn't really a single defining trend for the decade. New Wave, Rock 'N' Roll, the birth of Rap, Pop, Michael Jackson (yes, he is his own category of music), etc... This diversity gives a nearly limitless trove of musical treasures to plunder for playlists, which makes creating playlists easier. At the same time, the diversity of music in the 80s also makes creating playlists difficult because it's exceedingly difficult to get a series of songs with a common theme or style.

I'm starting a new series of CDs/Playlists dedicated to my favorite 80s songs. I have creatively called this series: 80's CDs. Here is the first in the series:

 01 - Joey Scarbury - Believe It Or Not (Theme From The Greatest American Hero)
02 - John Parr - St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)
03 - John Farnham - Break The Ice
04 - The Breakfast Club - Drive My Car
05 - Roger Daltrey - Quicksilver Lightning
06 - Survivor - Burning Heart
07 - Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer
08 - ZZ Top - Legs
09 - Glenn Frey - The Heat Is On
10 - Stan Bush - Dare
11 - Dwight David - The Last Dragon
12 - Gloria Estefan - Conga
13 - Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science
14 - M/A/R/R/S - Pump Up The Volume
15 - Run DMC (Feat. Aerosmith) - Walk This Way
16 - Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
17 - George Michaeal - I Want Your Sex
18 - Kenny Loggins - Footloose

Awesome list, right? Are any of your favorites listed? Were there any songs you didn't know? What would YOU put on an 80s mix CD? Sound off in the comments!!

Anti-Valentine's Day CD 2012

Ladies & Gentlemen, Boys & Girls... Dying time's here!!! That's right, it's that time of year again: National Singles Awareness day. The day when we all recognize and become hyper aware of just how single we are. Everyone else calls it "Valentine's Day", but I really can't see how the anniversary of the beheading of a priest is the day to celebrate love. Actually, now that I come to think of it... that's actually a pretty good representation of love. I can actually see it now: the classic guillotine with the decapitated priest laying at its foundation. Cool...

I've stated in my previous posts that my issues with Valentine's Day stem from the fact that love is not accurately represented. There are some exceptionally violent expressions of love out there. It's not just chocolates, flowers, and cards. Given that violence, the beheading of a priest serves as an apt image for the fullness of love. As is my custom, I have come up with the latest Anti-Valentine's Day CD. In this case, the sub-theme is violence. Here's the list:

01) All American Rejects - Gives You Hell

02) David Guetta (Feat Jessie J) - Repeat

03) Maroon 5 - Wake Up Call

04) Adele - Rolling In The Deep

05) One Republic - Apologize

06) Keri Hilson - Energy

07) Boyz II Men - I Sit Away

08) Rockapella - Don't Tell Me You Do

09) Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone

10) Pink - There You Go

11) Eminem (Feat Rihanna) - Love The Way You Lie

12) Babyface (Feat Stevie Wonder) - How Come, How Long

13) Whitney Houston (Feat Faith Evans & Kelly Price) - Heartbreak Hotel

14) Keyshia Cole (Feat K.T.) - Shoulda Let You Go (Remix)

15) George Michael - Fast Love Part I

16) Lily Allen - Smile

17) Hot Chelle Rae - Let Down

18) Lasgo - Gone

19) Joe Lynn Turner - Heartless

20) Cher - Strong Enough (Club 69 Future Atlantic City Beats Radio Edit)

21) Vertical Horizon - Everything You Want

Most of these songs deal with strictly emotional violence, but Eminem's "Love The Way You Lie" and "How Come, How Long" by Babyface reference actual violence from dysfunctional relationships. They might be difficult to listen to for those of you who may have personal experience in that arena. Imagine if your local stores carried cards for THAT aspect of Valentine's day...

As always, this list is compiled to allow you to endure the hyper-sentimentality of this day. Good luck to you and I'll see you on the other side!!

Who Will Be Your Pretty Little Enemy....

In honor of my completion of the main storyline of Batman Arkham City (I still have to finish the side missions & trophy hunting), I'm posting the lyrics (and a video of the song) of my favorite song from the Arkham City Soundtrack. I present to you: Deranged by Coheed & Cambria

This city’s lost all hope, I repeat, I boast
The strange will walk alone
They scurry with their doubt
The darkness shrouds, the sirens shout
Against the concrete below
Oh, This works all you and me… Its all our being
We'll burn this city down

Who will be your pretty little enemy?
When I’m gone your world will prove empty
I promise, you will always remember me
The jokes on you, poisoning
While you clean the streets of misfortune
I pick the innocent from my dirty teeth
We’re one and the same... Deranged

We were our worst nightmares delight
And I promised you,
As you always knew
Our world’s a paradise

Who will be your pretty little enemy?
When I’m gone your world will prove empty
I promise, you will always remember me
The jokes on you, poisoning
While you clean the streets of misfortune
I pick the innocent from my dirty teeth
We’re one and the same... Deranged

There is no me without you
I will behave, I will be
An afterthought… Your make believe
Your darkest day... your friend in need

Who will be your pretty little enemy?
When I’m gone your world will prove empty
I promise, you will always remember me
The jokes on you, poisoning
While you clean the streets of misfortune
I pick the innocent from my dirty teeth
We’re one and the same… Deranged

HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa
We’re one and the same… Deranged
HaHa HaHa HaHa HaHa
We’re one and the same…

Deranged



*All rights to song & lyrics belong to the artist. I own nothing of this..

Top Ten Movie Songs...

By now, my dear readers, you should all know that I am a unabashed movie lover. However, Loving movies isn't just about collecting a bunch of DVDs and stacking them in a bookshelf or collecting digital copies on an external hard drive. It's about appreciating all aspects of movies: direction, cinematography, acting, writing, and music. Yes, even music. No matter how powerfully written a scene is, adding the right music adds an infinitely greater power to the scene, be it comic or tragic, intense or lighthearted. And music has been an aspect of movies that I have not given props to in this blog. Well that ends right now.

I've compiled my top ten movie songs as an ode to the depth music adds to movies. Now, as always, there are ground rules. The song has to be an actual SONG, meaning having lyrics as well as music. (Musical scores will be in a future post, I promise.) And the song has to be indelibly, inextricably linked to the film. Just because it's a hit song and it was in a movie doesn't make it a real movie song. Ready? Here we go:

10 - From Electric Dreams(1986), Culture Club's "Love Is Love"

We start the list with a little known 80s movie about Miles and his new computer that on one fateful night comes alive thanks to a fortuitous spill of liquid into the machine. One of the best scenes is when the man tries to teach the computer the meaning of love so it can write a love song. The first version was... well horrendous would be too kind a word. After a bit more coaching from Miles, it "composes" the second version of the song to show what it has learned.






The real beauty of this scene is the simplicity of the cinematography. Lyrics on the computer screen and shots of the girl who is the object of both Miles and his computer's love. It enhances the music perfectly. Incidentally, this is the ONLY Culture Club song that I actually LIKE.

09 - From Mortal Kombat(1995), The Immortal's "Techno-Syndrome"

Yes, I know that this song was written specifically for the movie, but very few movie theme songs truly capture the spirit of the movie. I know this movie is horrible, and the fight choreography was even worse. But you have to admit, hearing that battle cry, "MORTAL KOMBAT!!!" just gets your blood pumping and ready for a fight!







For this song, I didn't include a clip from the movie, but this video does capture the spirit of the song even if the end credits kind of ruins the effect.

08 - From Weird Science (1985), Oingo Boingo's "Weird Science"

And we're back in the 80s with a John Hughes movie about 2 teen boys who manage to achieve the Holy Grail of nerddom by creating a real live girl with their computer. Yet, even though they created her, they still can't control her.






It's amazing that the same man who wrote the music for Beetlejuice and the 1989 Batman came up with such a light, pop song that could still touch upon so many of the themes of the film. And thank God too, the movie would not have been the same without it.

07 - From Eddie & The Cruisers 2(1989) - John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band's "Garden of Eden"

This movie was about a man struggling to suppress the music living inside him. Despite the world's loving his previous work.






This particular song is emblematic of the main themes of the movie. A song that sticks doesn't have to have a lot of flash, it only needs to speak to something deep inside you. Even with a simple topic like the struggles of a man trying to get a girl's attentions (and showing a young punk who thinks he's a musician what a REAL artist can do), you can write something that will stay with your audience forever.

06 - From Joe Vs. The Volcano(1990) - Eric Bourdon's "16 Tons"

Joe Vs. The Volcano is a low key movie with high powered actors that just needed the work. It tells the incredible story of Joe, a normal guy working a dead job and happens to him when he's diagnosed with a fatal disease called a "Brain Cloud".







Now this song wasn't written for the movie, just redone. This rock version while upping the power of the original song, also adds to the dank, soul-killing atmosphere that Joe finds himself in at the beginning of the movie and the strength of will it takes to survive in that environment and maybe, just maybe getting OUT of that world.

05 - From Risky Business(1983), Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock 'N' Roll"

Do I really need to introduce this? Really?






This scene is over 25 years old, and yet as soon as that song starts playing the first image that comes to mind is Tom Cruise sliding down the hall and dancing around rejoicing that his parents are gone.

04 - From Say Anything...(1989), Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes"

To know Lloyd Dobler is to love him. Watch this movie and you will know Lloyd Dobler. This movie has so many awesome lines and great moments. This film pretty much sealed my appreciation of John Cusack's talent.






But who can forget that iconic moment with Cusack holding up the boombox as the couple's song plays trying to get his ex to talk to him again? Talk about a moment of movie magic! I was kind of hoping to find a video of the full song with that scene in it, but I had to settle for the music video.

03 - From Highlander(1986), Queen's "Who Want's To Live Forever?"

A movie of immortals roaming the world, in a contant struggle against each other to win the prize of being the last and only immortal left in the world. In the end, there can be only one!






While I have my personal favorite songs from the movie, this particular song speaks to the core themes of the film. How love can make you feel alive & help you pass the endless years of an immortal life. But when you have to watch your loved ones grow old and die, why would you want to live forever? Listening to this song can still bring tears to my eyes.

02 - From Almost Famous(2000), Elton John's "Tiny Dancer"

Almost Famous, the story of a young man chronicling his time with an up & coming band during the early 70s. It's a wonderfully touching coming of age story.






There are times when you're with a group of people that everyone seems to suddenly hit the same vibe. In fact, the movie is mostly about people trying to catch and keep that vibe going forever. This moment in the film captures it perfectly.

01 - From Legend(1985) (U.S. Version), Tangerine Dream's "Loved By The Sun

This is Ridley Scott's simple fairy tale. A story of innocence and love and how easily those can be corrupted. It was also my introduction to Tom Cruise. Looking at the movie 26 years later, I can see all the inherent flaws in the story as well as the production. (Honestly, I would LOVE to see Ridley do a remake of this one. Yet, I still find the movie utterly captivating. It will never lose it's hold on me.







Due to studio interference, Ridley Scott's original vision was never fully seen in the US until very recently. The biggest and most pervasive change was the removal of Jerry Goldsmith's soundtrack for what the studio thought would be a more effective pop soundtrack. I have since seen the original version and the studio made a grevious error with that change... except for this song. It's the one thing from the US version of the movie that I would keep. It captures everything the movie portrays: the simplicity of legendary stories, the majesty of nature, the beauty of love, the allure of innocence and the corosive effect of hatred. The video I selected for this is the best version I could find that represents the true power of this song for me.

And there you have it folks. My top ten movie songs. What are YOUR favorite movie music songs?

Weird Al's Latest...

This is one of the many reasons I hate being sick. Aside from the pain and personal issues, I'm not able to keep up with current events. On June 20th, Weird Al finally released the video to his parody of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" called "Perform This Way". I think Al has completely out done himself this time! Check it out:





Absolutely hilarious!! Although, I would like to see the making of for this video, if for no other reason than to see who was Al's "stand-in" for the video. I can't wait to get this album.

A Love Song Playlist...

It has come to my attention that I come across as someone who has a somewhat harsh view of love. Some say it’s so harsh a view that it’s conceivable that I don’t really believe in love. Now, I am the first to admit that I’m a caustic, sarcastic, cynical kind of guy. But not to believe in love?? I hardly think I’m THAT far gone! I’m just a bit more… critical of love than most. In fact, I’ll prove it. Here is a list of love songs from my own personal collection of music. And before you ask, yes I will swear to the fact.

*places hand on holy object of reader’s choice*

 I swear by all that you deem holy that at the time of this posting, I actually own copies of each and every one of the following songs.

*removes hand from holy object, inspects hand for burns*

01.                       01 – Take That – Rule The World (Full Version)

02.                       02 – NeYo – Closer

03.                       03 – Joy Enriquez – Uh Oh

04.                       04 – Debelah Morgan – I Remember (Rodney Jerkins Extended Remix)

05.                       05 – Savage Garden – Chained To You

06.                       06 – Jessica Simpson – Irresistible

07.                       07 – Bosson – One In A Million

08.                       08 – Leann Rimes – The Right Kind Of Wrong

09.                       09 – Joss Stone, Les Paul, & Sting – Love Sneakin’ Up On You

10.                       10 – Santana (Ft. Alex Band) – Why Don’t You & I

11.                       11 – Soluna – Bring It To Me

12.                       12 – Lionel Richie – Angel (Metro Mix)

13.                       13 – Gloria Estefan – Everlasting Love

14.                       14 – Liberty X (Vs Richard X) – Being Nobody

15.                       15 – Michael Jackson – The Way You Make Me Feel

16.                       16 – Usher (Ft Will.I.Am) – OMG (Album Version)

17.                       17 – Santana (Ft. Michelle Branch) – The Game Of Love

18.                       18 – Marc Anthony – I’ve Got You

19.                       19 – Angel City – Love Me Right

20.                       20 – Al Green – Love & Happiness

Okay? Are you happy now? Satisfied? Good!

An Awesome Cover...

I have to admit, I gave in to peer pressure. After months of being begged, cajoled, threatened, bribed, and finally just brutally pelted with information & media of regarding the new HBO series, Game of Thrones, I finally caved and watched the show. I'm glad I did. The show turned out to be absolutely awesome. From production values to casting, it was simply amazing. I gave a detailed review in an earlier blog posting. While I'm not the only one who loved the opening episode of the show,(HBO renewed the series for a 2nd season based JUST on the ratings for the 1st ep!), I was surprised to see how much attention the opening credit sequence was getting. And that's just the CREDITS people!! The one critique I heard was from my friend, David, who didn't think it was worth all the hype, and more to point of this post, didn't really think the Game of Thrones theme was all that great, either. In case you haven't heard it, here is the opening sequence of the show. Pay very close attention to the music, okay?





Now, that is a great theme, isn't it? It fits the show in so many ways, it's epic but restrained. Powerful, yet focused. This morning, I found a video of a guy at White Noise Lab, who did a rock version of the theme. Check it out:





This is actually a fantastic version of the show's theme. It adds a level of energy to it that make the theme much more powerful. It reminds me of the score of the movie LadyHawke. Thoughts??