Tuesday, June 26, 2012: TWOfer Tuesday - The "Jackson Browne Isn't Pretending" Edition

My sister took me to my very first concert.  It was one of those No Nukes shindigs that were so popular in the 70's & 80's.  The headliner was Jackson Browne.

I wish I could tell you that it was some memorable experience, that I came away totally changed by my introduction to live rock and roll.  But I can't.  I can't remember one single thing about it.  Maybe I was too young.  Maybe all the No Nukes speeches were too boring.  Who knows.

What I do know is that, since that time, I've come to deeply respect Jackson Browne.  Well, when I say that I've come to deeply respect Jackson Browne, what I really mean is that I've come to realize that Jackson Browne kicks some serious ass.

How many artists who released their first album in 1972 are still going strong?  How many have released critically acclaimed albums through most of those proceeding decades?  How many artists are as respected for their activism as for their artistic integrity, without going so overboard that most people think you've turned into a douchbag (yes, I'm looking at you, Bono).  How many have written so many bitchin' tunes?

Very few, is the answer.

Jackson Browne is an artist.  He's the artist.  He's not just pretending to be cool, talented and respected.

He's the real deal.

Sunday, September 11, 2011: Mahalia Jackson - It Is Well With My Soul

When peace, like a river, attendant my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And he shed His own blood for my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Sunday, October 31, 2010: Michael Jackson - Thriller

Halloween. All Hallow's Eve. The time where all your nightmares come to call.

I have a lot of different thoughts about Halloween, many of them related to my own personal faith and religious beliefs.

But on Halloween, for me, there is one dominate thought that supersedes any other:

If I hear Monster Mash one more frickin' time, I'm going to strangle someone.

There are many ways to go when blogging about songs for Halloween.

This is Halloween from The Nightmare Before Christmas is the straight-out-of-the-gate winner for the obvious choice.  It's an extraordinary, bewitching song, a tour-de-force as a work of art, but unfortunately is a bit lazy for a Halloween blog.

A more historical approach might favour I Put A Spell On You by Screaming Jay Hawkins.  A great choice, but I just couldn't bring myself to look past it's novelty value to fully grant it CSOTD status.

The knowingly hip might chose something along the lines of Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon, which always brings a smile to my face ("and his hair was PERfect").  However, on a personal note, WOL provides the soundtrack to one of my absolute favourite scenes in any movie, and I'm pretty sure I want to save this until I do another Movie Week.

Then there is the full on creep-your-audience-out mode, where something like Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield would fit the bill nicely.  But Mike Oldfield is such a renown musician, and the original Tubular Bells is such an achievement, that it just feels wrong to keep perpetuating the notion that a couple of minutes from a horror movie soundtrack will be this guy's only legacy.

This could go on all night, of course.

As you can see, my Halloween choice was finally narrowed down to Thriller by Michael Jackson.

The best choice, actually.

It combines everything; horror, drama, comedy, music and dance, about some of the funkiest grooves ever laid down, movie quality special effects, a truly disturbing Vincent Price voice over which will haunt your dreams for days and, of course, the late, great Michael Jackson.

The classic MJ.  Probably Beat It is a shade more iconic that this, but only by a hairs-breadth.

It's all there, the inhumanly flexible dance moves, the high pitched yelps, the pre-disfiguration nose.

Will there ever be a performer as multi-talented, as momentous, as memorable, beguiling and as frustrating as Michael Jackson?

I guess we'll need see if we all survive this night before we muse on that.................

Have a great day, and a goulish evening.

See you on the other side