December 5, 2006
Redemption Song
It may be the sudden onset of winter, or it may have been reading about Ange's Adventures in Granada with deadlocked reggae and techno freaks, but lately I have found my mind gently drifting to plans for lifting the island's anchor and sailing south to Jamaica for the winter.
I'm not exactly sure why Jamaica is preferable over any other tropical escape, but I suspect it's because I'm a massive Bob Marley fan and while the current generation of so-called reggae doesn't really turn my crank, I simply love old-school reggae.
Currently my favorite Marley tune is "Redemption Song", which is often described as being performed as one of Bob's fervent preacher-like sermons and reading over the lyrics, I can certainly see that interpretation, however, I also have a few person ideas about the lyrics that I'd like to share.
"Old pirates, yes, they rob I;
Sold I to the merchant ships,"
Continue reading "Redemption Song"
November 14, 2006
Road Trippin'
Our clocks have fallen back, which means that darker days are indeed drawing nearer and the winter winds are much colder. Which means that a young boy’s fancy soon turns to thoughts of road tripping! What better way to escape all the flying snow then driving to warmer climbs as fast as possible?
The first 2 weeks of last October (that is, October of 2005) is probably the longest pure road trip I have ever taken, the first leg took Audrey (she’s very good with maps) and myself out to the Grand Canyon, via Colorado and Utah, then back home via what’s left of the infamous route 66.
Over the next while I will do my best to recall the highlights of that particular and other road trips as a little extra nudge to help out folks that may be thinking about hitting the road, but haven’t taken the plunge.
One of the best ways to get the road trip juices following is a little light reading. I recommend “The Bad Girl's Guide to the Open Road
” as good inspiration. It’s light, fluffy and very funny! Just don’t get too inspired!
Add a some tunes, like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and you two will be ready to hit the road with your two favorite allies (the answer is yes), just don’t forget the snacks and supplies!
Road trippin' with my two favorite allies
Fully loaded we got snacks and supplies
It's time to leave this town
It's time to steal away
Let's go get lost
Anywhere in the U.S.A.
Let's go get lost
Let's go get lost
Chorus:
Blue you sit so pretty
West of the one
Sparkles light with yellow icing
Just a mirror for the sun
Just a mirror for the sun
Just a mirror for the sun
These smiling eyes are just a mirror for
So much as come before those battles lost and won
This life is shining more forever in the sun
Now let us check our heads
And let us check the surf
Staying high and dry's
More trouble than it's worth
In the sun
Just a mirror for the sun
Just a mirror for the sun
Just a mirror for the sun
These smiling eyes are just a mirror for
In Big Sur we take some time to linger on
We three hunky dory's got our snakefinger on
Now let us drink the stars
It's time to steal away
Let's go get lost
Right here in the U.S.A
Let's go get lost
Let's go get lost
Blue you sit so pretty
West of the one
Yellow icing just a mirror for the sun
These smiling eyes are just a mirror for
These smiling eyes are just a mirror for
Your smiling eyes are just a mirror for
November 13, 2006
War of the Surreal Worlds
Start with the distinctive voice of Richard Burton:
"No one would have believed in the last years of the 19th century that human affairs were being watched from the timeless worlds of space. That we were be scrutinized as someone with a microscope watches creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. Few men even considered the possibility of life on other planets and yet, across the gulf of space, minds immeasurably superior to ours regarded this earth with envious eyes and slowly and surely, they drew their plans against us."
Next insert a thunderous string arrangement and you have the opening of a rather unusual rock opera (and one of my favorite LPs of all time) from 1978: "Jeff Wayne's Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds
".
I was introduced to this album (yes, album) when I was very young because my father was probably the biggest Moody Blues fan in the world. He was always sitting me down with a pair of ancient headphones stuck to the sides of my head to listen to the Moody's or War of the Worlds, which we were lucky enough to have a cassette tape copy of, although, later, we also gained a copy of the album insert from some unknown source.
Continue reading "War of the Surreal Worlds"
November 11, 2006
Passion Takes Its' Toll
Today’s post is going to be a tour-de-esoterica, covering International Cinema, Techno Groves, a few meaningful song lyrics and perhaps a little philosophy.
At the centre of this romp is Ukraine-born model/singer/songwriter/actress Milla Jovovich (It may be technically correct to call Milla Russian-born, as the Ukraine didn’t become independent from the USSR until 1991, well after her birth). Actually, we’re going to focus on Milla’s acting and music bits, as her career in both are more than enough to snowball this post to epic proportions.
The first time I ever came across Milla Jovovich it was on Much Music and she was just “Milla”, who I momentarily confused in the wife of ex-Canadian Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney, when she was announced as an upcoming live interview. I didn’t really pay much attention to the interview, but I did enjoy the music video for the song “The Gentleman Who Fell”, which has very interesting lyrics, such as this passage:
Continue reading "Passion Takes Its' Toll"
November 5, 2006
Pancho & Lefty
Pancho & Lefty is one of my favorite Willie Nelson songs (well, I like his version the best, it was recently pointed out to me that the song was actually written by Townes Van Zandt), which, like most country music, has been covered by just about every singer under the sun. I love some of the imagery, I can just see a highwayman with “skin like iron and breath as hard as kerosene”.
However, after listening to this song several gazillion times, I started to wonder about the true meaning of the story. On the surface it seems to be about the straightforward downfall of a semi-famous bandito, but after a close examination there seems to be a subtle subtext of betrayal, consider for example the following lines:
Continue reading "Pancho & Lefty"
April 2008