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whoree321 · 3 years

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the bad batch + olivia rodrigo songs

this is kinda super angsty and i didn’t necessarily mean for it to be but also idk what i expected. omega’s is cute but everyone else’s just got more sad the more I wrote lmaoooooo

Hunter: happier

hunter is def the kind of guy after a break up that wants things to be on good terms and genuinely does want to see the other person happy

like i think hunter is the most likely to want to stay friends after a break up

but he also has that pride and ego of not wanting to be replaced or wanting the next person to be better than him

he would be really torn between sincerely wanting the best for them and also battling his own discomfort and insecurity/jealousy at actually seeing them be happy without him

the balance between maturity/respect and that petty need to “win” a breakup would be tricky for hunter to manage

i feel like this song perfectly captures post break up hunter like “i hope you’re happy but don’t be happier” that’s really truly how he’d feel

Crosshair: favorite crime

i think that if crosshair got to a point in a relationship where he really cared about the other person and then they broke up he would feel very much this song

like i know the obvious choice might seem like “good 4 u” like edgy and angsty but I don’t think he would feel so aggressively angry as he would feel just really melancholy about it

like crosshair isn’t the type of guy to have meaningful relationships that he puts his heart into so if he did put himself out there and open his heart up so much he’s not gonna be able to just shut it down (even though he def will act like he doesn’t care at all even a little bit)

he’s gonna feel hurt and taken advantage of by the other person but he’s also gonna blame himself for being so vulnerable and opening himself up to that hurt

like i really feel like in the bridge where its like "everything we broke and all the trouble that we made / but i say that i hate you with a smile on my face / oh look what we became" is very crosshair. thats the bittersweetness he would feel towards someone he really loved that ended up hurting him

Tech: deja vu

this is so tech bc it is really a thorough, itemized, fuck you list

like i feel like it would be very tech to pinpoint all the parts of an ex’s new relationship that they reused from their relationship with him and just be like “hm. interesting. a big fat phony. how does that feel? to be a phony? just asking for a friend”

and that’s also something that would hurt him the most. like knowing that that person had experiences with him and learned things from/with him that he thought were meaningful and then they just go share all of it with someone else? that would be tough for him to take

the lines that specifically give me tech are in the one chorus where it’s like “that was our place / I found it first / I made the jokes you tell to her / when she’s with you” and also in the bridge when it’s like “play her piano but she doesn’t know / that I was the one who taught you billy joel”

i could just see him having detailed notes of his favorite moments of his relationship with that person (like specifically things they learned together or taught each other, new experiences they had together, etc) and then gradually having to sadly mark down when one of them has been used with someone else

it would be a really prolonged hurt knowing how much he valued those things and thought they were special and how much the other person just didn’t think that at all and continuously drives that point home

Wrecker: 1 step forward, 3 steps back

i feel wrecker here in this song bc i think of all the bad batch he is one of the most likely to really drag out a rough relationship in the hopes that it gets better

and I don’t mean that in a shady way at all. but I think crosshair’s self-preservation would kick in, tech would turn to logic and numbers and determine the costs outweigh the benefits and it’s no longer a fruitful relationship, and hunter and echo would have a weird honor code of like “I cannot allow our relationship to cause pain any longer”

but wrecker

wrecker would just be so head over heels and desperate to go back to good times bc he just loves so fully and completely. he falls fast and hard and it would be difficult for him to accept that a once-happy relationship just isn’t salvageable

the line that gets me is really in the chorus like “do you love me, want me, hate me / boy I don’t understand” bc I think that’s exactly how he would feel

wrecker would just be so sad and confused and he would know things were going wrong but it would just be such a whirlwind and he would want it to work out so much that he would let himself stay in an unhappy situation for too long

Echo: traitor

echo is an extremely loyal person and he values loyalty in a relationship so much

when he loves someone and dedicates himself to someone, it is really hard to break that bond. he will stick by them through almost anything

one of the few things that is unforgivable in a relationship to him tho is infidelity. so the hurt and anger in this song I think is something he would really feel in a relationship that ended in a similar situation

like if echo’s s/o was unfaithful to him, even if they didn’t technically cheat on him, it would really cut him to the bone. he couldn’t imagine doing that to someone else and I think he would feel that betrayal from them really deeply

the line in this one that sold it is in the last chorus when she changes it a little and goes “you gave me your word / but that didn’t matter”. like the way she says it is so hurt and that’s how he would feel

losing someone he cared about would really sting for echo (he’s already lost so much), but losing them bc they betrayed his trust, knowing that he really believed in them and he really thought they were someone he could put his faith in and then being wrong? it would be devastating to him

Omega: brutal

this song really captures that chaotic panic of being young and coming into yourself and the world

i think omega is a little young at this point to be feeling a lot of this just yet, but when those teenage hormones and angst settle in this one is gonna hit different for her

it’s just a really good depiction of that like self-consciousness and anxiety of adolescence where you’re so hyper-aware of your flaws and you feel like everyone is looking at you and judging you all the time

and in omega’s position, I imagine when she enters that time in her life it’s gonna feel pretty intense. you can already tell she feels some of it just bc of her life situation and experiences but once you add in the normal hormones and psychological changes it’s gonna be crazy

the most omega line in this song is when she goes “i’m so tired that i might / quit my job start a new life / and they’d all be so disappointed / cause who am i if not exploited?”

LIKE THATS LITERALLY HER @ THE KAMINOANS IN THE FIRST EPISODE THATS BASICALLY EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED

basically it would be her teeny bopper anthem and i love it for her

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creativenicocorner · 3 years

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Piggybacking off of @undeadchestnut ‘s wonderful thoughts in this post (and decided to make my own post because although my thoughts are in the ballpark it might deviate from the posts original intention - and that’s not fair to op )

I am eternally glad I’m not alone in these thoughts! Because I absolutely believe Jim has never resolved his trauma both on screen and off.

And what we see in ROTT is the unfortunate consequences of that, be it as an anxiety induced nightmare or not.

It is a cautionary tale all the same.

The show has always had a sort of brushing away from trauma and skipping away from a moment to mourn (most likely to get to the next pretty thing or fart joke). It’s a little less in season 1 but still.

And yes, that choice could easily be an executive decision in trying to keep the target audience entertained and laughing - which is fair, but also not so fair. It would have been amazing - especially under the brand name of GDT monster lover extraordinaire - for a kids show to take the time to teach its audience that mourning and looking out for yourself is Important and Needed otherwise there’s a risk of self destructive tendencies developing and heightened stress affecting behavior and judgment [ point to slightly out of character Jim ]

Children should learn how to mourn, and know yes it is sad, and those feelings are okay and should learn how to navigate through them in a healthy way. Its just as important as occasionally scaring kids in shows - they are far smarter and cleverer than we give them credit for and sometimes showing sadness and scary things is beneficial! Just look at Inside Out! Or just any interview with Neil Gaiman on the importance of this!!

Gaiman confesses that the “Hansel and Gretel” fairy tale really frightens him, but he does believe that children must be exposed to dark stories. Gaiman thinks that “if you are protected from dark things then you have no protection of, knowledge of, or understanding of dark things when they show up. I think it is really important to show dark things to kids—and in the showing, to also show that dark things can be beaten, that you have power.” quote from here [x]

And while TOA had attempted this they never committed to it! And the attempts and commitments has, in my opinion, depleted since after season one.

Season one ends with Aargh turning to stone, and Jim watching Toby mourn, and in turn making a choice to go into the Darklands alone instead of taking the time to mourn WITH Toby. Season two after showing how Jim in the darklands alone was Not a Great Idea At All and wonderfully shown the teamwork between Jim and Nomura and was saved from Gunmar with the help of Jims friends. That sharing the burden leads to better results than carrying it alone. Season three we have Merlin going ‘no friends! only you!’ and thus begins the return of Jim’s hero Atlas ‘its gotta be me’ complex. Granted!! It’s not always there!! But the instigator sure is.

But I’m getting ahead of myself ldkjg What I’m underlining is Attempts have been made, these topics have been brought up, but there has been a lack of confidence in committing to it. Most likely due to executive and producer influence - which brings me to...

And while we can go as in depth as we want, we cannot ignore the cold hand of that ever present shadow of Capitalism and Showbiz Executives. The company has products to sell and watching kids cry is not going to sell little plush toys. Showbiz gotta showbiz, and when producers think fart jokes sell more toys than tears well..[vague hand gesture] you get some questionable disappointing choices.

But I digress.

ROTT could have had this wonderful potential in showing that Jim has finally learned and accepted that he doesn’t have to do this alone. Putting this immense stress on an individual and not showing how to share the burden leads to questionable choices!! Cue the previously mentioned self destructive tendencies and warped behavior.

The theme discussed as far back as season 2 is ignored, and instead we go digging even more into the whole Atlas spiel when the Atlas thing (I think) was more of a cautionary nickname given by Strickler. It was originally the Titan Atlas’s punishment to hold the heavens. What was a mythological condemnation is treated as Jim willingly putting the weight of every burden on his own shoulders and that’s not okay!! Not great for adults and especially not great for teens!! And while mythologically speaking Atlas does eventually get relieved from his duties with the Pillars of Hercules, Jim does not! He turns away time and again from a support system that could help ease the weight on his shoulders. (yes I know the Pillars has multiple stories, but I’m choosing the power of friendship one on this).

Young Atlas does not choose liberation or Pillars of help in ROTT, he passes the burden of the heavens to Toby instead. Jim does not resolve his trauma but pushes it away, and hurts (unintentionally or not) those around him in the process.

The Krohnisfere - which is a very wonky way of spelling CRONUS or CRONOS or KRONOS (The Titan of TIME btw) - could have been used as a plot device in learning to take the time to process, resolve trauma, and care about yourself.

Which sounds potentially boring mixed in with a bunch of magic and robot mecha fights (well not to me lkjg) but it could have been done in an interesting and creative way!! Jim could learn to take the time tor process and accept help and we could still get the giant mecha pacific rim reference fights (and subsequently sold toys that looked like robots). What I’m Trying to say is, they could have done so much more with all of this and still get this message across.

Anyways ROTT is a cautionary tale on what happens when you don’t take the time to take care of yourself, and subsequently hurt others and (intentionally or not) pass trauma onto others.

So take the time to take care of yourself kids!! Because THAT is how “Krohnisfere will make right.”

Or as Strickler famously quoted Billy Joel’s song James in Season 1, Episode 1 said, “Do what's good for you, or you're not good for anybody.”

This is one hefty 2 cents on my part and a very wordy way of saying HARD AGREE, but what can I say?

ANYWHO I’m HCing Jim wakes up from this nightmare back at his house at the end of Wizards, and asks Barbara and Strickler about potential therapists he can see, and has a heart to heart, and Jim/Young Atlas finally finally learns to accept the Pillars of Hercules/his friends + support group.

Because no one should be condemned to hold up the heavens alone. You’re not alone.

Best Wishes, Nico

#ROTT spoilers #Tales of Arcadia #2 cents #long post #Nico blabs into the void #ToA Rise of the Titans #Trollhunters #Rise of the Titans #spoilers #Jim Lake Jr #James Lake Jr #no one should be condemned to hold up the heavens alone. you're not alone. please take care of yourselves

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perahn · 4 years

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4, Jadesa and/or 9, Khem&Shay

the shuffle was not kind to slave!verse Jadesa

Everybody Has a Dream, Billy Joel

Then all I have are these games that I've been playing To keep my hope from crumbling away

So let me lie and let me go on sleeping And I will lose myself in palaces of sand And all the fantasies that I have been keeping Will make the empty hours easier to stand

It was dark, and Jadesa was alone in her cell. The barakir did this, sometimes, when there were long passages of Mulhorandi. Her fluency in most languages Nishkir Khemuret Xul wrote in was valuable, and there were more and more of those each day. Passages in Giant and Dwarvish and Celestial (which Connor had translated, and she had to get him to teach her before the barakir sold one of them), even Deep Speech. Then there were two in Chondathan, thoughts about Harper in his own native tongue, which was… well, the barakir didn’t care to hear the textual evidence demonstrating how a Red Wizard could fall fathoms deep in love with a worthless, unmagical foreigner, but that didn’t make it go away. Anyway, the point was that Khem had clearly started using a spell to give her more languages to write in, because the borrowed words were only used in the most literal senses, without the idioms and fluency of a language properly acquired.

Actually, no, the point was that a slave who could translate a lot of languages was valuable, but, if you thought like a Red Wizard, a slave who could read everything her masters wrote was potentially dangerous. So when there was a long passage in Mulhorandi, the barakir locked Jadesa away from it. Alone, because the others were still kept at work despite awakening before dawn and the scant hours left before midnight. Which meant no Serannis to gently bore her into sleep with one of his monologues on the nest-building habits of Chultan jungle-fowl – and she’d put herself to sleep for years before she’d met him, and she’d put herself to sleep for all the rest of her life after this project was finished, always assuming she was valuable enough and the barakir wasn’t paranoid enough to simply kill them all once they were no longer immediately useful…

But no point in thinking about that. Slaves shouldn’t think ahead, slaves shouldn’t think, slaves shouldn’t sit in the dark and miss other slaves, slaves shouldn’t wish, slaves shouldn’t remember, slaves shouldn’t – dream -

- but the barakir was paranoid enough to enchant them, every day, against any rival who might learn what he was working on by reading the thoughts of his slaves, and that meant, for almost the first time in her life, that what slaves shouldn’t, Jadesa could, if she wanted.

Mostly she didn’t. Memories had too much power to hurt, and there was nothing she could do about her future, and both of them knew very well why the barakir locked Serannis in with her at night, even if they both pointedly chose not to know -

So, mostly, she thought about the project and what she’d been reading, the account of just how much it took to turn a Red Wizard into something closer to a human being but also the evidence that it was possible – thoughts that were almost safe. She’d tried to imagine what they all looked like – Khem was easy, of course, Jadesa knew what Red Wizards looked like, and they even had a diagram of the tattoo Harper, Shay and Katy had inked into her scalp. She’d recognise Khem, Jadesa thought, by that alone, but surely there would be something more, something of the – kindness – she’d learned carried visibly in her expression?

The others… well, Khem wasn’t big on physical descriptions, but there were clues. Harper was tall – and for a Red Wizard to note it, that meant really tall – and grey-eyed, with a tattooed arm. Shay was grey-skinned and scarred, her hair part-shaven, small for a half-orc. Katy was pale-skinned, with either dark hair or blonde, and a lot of make-up. Jadesa had established faces for each of them, but probably they didn’t look anything like that. Probably she could watch them from a window and never guess, except that they would make a very unusual group in Thay…If they were still alive. She really wasn’t sure: Khem hadn’t been too specific with her dates, and the question was complicated, since Jadesa didn’t think there was any way Khem would have surrendered her journals willingly to the Red Wizards for translation…

If they were alive, perhaps they had gone to Arrabar after all. It was a nice thought, Headmistress Khem in her school by the sea (and Jadesa tried not to remember the sea, glittering, salt and silver, the cry of gulls) with her allies-turned-friends about her. She’d put her red robes away, perhaps, and wear blue, because she wasn’t a Red Wizard any longer. Perhaps grow her hair – well, no, probably not. That might be a step too far, and besides, the mental image was just ridiculous.

Harper would be there, love spoken plain between them. (Cort, of course, would not. Nobody wanted Cort, and, for that matter, Jorran could get over his silly crush or take it somewhere else.) Sometimes that part was hard to imagine – restless, wounded Harper finally at peace, secure in the belief that he was loved – and that Khem, who was so desperately sincere and so bad at expressing it, could give that to him… but Jadesa chose to have faith.

It… helped, somehow.

Katy and Shay, together again, both of them teaching too. Katy would be enthusiastic, loud, passionate; Shay more reserved and patient. She could see them, almost, see the sunshine on the practice yard, the stave heavy in her hands as she sparred; magic wreathing through her fingers; scribbling notes frantically, trying to keep up as Khem lectured about some obscure point of history… The murmur of the sea in the background as she ate lunch, ate food that tasted until she was full, and had enough left over to toss Serannis an apple -

- and then Jadesa realised how far her mind had wandered into dangerous territory, and banished the thought. Stone. Cold, damp stone and darkness.

Reality was a dark stone cell, and slaves shouldn’t dream.

#writing #alternative ethics #jadesabre301 #jadesa #bettydice #don't worry #jadesa has this life in another universe

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analogscum · 6 years

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HARD ROCK ZOMBIES (1985, d. Krishna Shah)

NOTE: I RECOMMEND WATCHING HARD ROCK ZOMBIES BEFORE READING THIS REVIEW IF YOU WANT TO AVOID SPOILERS!

Human ambition is a funny thing. It can lead to great triumphs, but also great tragedies. Without human ambition, we would not have rock n’ roll, the most vital of American art forms. On the other hand, human ambition also lead the Third Reich to exterminate more than six million Jews, Catholics, homosexuals, physically and mentally handicapped, and Romani people. How does this tie in to today’s film, Hard Rock Zombies? Well, for now, let’s just say that it is a testament to both sides of the coin of human ambition that the sickos who made Hard Rock Zombies said to themselves, we’re going to make Hard Rock Zombies…and then actually went out and made Hard Rock Zombies. I’m honestly not sure if I mean that as a compliment or not.

We open on two metalheads riding a T-Bird convertible down a winding desert road. Lo and behold, they stumble upon a buh-buh-buh-baaaaabe hitchhiking. What are they gonna do, NOT invite this bodacious blonde into their sweet ride? We now cut to a dwarf with an eyepatch and a troll dancing around with a guy holding a camera by a river. You read that right. The metalheads and the blonde pull up on the other side of the river, strip down to their skivvies, and do a little skinny dipping. Suddenly, she drowns each of them one by one! And also does something else, because the water turns blood red, but I have no idea what that could be. The camera guy takes pictures of this gristly scene, while the dwarf and the troll celebrate the carnage. They chop off one of the victims’ hands, blondie picks it up and sings “I wanna hold your hand.” Again, you read all of that right.

Cut to: our heroes, the band, whom the movie never bothers to name (seriously, this band has no name), rockin’ out before a sold out crowd. Right away, we’re confronted with the major problem of all of these 80s metal horror movies: these guys just do not sufficiently rock. I mean, they have a synth player, for cryin’ out loud! This was not too long after Van Halen risked losing their metal fanbase by adding synths to “Jump,” because synths were pop, and pop was for pussies. But seriously, these guys make Billy Joel sound like Napalm Death. Oh well, at least the crowd of roughly 12 people seems to be having a good time.

Backstage, the band strip down to their banana hammocks, and their manager, Ron, tells them that they have to have their photos taken with a bunch of groupies. None of the dudes in the band, especially the lead singer, Jesse, seem to want to do this. They’re incredibly ambivalent about potentially sleeping with these women. Which of course is par for the course for 80s metal bands. Most of Motley Crue’s autobiography, The Dirt, is about the dudes politely sipping Earl Grey tea and discussing Nietzsche. We soon get an idea as to why Jesse is not interested in all of these women who want to ride his mullet, and believe me, you’re not gonna like it.

As he’s escaping all of these annoying women who wanna show him their boobs, Jesse runs into Cassie. Now, the movie is not entirely clear on how old Cassie is supposed to be, but let’s just say she’s young. Like, teenage. Like, below the age of consent. She warns Jesse to stay out of the town of Grand Guignol (subtle), where the band is scheduled to play the next night. Jesse instantly falls in love with her, because this movie hates you, and we’re treated to white hot, sexually charged flirting such as this:

Jessie: You're neat.

Cassie: No, I'm not.

Jessie: Yeah, ya are.

Cassie: ...shakes head...

Jessie: Yeah, ya are.

Guys, it’s rare that I make a point of writing down dialogue in these movies that we talk about, but Hard Rock Zombies left me with no choice but to slam that pause button and record some of these lines, because holy macaroni, peep this screenwriting magic:

“I got it from a book. You know, a boooooooook?”

“You guys ready for the show? The loud show? Loud music show? Rock and roll?!?!”

“Oh bullshit, young stupid!”

“You suck, mister! I know it and everyone knows it!”

Eat your heart out, Aaron Sorkin!

So the band arrives in Grand Guignol, and wouldn’t you know it, they pick up the same hitchhiking blonde, who invites them to stay at her family’s mansion. The family is pretty normal, you’ve got blondie, the photographer, the dwarf, the troll, the groundskeeper who, um, is that a Swastika armband he’s wearing, and grandma and grandpa, who speak in thick German accents and we meet them while they’re in the bone zone and the dwarf and the troll are watching them. Oh, and by the way, they’re secretly Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun, and Eva Braun is a werewolf. I PROMISE THAT ALL OF THIS IS TRUE.

As it turns out, everyone in Grand Guignol is a backwards rube who thinks that rock n’ roll is the devil’s music that will lead to “physical sex” (again, actual quote). So they get super duper outraged when the band engages in some antics that wouldn’t be out of place in an episode of The Monkees. They skateboard around, do silly dances, and mug for the camera. The sheriff throws them in jail, the town council cancels their concert, and outlaw all rock n’ roll in general, leading to a scene where everyone throws their records and tapes in a pile and destroys them (again, subtle).

Meanwhile, Jesse and Cassie keep running into each other and falling deeper and deeper in love, and the movie keeps rubbing our faces in their obvious age difference, because apparently the overt Nazi imagery wasn’t cringeworthy enough. Just wait until we get to the song he writes about her, because you’ll have to go to jail once you hear it. They practice at the creepy mansion, and the family tries to electrocute them. That doesn’t work, so instead they murder the band members one by one overnight. The drummer is stabbed in a terrible homage to the Psycho shower scene, the keyboardist is felled by werewolf Eva Braun, I don’t remember what happens to the guitarist, I think he falls out of a window or something, and Jesse is crucified and disembowled with a weed hacker by the groundskeeper. This means Hitler is finally ready to turn California into the fourth reich…here we go…no turning back…complete with gas chambers. Which come into play later. THIS IS ALL FROM A REAL MOVIE THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.

Luckily, before he croaked, Jesse gave Cassie a tape he made of a bass lick that can raise the dead. Look, just roll with me here, ok? You’ve made it this far. So Cassie plays the tape at the band’s grave, and they rise from the dead, ready to get revenge on Hitler and Eva Braun and co. In zombie form, they all sport weird mime makeup that kinda looks like KISS in the early days before they figured out their image, and they walk around as if they’re doing a combination of the robot and the Macarena. These are both choices that the filmmakers made. So they pretty much instantly murderize the Hitler clan with no problems, but whoops, they don’t stay dead for long, because now they’re zombies too, and they’re attacking all the hicks in town, which makes THEM zombies. Now we’ve got Nazi zombies and redneck zombies running around, which is not an ideal situation to say the least, but for now, the band have to go play their big gig.

This is where we finally get to hear Jesse’s love ballad to Cassie in it’s entirety, and, well, here it is…

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“I’m so in love, but you’re so young.” BARF BARF BARF BARF ETERNAL BARF. Anyway, see ya in jail, which is where I live now because of this song!

I’m really loathe to talk about the rest of the movie, because at this point, it takes a turn into goofy comedy, and just completely falls flat. Not that their satirical bits about the PMRC and anti-metal hysteria were all that biting, but at least they were trying to say something, whereas these Zucker brothers-lite groaners are just insufferable. There’s a gag about a girlfriend who’s so possessive of her boyfriend that she won’t let any other women get near his severed head after a zombie rips it off, which the filmmakers obviously thought was beyond hilarious, but is really torturous. Then there’s an even less funny gag where some Pointdexter is like, hey, since zombies are brainless, they must be, like, allergic to brains? So if we all walk around with these giant cardboard cutout heads, they’ll leave us alone? Huh? And of course it doesn’t work, and of course the zombies just eat everybody, and as he’s being devoured, the Pointdexter yells, “Don’t believe everything you read!” Ugggh, read this: you suck, movie.

OK, there is one running gag from this section that I liked: after the troll becomes a zombie, he just eats his own body until he’s a burping skull. I happened to think that was charming and great.

Eventually the townsfolk try to sacrifice Cassie to the zombies, because they read that if the undead feast upon a virgin, then they’ll rest for another hundred years. Whatever. So Cassie is totally about to be gang banged and devoured by zombie Hitler and his gang (wow, what a sentence), when luckily the band shows up, and lures them away by playing that resurrection riff that Jesse learned from a book (you know, a booooooook?!?!) And where do they lure them? Ugh, sorry…here goes…they lure them to the gas chambers, where they’re all gassed to death. You know, like in the Holocaust? I have nothing more to say.

The film ends, in perfect fashion, by spelling co-writer/director Krishna Shah’s name wrong in the credits. Fantastic.

When a movie looks particularly bad, I often like to say that it reminds me of a fake movie meant to play in the background of a real movie. Well, as it turns out, that’s the actual origin story of Hard Rock Zombies. Originally, the film was supposed to be 20 minutes long and featured as the movie the characters in another Krishna Shah production, American Drive-In, go to see. Apparently Shah decided at some point that he could double his profits by turning Hard Rock Zombies into its own feature film. This begs the question: is this where all the Nazi stuff was added? Because it’s easy to imagine characters in a movie occasionally checking in with the drive-in movie and seeing a bunch of rockers rising from the grave, but that Hitler subplot is just so bizarre and so incongruous that I can’t help but think it was tacked on.

Hard Rock Zombies is the craziest film I’ve seen in awhile. It approaches Demonwarp and Spookies levels of what the hell am I watching madness. You genuinely will not be able to predict where this movie is gonna go from scene to scene. However, the tacked on nature of that madness keeps you at arms length a bit, and eventually it just becomes tiresome once you realize it’s not going anywhere beyond mere shock value. I mean, this movie is nearly an hour and forty minutes, and ends with a scene in a goddamn GAS CHAMBER. So, by all means, show this one to your friends, just don’t blame me if they never talk to you again. You may be right, they may be crazy, but in the end, it’s still rock n’ roll to me.

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anxiety-trademark · 3 years

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The week in review:

Raw 10/05 NXT 10/07 NXT UK 10/08 Smackdown 10/09 + Main Event 10/08

Raw:

“This Asuka reign has been spectacular thus far,” d e b a t a b l e

Is Asuka continuing her feud with Zelina? If so, why? If not, why is this 6 woman match happening? Just spinning your wheels some more?

It’s been an interesting experience watching Dana grow throughout the years. Also nice flip by Nattie off of Dana’s headscissors takedown.

Love to see Dana and Mandy matching colors. Tag teams matching gear is my jam. Next is a theme song/name.

Lovely delayed double suplex by Dandy.

Small mistake in Mandy nearly falling over, but I mostly want to compliment the slide her boots did against the mat lmao. That was probably unintended, but looked super smooth.

I actually like Mandy now that she’s not imitating a stripper, but I’d really appreciate it if she could learn new trash talk that isn’t just, “who do you think you are,” repeated ad nauseam.

I don’t watch Main Event, but they should consider having Mandy and Dana wrestle more on there if they don’t already. Those are 2 that can use the consistent practice.

There’s so many minor things Natalya does to keep matches together with greener women. She deserves more respect.

Man these women work incredibly well together. Asuka, Nattie, Dana, Lana, Mandy... so cohesive. Loved that entire ending sequence from the moment Lana and Asuka tagged in. Lana has really increased her speed as well.

I am here to dole out positive praise for the blondes that nobody gives any credit to. Remembering where Dana was in 2016, Lana was in 2017, or even Mandy was in 2018, and seeing them all now? They get my applause. The midcard on Raw is entertaining, sue me. Fun match.

pppfffftttttt love how Zelina just slowly slinks outta the ring like, “yeahhhh have fun with that, this ain’t my fight peace.”

Alright ngl, I am now starting to get sad that Lana is getting rekt nearly every week. rip. First match of the night btw and the commentators are losing their desk lmao.

Does KO have to spell out everything happening in wrestling? Sir I actually pay attention to the stories y’all be telling me. Can I get a condensed version?

“He’s everywhere,” Alexa is creepy and compelling, I’m gonna keep singing her praises til she gives me a reason not to.

I personally just hope Fiend uses new gloves for every new victim, what with covid and all.

“Bury a body together in the woods,” SIR.

I like that Alexa is kept separate from Bray and is solely attached to Fiend. I know that’s going to change, but for now, I like that line being drawn in the sand.

Omg he shed tears. Whew.

Why y’all allergic to showcasing Bianca against people who I fucking recognize lmao.

Again, I know she’s a college graduate. I know she’s smart on some fucking level. Telling me why the sky is blue (cept not really as it just appears that way) AIN’T IT THOUGH.

Put her in a match, that’s where she needs the most work. Jesus.

Oh good we get to hear Nia’s music on the way to the ring. She has the superior theme.

Nia body checking Ruby in the corner. I felt that.

I like Shayna’s joint manipulation, I only wish she’d wear down her opponents before she started in on it, cuz it drastically slows down the pacing of the match. There’s a spot for it if you get the momentum of the match going first, but she almost always just jumps straight into this.

Ruby getting rekt. What Riott Squad need is a good showing. Not to be damn near demolished. I doubt anyone actually expected them to win this match, but come on.

At least Shayna sold the tornado ddt well.

Meh could’ve been a better showing for RS. Kind of disappointing. Liv didn’t even use any offense to break the Kirifuda Clutch, just yelled dramatically af. Tears galore.

Highlight: Seeing Lana/Mandy/Dana improve & work cohesively with veterans in Nattie & Asuka

---

NXT:

Isn’t nxt supposed to be the brand that hides a performer’s weakness? Why does Ember Moon have a mic in the middle of the ring? Have her do a quick interview in the back, or better yet wrestle. Hello??

Don’t thank them, they are your coworkers, and only one of them even said welcome back. sigh.

GIRL I’M SHOCKED THEY LET YOU TALK ON THE MIC TOO like for what reason???

This is why Ember Moon will never be a champion on the main roster jfc. At least she can get away with being nxt champ if she refrains from speaking.

Well damn I was actually interested in Rhea’s promo, thanks a lot Raquel smh.

Io’s like “...nah, I’m good right here.”

Io is a woman of few words, but they are always flawlessly spoken and drenched in logic. Still a huge fan of her as champion.

Storytime. Becky Lynch has named 2 people as potential break out stars that could reach (close to) the heights she has reached. Sonya Deville was one, whom I believe Becky was right on the money with, and Toni Storm was the other. Now I don’t see whatever the hell Becky sees in Toni, but damn it if she was right about Sonya, I want her to be right about Toni as well. So I hope this heel turn actually brings the fire, decent acting, and passable promos from her.

Toni has a swagger you can’t teach; she has an aura and confidence to her. There are just some pieces that have been missing. We’ll see though, I’ll give her a clean slate to win me over.

*The Garganos receive a gift* No.

I kind of like that there’s an unspoken agreement between Raquel and Dakota that Dakota is the star who should win the title, with no lingering feelings of animosity or resentment between them.

Anyway Dakota you lost to Io, plz lol.

*The Garganos see potential in Indi Hartwell* No.

I hate Shotzi’s entrance and dialogue so damn much lmao. She’s so annoying, I’m not sorry. I’ll give her props in the ring where I see fit, but her personality is such a turn off to me.

Such a short match that I have nothing to say about it. Good for Shotzi gaining some momentum. Still waiting to see where Xia Li goes with these losses amounting.

Cool one of the best themes has been changed :/ rip Ember’s og theme.

Sloppy, sloppy attempt at a standing crucifix by Ember. oof.

Ember is short but she can sure jump high, this is true.

Ember plz sell.

Jeeze I nearly forgot how good Ember’s suicide dive is. One of the best, truly.

Great bump onto the floor by Rhea.

Flat landing by Dakota. Bravo. Love how Dakota bumps Rhea’s bench press.

No excuse for Dakota not tagging in when Ember got the tag. Awkward.

Looked more like a modified flatliner rather than a uranage, but sure.

Love watching Dakota and Rhea work together. They have great chemistry.

LOVE Dakota’s Kairopractor. One of my favorite moves in nxt.

Great save by Raquel, great ddt taken by Raquel.

Sloppy “powerbomb” from Ember to Dakota... that’s a yikes. Ember indeed has ring rust. Eclipse is still a thing of beauty though, so there’s that.

I just want to say, I really like Rhea as a babyface and I hope wwe doesn’t turn her heel when she moves to the MR.

Highlight: Dakota & Rhea working together is always a treat

---

NXT UK:

Tell me why the beginning of Dani’s theme reminded me of White Wedding by Billy Joel? The lack of lighting in her entrance does her song a disservice.

Really like Nina’s theme... irritating how they cut off Amale’s theme so quickly to introduce her, though.

HAHA Xia tried kipping up out of the leg scissors and she got popped on the midsection.

Lovely escape...? Alright well, fill the dead air with meaningless comments I guess. No, don’t pipe in applause for that.

Twisting her arms in reverse and then forward accomplished nothing.

I appreciate Dani’s underrated strength.

Decent reverse suplex by Nina.

Deadweight suplex by Dani. Nice.

Amale is... abysmally green.

Took a beautiful German suplex, though.

Do not like Xia’s finisher.

This match wasn’t a mistake, but man talk about lower card.

Much like I did with Toni Storm, all I see when I look at Piper now, is when she cried during the match with KLR lmao. Round of applause for KLR making all of her opponents cry kekekek.

“[KLR] better watch what she says, or else..” or else what? More of y’all gonna cry in her direction? oof your champ is HEAD AND SHOULDERS above everyone else on that roster, plz.

Sure she’s held the title for a year cuz of the pandemic, but if we remove all of that time UK spent isolated, she should still hold that title for a year minimum. Whenever someone wants to exhibit possessing the full package she has, they can step up. Even on the mic, KLR is untouchable.

Lol y’all can waltz out pissy all you want. I laugh.

“We've got witches that can't cast spells, Valkyries that can't fly, and these two can't even get along long enough to challenge me. And here she is, the worst of them all, the ultimate letdown... a piper that plays to my tune.” LMFAOOO. This is such a good promo, I can’t.

Knowing NXT, they’ll throw them in a battle royal to decide Kay Lee’s next opponent. Should run a tournament though.

KLR makes that title prestigious, goodbye.

Highlight: Fantastic KLR promo

---

Smackdown:

Alright real talk, why did Sasha get a title shot here? Why would Bayley give it to her without a struggle when she damn well knows Sasha could easily be the one to take it from her? When was it even accepted by Bayley?

Tbh I kind of hate this feud unless they’re in the same room/arena together. They work magic together, truly, but all of the inbetween stuff was garbage.

Love how Sasha just wants to beat the crap out of Bayley. Solid stuff.

Lol Bayley goes to leave lololol.

These are some clean counters and roll throughs. Always give props to Sasha for her counters.

See, cool, Sasha and Becky’s hiac match was set up with a chair, too... cept they had a great match for 15 mins and then brawled all over the arena. This could’ve all been set up SO much better. Then again tbf, it doesn’t even make sense for Bayley to accept this match with her to begin with, so I get the intentional dq as quickly as possibly on Bayley’s behalf. Would’ve been better if a gm had set this match up instead.

Great acting by Sasha.

How long til KO just pops Bliss across the face? No I’m kidding, wwe would never do that. Setting fire to someone, on the other hand...

Nothing about this promo felt genuine to me; the delivery was subpar.

When does Alexa receive an upgrade from ‘supportive mistress’ to ‘queen that helps fuck up Fiend’s victims’? I do appreciate them taking their time with her arc, it’s rare to see them do such a slow burn and not drop the ball with it.

Highlight: Sasha’s aggression in the ring

---

*BONUS*

Main Event:

The sheer hatred I have for Peyton’s theme. Awful.

Peyton vs Billie matches reminds me of the type of stuff I used to skip back in the late 2000s.

You watch best friends Sasha/Bayley, and you see some innovative, impactful moves. You watch best friends Becky/Charlotte, and you see 2 people beating the absolute shit out of each other with vitriol. You watch best friends Billie/Peyton, and you see 2 people who are afraid of hurting one another :/

Nice roll through pin by Billie.

Positive: there’s no crowd to boo them.

Just noticed the bottom row of monitors are behind the barricade, and I just want to know why tf they exist lmao.

Oh perfect, the second I began to regret turning this on, it ended. Okay anyway.

---

*NXT shined the brightest. Love how they utilized their women’s division, even if some of it was a hit or miss. Also love seeing Dakota and Rhea work together.

#wwe #issa review #feel free to ignore these #cuz who tf cares lesbihonest #today's props goes to:#dakota kai

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ebaeschnbliah · 7 years

Text

SPINNING THE PLATES

__________________________________________________

Some musings on the short cases at the beginning of TST

Had no idea how interesting and amusing it would be to take a closer look at them. Each one is a little treasure on its own.

Dusty Death _______________________________________

I won’t name the client out of respect but she came to us because of her late husband. His body was recovered from the sea near Falmouth ...

FEMALE CLIENT: He drowned, Mr Holmes. That’s what we thought but when they opened up his lungs ... sand.

SHERLOCK: Superficial.

Drowned? What immediately comes to mind when I hear that word is ... Carl Powers, Redbeard, Victor, John. But also Sherlock himself. Ajay pushes him under water in TST. Jim wants 'to go over the fall' together with Sherlock. There is the maths professor who got pushed over a waterfall in TAB. 'Deep Waters .... all your life, Sherlock' .... indeed. (On drowning and suffocating)

The question though is .... what does Sherlock mean by 'superficial'? The water or the sand? Maybe both? Did that man die for some other reason?

The other cases are under the cut .....

Wrong Thumb _____________________________________

Mr Hatherley came straight round to Baker Street in a terrible state. He was white as a sheet and bleeding from an awful wound in his hand. Exactly how he came by this wound was at first confusing ...

SHERLOCK: Come back! It’s the wrong thumb!

'By the pricking of my thumbs?' What a mysterious case! How does one lose a thumb which doesn't even belong to oneself? Indeed, confusing ....

One more thumb for poor Mrs. Hudson to find in the fridge?

And then there is Sherlock's website ... The Science of Deduction. Quite an interesting change has been made from PILOT to ASIP.

JOHN: You said you could identify a software designer by his tie and an airline pilot by his left thumb. (ASIP)

JOHN: You said you could identify a software designer by his tie and – what was it? – a retired plumber by his left hand. (PILOT)

Why has the 'retired plumber' in PILOT been replaced by an 'airline pilot' in ASIP I wonder? Why change such an unimportant little bit of text at all? What difference does it make? A tie and a left thumb .....

And an airline pilot .... hm .... maybe it comes in handy someday to identify 'the one in the cockpit' correctly by his thumb? Maybe such a thumb makes the difference between 'flying' and 'driving' ... between 'pilot' and 'driver'. :)))

The Duplicate Man _________________________________

How could Dennis Parkinson be in two places at the same time? And murdered in one of them?

JOHN: Sherlock ... SHERLOCK: It’s never twins.

How can someone accomplish something like this without being twins? Well .... I assume one can die inside a Mind-Palace and be quite alive in 'reality'. Or the other way round? But I would really prefer the first variation.

The Circus Torso ___________________________________

A limbless body found decomposing inside a trunk in left luggage office in Waterloo Station couldn’t be identified...

The Canary Trainer

Andrew Wilson was an unusual man with an unusual hobby. He seemed to have no Connection with the man whose life was so abruptly ended one freezing night in November...

SHERLOCK: Hopkins, arrest Wilson. Dimmock, look in the lymph nodes. You may have nothing but a limbless torso but there’ll still be traces of ink left in the lymph nodes under the armpits. If your mystery corpse had tattoos, the signs’ll be there.

HOPKINS: So he’s the killer? The canary trainer? SHERLOCK: ’Course he’s the killer.

Oh, this is really a very nice case. A twin case one might say. :) A 'circus torso' and a 'canary trainer' .... well, well ....

Canariy birds ... they are lovely song birds, native to the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands. Spanish sailors brought them to Spain and England. Soon they became the birds of kings and queens. Monks breeded them but sold only males ... because only males sing. Thus they could keep the birds in short supply, which drove the price up. For some time only very rich people could afford canaries. But then other countries obtained females as well and soon canaries became one of the most popular domestic birds. Canaries are available in several colors but the most common one is ..... yellow.

The picture of the woman in the wheelchair is from 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. In that movie canaries play a role as well.

'Yellow' combined with 'circus'? What about 'Yellow Dragon Circus'?

Sherlock the 'dragon slayer' .... will he have to fight 'M the Yellow Dragon`? The mysterious 'circus director'? The one who shot General Shan? The secret puppet master behind the curtains? Unfortunately there are a lot of Ms involved in this story. Who might the the right one be?

And of course there's a double connection to 'Yellow Face':

ACD - Norbury .... Sherlock suspects the case to be very 'sinister' and then it turns out it's all about love. Not the slightes bit of crime involved at all. (X)

Sherlock BBC Norbury - Vivian Norbury the one who betrayed everyone. Fake AMO. Selling secrets to earn money. (X)

The 'limbless body' ... the 'circus torso'? That reminds me of another body with missing legs:

HOLMES: That’s the trouble with dismembered country squires – they’re notoriously difficult to schedule.

BILLY: Did you catch a murderer, Mr Holmes? HOLMES: Caught the murderer; still looking for the legs. Think we’ll call it a draw.

Found in a 'trunk': A little word game again? Because 'trunk' has different meanings. It can be a chest or a case ... a suitcase maybe? A pink one? Or even the boot of a car? (It can also be the nose of an elephant ... :)

And finally .... the missing tattoo!

The secret tatto Sherlock deduces about Mary in TEH is one of the few things he doesn't share with Mary (X). Not yet at least. But I wouldn't be surprised at all if it turns out that Sherlock has such a secret tattoo as well. :) Like the appendix scar ....

The Cardiac Arrest _________________________________

Joel Fentiman was found strangled in the bedsit he shared with his brother. They had always got on well and there was no sign that this situation had changed...

SHERLOCK: The heart medication you are taking is known to cause bouts of amnesia.

Mr FENTIMAN: Yes, um ... I think so. Why? SHERLOCK: Because the fingerprints on your brother’s neck are your own.

Amnesia? Hm .... maybe Mr. Fentiman's brother doesn't 'opt to remember'? Could the medication he takes be related to TD12? Ignorance is bliss?

Killing a sibling? Mr. Fentiman isn't the only one in this show who did this. Zhi Zhu the 'spider' .... Soo Lin's brother Liang shot his sister because she refused to work with him. Because she ended their surely close relationship. They were orphans after all. And this leads directly back to the Yellow Dragon Circus.

The Jellyfish

... we could never have known there was a potential assassin lurking close by. An assassin who turned out to be...

JOHN: A jellyfish?! SHERLOCK: I know. JOHN: You can’t arrest a jellyfish! SHERLOCK: Well, you could try. JOHN: We did try.

Assassin? Lot's of a assassins in this story.

the one who shoots General Shan in TBB

the Golem in T'GG

the mysterious snipers at the pool in TGG

the four assassins Mycroft points out to John in TRF

the assassin(s) who shoots two of the assassins in TRF

the three snipers Jim mentions

Mary and the four AGRA agents ... Ajay, Alex and Gabriel

Yellyfish? Aequoria Victoria provids the GFP gene which made Bluebell the rabbit glow in the dark. (THOB)

A lot of jellyfish are involved in TST. They can be spotted actually behind everyone. Here a nice jellyfish meta by @devoursjohnlock

That's it. That's everything that comes to mind when I think about this short cases at the beginning of TST.

I leave you to your own deductions. Thanks @callie-ariane for the scripts.

August, 2017

@gosherlocked @loveismyrevolution @monikakrasnorada @sherlockshadow @sagestreet @sarahthecoat @darlingtonsubstitution @kateis-cakeis @221bloodnun

#Spinning the plates #the Little cases #tst

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noramoya · 7 years

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“Perhaps the most common trait associated with celebrity is narcissism. In 1988, Jackson certainly would have had reason to be self-absorbed. He was the most famous person on the planet. Everywhere he travelled, he created mass hysteria. The day after his sold-out concert at Prater Stadium in Vienna, an AP article ran, “130 Fans Faint at Jackson Concert.” If the Beatles were more popular than Jesus, as John Lennon once claimed, Jackson had the entire Holy Trinity beat.

Yet while Jackson enjoyed the attention—indeed, even thrived on it in certain ways—he also felt a profound responsibility to use his celebrity for more than fame and fortune. In 2000, The Guinness Book of World Records cited him as the most philanthropic pop star in history. Over his lifetime, he reportedly gave over $300 million dollars to charity, including to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, the NAACP, UNICEF, and the Red Cross, among dozens of others. “When you have seen the things I have seen and travelled all over the world, you would not be honest to yourself and the world to [look away],” Jackson said.

This indeed was the point of his hit song, “Man in the Mirror,” which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the spring of 1988. The song was about a personal awakening. It was about recognizing that change does not happen on its own. It requires that people become aware, that they care about more than themselves, and do something. “Who am I to be blind/ Pretending not to see their needs,” Jackson sings. His performances of the song on the Bad World Tour were both the climactic finale of the show and its parting message. “Make that change,” he summoned his audiences. In an era often characterized by individualism, greed, and materialism, it was an anthem of conscience and responsibility. Jackson donated all of the proceeds of the song to Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, which assisted children suffering from cancer.

Even more significant than giving money, however, Jackson gave his time. At nearly every stop on his Bad World Tour, he visited orphanages and hospitals. Just days before arriving in Vienna, while in Rome, he stopped by the Bambin Gesu Children’s Hospital, handing out gifts, taking pictures, and signing autographs. Before leaving, he pledged a donation of over $100,000 dollars. Before a concert in London at Wembley Stadium he visited Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital—the hospital to which author J.M. Barrie famously gifted the copyright, and royalties, for Peter Pan. Jackson spent hours talking to, holding, and comforting children at the hospital, some of whom were terminally ill. According to a local news story, the pop star “sat some on his knee and told them stories”; he also “handed out dozens of presents, albums, photos, and T-shirts.” Jackson donated 100,000 pounds to the hospital. In addition, he left an undisclosed amount of money to the Wishing Well Fund to help the London’s Hospital for Sick Children, which he also visited during his stay.

Throughout the Bad World Tour, before and after concerts, Jackson had under-privileged and sick children brought backstage. “Every night the kids would come in on stretchers, so sick they could hardly hold their heads up,” recalls voice coach Seth Riggs. “Michael would kneel down at the stretchers and put his face right down beside theirs so that he could have his picture taken with them, and then give them a copy to remember the moment. I couldn’t handle it. I’d be in the bathroom crying. The kids would perk right up in his presence. If it gave them a couple days’ more energy, to Michael it was worth it.”

Everywhere the tour travelled, Jackson tried to give back in some way. In Detroit, he donated $125,000 to the city’s Motown Museum; in New York City, he gave $600,000 to the United Negro College Fund; in Japan, he gave $20,000 to the family of a young boy who was murdered, and hundreds of thousands more to hospitals and schools. When the tour was over, he auctioned off his personal items, with all the proceeds going to UNESCO. This was the man whom British tabloids had taken to calling “Wacko Jacko,” of whom People magazine, less than a year earlier, declared on the front cover: “He’s back. He’s bad. Is this guy weird or what?” Jackson’s kindness and compassion was not good copy; if it made the news at all, it was usually buried behind stories about his plastic surgery or pet chimpanzee.

Jackson’s philanthropy on the Bad World Tour was not new. In 1984, after his hair infamously caught fire while filming a Pepsi commercial, Jackson established the Michael Jackson Burn Center as part of the Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, one of only a handful of badly needed burn centers in the Los Angeles area. “I wanted to do something,” he said, “because I was so moved by the other burn patients I met while I was in the hospital.” Jackson suffered excruciatingly painful second-degree burns on his scalp, but hospital staff remembers him spending much of his time visiting and comforting other patients. Jackson donated the entire amount he received from Pepsi for the accident—$1.5 million dollars—to the Burn Center. That year, Jackson also donated all of his performance money from the Victory Tour to charity—an estimated $5 million dollars.

In 1985, Jackson joined the U.S.A. for Africa effort, helmed by actor and activist Harry Belafonte and music manager Ken Krager. Inspired by the U.K. charity effort, Band Aid, and its musical vehicle, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” Belafonte’s vision was to bring American artists together for an urgent cause: to raise money and awareness for a famine in Ethiopia that was leaving hundreds of thousands of people, including young children, starving and destitute. The famine was caused by a combination of factors: a complicated civil war, a corrupt government, and one of the most severe regional droughts on record. By 1985, an estimated one million people had died, according to the United Nations. Belafonte reached out to producer Quincy Jones about putting together a song for U.S.A. for Africa. Jones, in turn, reached out to Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson. Since Stevie Wonder wasn’t available, Jackson and Richie charged ahead.

Jackson’s goal was to write a simple melody that anyone could hum, across cultures and nations, even if they didn’t understand the lyrics. For “We are the World,” he remembers going into dark spaces, a closet or a bathroom, and trying to imagine the people in Ethiopia: their lives, their suffering, their humanity. When he came up with some notes, he had younger sister Janet listen in. “What do you see when you hear this sound?” he asked her. “Dying children in Africa,” she responded. “You’re right,” Jackson responded. “That’s what I was dictating from my soul.”

Jackson continued to develop the song with Richie in the ensuing days and weeks. By early January, he had recorded a solo demo and sent it to Quincy Jones. Jones loved what he heard. “A great song lasts for eternity,” the producer later reflected. “I guarantee you that if you travel anywhere on the planet today and start humming the first few bars of that tune, people will immediately know that song.”

The official recording session was scheduled for January 22, 1985 at A&M Recording Studio in Los Angeles. As Jones planned it, the stars would head over immediately after the American Music Awards, held that night at the Shrine Auditorium. He famously left a sign at the front of the building that read, “Check your egos at the door.” The list of legends that filed in that night was remarkable: Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Steve Perry, Tina Turner, Cyndi Lauper, Willie Nelson, and Paul Simon, among dozens of others. "Here you had 46 of the biggest recording stars in the entire world in one room, to help people in a far-off place who were in desperate need,” recalled Jones. “I don’t think that night, that experience, will ever truly be duplicated again. I know and believe in the power of music to bring people together for the betterment of mankind, and there may be no better example of this than the collective that was ‘We Are the World’ ”.

Jackson skipped the American Music Awards that night and headed to the studio early to record his part. When the rest of the artists arrived, he, Lionel, Stevie, and Quincy helped them learn their individual parts and the chorus. He characterized the creation and recording process as a “spiritual” experience. Most of those in attendance agreed. They describe a genuine sense of joy, unity, and purpose. “Every second of that night was magical,” remembers Quincy Jones. “As artists, we are all just vessels for God’s whispers, and I know God walked through the studio that night, a couple of times.” The final result, completed around 8:00 am, was a majestic, gospel-infused, seven-minute anthem that weaved the together the vocals of some of the greatest artists of the 20th century. The New York Times praised it as “more than an unprecedented communal collaboration among pop music’s elite for a good cause—it is an artistic triumph that transcends its official nature.”

Some critics, of course, scoffed at the self-righteousness of the charity event—and the song. But Quincy Jones and Harry Belafonte were having none of it. “Anybody who wants to throw stones at something like this can get off his or her butt and get busy,” said Jones of its critics. “Lord knows, there’s plenty more to be done.” What impressed Belafonte most was simply the willingness of its participants to use their talents for an important cause. “Here you are with dozens of the best and most powerful artists in popular culture, who had relegated their managers to a place in Siberia — and as a consequence, it was completely art on art.“

“We are the World” was released that March and quickly became the fastest selling single in history, shifting just under a million copies in its first three days. It became the bestselling song of the 1980s, eventually selling over 20 million copies worldwide. More importantly, it helped generate proceeds of over $60 million dollars, which were used to send over 120 tons of supplies to Ethiopia, including high-protein biscuits, water, medicine, tents and clothing. Later funds were also used for over seventy recovery and development projects.

Jackson was proud of what the song accomplished. The idea of thousands of malnourished children being fed because of a simple song thrilled and inspired him. It showed him in a very concrete way the power of music to bring people together, to raise awareness and action.

Yet he also realized it wasn’t enough. “We Are the World” didn’t end hunger or poverty; it didn’t solve the complicated socio-political issues, power dynamics and institutional corruption that were largely to blame for the severity of the African famine. Critics were quick to point out these shortcomings, often deriding Jackson as “self-indulgent” and “naïve” for trying. Songs like “We Are the World” and “Man in the Mirror” were dismissed as simplistic, utopian sentimentality. Music critic Greil Marcus wrote off the former song as nothing more than a Pepsi jingle, while the New York Times’ Jon Pareles dismissed the latter as “activism for hermits.” Jackson’s social vision offered global idealism, triumph and easy resolution, they argued, while the material conditions of the real world only worsened. It was a critique that haunted Jackson while he toured. He believed the critics had it wrong; he believed they couldn’t feel what the music meant to people—what it meant to him. Change, he believed, began within individual hearts and minds. And that’s where art reached people. Yet he wasn’t self-satisfied. In a 1987 interview with Ebony/Jet, Jackson was asked: Eboni : When you look in the mirror, are you happy with what you see? MJ : “In what way?” he responded. Eboni : Just when you look – in terms of that social philosophy? MJ : “I’m never totally satisfied,” he said. “I always wish the world could be a better place. No, not at all.”

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thereallygoodblogshow · 5 years

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MA Fashion and Textile Practices Major Project Path - 20th August

The last song lyrics featured on my Anarchist of Love T-shirt are, in my opinion, some of the most beautiful lyrics written about love. I knew that when I got to writing about the song ‘Make You Feel My Love’ by Bob Dylan - from his 30th studio album Time Out of Mind - there would be tears - and there was. There is something so achingly romantic about the way he is trying to convince the object of his affection that he is the one for them. Although his version is the original, it has been covered by so many people, notably Adele in 2008 on her debut album 19. I have never been a fan of Dylan’s voice and his rendition, although still great, doesn’t quite do it for me, it’s the lyrics which shine though.

youtube

Bob Dylan [The Shadow]. (2017, Jun 4). Bob Dylan | Make You Feel My Love (ORİGİNAL) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ItmlGRB718

Dylan is an American singer and songwriter who came to prominence in the 60′s through his folk/rock renditions. He is probably best known for his songs adopted by the anti-war and civil rights movements at the time, such as ‘The Times They Are a-Changin’ and ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’. Dylan is classed as one of the greatest songwriters of all time and has sold over 100 million records. Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 he has won countless awards, and in 2016 won the Nobel prize for literature. He was one of the first musicians to use the electric guitar, which especially for a folk artist in the mid 1960′s was unheard of. This move was inspiring to so many other bands and paved the way for acts like The Beatles to go electric.

I love the song and just reading the lyrics bring a tear to my eye, but it wasn’t until I heard Adele’s version of the song, and the way her voice expresses the songs sentiments, that I really began to appreciate its content.

youtube

Adele [XL Recordings]. (2008, Sept 25). ADELE - 'Make You Feel My Love' [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0put0_a--Ng

Adele initially was reticent about using the song on her debut album 19. Her manager, who was a big Dylan fan, finally convinced her to add the song after playing it to her at her hotel in New York. Adele (2018) said of that moment:

“And then I heard it in New York when he played it for me, and it just really touched me. It’s cheesy, but I think it’s just a stunning song, and it really just summed up everything that I’d been trying to write in my songs.”

I never looked at the song as being cheesy, although it has been covered by countless artists, Billy Joel, Kelly Clarkson, Brian Ferry to name but a few, I just took it that the song meant so much to other artists. There have been some rather negative comments by music experts, like Greg Kot (2018) from Rolling Stone magazine said the song on the album was like a...

“Spare ballad, undermined by greetings card lyrics’

and similarly Ian Bell (2018) - the Canadian Folk musician said the song...

“Should have been shipped off instantly, gratis, to Billy Joel, Garth Brooks, and the rest of the balladeers who would take the vapid things to their sentimental hearts.”

Oh dear, it seems that the song was considered cheesy to some, but it could be argued that like art, music is subjective. I know I love it and will no doubt continue to cry each time I hear it, so maybe it’s me that’s cheesy! I chose the lyrics ‘There’s nothing that I wouldn’t do/To make you feel my love’ because the song manages to say so succinctly how deep love can reach, and that we would go to any length to have it.

Websites:

BBC Bitesize. (n.d). Bob Dylan: Make You Feel My Love. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z7htng8/revision/1.

Attwood, T. (2018). Dylan’s Make You Feel My Love revisited. Misery, rain, nagging, tears, hunger, black and blue,. Retrieved from https://bob-dylan.org.uk/archives/9139.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame . (n.d). Bob Dylan. Retrieved from https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/bob-dylan.

Harris, S. (2018). The 50 best love songs of all time. Retrieved from https://www.timeout.com/newyork/music/50-best-love-songs.

Radio X. (2019). The 100 Best Indie Love Songs. Retrieved from https://www.radiox.co.uk/features/x-lists/best-indie-rock-love-songs-of-all-time/.

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topweeklyupdate · 7 years

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TØP Weekly(/Monthly) Update #44: Well That Was Fast (7/23/17)

How goes, friends. Three weeks ago, I wrote what I thought would be my last weekly update for at least several months. “They’re going on hiatus,” they said, “You won’t have enough content for months.” they said. But they didn’t count on one thing: Joshua. William. Dun.

...And, actually, a few other things. The last three weeks have given us more than enough content to give all two of you who have missed my combination of rambling and dorkery your fix. Again, I write this thinking it will be the last time I’ll write anything for several months, but who’s to say?

This Week’s TØPics:

Sleepers and Closing the Eye

Josh at the APMAs/WTF is DEMA?

Goldfinger Album Release

We Know That Our Band Did Well in 2016... But How Well?

Major News and Announcements:

There’s been a fair bit of shenaniganry since the boys put a cap on the Blurryface Era. First, as expected, Mark dropped the final Sleepers vid. Peeps cried. Mark got some great shots. Josh got a boo-boo playing in the ocean at Hangout. Artopia notably wasn’t featured, which was a little disappointing, but it was still a great vid. The Sleepers series ended with a nifty animation of an eye closing, and we were all like, “Yeah, that makes sense, it’s called Sleepers, Tyler talks about sleep all the time, nothing new to see here.”

Then, a week later, Tyler (or somebody on the team, but let’s be real, it was Tyler) decided to destroy us.

Over the course of one day, all of TØP’s social media accounts changed their images every hour or so, in a series of pics that featured a red-filtered POV shot of a concert audience. Each image progressively shrunk in the manner of a closing eye, and each featured a different lyric related to sleep or saying goodbye mirrored across the crowd. Interestingly, the o’s in the final message were not crossed out, and instead the e’s have received horizontal slashes, perhaps indicating that the next era will feature the last part of the |-/ logo in its typography. Some people/publications freaked out, speculating it was a countdown to a new single or album, but it was pretty obvious that it was just one more nail in the coffin for the era, especially by the time it reached the above image. They’re done. They’re on hiatus. They’re not releasing music anytime soon. They’re just going to become a bunch of hermits.

...At least, until two weeks later, when Josh singlehandedly revived the fandom just as they had entered into their hiatus coma. Josh was invited to perform at the Alternative Press Music Awards, held this year in Cleveland instead of Columbus, but still not far from home at all (Tyler was likely on vacation and couldn’t attend, though the image of him staying at home with Jenna and his leaf blower rather than go to what I would argue is easily the worst awards ceremony in the music industry is really amusing).

We’ll get to the performance in just a bit, but we first gotta address the fact that they won an award for Most Dedicated Fanbase. Josh (dressed in camo pants, a band t-shirt, and a baseball cap and yet still looking more professional than almost anyone else at the show), gave all the credit to the fans as expected, but also got in a couple of good jokes about how he is actually the most dedicated Twenty One Pilots fan. The most noticeable part of the speech, however, came at the beginning, when Josh explained Tyler’s absence by saying he was “cutting ties with DEMA [sic?]”.

As expected with the Clique, fan speculation immediately ran wild, and while the immediate reaction seemed to be that he was referencing some security agency that wasn’t properly doing its job, things quickly got out of hand when that son-of-a-gun Blurryface hopped back on his Twitter after months of silence (even through all of Tour de Columbus) to like a fan theory speculating that it was an esoteric reference to the eye-shaped Towers of Silence, old Zoroastrian structures (notably shaped kinda like eyes) on which the dead were left to be eaten by birds. That is awesome, intriguing, infuriating, and worrying at the same time. What’s going on in your head, Ty Jo? Are you just trolling? Are you outsourcing fans to give you cool ideas? What gives? Does any of this even count as news? Who cares, we’re all just flying through space on a speck, live a little.

One last bit of news: the new Goldfinger album The Knife, which features drumming from Jishwa on the song “Orthodontist Girl”, was released Saturday. It’s not really my jam, but if you’re into that sort of thing or just want to support Josh, it’s on Spotify/wherever else music is streamed or sold.

Performances, Interviews, and Other Shenanigans:

Anywho, Josh joined forces with two other amazing drummers (Adrian Young of No Doubt/DREAMCAR and Frank Zummo from Sum-41) to perform a drum medley of various pop and alternative hits. Despite (or perhaps because of) his much shorter time on the scene, Josh noticeably attracted much more noise from the teens in attendance. The performance featured everything from marching snares, audience members holding drums, exploding golf balls, pretty spotty audio mixing/camera work, Josh busting out a backflip, a pretty sick remix of “Ride”, and Josh playing “All Star” on the trumpet. It was pretty surreal.

Other than that, not much to report. Tyler has gone almost completely dark since the end of TDC, and even Josh hasn't been up to anything besides the APMAs and some occasional drum promotions. But there's still more to cover, if you can believe...

Chart Performance:

It's back! My old recurring segment's been kept mostly on the back-burner ever since "Heathens" left the Hot 100, but Billboard and the RIAA gave us a little more sales info about our band that I felt warranted coverage. First, some of the RIAA certifications for the band have been updated. “Message Man” has gone gold (500,000 approximate sold units), while “Holding On To You” and “House of Gold” have both gone platinum (one million). The big singles- in ascending order, “Ride”, “Heathens”, and “Stressed Out”- are now 4x, 5x, and 6x Platinum respectively. Nutty. Absolutely bonkers.

Next, after presumably six months of number crunching, those calculators over at Billboard released their list of the Top Money Makers of 2016. It's a pretty interesting read for any music fan, as the list includes a breakdown of the different revenue streams for each of its fifty featured artists, from how big a percentage of sales they receive in royalties to how massive their touring was in the given year. Our boys made the list for the first time ever, debuting at a whopping #13 and an estimated total of $21.1 (wtf) million. For context: that means that Tyler and Josh together made more money from their music in America in 2016 than Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Future, Metallica, Maroon 5, and Elton John.

However, like all Billboard rankings, this list contains tons of major caveats and weird arbitrary rules that makes it almost useless for actually assessing success. It doesn’t count sales in other regions, which is crazy for today’s global market and would totally reorder the list (for one, tons of the American country artists on this list would get booted out due to their negligible international sales and touring). It also doesn't cover other hugely significant revenue streams like merchandising, sponsorships, and other jobs like TV host or producer, which would likely put Twenty One Pilots quite a bit behind many of these guys for which the music is almost a secondary thing. Additionally, all of those artists have been making this kind of money much longer than our boys, and after taxes and other costs, most of that change probably isn't going directly into their bank accounts. Still, it's pretty safe to say that both Tyler and Josh are technically millionaires at this point, and it’s hard not to feel an immense sense of pride in the scale of their accomplishments. Now, I just genuinely hope they put those blessings to good use for charitable works.

A few more points from this list: The band was the top earner in 2016 in terms of publishing royalties due to their involvement with a major motion pictures soundtrack and the incredible radio support for three of their singles the whole year round. Additionally, they were the #3 most streamed artist/group of the year, just behind Drake and Kanye. They were also the biggest money-makers of any "new" group that had never previously been in this echelon of popular influence. For further context, the twelve artists that had better sales/touring years were, in ascending order, Rihanna, Billy Joel, Kenny Chesney, Kanye West, Luke Bryan, Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Adele, Drake, Bruce Springsteen, Guns and Roses, and Beyoncé- obviously, the boys are in very, very esteemed company. Finally, and perhaps surprisingly for those fans who consider Twenty One Pilots first-and-foremost a live band who are always playing shows, they were one of very few artists who did not make the majority of their money off of touring in 2016. This is not because they weren't touring their tushes off, but rather because a) they really did have an amazing sales year and b) despite what scalped ticket prices might tell you, the boys really did try to sell those tickets for much lower than what many fans were willing to pay for them. Most of the artists on this list were selling tickets up front at over $100 a pop; TØP was doing half that, and they were still up with the big boys. I'm a proud pop.

That's all for this week, folks. Not sure when I'll be back to chat again. Until then, and as always, power to the local dreamer.

#twenty one pilots #tyler joseph #josh dun #apmas 2017 #top weekly update #billboard

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kuyarexdelsdiaries · 5 years

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FOREIGNER: THE JUKEBOX HEROES FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC

There was a band which was formed by a British Guitarist and an American lead singer which scored a lot of hits including a #1 Power Ballad in the 1980s a band is called "FOREIGNER". Lou Gramm era (1976-1990) Since its beginning, Foreigner has been led by English musician Mick Jones (former member of Nero and the Gladiators, Johnny Hallyday's band, Spooky Tooth and The Leslie West Band). After the collapse of the Leslie West Band in 1976, Jones found himself stranded in New York City; West's manager, Bud Prager, encouraged Jones to continue his songwriting and rehearse a band of his own in some space Prager had near his New York office. Jones got together with New York keyboardist Al Greenwood (who had just played with former Flash members Colin Carter and Mike Hough in a group called Storm), drummer Stan Williams and Louisiana bassist Jay Davis (later with Rod Stewart) and began jamming. Another friend, Stories singer Ian Lloyd, was brought in to sing but Jones decided the chemistry was not quite right and retained only Greenwood as he renewed his search for players. During a session for Ian Lloyd's album, Jones met up with transplanted Englishman and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald and another session for Ian Hunter unearthed another fellow Brit in drummer Dennis Elliott. But after auditioning about forty or fifty singers, the right vocalist was becoming harder to come by until Jones dragged out an old Black Sheep album given to him backstage at a Spooky Tooth concert a few years prior by that group's lead singer, Lou Gramm. Jones put in a call to Gramm, who was back in his hometown of Rochester, New York after Black Sheep's break-up, and sent him a plane ticket to New York City. Gramm proved to be the missing piece of the puzzle and Brooklyn, New York bassist Ed Gagliardi completed the new sextet. A name, "Trigger", was tentatively agreed to and was the name that appeared on their demo tape, but it was passed on by all the record companies it was delivered to. John Kalodner, a former journalist and radio programmer who was working in A&R at Atlantic Records, happened to spot a tape on Atlantic president Jerry L. Greenberg's desk with the Trigger identification on it. Kalodner had just been to hear an outfit called Trigger and realized that this was not the same band. He convinced Greenberg that at least one of the songs on the tape could be a big hit and to look into signing this group immediately. Because the Trigger name was already taken, Jones came up with the Foreigner moniker from the fact that no matter what country they were in, three would be foreigners, because Jones, McDonald and Elliott were British, while Gramm, Greenwood and Gagliardi were American. In November 1976, after six months of rehearsals, the newly named Foreigner started recording their debut album with producers John Sinclair and Gary Lyons at The Hit Factory but switched to Atlantic Recording Studios where they finished recording the basic tracks and completed the overdubs. The first attempt at mixing the album was done at Sarm Studios, London. But, because of the band's dissatisfaction with the results, the album was re-mixed back at Atlantic by Mick Jones, Ian McDonald and Jimmy Douglass. Bud Prager signed on as the group's manager, a role he would continue in for the next 17 years. The band's debut, Foreigner, was released in February 1977 and sold more than four million copies in the United States, staying in the Top 20 for a year with such hits as "Feels Like the First Time", "Cold as Ice" and "Long, Long Way from Home". By May 1977, Foreigner was already headlining theaters and had already scored a gold record for the first album. Not long afterwards, they were selling out U.S. basketball arenas and hockey rinks. After a show at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas on May 6, 1977, drummer Elliott injured his hand, prompting the band to call in Ian Wallace (ex-King Crimson) to play alongside Elliott on some of the dates until the hand was healed. After almost a year on the road, the band played before over two hundred thousand people at California Jam II on March 18, 1978 and during the following month, the band toured Europe, Japan and Australia for the first time. Their second album, Double Vision (released in June 1978), co-produced by Keith Olsen, topped their previous, selling five million records and spawned hits in "Hot Blooded", the title track "Double Vision" and "Blue Morning, Blue Day". The third album, Head Games (September 1979), co-produced by Roy Thomas Baker, which was referred to by Gramm as their "grainiest" album, was also successful because of the thunderous "Dirty White Boy" and another title track hit "Head Games". For Head Games, bassist Ed Gagliardi was replaced by Englishman Rick Wills. In his autobiography, Juke Box Hero (named after the seminal Foreigner song), Gramm explains why the band parted ways with Gagliardi: "He was a little headstrong and had his own ideas that weren't always compatible with what we were trying to accomplish. Ed was obstinate at times, playing the song the way he wanted to play it rather than the way it was drawn up. Jones often had to stop sessions to get Ed back on track. After a while it became tiresome and slowed down the recording process." Gramm went on to say that he was disappointed overall with Head Games and thought it sounded unfinished. It ended up selling about two million fewer than its predecessor. In September 1980 co-founders Al Greenwood and Ian McDonald were sacked as Jones wished to have more control over the band and write most of the music (along with Gramm). In his book, Gramm goes on to talk about this difficult time: "The chemistry that made the band right in the beginning didn't necessarily mean it would always be right. I think a pretty major communication lapse appeared and I don't think anybody really knew what anybody was feeling—the deep, inner belief about the direction of the band and how we were progressing. We had reached a point where there was a lot of dissatisfaction". The band was now stripped down to a quartet, with session players brought in as needed to record or tour (see below for complete list of members). Greenwood soon joined Gagliardi to form the AOR band Spys, with John Blanco, Billy Milne and John DiGaudio. The band released two albums, an eponymous debut, and the follow-up Behind Enemy Lines. In the meantime, Foreigner began work on the next album at Electric Lady Studios in New York City with producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange, engineered by Dave Wittman (currently with Trans-Siberian Orchestra). 4 (released in July 1981) contained the hits "Urgent" (which includes the famous Junior Walker sax solo), "Waiting for a Girl Like You", "Juke Box Hero" and "Break it Up". Before releasing albums of his own, Thomas Dolby played synthesizers on 4 (he contributed the signature synth sound on "Urgent" and played the intro to "Waiting for a Girl Like You"). For their 1981–82 tour in support of 4, the group added Peter Reilich (keyboards, synthesizers, who had played with Gary Wright), former Peter Frampton band member Bob Mayo (keyboards, synthesizers, guitar, backing vocals) and Mark Rivera (sax, flute, keyboards, synthesizers, guitar, backing vocals). Mayo and Rivera had also appeared on the sessions for 4. Reilich was dropped in May 1982 but Mayo and Rivera continued with the band through 1988. Their next album, Agent Provocateur, co-produced by Alex Sadkin, was released successfully in December 1984 and gave them their first and only No. 1 hit in 1985 (in the US, UK, Australia, Norway, Sweden, etc.), "I Want to Know What Love Is", a ballad backed by Jennifer Holliday and the New Jersey Mass Choir. The song was their biggest U.S. hit. "That Was Yesterday" was the next single from the album in early 1985 and proved to be another sizable hit. During their 1985 summer/fall tour, Foreigner appeared at the very first Farm Aid on September 22 in Champaign, Illinois. In between his Foreigner commitments, Jones also started a side career as a producer for such albums as Van Halen's 5150 (1986), Bad Company's Fame and Fortune (1986) and Billy Joel's Storm Front (1989). In December 1987 Foreigner released Inside Information, spawning hits such as "Say You Will" and "I Don't Want to Live Without You". On May 14, 1988 the band headlined Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden, culminating with "I Want to Know What Love Is", in which the likes of Phil Collins, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Roberta Flack and other Atlantic artists joined in, singing in the choir. Later during the summer, the band went back on the road but the touring for Inside Information was limited to Europe, Japan and Australia. For this tour, Rivera and Mayo were not available, so Larry Oakes (guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals) and Lou Cortelezzi (sax) augmented the quartet of Gramm, Jones, Elliott and Wills. Lou Gramm's first departure (1990-1992) In the late 1980s, Jones and Gramm each put out solo efforts on Atlantic. Gramm released Ready or Not in January 1987 and shortly after its release, rehearsals for Foreigner's next album had started but ground to a halt as Gramm's status with the group was uncertain. But after the promotion and concert dates for Gramm's album were finished, cooler heads prevailed and Lou rejoined Foreigner in the studio for Inside Information, which was out at the end of 1987. Jones had Mick Jones in August 1989, then Gramm followed with his second solo release, Long Hard Look (October 1989), and decided to leave the group in May 1990 while preparing to tour behind Long Hard Look as the opener for Steve Miller Band. After finishing this tour, Gramm went on to form the short-lived band Shadow King, which put out one eponymous album on Atlantic in October 1991. Meanwhile, Jones brought in a new lead singer, Johnny Edwards (formerly of the bands Buster Brown, Montrose, King Kobra, Northrup and Wild Horses). Edwards made his first live appearance with Foreigner at the Long Island club Stephen Talkhouse on August 15, 1990, where he, Jones, Dennis Elliott and Rick Wills appeared, joined by special guests Terry Thomas (on guitar, who produced their next album) and Eddie Mack on harmonica. The new edition of Foreigner released the album Unusual Heat in June 1991. This was at the time their worst-selling album and only climbed as high as No. 117 on the Billboard 200, although "Lowdown and Dirty" was a minor mainstream rock hit, reaching No. 4 on that chart. In July 1991 the new lineup of Foreigner played some European dates then made its official U.S. debut on August 9 performing on the second night of a Billy Joel benefit concert at Deep Hollow Ranch in Montauk, New York to raise funds for the preservation of Montauk Point Lighthouse. For their 1991 tour, Jeff Jacobs, who had played in Joel's band, was brought in as the new keyboardist and Mark Rivera returned. But during the fall leg of this tour, Elliott decided to leave the group after a concert at The Ritz in NYC on November 14, 1991 and embark on a career as a wood sculptor. Larry Aberman was then recruited as a temporary replacement until Mark Schulman arrived in 1992 to hold down the drum throne for the next three years. Scott Gilman (guitar, sax, flute) joined the touring band in 1992 and Thom Gimbel took over from Gilman and Rivera in late 1992 after they departed. When Gimbel went to Aerosmith in 1993, Gilman returned to handle the guitar/sax/flute duties until Gimbel came back permanently in the spring of 1995. Gramm returns then leaves again (1992-2003) During the Los Angeles riots, inside the confines of the Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood, where Mick Jones had gone to meet with Lou Gramm, they both ended up sequestered by a city curfew. They decided to use their time together resurrecting their partnership. "I flew to Los Angeles, during the riots," says Gramm. "We got flown to John Wayne Airport instead of LAX because they were shooting at the planes. Mick and I were holed up in the Sunset Marquis in L.A., with armed security guards walking around on the roof. It was a little weird, to say the least." Gramm ended up rejoining Foreigner (bringing along his Shadow King bandmate bassist Bruce Turgon, replacing bassist Wills (who'd left after the band's 1991 tour after a falling out with Jones) and co-produced the band's second greatest hits album, The Very Best ... and Beyond (September 1992), which included three new songs. In October 1994 Foreigner released what was supposed to be a comeback album, Mr. Moonlight, in Japan. Featuring new drummer Mark Schulman and augmented by a fifth member, keyboardist Jeff Jacobs, this album was not released in the U.S. until February 1995 and fared even worse than Unusual Heat. It only peaked at No. 136 on the Billboard 200, although the ballad "Until the End of Time" was a minor hit, reaching No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100. In January 1995 Ron Wikso (who had played in The Storm with former Journey members Gregg Rolie and Ross Valory) took over percussion duties from Schulman, and Brian Tichy succeeded Wikso in 1998 before Schulman would return in 2000. In 1997 Gramm underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor. The medications he was prescribed caused considerable weight gain and weakened his singing voice. By 1998, the band was back on the road, but Gramm was visibly struggling and it would take him a decade to get back to the point where he felt comfortable on stage. In the summer of 1999, Foreigner went on tour as the opening act for Journey and the following summer, Jeff Jacobs had to leave the road for a short time during the band's 2000 summer tour while his wife was giving birth to their child. Keyboardist John Purdell (who had been co-producer of the new tracks on their 1992 album The Very Best of ... and Beyond) stepped in to sub for Jacobs until he was able to return. In 2001 the Warner Music Group selected Foreigner and 4 to be among the first group of albums from their catalog to be remastered, enhanced and released in the new DVD Audio format. In 2002 the 25th Anniversary Year brought affirmation of the enduring respect for Foreigner recordings with Rhino Entertainment reissuing the 1977 to 1981 multi-platinum albums in special enhanced formats. Foreigner, Double Vision, Head Games and 4 received the attention of Rhino's staff with new photos, liner notes and bonus tracks of previously unreleased material. New greatest hits albums were also produced in the U.S. and in Europe. The U.S. version reached No. 80 on the Billboard 200 Album chart. For the group's 25th Anniversary Tour in 2002, they were joined by former Heart and Montrose beat keeper Denny Carmassi. In late October/early November, then December, of 2002, Foreigner played in Belgium and Germany at the annual Night of the Proms festival. It was the last time that Lou Gramm and Mick Jones would play together until June 2013. Gramm would leave the group in early 2003. Jones stated that he and Gramm split because they weren't communicating: "I think we really tried hard to save it, but it got to the point when we both realized that to go on would be detrimental for both of us." Kelly Hansen era (2004-Present) Jones, the founder and only remaining original member of Foreigner, decided to take some time off before looking to form a new lineup in 2004. On July 25, 2004 in Santa Barbara, California at Fess Parker's DoubleTree Resort, Jones appeared at a benefit show for muscular dystrophy dubbed "Mick Jones & Friends" that included: Jeff Jacobs, Thom Gimbel, former Dokken bass player Jeff Pilson, future Black Country Communion drummer Jason Bonham (son of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and leader of Bonham) and Bonham singer Chas West. West was front man for that show only. Inspired by the event and further encouraged by Jason Bonham, Jones continued the search for a new frontman. He would eventually find former Hurricane singer Kelly Hansen, who had sent the band an audition tape and was invited aboard in March 2005, making his debut with the group on March 11 at Boulder Station near Las Vegas. Their 2005 BMG album, Extended Versions, featured the new line-up playing all their classic hits live in concert in one of the most "studio like, clean sounding" live album recordings produced. Foreigner joined Def Leppard along with Styx on tour in 2007. They also toured extensively in their own right in 2007—the thirtieth anniversary of the release of their debut. In late 2007, keyboardist Jeff Jacobs left Foreigner after 16 years and was replaced, first by Paul Mirkovich then by Michael Bluestein (in 2008). And in 2008, Bonham also parted ways with Foreigner. Bryan Head was then brought in to fill the drum chair. But his tenure was short and he also departed to be replaced by the returning Tichy. The band released a greatest hits anthology on July 15, 2008, titled No End in Sight: The Very Best of Foreigner. The anthology included all of their greatest hits plus some new live recordings and a new studio track, "Too Late", which was their first new song release since the 1994 album Mr. Moonlight and the first recorded output of the new lineup. "Too Late" was released as a single on June 17, 2008. Foreigner released a new album on September 29, 2009, titled Can't Slow Down. It was one of several recent classic rock releases (AC/DC, the Eagles, Journey and Kiss being four others) to be released exclusively through the Walmart stores chain in the US, while in Europe the album was released by earMUSIC (a label part of the Edel group), charting top 20 in Germany (16) and Top 30 in Switzerland. Can't Slow Down debuted at #29 on the Billboard 200. The first two singles from the album, "When It Comes to Love" and "In Pieces" both reached the Top 20 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. In 2010 it was awarded a gold certification from the Independent Music Companies Association, which indicated sales of at least 100,000 copies throughout Europe. In early 2010, Foreigner teamed up with Styx and Kansas for the United in Rock Tour. On May 4, 2010 it was announced that Brian Tichy's replacement as drummer would be Jason Sutter. Jason Sutter's time with the band was short as he left by 2011. Mark Schulman then returned to Foreigner for his third go-round as drummer. On February 20, 2011 the band played for the first time in Bangalore, India along with sitar player Niladri Kumar. In June 2011 Foreigner (again along with Styx) co-headlined with Journey on their UK tour. After this, they joined up with Journey and Night Ranger on a triple bill summer/fall tour of the US. For some dates of this tour, Brian Tichy filled in for Foreigner's drummer Mark Schulman when he was not available. From August 19 to September 10, 2011, Night Ranger guitarist Joel Hoekstra did double duty playing for NR as well as subbing for Jones, who had taken ill. Right after this, guitarist Bruce Watson (ex-Rod Stewart) was brought in as Jones' stand-in for the tour's remaining dates and continued to tour with the group when they hit the road again in February 2012 after Jones underwent aortoiliac bypass surgery in Miami. On October 4, 2011 Foreigner released Acoustique, which presented their best and most famous songs, along with some newer tracks, recorded in stripped-down acoustic mode. In May 2012 after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, Bluestein was forced to take a leave of absence from the band. His stand in on keyboards was Ollie Marland. Bluestein was able to return to the group in August 2012 and Tichy once again rejoined in the interim until his schedule with Whitesnake called him away. In September 2012, the man Tichy replaced in Whitesnake, Chris Frazier, became Foreigner's new percussionist. On August 31, 2012 after over a year away, Jones returned to the concert stage at Atlanta's Chastain Park. Guitarist Watson, in the meantime, stayed on until Jones was able to return to full health. At this very same show, keyboardist Derek Hilland (ex-Iron Butterfly, Whitesnake and Rick Springfield) came on board to sub for Bluestein for the group's late summer/fall tour dates and again during the winter/spring of 2013 until Bluestein was able to return. On January 9, 2013 the band's original drummer, Dennis Elliott, joined Foreigner on stage at the Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood, Florida to play on "Hot Blooded". In addition to touring small clubs and venues, the band frequently is engaged for private parties and conventions, including playing at SeaWorld in Orlando for an IBM Rational Conference (June 6, 2012), at the Gaylord convention center in Washington, D.C. for the Teradata Partners 2012 conference (October 25, 2012) and at SAP's Field Kickoff Meeting in Las Vegas (January 23, 2013). On June 13, 2013 at the 44th Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Award Ceremony, Jones and Gramm were officially inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Billy Joel was on hand to induct Jones and Gramm, singing snippets of Foreigner's hits in his introduction speech. Jones said he was proud as the honor makes his work "legit". The duo then took stage one more time and, along with Thom Gimbel and the house band, performed "Juke Box Hero" and "I Want to Know What Love Is" with Anthony Morgan's Inspirational Choir of Harlem—a performance that brought the entire audience to its feet. In 2014 Foreigner teamed up with Styx and former Eagles guitarist Don Felder for the Soundtrack of Summer Tour. Original bassist Ed Gagliardi died on May 11, 2014, aged 62, after an eight-year battle with cancer. Although discussions of an original member reunion had been proposed, the original band had not performed together since 1979. On June 18, 2014 Foreigner teamed up with the Brockton High School concert choir at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion in Boston, MA. They performed one of their greatest hits: I Want To Know What Love Is. On January 12, 2015 in Sarasota, Florida, Foreigner were joined on stage by original drummer Dennis Elliott and former bassist Rick Wills to play "Hot Blooded". In Hartford, Connecticut on June 24, 2015, Foreigner began a summer tour as the opening act for Kid Rock. Foreigner appeared on the "Today Show" on February 11, 2016 along with the choir from Our Lady of Mercy Academy to promote their Acoustic Tour and the release of their new album, In Concert: Unplugged. On Saturday September 24, 2016, Foreigner performed before an estimated 20,000+ people at the 100th anniversary of the Durham Fair in Durham, Connecticut. The encore song "I Want to Know What Love Is" utilized the local Coginchaug High School concert choir for backup—their performance having been rehearsed with the band via Skype during the previous months. In a 2016 interview, Jones talked about a possible 40th-anniversary reunion tour, featuring the Head Games-era lineup: "It's quite possible. We've actually been talking about it. I'm not at a point where I can say it's definitely gonna happen, but we're all working on trying to make it happen. It's kind of exciting. And hopefully it'll be feasible and possible to pull it off next year (2017). Lou (Gramm) and I have communicated and we've kept up a sort of loose communication as I have actually also with Ian McDonald, Al Greenwood, Dennis Elliott and Rick Wills. We're at the early stages, but we're trying to put something together to commemorate (it's scary when I say it) 40 years." On November 25, 2016, in celebration of their 40th anniversary, Foreigner released a limited-edition 10-inch vinyl EP, The Flame Still Burns, on Rhino Records for Record Store Day's Black Friday event. The EP's track listing contained the title song (which had previously appeared on Foreigner's Acoustique album and had earlier been featured in the 1998 film Still Crazy) plus live unplugged versions of "Feels Like The First Time", "Long, Long Way From Home" and "Juke Box Hero". Reunion of original members (2017-2019) On July 20, 2017, at Jones Beach Theater in New York, the current Foreigner lineup were joined for their encore by Lou Gramm, Ian McDonald and Al Greenwood to help celebrate the band's 40th anniversary and Greenwood and McDonald came back the following year to take the stage with the group for their Jones Beach show on June 22, 2018. Dennis Elliott likewise joined his old mates for two songs at Foreigner's show on August 2, 2017, at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa, Florida. Another reunion was announced for a pair of shows to take place on October 6–7, 2017, at the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, where the group was set to be joined again by Lou Gramm, Dennis Elliott, Al Greenwood, Ian McDonald and Rick Wills. The concerts were filmed for future release, appearing on PBS stations in the U.S. on June 8, 2018. In a July 2018 interview with OC Weekly, bassist Jeff Pilson said that Foreigner has no plans to record a new studio album anytime soon, but will continue to only release new songs periodically. On November 9, 2018, all surviving original members of Foreigner came on stage to play alongside the current line-up for a show at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, beginning a series of "Foreigner Then and Now" concerts set to run through the end of the year. Foreigner songs to be made into show by GMA Network Like Styx on the previous article, The songs by Foreigner can be made into a show placing on the Afternoon Prime and Telebabad blocks. If that happens, GMA will tap Mick Jones and Lou Gramm to co-produce the said show alongside Filipino producers. The three shows are: I Want to Know What Love Is, Urgent and Juke Box Hero. For more information on Styx see this article: https://kuyarexdelsdiaries.tumblr.com/post/180502770511

1.) I Want to Know What Love Is

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The first of the three series and one of the two shows placed on GMA Afternoon Prime is named after a song written by Jones from the 1984 album "Agent Provocateur" which charted at #1 in the UK and in the US. The show's genre is romantic-comedy series The show will be led by Gabbi Garcia (from Encantadia 2016, Sherlock, Jr., Pamilya Roces) and Derrick Monasterio (from Inday Will Always Love You). Other cast members include: - Kyline Alcantara (from Kambal, Karibal, Inagaw Na Bituin) - Jasmine Curtis-Smith (from Pamilya Roces) - Carla Abellana (from Pamilya Roces) - Andre Paras (from Sherlock Jr., Pamilya Roces) - Rayver Cruz (from Asawa Ko, Karibal Ko) - Marvin Agustin (from Inagaw na Bituin) - Sophie Albert (from Pamilya Roces, Bihag) - Laura Lehmann - Bembol Roco (from The One That Got Away) - Candy Pangilinan (from My Special Tatay) - Zoren Legaspi (from Sahaya) - Carmina Villaroel (from Kambal, Karibal, Kara Mia) The show will be directed by former Cain at Abel and Inagaw na Bituin director Mark A. Reyes while the majority of the writers and editors will come from Contessa. The said show will be created by Mick Jones and Lou Gramm and produced by Arlene del Rosario-Pilapil. It’s theme song will be sung by Lou Gramm and Kelly Hansen featuring the show’s cast as the choir.

2.) Urgent

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The second of the three series and one of the two shows placed on GMA Afternoon Prime is named after a song written by Jones from the 1981 album "Foreigner 4" which charted at #4 in the United States, #1 in Canada and #20 in Sweden. The show's genre is emergency drama which contains firemen, policemen and medical personnel. The show will be led by Mikee Quintos (from Encantadia 2016, Onanay) and Yasser Marta. Other cast members include: - Clint Bondad (former boyfriend of Catriona Gray, from Love You Two) - Denise Barbacena (from Legally Blind, Contessa) - James Blanco (from Impostora 2017, Onanay, Dragon Lady) - Rita Daniela (from Impostora 2017, My Special Tatay) - Gary Estrada (from The Stepdaughters) - Angelu de Leon (from The Stepdaughters, Inagaw na Bituin) - Marco Alcaraz (from Ika-6 Na Utos, Ika-5 Utos, Onanay) - Dion Ignacio (from Hiram na Anak) - Empress Schuck (from Hiram na Anak) - Angelika Dela Cruz (from Ika-6 Na Utos, Inagaw na Bituin) - Mika Dela Cruz (from Kara Mia) - Kate Valdez (from Onanay) The show will be directed by former Victor Magtanggol director Dominic Zapata while the majority of the writers and editors will come from Onanay. The said show will be created by Mick Jones and Lou Gramm and produced by Nieva Sabit. It’s theme song will be sung by Lou Gramm and Kelly Hansen.

3.) Juke Box Hero

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The third of the three series and the only show placed on GMA Telebabad is named after a song written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones from the 1981 album "Foreigner 4" which charted at #26 in the US and #48 in the UK. The show's genre is 50s Rock n Roll setting. The show will be led by Dennis Trillo (from Cain at Abel) and Rhian Ramos (from The One That Got Away) Other cast members include: - Migo Adecer (from Sahaya) - Miguel Tanfelix (from Kambal, Karibal, Sahaya) - Bianca Umali (from Kambal, Karibal, Sahaya) - Pauline Mendoza (from Kambal, Karibal, Cain at Abel) - Leandro Baldemor (from Contessa, Cain at Abel) - Melbelline Caluag (from Inagaw na Bituin) - Jerald Napoles (from Inagaw na Bituin) - Maureen Larrazabal (from TODA One I Love) - David Licauco (from TODA One I Love) - Rich Asuncion (from Ika-6 Na Utos) The show will be directed by former The One That Got Away director Mark Sicat Dela Cruz while the majority of the writers and editors will come from Cain at Abel. The said show will be created by Mick Jones and Lou Gramm and produced by Michele R. Borja. It’s theme song will be sung by Lou Gramm and Kelly Hansen. Reaction Foreigner including Lou Gramm hasn't performed in the Philippines yet including Ian McDonald, Al Greenwood, Dennis Elliott and Rick Wills. We will have to wait for Kelly Hansen and the current Foreigner lineup to perform with the original lineup live at Sunday Pinasaya and have concerts at Solaire, Resorts World Manila, MOA Arena or Smart Araneta Coliseum.

(DISCLAIMER: This post is for factual basis and is to be veirified at the soonest possible time by some sources at GMA Network. Don’t be assured yet, but it is just for the contributor’s point of view.)

(NOTE: The contributor of this post is Carl Veluz, a good friend of the EIC/Publisher of KRD.)

KRD Welcomes everyone who can contribute to ‘The Blog that tells Stories and More’. Send in via email: [email protected] with the subject ‘KRD Contributor’ with your draft as attachment, and your details of your work. You may include your personal details, but we respect your privacy if we opt to include some other details or not depending on the individual’s request. You can also send in as private message via Kuya Rexdel’s Diaries Facebook page (fb.com/KRDOfficialPH).

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tonguetiedmag · 6 years

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interview: Joel Taylor

Combining undeniable musical talent with a charisma that lights up every room he enters, Joel Taylor is truly everything you could want out of a singer-songwriter. Since the Sydney-born, LA-based musician came out with his debut singles, Two Sides and What Good is Love? in 2017, he’s quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the genre. With the release of his new single, Moment’s Notice last week that features his bold vocal melody being intertwined with the voices of an entire gospel choir, Taylor revealed a whole new side of his ability that is sure to keep fans coming back for more.

Before his performance at Rockwood Music Hall here in NYC on November 7th, I was lucky enough to spend a bit of the evening catching up with him on where he’s at right now and what he has planned moving forward. Here’s what he had to say:

Let's start from the very beginning. How did you even get started in music?

So my dad was a jazz singer in the 70s, my mom was a piano player, and my grandfather was a piano player as well. He played for Roy Orbison, the Beach Boys, and the Everly Brothers so he played for a lot of people. The whole family’s always been into music and I grew up playing just for fun really. I wanted to be a professional tennis player actually. I think it was when I was about 12 that I started to do music properly and started actually caring. By the time I was 17, I was so far down the music rabbit hole that I chose it over tennis. I then moved to America straight away! So yeah, it was always something I was pursuing.

How did physically moving from Sydney to LA affect your sound?

You know what? I’m going to say it didn’t affect my music that much actually. I grew up listening to so much classic American music. My grandfather and my mom love New Orleans blues and so much classic gospel and soul, so I was like ten and listening to Stevie Wonder and Billy Joel. I definitely have had a huge influence from American music. But, I didn’t really know how deep it got though until I moved to LA because I could really see that there are so many great musicians everywhere. You throw a rock and you hit an incredible musician. That depth of skill everywhere really put everything into perspective for me. You really have to be good or nothing happens.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned about the music industry while pursuing a career in it?

I always had this idea that I’d move here and have a record deal in six months and I’d be some famous singer. So definitely patience. I think that there’s no such thing as overnight success, just a lot of gigs and practice. I think I really learned not to rush myself and expect that everything should just happen. You don’t necessarily deserve it, you just have to be lucky enough and ready for it. I definitely had to learn how to slow down and just be more prepared so that if things did start to go my way I’d be ready.

Whether they’re people you knew personally or people you generally look up to, who do you think really helped instill that advice in you?

I came here and studied music when I first moved to LA and I had a bunch of great teachers that were really hard to impress. They definitely gave me a bit of a kick in the butt because I could already play and I already had a sound. I felt like I knew what I was doing but I didn’t. At least not like these guys. They really let me know that there’s a lot to figure out. One of those teachers was my jazz piano teacher Kyle Schroeder who played with Frank Sinatra and was incredible. He knew if you were faking it so it was definitely a bit of a wake up call to put in serious effort.

What shows have you found to be the most memorable of your career?

There have been some really great shows, like when I played the Troubador earlier this year and it was sold out. It was kind of electric feeling and it was one of those nights where it really just couldn’t have gone better. I was a little stressed because it’s the Troubador but it really just flowed.

On the other side of things, I remember I completely train-wrecked a show when I was like 16 back in Australia. We do this concert where all of the schools in the country are a part of it. About 15,000 people go and its on TV for about a million more. I train-wrecked my song with an entire 80-piece orchestra. Something happened where I got a little lost in the middle and we were just in different points in the song. It was hilarious and terrible. You need a nice train-wreck to humble you a little bit.

The video for “Give Myself Away” was worked on by some pretty notable people like Courtney Cox and Murray Cummings. How did that all come about and what was it like to work with them?

Bizzarely enough, I’m actually just friends with both of them. I met Courtney at a party and we became really good friends. She really loves my music which is great and she filmed a live video of me playing Two Sides about a year ago. She was always like “I want to do a real video!” and had this concept that had all of this artwork that came to life through drawings and animations. She was good friends with Murray Cummings, who's done all of the Ed Sheeran things, including the Songwriter Documentary. So they both just did it with me! It was so fun and its really cool since they’ve been around their fair share of successful people.

What’re your goals for the next year in terms of your career?

There will definitely be plenty of shows! I just did a mini tour up the west coast that was really fun. Moment’s Notice came out on Friday and I’ve been sitting on that one for a while. It’s been finished for about six months but it’s been written for over a year and I couldn’t wait to get it out. Its one of those songs that I feel really close to. To get it in some TV or a movie would be amazing because it’s very cinematic. There’ll be shows from LA to Georgia to New York and we’re going to SXSW. I’ll have an EP with a couple more songs and then a full album so I want to build momentum to do all that. The next six months are going to be really packed and it’s very exciting!

Can you explain the story of the new single “Moment’s Notice”?

Funnily enough, I had a publishing meeting and at the meeting before, I had given them all of my songs. It was probably like 28 or 30 of them that I’d written at that point. A couple days before that meeting, they said “oh, can you play us a couple new songs?” and I had already given them all of my songs two weeks ago. So, I stayed up all night the night before the meeting and I wrote two songs which are actually two of my favorite ones. One of them is “Eyes Set On You” which isn’t out yet and the other was “Moment’s Notice.” I wrote them at about 5 in the morning on organ, in maybe 30 minutes or something and produced a demo with a whole choir of just me singing. It came about kind of out of nowhere. Just an inspirational, middle of the night kind of crazy time.

The song is really about me moving from Australia and starting again and realizing that I was on the right path all of a sudden. It kind of hit me the second that I landed because I felt like “oh, I can start again.” I had a bit of a tumultuous childhood in some ways and when I moved to LA it was like I wiped the slate clean completely. It honestly felt like this weird rebirth. The song’s about putting all that shit behind you and starting again.

If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would you choose?

I’ll give you a fake answer and then a more real one. I’ve always thought about this, like the deserted island thing and I think if I had a Motown Greatest Hits album I would never go crazy. Honestly, I would be totally fine. I could also take a Beatles album and be great forever. So that’s a version of what you asked I guess. I think one song I could listen to forever would probably be “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5. It’s kind of a weird one, but every time I listen to it, I feel great. I have never not listened to it and felt awesome.

Tongue Tied Signature Question: How would you describe your music to a deaf person?

I would say it’s rustic and earthy. I don’t know, I think it’s also a little like the ocean because a lot of my songs are very deep and super intense and emotional. I’ve always loved those sorts of songs. I like ballads and really thought-out songs. But I also have a bunch of more wild songs and I feel like the ocean is an overwhelming beast. Sometimes I feel like a lot of my music is simple and deep like a calm day on the ocean, some of it is really all over the place. I would also say woody, like a tree. I play piano and a play guitar so it’s kind of like an old tree in that way.

Check out Joel Taylor online:

https://www.thisisjoeltaylor.com

https://www.thisisjoeltaylor.com/about/

https://twitter.com/joeltaylormusic?lang=en

https://www.instagram.com/thisisjoeltaylor/

Photos by: Mae Krell

Article by: Kasey Gelsomino

#mae krell #Kasey gelsomino #Joel taylor #music #interview #photos

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skerbango-blog · 6 years

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Making My Playlist: Don’t Touch That Dial

By Scripty.

The stalwart was the size of a kid’s shoebox. Roughly seven inches high, four inches deep and eight inches across. The left half of it comprised the speaker, while the right side housed the on/off switch, volume & tone dials, a tuning dial and station maps. The radio sat on the right of two twin shelves off the cabinetry above our kitchen sink. The left shelf had a Mother Mary statue and whatever small plant my mother was over-watering at the time. There may have been an ashtray or small Tupperware cup holding loose coins holding court with the doomed plant.

The radio was in our kitchen from at least the time I was born. Recently, my dad claims he bought it at a Radio Shack in 1972. For all my sisters and I know, it came from ether and just emerged on that shelf when the house was built by my grandfather and great-uncle. I don’t even remember where it was plugged in. When my folks moved in 1994, I presume the warhorse was left behind, becoming ubiquitous to the house like the coved ceilings or shaded porch. The radio never teetered on that small shelf, or gave any sense of imbalance. It was safe, reliable and absolutely unremarkable.

Looking back, it was in fact an amazingly boring radio. Boxy and uncool as a household electronic could be, its origin was probably like most of my parent’s belongings. This normally meant it was either a garage sale find, or something given quite un-imaginatively but lovingly as a gift.

My best guess is this was a 1969 Realistic MTA-Model 11 AM/FM Radio. I would not be surprised if somewhere, this very radio still worked, regardless of usage levels. This device existed to do two things well. The first was to work, day after day, year after year, decade after decade.

The second was to work best in my mother’s ideal kitchen environment. The radio was to play at a modest level. Not too loud - heavens no. In fact it was never to play loud. But yet not too soft, as there were three children wearing out the yellow-orange tile linoleum kitchen pathway through the kitchen, between our backdoor and living room. Not medium either – it was to be played a smidge below medium. That was the volume and the volume was that. My mother didn’t ask for much, but us not touching that radio was one of those items.

This acute volume was necessary to my mother’s routine. Daily she would be the first one to wake, then she’d get a teakettle of hot water boiling. Two slices of toast would be topped, usually with butter but occasionally with some Smuckers jelly. Coffee meant Maxwell House instant grounds, a modest teaspoon of sugar and enough milk to bring the drink a half-centimeter below the rim of her coffee cup.

My father was a fireman, so his mornings were either spent rushing to the firestation, preparing to leave the firestation waiting for his replacement, or sleeping in from his constant workload. So my mother and her routine set forth our mornings.

Every morning she would read the vast sum of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, poring over the front section, the metro section – especially the obituaries, the sports and comics. The order she read them varied, usually whatever looked bleakest captured her attention. That might be a murder, the recent Cleveland sports atrocity or bad news for Judge Parker. Then she was off to make some lunches, race through getting herself ready and us kids prepped for school. Sometimes there was a third slice of toast, or perhaps letting our dog out the backdoor.

This routine took time. Normally, she started around 5:45am - but often earlier. Given these early hours and the house being a classic postwar bungalow – her discretion led to the radio’s volume being this modest level. She’d hear the top news and light rock, finding zen her before the day took shape.

My two older sisters shared the upstairs, while I was assigned the cozy bedroom between the main floor’s kitchen and bathroom. Not only did this room sit as a breezeless hotbox in the warm months, it bracketed the two noisiest rooms of the house. The smacking of the screen door (as my mom let our mutt Daisy out) was yet another noise that I remember serving as an unofficial alarm clock. What I mean is that there were many, many mornings that my mom and I shared a very early breakfast: her and I, two meager breakfasts, the morning paper and that radio. Sometimes I’d share in the white toast but normally it was cereal and 2% for me.

That radio station would change every so often, if by often - we meant every other Olympics. These channels would be of the Casey Kasem Top 40 variety, some soft light rock with some pop sensibility. I was too young to know the world of more definitive rock was out there, but I wasn’t being denied content either. As I knew it, the radio existed to play the likes of Billy Joel, Rod Stewart, Elton John, America, Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, along with the Bee Gees or even some Jim Croce or Dan Fogleberg.

I was born right at our nation’s bicentennial, so these morning encounters became frequent in the early 1980s and continued for the next decade. Some mornings few words would be exchanged, but it was not due to lack of love or warmth. I respected her routine, and I was more than happy to scour the daily box scores of the sports page (Indians CF Brett Butler is among the AL’s top five in triples, and Harold Baines leads the majors in GWRBI!) or attempt to discern the JUMBLE answers before everyone else. The sports page could disappear when my father’s Metamucil-fueled decampment necessitated, although he did settle for the crossword on many occasions. As I said, I was the youngest so it was best for me to embrace that morning détente before my junior rank was called front and center.

There were other radios and sound systems in the house. The living room had a console stereo system. This stereo cabinet had a turntable that would pick up an album and turn it over. Then the turntable would move the LP and play an LP below it. But I recall it working less and less over the years, its top soon shuttered and then it served as a catch-all for our family’s clutter. Sometime after I started elementary school it disappeared.

Via my sisters, I inherited a smaller phonograph. The photograph was in something akin to a typewriter case, a orange-red box about 16 inches square. This had one speaker and played an assortment of 45’s my sisters gave me. St. Elmo’s Fire, Tainted Love, Hey Mickey, and such were part of a 20-30 disc collection they gave me. But the youngster in me had no idea the record needles were that fragile and after breaking a number of them, my mother had enough and away that went.

Our basement had a rec room, with slate tiles and a very cold and sometimes wet floor. If we didn’t empty the dehumidifier bucket, the basement and furniture down there developed a peculiar funk but my mother trained us well to empty that with regularity. We sometimes had some soccer or battleball-type games down there, along with a Big Top Pinball machine that my Dad got in 1980. At some point a modest 8-track player was down there but I only recall there being a few tapes for it that we ever played. I know there were some with movie music, as some Star Wars shootout music and another with the Rocky theme, along with your Captain & Tennille yacht-rockish fare.

The garage had a General Electric transistor, that was perched on a thin shelf in a odd manner designed to bring in the right AM stations so my dad could hear the Indians or whatever he wanted. Although he was constantly working on our fleet of jalopies, he rarely used the radio while working on them. The radio came on mainly at the end of a work session, where we might be fixing a new outlet on an extension cord, or stripping the copper or brass of something before we sent it to the garbage. Cleaning up the garage floor was a constant affair, as sawdust was sprinkled on the oil drippings to keep us from stepping in the slicks.

But the kitchen radio was the main cog of our AM/FM needs. It was also played after family dinners, when my siblings and I were on kitchen detail. We had no dishwasher appliance, so it was standard operating procedure for my sisters and I to do the dishes and clean the table afterwards.

Deana, my oldest sister, would start with a few pots and pans while my other sister Marcy and I cleaned off the table and managed the leftovers. Then a formula of the oldest washing, the middle child rinsing and yours truly drying. All dishes were to be dried and returned to the cabinets. Once all the dishes were washed and rinsed, the drying and putting away became communal. I was the youngest and worst at the dishes, so I was assigned the plates, salad bowls and drinking glasses. These I could do without leaving some water on them.

My parents would disappear after dinner, re-runs of M*A*S*H or The Rockford Files awaited them. But we were permitted to turn the radio on for the dishes. Eventually we tired of the soft rock mainstays, as child cannot live on Bread and Herb Alpert alone. We weren’t supposed to touch the dial or volume, as the decades of use had tempered the dials to love their home settings. Other stations and volumes could work, but not necessarily with ease. But my sisters were daring and would change the dial, usually to the nearest alternative. These were fun nights but sooner or later they’d forget to change the dial back and mother would set things straight when her morning routine was greeted with an unfamiliar disk jockey.

And so that radio stayed, and played, for years and years. My father told me bought that from a Radio Shack in 1972. Mom said they sold it at a garage sale when they left the house in 1994.

There are many more formative music experiences for me, but I think it started with that radio. Unobtrusive playlists and mild volume made it the background music for my first years. My parents moved to their current residence in the fall of 1994, and the new house had a radio set in the kitchen wall. My mom has it set to her station, and she still reads the paper every morning. She’s retired so the routine starts later in the morning, but those songs remain the same.

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jaygilbert-blog · 7 years

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COFFEE TALK [with Jeff Moskow]

Q: What are a few of your favorite industry moments?

JM: Anyone who knows me won't be surprised by my answer to this question...hands down, it was/is working with Rick Springfield in an A&R capacity. I've always been a fan, back to the 70s, and felt that he was one of the most criminally underrated artists in history, certainly of the 80s. 5 platinum albums in 5 years (80-85) is no small feat. Getting to know him and his band, in the studio environment and out, has been a thrill. Rick trusts my A&R sensibilities, and lets me help creatively shape his records. The last few have all charted in the top 50 of the Top 200. Thats no small feat, and a tribute to his staying power as an artist. And trust me, as you know, he works at it and never quits.

Presently, we are working with The Temptations, the #1 R&B artist of all time (according to Billboard). And while its true that there is one original member (Otis Williams), these guys are baaaaaad. Besides what they do on stage, I've seen them cut 5 part harmony in the studio in one take. Sick, crazy talent. You can't teach that, you earn it.

At NARM one year, I was able to walk up to Jackson Browne and tell him how much his music has inspired me, and that he is part of the reason that I run to work each day. I told him that while he has so many great albums, "Late For The Sky', "Running On Empty" and "Hold Out" were my favorites. He thanked me, and said "nobody likes Hold Out!"...I said, well, I do.

Last, just recently (and you were there) I had dinner with an artist, Julia Lauren of The Foxies. It was so rewarding to hear her story, and vibe with her and management, and try to play a role in what will be her great success story. When someone is a star, you feel it, and its special.

Q: If you were to make a playlist of the songs that are part of your DNA, the comfort food that you keep coming back to, that never fail to move and inspire you, what would those tracks be?

JM: So hard, because I love so much music, but a few are: Billy Joel "Until The Night" Bruce Springsteen "Jungleland" Rick Springfield "Written In Rock" Stevie Wonder...pretty much anything Jude Cole "Heart Of Blues" Muddy Waters "Mannish Boy" (the version from Hard Again w/Johnny Winter) Jackson Browne "Hold On, Hold Out" The Temptations. "Papa Was A Rolling Stone"

Q: Are there any artists that never really made it, that came across your desk, that you wish people could hear and embrace.

JM: Tough one. Those of us who have been in the business longer than a minute, understand that this industry that chose us, is not for the faint of heart. There is so much music out there that most people don't hear, its so hard to narrow it down, at least for me. Success is often a crap shoot, luck of the draw. Talent is usually in the house, but luck opens the door.

Q: Who was your mentor? Why?

JM: There have been two. Being an ex-PGD guy, Jim Caparro certainly gave me my start, and taught me what it was like to be an executive, and how to drive people to be their best, because they want to, not because they have to.

But most of all, Bob Mercer. If you don't know him, he ran EMI UK in the 70s, and along with Bruce Resnikoff and Ken Berry, brought NOW to the U.S.. He managed Paul McCartney, Jimmy Buffett and Roger Waters...he signed Queen. For most, that would be enough, but his best success was being an amazing human being, and showing me what its like to treat people with respect and care. Literally, I think of him every day, and often ask myself, what would Bob do? And, given the choice, I will always choose the path of respect and kindness. I learned that from Bob Mercer.

Q: What’s the best part of your job?

JM: Working with artists is my absolute love. Helping them achieve their vision and goals, is why I do what I do. Plus, I mean come on, its the music, man.

Finally, crafting each and every NOW album is also a passion. Of course, the fact that our brand has sold 100 million records in the U.S. and has 19 #1 albums is great, but trust me when I tell you, NOW is curated with respect and passion. We are nowhere without our label partners, writers, artists and fans...so when we create each project, we show great affection and attention to the project. Thats baked into the brand's DNA, and thats why it works.

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noramoya · 7 years

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"THIRTH YEARS AGO , TODAY - ON AUGUST 31 , 1987 - MICHAEL JACKSON DEBUTED ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED ÁLBUNS IN THE HISTORY OF POP MUSIC : BAD , THE FOLLOW -UP TO 1982's THRILLER , WHICH HAD ALREADY BEEN CERTIFIED 20 X PLATINUM BY THE RIAA UPON ITS SUCCESSOR'S RELEASE, WELL ON ITS WAY TO BECOMING THE BEST-SELLING ALBUM OF ALL TIMES . " " Undaunted, Jackson and producer Quincy Jones attempted to outdo themselves with Bad, setting their sales goals even higher the next time around. "I heard was that [Michael] was carrying around -- I can’t remember if it was a quarter and a nickel or three dimes -- but he was carrying around 30 cents in his pocket because he wanted to sell [that many million copies of Bad]," says Geoff Mayfield, retail editor at Billboard in 1987. Jackson would fall well short of that goal -- Bad had topped out at 6-times platinum in the U.S. by the time the album's promo cycle finally ended at the close of the '80s, and was finally certified diamond (for 10 million equivalent album units) by the RIAA earlier this year. But despite the lesser sales, Bad did achieve a feat that not only did Thriller not accomplish, but that no album in history ever had before: It spawned five No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Each of the set's first five singles -- Siedah Garrett ballad duet "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," storming title track "Bad," strutting love song "The Way You Make Me Feel," anthemic power ballad "Man in the Mirror" and rock-infused backstage drama "Dirty Diana" -- made it all the way to the Hot 100's apex, breaking the previous record of four No. 1 hits off the same album, initially set in 1978 by the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. For more than two decades, Bad reigned as the lone album to notch five Hot 100-toppers, until Katy Perry finally tied the achievement in 2011 with her fifth No. 1 off sophomore album Teenage Dream. So how did an album that largely failed to live up to commercial expectation manage to do something no blockbuster album had managed before? A lot of the answer can be found through the album's surrounding context -- in terms of Michael Jackson's career, in terms of the pop landscape in the late '80s and in terms of the Billboard charts of the time. Though Thriller managed "only" two Hot 100 No. 1s of its own -- "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" -- it raised the bar for how long an album's shelf life could last. "It’s one of those few records I can think of with three meaningful Christmas seasons," says Mayfield. "When I was at Billboard [in 1984] it was the third Christmas season for Thriller, and it was still one of the records that retailers cited as a traffic builder for them, and that’s unusual." The album also set new standards for the number of hit singles that could be pulled from the same record, with seven of its nine tracks becoming top 10 hits on the Hot 100 -- a then-record. "Having seven top 10 hits [on Thriller] was important," says Larry Stessel, senior VP/marketing for Jackson's Sony-owned label Epic in the '80s. "Because you had all of those songs that were being played on 98 percent of the radio stations in the country, whether it was some lesser singles... as long as they’re in the top 10 or top five, they’re going to have a tremendous impact." After Thriller, albums that previously would've only spun off three or four singles were now increasingly likely to have five, six, even seven songs pulled as A-sides before the artist would move on to a next album. Tellingly, Def Leppard's Diamond-selling Pyromania set, released just a couple months after Thriller in 1983, saw only four songs released as singles, but by the time of 1987 follow-up Hysteria, that LP spawned seven singles -- with the fourth and fifth single in the U.S. ("Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Love Bites") becoming the set's biggest Hot 100 hits, reaching Nos. 2 and 1, respectively. "'We should do a rock version of Michael Jackson’s Thriller,'" Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen recalled to Billboard of producer Mutt Lange's goals for Hysteria. Also contributing to these albums' extended lifespans was the rise of MTV. Albums like Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. (1984) and Janet Jackson's Control (1986) were able to generate at least five top 10 hits each (seven for Born) in large part because many of their singles were accompanied by captivating music videos that were endlessly promoted on what had become the world's most influential musical outlet. And Michael Jackson, who had helped the channel go truly global with videos for Thriller's "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and the title track, was the station's unquestioned male lead. "They were so hungry for Michael Jackson videos that we could’ve put out Michael singing 'Happy Birthday' and they would’ve played it," Stessel recalls. And when Bad was finally ready for release in 1987, a half-decade after Thriller had permanently changed the parameters for pop album scaling, it was given one of the great promotional pushes in record industry history. Walter Yetnikoff, then-CEO of CBS and Sony Music, was behind Jackson fully. At the time, Columbia Records (a CBS division) had mega-selling acts Springsteen, Pink Floyd and Billy Joel on its roster, but it was clear which artist was Yetnikoff's top priority. "As much as Walter loved those [other] acts, Michael was the king at the company,” says one former Sony executive. “The push behind Jackson kept Columbia from getting to No. 1 with their records. They over-aggressively promoted Michael Jackson, because that was what Walter wanted.” (Journey's Frontiers album on Columbia stalled at No. 2 for nine weeks in 1983, stuck behind Thriller.) The Bad album -- whose progress was kept as a secret even to Jackson's label, Epic Records, until shortly before it was delivered -- was first introduced to a who's who of radio and retail bigwigs at a private dinner at the pop star's house in Encino, California. "The first thing I thought was... we have to make Michael real to the industry again," says Jim Caparro, then-head of sales at Epic. "To make him real again I came up with this wild notion that we should bring all the accounts and big radio people to Michael’s house and have him debut the album to them." “Sony brought in Wolfgang Puck, he was the chef at the house,” recalls Bruce Ogilvie, now the CEO of Alliance Entertainment and the then-owner of the Abbey Road One-Stop distributor, about the summit. “They had all the Sony senior people there and [manager] Frank DiLeo was there, and so was Janet Jackson. They didn’t spare any expense. They picked everyone up in limousines to bring us there. It floated around the party that Michael Jackson was sleeping upstairs in the oxygen chamber but would come down later.” Bad was brought to the general public via a half-hour special, Michael Jackson: The Magic Returns, which debuted on CBS primetime the night before the album was released. The centerpiece of the special was the "Bad" music video, an 18-minute short film helmed by legendary director Martin Scorsese and co-starring a pre-fame Wesley Snipes. "It was on from 8-8:30 [on CBS] and it was the No. 5 show of the week," says Stessel, who wrote, produced and directed the program (along with Don Wilson), which also featured a short catch-up film summarizing Michael's career to that point. "It was a tremendous coup... we shipped 4.2 million copies [of the album], and we sold half of it the first week." All of this set the scene for a singles rollout that built on the momentum of Thriller and attempted to take it to new heights. "The album of your career is always going to put you on a higher plateau than you were before," Mayfield says. "And I would say that Thriller did some of the heavy lifting for Bad just by making his tent larger than it ever could have been prior to that album." Not wanting to mess with the successful formula of the latter, the release strategy for Bad closely mirrored that of its predecessor. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," with Siedah Garrett -- the more traditional pop duet without a music video -- was pulled as a single first (as the Paul McCartney collab "The Girl Is Mine" was from Thriller), followed by two more obvious modern pop knockouts with elaborate visuals to match in "Bad" and "The Way You Make Me Feel" (just like "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" an album earlier). "Everything was about, 'Let’s just do everything the Thriller way,'" Stessel recalls. "

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