Halloween Songs

Every holiday has its great music... and Halloween is no exception. I'm the kind of guy who prides himself on his ability to come up with great mix CD and a few years ago, I put together what I considered a great Halloween mix. It included the following:

1. Alice Cooper - "Welcome to My Nightmare"
2. Nightmare Before Christmas - "This is Halloween"
3. Misfits - "Halloween"
4. Bobby 'Boris' Pickett & the Crypt-Kickers - "Monster Mash"
5. Heywood Banks - "Halloween"
6. Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Phantom of the Opera' - "Phantom of the Opera"
7. Rocky Horror Picture Show - "Time Warp"
8. Little Shop of Horrors - "Mean Green Mother from Outer Space"
9. 'Weird Al' Yankovic - "Nature Trail to Hell (in 3-D)"
10. Warren Zevon - "Werewolves of London"
11. Michael Jackson - "Thriller"
12. Meat Loaf - "Bat Out of Hell"
13. Jimmy Fallon - "Halloween Carols"
14. Dropkick Murphys - "Halloween"
15. Spinal Tap - "Back from the Dead"
16. Five Iron Frenzy - "Screams in the Night"
17. Blue Oyster Cult - "Don't Fear the Reaper" (because what Halloween is complete without cowbell?)

This year, I thought I'd revisit the concept and create a new mix for a new year. Last year, I focused a lot on humorous tracks - 'Weird Al,' Jimmy Fallon, Little Shop..., Heywood Banks, and Spinal Tap - so this year I opted for a more serious approach. I have included some classics that didn't make it on the last list and a couple creepy instrumentals that seemed essential. Let me know what you think.

1. Meat Loaf - "Seize the Night"
2. Rockwell - "Somebody's Watchin' Me"
3. 'Evil Dead: The Musical' - "Do the Necrinomicon"
4. Alice Cooper - "Feed My Frankenstein"
5. Creedence Clearwater Revival - "I Put a Spell on You"
6. Santana - "Black Magic Woman"
7. Cranberries - "Zombies"
8. Talking Heads - "Psycho Killer"
9. Rage Against the Machine - "The Ghost of Tom Joad"
10. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - "A Nightmare on My Street"
11. Edgar Winter Group - "Frankenstein"
12. Eagles - "Witchy Woman"
13. Van Halen - "Running With the Devil"
14. Pink Floyd - "Careful With That Axe, Eugene"
15. Gerard McMann - "Cry, Little Sister" (from The Lost Boys)
    
16. MC Hammer - "Addams Groove"
    

Any other necessities I'm missing? Let me know!

Friday's Top Five - Rock Guitarists

I love rock music, particularly the harder edged stuff of the pop/hair metal genre. Mostly, the stuff you'd find on any classic hits station. I really love to just crank the music and just go - particularly driving to and from work or church. I'm especially fond of any powerful guitar solos. Maybe it's my own jealousy at not being terribly musical, but I love them. So, I decided to compile a list of some of my favorite rock guitarists. These lists probably won't measure up to many you'd find online, but again, not being terribly musical, I just know what I like... and I like these guys.

5. Ace "Space Ace" Frehley (Kiss)
I've really been digging on Kiss lately, particularly their early stuff from before Frehley and drummer Peter Criss left the group. The stuff those four guys did together is unbelievable... and Ace held his own against the theatrics of Simmons. (Of course, when you're shooting fireworks out of your Les Paul, how can you not?) For a taste of what makes Frehley truly great, check out "2000 Man" from the Dynasty album. Classic!

4. Angus Young (AC/DC)
And speaking of showmanship, few guitarists can measure up to AC/DC's Angus Young! Decked out in a complete Catholic schoolboy uniform, Young prances across the stage as he plays, bringing adrenaline and charisma with him. And, while I've heard the guy's as dumb as a post, he can play guitar like few others in the rock world. Just check out the opening licks on "Thunderstruck" if you don't believe me. One of the classic guitar riffs that I always count among my favorite rock guitar intros ever.

3. Jimmy Page (Yardbirds, Led Zepplin)
I've only recently become interested in Zepplin, which many rock fans would undoubtedly consider a heresy. Oh, sure, I'd heard "Stairway to Heaven" before. Who hadn't? And Page's guitar in that song is unparalleled. And then I started getting into more of their stuff and finding out more about the artist known as Jimmy Page. What I learned, I loved! One of my particular favorites would have to be his solo toward the end of "Immigrant Song". Combined with lead singer Robert Plant's captivating vocals, Page's guitar packs a much more solid wallop!

2. Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)
Say what you will about the politics of the band as a whole - Van Halen's guitar is solid! And while I'm a fan of a lot of Van Halen's stuff - from "Panama" to their cover of Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman" - it's not hard to admit that the best part of listening to the band as a whole is listening to Eddie's electrifying guitar. "Eruption" is called one of the greatest rock guitar solos of all time... and for good reason. Eddie wails on that thing and leaves his audiences screaming for more. Truly brilliant at what he does!

1. Jimi Hendrix (The Jimi Hendrix Experience)
As if anyone else really could be number one! Hendrix was a brilliant showman and completely revolutionized the way the guitar was perceived by the rock crowd. Most would point to his rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" from Woodstock as the perfect example of this... and I think they'd be right to an extent. However, being the Dylan fan that I am, I think I'd be remiss if I didn't mention his version of "All Along the Watchtower" - a brilliant song made even more so when given that Hendrix touch. Amazing!

Honorable mentions: Slash (Guns N' Roses), Carlos Santana (Santana), Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits), Eric Clapton (Yardbirds, Cream, solo), Brian May (Queen)

Who are some of your favorite rock guitarists?

Rantin' & Ravin': Is Originality a Liability?

Solomon perhaps said it best when he said, "there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecc. 1:9). I know that, to an extent, this is true - at its basic core, everything has been done before... but should that stop us from trying to be original?

This whole idea didn't exactly germinate overnight... but was definitely set off this morning. While driving into work, I had the radio going and thought I heard something familiar. Ah, yes - the opening piano of Warren Zevon's classic "Werewolves of London". But NOO-OO-OO! Instead, I was offered Kid Rock's "All Summer Long" which not only borrowed from the great Zevon, but also swiped the background vocals and guitar licks from Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama". Much as I may enjoy the occasional Kid Rock song, I was appalled.

This isn't a recent trend either. And I suppose that's what aggravates me. It's been a major problem since Vanilla Ice added a DING! to the end of Queen's "Under Pressure" in order to create his hit (yes, singular), "Ice, Ice Baby". But it's an epidemic now. From Gwen Stefani's "Wind it Up" (taken from The Sound of Music's "The Lonely Goatherd") to Sean Kingston's "Beautiful Girls" (which borrows the bassline from Ben E. King's "Stand By Me"), from Rhianna's "S.O.S." (the chords from "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell can be heard in the background) to the aforementioned "All Summer Long"... it's almost like we're rewarding artists for not creating.

And it's not even just music either. Ever since the late nineties, movies are created that are remakes of old sitcoms or (worst of all) other classic movies from a bygone era. Do we really need two "Dukes of Hazzard" remakes? Or another Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? Can anyone really top the original casts? Not really...

I find it very frustrating to live in a society that not only praises mediocrity but also lauds unoriginality. Where are the Grammys for Sufjan Stevens, Rufus Wainwright, or Iron & Wine? Where are the bands waiting to take up the mantles of Bob Dylan, Led Zepplin, and other people who actually wrote their own music?

Is originality a liability?

Feel free to discuss.

Title Origins and Friends from the South

It occurred to me that I didn't include an origin of my blog title in my first post. I think it's important, seeing as how only myself and one other person know of its significance...

When I was in middle school, I had two very good friends, who I remained good friends with through high school. The three of us talked regularly and had known each other since elementary school. One of these friends had a habit for telling stories that the other two of us found... a bit hard to believe. They weren't completely far-fetched, like the kid who told me he had the Boardwalk piece in the McDonald's Monopoly game (remember that?) or the kid who said he'd seen every Bugs Bunny cartoon ever made. You could tell those guys were lying right off. For my friend, though, it seemed as if these things could have actually happened, but the fact that so many of them happened to him in such rapid succession seemed all too unlikely.

I mentioned this to my other friend, launching he and I into a conversation about the dubious nature of his claims. "You know," I said, chuckling to myself, "talking to him is like a bunch of unlikely fantasies and improbable realities." We laughed. A lot, actually. In fact, we thought that little phrase was so funny that we decided, should we ever write a book - together or separately - we should name it Unlikely Fantasies & Improbable Realities. In fact, until very recently, I had a plan to publish a book of short fiction entitled just that. (Who knows? I might still do just that, but I really haven't had much time for writing any more than the occasional blog post lately.)

Upon starting this blog, I wracked my brain for a good title, to no avail. Should I use a line from a song? A rewording of one of my favorite quotes? A phrase in some foreign language that carries deep and significant meaning for me? I couldn't quite find anything that fit... until I remembered the above story and how amusing it had been at the time. 'What better name,' I thought, 'to describe my life than one that seems simultaneously absurd and deep... like me?'

So, there it is... the origin of my blog title.

"And now for something completely different..."

My friend Ben came up yesterday from Tennessee, where he lives with his wife Amanda. Ben and I have been good friends since kindergarten, which makes him my best and oldest friends. Being so far apart is difficult, to be sure, but it's always good to get together and get a chance to catch up, reminisce, and just chat it up. Ben is on his way out to the Ukraine even as I type to spend some time with his father (a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University). On his way up, he swung by and hung out for a bit last night, which was a lot of fun.

We talked for a good long time, something we both always enjoy. Then we went to the grocery store and made some purchases (I needed some food in my apartment... BADLY!) and then headed to Red Lobster for dinner. After starting out with some steamed oysters and some of their AWESOME Cheddar Bay Biscuits, we both tried (and enjoyed) the Georgia Peach-Bourbon Shrimp and Scallops, which featured awesome grilled shrimp and scallops (with a peach bourbon glaze) on a bed of wild rice pilaf and a side of seasoned broccoli. It's one of the current menu specials Red Lobster is running and was extremely good!

After dinner, we swung by my apartment and had some Starbucks Organic Sumatra-Peru blend coffee in my new French Press (which my mom and dad got me for my birthday - thanks, guys!) while listening to The Swell Season and Sam & Ruby - which is to say, a great brew and great tunes with a great friend! After a while, our good friend Ian showed up and we chilled and chatted a while longer. Emilee (my kid sister) also hung out for a bit. After she left, the guys decided to head over to the Greenwood Barnes & Noble. I picked up the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly (which featured an article about the upcoming Watchmen movie - based on one of my all-time favorite graphic novels) and a literary magazine called Third Coast. I've often thought about submitting a story to a literary magazine, but have yet to actually do so. So, I'm looking at this one in hopes that it might be someplace I can send a story. Who knows? Maybe I can get published before next year is out?

Pray for Ben, if you think about it. He'll be in Ukraine for about ten days with little to no contact with his friends and family in America. Also pray for his wife - this is the longest they've ever been apart from one another since they've been married. Mostly, though, pray that God's will is done in their work in Kiev (pronounced, as I discovered yesterday, Keev.) Thanks!

Ciao!

Friday's Top Five - Bob Dylan Songs

In an effort to build up my posting efforts, I think it's a good idea to add a couple of regular features to the blog. That having been said, on Fridays, I hope to post a list of my Top Five... somethings. Could be anything really. TV shows, comedies, movies, actors, songs... or, in today's case, Bob Dylan songs.


Throughout the past school year, I've been getting more and more into the music of Bob Dylan. While many find his vocals jarring, his gift for songwriting and lyricism (is it a word? I don't know) are unparalleled by anyone before or since. In becoming a fan of Dylan, it's difficult for songs NOT to resonate with you as you listen to them. The following are among my favorites:

5. "Ballad of a Thin Man"
Dylan's wordplay here is dizzying and his melody haunting as he mockingly taunts the titular "thin man," Mr. Jones. "Something is happening," he muses, "but you don't know what it is... do you, Mr. Jones?" All this is to say nothing of his startling imagery - from a circus geek handing over a chicken bone to a one-eyed midget calling Jones a cow - which really solidifies this ballad as a Dylan classic.

4. "All Along the Watchtower"
In my humble opinion, this song needs to be named the official anthem of the apocalypse. Among the shorter of Dylan's compositions, with a running time of only 2:32, "Watchtower" tells the story of a joker and a thief, trapped in an unknown prison at what appears to be the end of the world. The brevity and the awesome rhythm make this song masterful, but it is Dylan's refusal to give the song a concrete ending - other than "Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl/Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl" - that make this song truly haunting. (Also, this song was used to masterful effect on the Season Three finale of "Battlestar Galactica" as covered by BT4.)

3. "Just Like a Woman"
There are a lot of questions as to who this song was actually written about and Dylan, to his credit, has yet to reveal anything (and, quite frankly, I'd be upset if he ever did). This is a beautiful song about a woman - her simultaneous frailty and callous. The constant refrain of "she takes just like a woman/she makes love just like a woman/she aches just like a woman/but she breaks like a little girl" reminds the audience of this porcelain interior hidden beneath a tougher exterior. At the end, Dylan calls it quits... and when he sings it, his vocals convey all of that raw emotion.

2. "Visions of Johanna"
Another perfect blending of Dylan's poetic lyrics and beautiful melodies. "Visions" paints another picture of heartbreak - a couple who have fallen out of whatever love they once shared... and his inability to forget it. The final line, "and these visions of Johanna are now all that remain," haunt the listener as only something sung by Dylan truly can. While originally released on Dylan's 1966 album "Blonde on Blonde," in my mind, a more perfect version can be found on his live album "The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: The 'Royal Albert Hall' Concert 1966". Just Dylan, his harmonica, and his guitar. Far better than the studio version, IMHO.

1. "Like a Rolling Stone"
Some things just need to be the way they are. Perhaps the best known of all of Dylan's songs, this one - about a girl abandoned and alone - has been named the best rock song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. The name taken from a Muddy Waters tune, Dylan turned the line into something memorable. Again, a perfect version of this song exists as the closing track of Dylan's "Royal Albert Hall" Concert in '66. Done in an electrical style that seemed to enrage his audience, Dylan's almost wheezing tone mocked them as he sang out, "How does it feeeel?!" In my mind, you almost can't discuss Dylan without this song. In many ways, it epitomizes his impact on both music and the music industry in a profound way.

Honorable mentions: "Desolation Row," "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere," "Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again," "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright," "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue," "It Ain't Me Babe," "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35," and "The Hurricane"

What are some of your favorite Dylan songs?