Music has always been a part of my life -- now welcome to the journey. Just a little blog to reminisce, review, rant and rave about the music in my life. "Music is my mother and my father. It is my work and my rest,my blood, my compass, my love" ~Jeff Buckley
Seventeen years ago, I got on a plane for the first time and...flew to Australia. Seriously. Given the priceless opportunity to not only avoid a winter in Johnstown, but to travel to a place that seemed so exotic was the chance of a lifetime I could not turn down. (I must warn you all, I was in my Northern Exposure Maggie O'Connell meets Delores O'Riordan of The Cranberries phase - i.e. the haircut). Of course this life changing trip was filled with musical memories.
Day 1
Besides under anticipating how much I would miss all of my music (I survived on CDs and mixed tapes) I never knew how a land could enchant me so or how the people would renew my faith that there are some damn good people out there in the world.
Mardi Gras Before and After
One of my first adventures was to attend the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade. Yes, I came prepared with silver tank and Bono pants. Truth be told - this was not happening in Johnstown.
The theme song for that year was sung by Vanessa Amorossi: Absolutely Everybody. It will always remind me of Mardi Gras.
Byron Bay
Getting settled meant adapting to the sun, finding the right radio stations and of course, going on holiday! Traveling in a very cramped bus while sharing a single headphone, Santana will always be the drive along the Pacific Highway. I would love to go back to Byron Bay for the annual blues festival. It just might be the most enchanting beach I have ever seen.
When is Australia, you visit the Australia Zoo. In 2000, Steve Irwin was not as popular and gave reason to why there was not only one train to and from Taronga each day, but why the station agent called ahead to tell the zoo staff to come and pick us up.
Petting a kanga at the Australia Zoo
It was after this trip to the zoo that we went back to Brisbane (what would become the scene of the infamous fire extinguisher chase) and I maxed out the credit card on "new" old music. Please open this picture to see that, in all these years, I have not changed.
To support you while you do this, here is some INXS and a shameless picture of Patrick Rafter (whom I met on Manly Beach).
Rain Forest. It rains there.
One of the trips also taken during this time was to Fraser Island. Sand. Sun. Water. Okay and spiders. Besides finding out what they mean by rain forest, I remember lying in my bed one night when the flatmates were outside discussing the Southern Cross. I just kept thinking to myself - I am in Australia!
After our holiday, it was time to get back into studies. Which at time was just a lot of going to see Pulp Fiction, Trainspotting, and watching Ally McBeal. It was during one of these procrastinating moments that I discovered the man who would change my life. No, not Steve the construction worker on the 288. Jeff Buckley. It was in this continent filled with kind-hearted souls that I would hear the voice of an angel.It is an understatement to say that Jeff was someone that will never come our way for at least 50 years. He was gifted, soulful, fragile, revered and he was gone. One of the hardest things was to study for finals while the eucalyptus wafted in the air, the lizards scampered at your feet and while the wine box was still full. But I did it - and I passed. This allowed us the freedom to go see concerts (INXS and Savage Garden) and to do touristy things like visit the Olympic Centre and Fox Studios. Yes, I enjoyed the interactive set of Titanic on the backlot studios.
Oh but even with finals over, there was still the adventure home. The adventure included my layover in Fiji. The layover that occurred on the heels of a coup. Don't try this at home kids.
With journals full of stories, no this is not all that happened. There was St. Patrick's Day, not so real shark attacks, a broken heart and the realization that I would never be who I was before I left the United States.
1987’s Joshua Tree presented us 11 songs that
forever changed the landscape of rock music. With Bono at the helm of lyrics,
they departed from the sound they had developed on their first three albums
with Steve Lillywhite. Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois took them a step closer with
Unforgettable Fire, honing their
sound and encouraging them to experiment, tossing in risky subjects and wearing
their hearts on their sleeves.
The band began
exploring America around this time, physically, artistically, musically, and
politically. Here is this great open land, filled with dreams and hopes, yet
their leaders support those in other countries who oppress. In fact, the
working title for The Joshua Tree was
The Two Americas because of the
bifurcation that existed within America (McCormick, 2006 U2 by U2). The Joshua
Tree brought us a new sound, more harsher and marbled with American sounds and inspired
by American words. Bono also explored drug addiction, love, and loss.
Lyrically, this album
is a gift. Each song could be its own poem, rife with inspiration of Bono’s
travels to Africa, his affliction for the unjust, his obsession with words, and
the unsettling loss of a dear friend. And as always, Bono, our modern day psalmist, always manages a Biblical reference or two. It's their nature and no act. The band was still pretty close to their religious roots. Remember, we almost lost the band to God. Besides being complex lyrically, balancing the haves and the have-nots, stylistically The Joshua Tree is layered with hard and soft notes, yelling and whispering, and iconic guitar riffs that will forever summon the 1980's.
Let's take a look back at each song and maybe learn some things about The Joshua Tree that you never knew before.
Where the Streets Have No Name The Edge, according to Neil McCormick, "wanted to conjure
up the ultimate U2 live-song, so he imagined what he would like to hear
at a future U2 show if he were a fan." Inspired by a trip to Africa where anonymity is standard and a conversation about living in Belfast where the streets have names and it matters which one you live on, Bono looks at this world of ours where we build things up and then tear them down. It's opening notes are recognizable immediately and the band could not have identified a more perfect song to open this iconic album. And now how about that video?
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For More than just Bono stumbling through the streets of Vegas, it's Bono soul searching again with some glimmer that a gospel choir might just appear around the corner. Bono's relationship with God is not a shy one and this song proves it.
You broke the bonds and you
Loosed the chains
Carried the cross
Of my shame
Of my shame
You know I believed it
But I still haven't found what I'm looking for
With or Without You Is it about a woman, about God, or about ... the press? We may never know. But this song did stir many an emotion. Building like Stairway to Heaven, this song hits you around 3:05 with a wail that will make many swoon and get weak. *Trivia, if you turn it up high around 3:46, you can hear The Edge whisper make her cry.
P.S. You can credit Gavin Friday of Virgin Prune fame for believing in this song...and you should thank him for humanity.
Bullet the Blue Sky You probably never knew how rife with politics this song was until now. Again, you're welcome. Bono was not shy of his sentiment against America backing bullies in Latin America.This song is heavy. Heavy like what search lights and helicopters would sound like right? Bono said put El Salvador through an amplifier. And U2 is the only band in the entire universe that can get away with 1) a political statement 2) a biblical analogy and 3) referencing John Coltrane. This is a pretty heavy and highly critical song. It's also pretty fucking fantastic live.
This guy comes up to me
His face red like a rose on a thorn bush
Like all the colors of a royal flush
And he's peeling off those dollar bills
Slapping them down
One hundred, two hundred
And I can see those fighter planes
And I can see those fighter planes
Across the mud huts where the children sleep
Through the alleys of a quiet city street
You take the staircase to the first floor
Turn the key and slowly unlock the door
As a man breathes into a saxophone
And through the walls you hear the city groan
Outside is America
Outside is America
Running to Stand Still A song influenced by a line Bono had never heard and the ongoing drug issue happened across from where he lived, Running to Stand Still was one of those experiments. Lyrically, who knew the story of drug addiction could be painted so beautifully yet so painfully. The song builds, yearning, building, crescendo, and then slows into a harmonica ending...and will probably cycle again.
Sweet the sin
Bitter taste in my mouth
I see seven towers
But I only see one way out
You got to cry without weeping
Talk without speaking
Scream without raising your voice
You know I took the poison
From the poison stream
Then I floated out of here
Singing...ha la la la de day
Ha la la la de day
Ha la la de day
She runs through the streets
With her eyes painted red
Under black belly of cloud in the rain
In through a doorway she brings me
White gold and pearls stolen from the sea
She is raging
She is raging
And the storm blows up in her eyes
She will...
Suffer the needle chill
She's running to stand...
Still.
Red Hill Mining Town A song about labor and social strife in the UK, Bono didn't take to preach the politics of it, however he looked at it from the side of love. The video by wonderfully talented Neil Jordan, plops a nice yellow canary in a cage.
In God's Country Being Bono, when he could not figure out of this was a sang about America or Ireland, he compromised with himself and said It's about the Statue of Liberty. Set me alight
We'll punch a hole right through the night
Everyday the dreamers die
See what's on the other side
She is liberty
And she comes to rescue me
Hope, faith, her vanity
The greatest gift is gold
Sleep comes like a drug
In God's Country
Trip Through Your Wires A beautiful love song in the stylings of Dylan, Trip Through Your Wires is a beautiful example of Bono's love for his wife, Alison.
One Tree Hill A poignant tribute for Bono's friend and roadie for the band who was killed in 1986. The use of New Zealand's famed One Tree Hill is a perfect honor for Greg who was of Maori descent. The lyrics are a stunning eulogy and a promise of meeting again. This song conveys sadness and the passion of loss. And Bono, so cunningly enough, works into the song Victor Jara, who died because of the songs he sang.
And in the world a heart of darkness
A fire zone
Where poets speak their heart
Then bleed for it
Jara sang, his song a weapon
In the hands of love
You know his blood still cries
From the ground
It runs like a river runs to the sea
It runs like a river to the sea
Exit The last two songs on the album are based in violence. For Exit, Bono basically binge read super violent books about serial killers and tried to get into their mind. This song goes so well with Gloria in Rattle and Hum.
Mother's of the Disappeared And from one violent extreme to the next, Bono visits the topic of The Disappeared. Many Latin American countries had violent overthrows and with it came violent disappearances of those who fought against the change and oppression.
In the wind we hear their laughter
In the rain we see their tears
Hear their heartbeat
We hear their heartbeat
The terms legacy and iconic seem to follow The Joshua Tree around. Thirty years on and the album is certified classic. It ushered in a brand new sound and it solidified the standing of U2 as a band that defies standard. They don't shun political or social issues, they will gladly throw a Bible reference in for fun, and if you challenge them, they will put music on your iPod while you sleep.
...this is just the end of something for U2. And that's what we're playing
these concerts -- and we're throwing a party for ourselves and you. It's
no big deal, it's just -- we have to go away and...and dream it all up
again.
March 17 brings the luck of the Irish and the Spirit of the boys from Basildon: Depeche Mode. Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher offer up their fourteenth album, Spirit. While saying it isn't a political album,but it's definitely about humanity, and our place in thatGahan recently told Rolling Stone. And it wouldn't be the first time the band has dabbled in current events and social issues. Their 1983album, Construction Time Again was rife with statements on big money and the environment. So let's have a look back at some of Depeche Mode's live highlights while we prepare for the 17 track gift of Spirit. 1983's Construction Time Again gave DM the album that critics call one of their best. Everything Counts
The song that most in the US gained their Depeche introduction was the 1984 anthem People are People from their fourth album, Some Great Reward.
Another March 17th release, Black Celebration. The album took the band towards the sound we know of now and away from the pop sounds the MTV Generation were liking. A Question of Timewas the first video that their long time collaborator, Anton Corbijn would direct.
Off their sixth studio albumMusic for the Masses, Never Let Me Downgoes down as one of the best known live music moments for the band. At the end of the tour that cemented them into one of the greatest bands to come from the 80's, this performance from the tour'sPasadena Rose Bowl show proved to the critics that Depeche Mode had arrived. Personal Jesus: It's easily one of the first songs people will sing when you mention Depeche Mode. While there are so many great songs from this album, this versionwhile Dave was on the short end of drug abuse is haunting. While he is so very frail, his voice is so strong and willing.
From Songs of Faith and Devotion, the heavy and throbbing I Feel You hits every nerve. It's desperate, passionate, and this version from 1993 is strong but left many fearful how many lives Dave had.
Like the proverbial butterfly, Dave and the band were healing and showingstronger and healthier than in the dark grungy early nineties. Ultra was the awakening and maturation withsongs like It's No Good, Barrel of a Gun, and Insight.
It is one of the most tender songs we've ever gotten from DM. Precious from Playing the Angel, Precious, we later found out, was a song from Martin Gore to his children as he wondered what his divorce had done to them.
Not live but the best mix (my opinion). DM loves March release dates, Delta Machine coming at us in March of 2013. Their 13th album was thought to be the most powerful, gothic, twisted, electronic album since Violator, according to music writer Luke Turner. It was soulful and deep, and the remixes wegot were, well, Heaven (Freemason's Mix).
I'm ready to get on board. We all got our fist live taste of Where's the Revolution on Jimmy Fallon.Spirit is going to be a pouty and sultry with a lot of attitude I feel. Here is our sneak peak of what to expect when Spirit takes the road this fall.
It was after this trip to the zoo that we went back to Brisbane (what would become the scene of the infamous fire extinguisher chase) and I maxed out the credit card on "new" old music. Please open this picture to see that, in all these years, I have not changed. 
