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
It's so strange
How my life's changed
I know nothing
About the people that I touched
~Possibilities
Released December 14, 1999 This self-titled posthumous solo debut from the INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence was a reminder of not only this singer's talents but also his pain. The album is a testament to the music that inspired many of the INXS songs that you may be familiar with. Soul, jazz, R&B permeate each song with the pop and rock sounds you would expect to hear from this Aussie rock icon.
The album does not disappoint, even for those fans expecting to hear INXS sounds. It is sultry and funky with lyrics that paint a picture of a rock star haunted by stardom, paparazzi, and his life's circumstance at the time. Songs like Possibilities and Slide Away are jazz smooth but lyrically sharp edges of pain and doubt.
This is our letter in a bottle, a snapshot of Michael's mind. His songwriting ability never wavered and he never got into the habit of making songs that sound like INXS. Michael made strong emotional and edgy songs even back in the Max Q days. Michael Hutchence was a song writer not just a pop icon.
Many questions remain about what could have been. Would Michael have embarked on a solo tour post twenty- year INXS reunion? Would he have ever found his true happiness?
Released in March of 1997, Pop is probably one of the most despised of U2's albums, but I love it. First and foremost, it was a huge risk on U2's part. They had just come off a huge tour and poor reception to Achtung Baby's follow up album, Zooropa. It was far different from anything people heard. But I always felt there was something there. With time, this album has aged gracefully. Okay, maybe not the lemon spaceship and muscle shirts.
The lyrics are heavy; a lot of contemplation, but at the same time, serious fun with a more mature tone. Hanging with Frank Sinatra pre-recording this album definitely translated into some of these vibes.
Let's review - one of U2's least liked albums, Pop.
Discothèque So this song confused the hell out of people. Maybe it was Bono's mid-mid life crisis after he had the existential Machphisto
mid-life crisis, Discothèque was an interesting choice to open the album too because there is nothing else on the album like it. And then there is the video --
Do You Feel Loved Bono really experimented with lyrics on this album - it isn't clear exactly what this song is about, some say ecstasy, others Bono's fame and fan worship of him, and then other always point to religion. Whatever it is, Adam Clayton is getting some bass love on this album.
Mofo Bono always seems to pen one song about his mother who was lost to him at a very young age. This song might be the most revealing about Bono - as it captures so many questions of his existence, sans mother, including filling the void of her loss, his religion, and becoming a father. It also includes many artistic references that many will miss including two quotes from both Salman Rushdie and William Butler Yeats.
If God Will Send His Angels A beautiful song that never got the recognition it deserved. It is full of so many vivid images of the world we live in, the despair, hope, and questions of the world and the spirituality that many question everyday. Again, Bono goes after faith and the selling of religion, the commercialization of it, and the loss of its true meaning.
Does love...light up your Christmas Tree The next minute your blowing a fuse And the cartoon network turns into the news
Staring at the Sun Bono again goes with the internal review of self with this song. It's catchy, acoustic, and again bass heavy. Let's look at the title alone - what happens when you stare at the sun? Everyone does it right, because you're not supposed to. I'm not the only one whose happy to go blind, Bono sings. We do what we aren't supposed to and then tell others not to do it.Will we ever live in peace? 'Cause those that can't do often have to, Those that can't do often have to preach. It's as much a song about practicing what you preach as it is about looking past the burning blindness of the sun and seeing the real truth. See, I told you this album was deep.
Last Night on Earth While the video seems very apocalyptic, it's semi-obvious that it is probably about Paul Yates, ex-wife of Bob Geldof, lover of Michael Hutchence, and tabloid fodder. This is what gave it away for me:
She's not waiting on a savior to come She's at a bus stop with the News of the World And the Sun Sun here it comes She's not waiting for anyone
The tabloids, News of the World, the Sun and a sad prediction:
The future is so predictable The past is too uncomfortable
Gone This is a very rock and roll song and a special one for such a family man. Bono wrote this about loving rock but missing his family while on the road. And again, praise the bass lords on this album.
Miami This is a silly little ditty, no message but relaxing on the beach.
The Playboy Mansion There are blurred lines here between the heaven of Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion and the religious heaven. It's a little Vegas at time's and you can feel Bono channeling the Riviera Hotel's vibes in this song. And again, our sneaky song writers show that years of study at Mount Temple. Then will there be no time for sorrow, then will there be no time for pain is a reference to Revelations 21:4 - curious blurred reference indeed.
If You Wear the Velvet Dress This is a haunting song about the moments of temptation and the morning after when life seems more clear than the moon that casts shadows and false images:
Sunlight Sunlight fills my room It's sharp and it's clear But nothing at all like the moon
Please A very timely and foreshadowing song, Please was written about the Northern Ireland Peace Process. It's about the love of country that gets people killed. Love is hard, love is though but love is not what you're thinking of. While written and recorded in 1997, in 2001, the following lines would echo in our ears, an eerie premonition from Bono:
September Streets capsizing Spilling over Down the drain Shards of glass splinters like rain But you could only feel Your own pain
Wake Up Dead Man My favorite song on the album. It's a prayer made in time of question and desperation and an order to wake up, wake up and take care of me and my needs.
Jesus, Jesus help me I'm alone in this world And a fucked up world it is too Tell me, tell me the story The one about eternity And the way it's all gonna be
Wake up, wake up dead man Wake up, wake up dead man
Jesus, I'm waiting here boss I know you're looking out for us But maybe your hands aren't free Your father, made the world in seven He's in charge of heaven Will you put in a word in for me?
Bono and the boys were approaching the ago of 40 when this album was written and released. It's a time of reflection and recollection of those lost and moments that could have been different. For these lads, 1980-1997 was a blur. Red Rocks, Live Aid, Joshua Tree, Rattle and Hum, using satellites to talk to the world. You also take stock in the fact that you've worked hard enough and earned those times of joy, whether it's at the Playboy Mansion or at Miami.
Released on January 23, 1990, Stick It to Ya was released at the end of the makeup era of the hair bands. The PMRC need not worry about the content of this album. The songs were heavier and however the power ballads were all seemingly an octave higher. This album was also safe. It wasn't filled with the angst of Guns N Roses, the songs became anthems, like Up All Night and Mad About You.
While the band was at first synonymous with Up All Night, many of us remember where we were the first time we saw and heard Mark Slaughter singing Fly to the Angels. That voice hitting those notes of song written for someone long lost, of course romanticized by a Amelia Earhart figure in the video.
Even with a follow up album and a song in Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, coupled with the loss of their guitarist, Slaughter wasn’t a long standing 1990’s band. However, their impact still stands as a great of our 90’s music legacy.
Eye to Eye Burning Bridges Up All Night Spend My Life Thinking of June She Wants More Fly to the Angels Mad About You That's Not Enough You Are the One Gave Me Your Heart Desperately Loaded Gun
Floating was introduced to me by a friend who, like me, was looking for the perfect way to get rid of stress. I always seemed to have that nagging knot in my shoulder or persistent headache that neither my chiropractor nor massage therapist could end. I started to do my research ... just what is floating?
I discovered it wasn't just floating in a tank of water. It was being suspended in a tank of body temperature epsom salt water in complete darkness and silence. I was sold. My mind is constantly going, which I figure, meant the stress could never be turned off. The mere idea of having an excuse to be anywhere in silence and darkness and not have to answer a phone or email felt heavenly.
So I went to Lift/Next Level Floats in Brooklyn for my first float. The facility felt so very zen. You remove your shoes and can sit and have some water or tea while you're given an introductory video to watch. I also had some insider tips from my friend ... all seemed to end with 'don't get the water in your eyes.' I had options: a float room or a tank. I chose the room (I have since tried both). You can keep the lights on or turn them off. After showering, I was ready to climb into the water.
PMCarlson 2016
It really was the perfect temperature. I placed a small towel around the door handle (in case I had any water anywhere near my eyes) and then closed the door. The magic blue lights and overhead stars were still on. I am guessing everyone tries to not float in the tank when they first get it. You just cannot. The epsom salt give you buoyancy like the Dead Sea...don't fight it. I decided to forgo the ear plugs and neck rest and just laid back and floated. Seemed easy enough.
Eleven from Stranger Things
But what do you do for an hour in the tank? Once I was ready to turn the lights off, I was ready to discover. I made a list of what I didn't want to think of in the tank: work, work, and to do lists. I used some Transcendental Meditation techniques and I have to say that set me on a pretty clear path about what the float tank and sensory deprivation tank was about: self.
Letting my mind go, I ventured to the purpose of self through my family lineage, felt as if I was traveling down a river, and once realized I thought my eyes were closed but they were really open. My muscles relaxed. My mind wandered. If thoughts wandered to work, I imagined putting thoughts on the shelf, but then they turned into kittens. Your mind is a wonderful thing, friends. The hour sped by.
As floating guru Michael Hutchison made clear in his book, floating isn't just about being in the tank. Floating benefits also occur for hours and days following a session. I've noticed myself paying more attention to details in the sky, in people, and in myself. Physically, the benefits of floating for being a type-A and an athlete are astounding. No more knots in my back and shoulders, quicker recovery time after workouts, and problems don't seem to get me rattled so much.
Do I recommend floating? Absolutely. If you're claustrophobic or afraid to be in a space without the lights on, you can leave them on. If you're afraid that you can't go an hour without your phone, then you really need this. You need to get get re-introduced to your mind. It's been over a year since I have been floating. I've even tried extended floats. Nothing has helped me mind, body, and soul as much as floating and sensory deprivation have. I am forever indebted to Lift/Next Level Floats in Brooklyn and to my friend who introduced me to this life changing practice. This song is always in my mind when I float, because I am in my Blue Room.
Many who know me, know my love of the band U2. Yes, their tunes are catchy - but did you ever really listen to them? Their songs are cries for the helpless, modern psalms for the spiritual, and praise for those who stood against oppression. Yes, Vertigo is a cool song, but I am more of a Pride or Running to Stand Still Girl.
I wrote papers on their songs in Dr. Wrabley's classes at Pitt. I was going to use Love Come Tumbling in my movie (when I eventually finish that screenplay). I saw them in concerts and knew every word to every song. U2 became a part of me, their albums the soundtrack to my 20's.
It was 2004 and I was working at the Office of Emergency Management under the Brooklyn Bridge. It was about 6am when the first call from the PD assigned out front, Yeah, there are some trucks that need to block the entrance for the U2 concert tonight. The what? Some more phone calls later and it was confirmed: U2 was playing under the Brooklyn Bridge. I was off for the afternoon, so the cards were in my favor.
Trucks of equipment, a stage, fans began to congregate. I was getting so excited. We would be able to get right up front. But would I meet them? After all these years? Would it happen?
Limos rolled up, was it them? Anticipation...it was Christy Turlington and Ed Burns. I could have called it a day right there. Ed Burns, the man behind the reason why I write, was there to see the show. People that I work with who were not even fans were excited as well. Who wouldn't be, it was a small show to preview U2's new album. We watched as U2 made it over the Manhattan Bridge on a flatbed truck ...and...waited...
Finally, the limo came, it was them. Adam, Larry, the Edge and Bono. In front of me. After all those years. I would be that close.
I had seen U2 perform, and Bono was at the top of his performance. He hadn't sounded that good in years! They opened with Vertigo and went into All Because of You. I remembered at that moment the significance of the date. Michael Hutchence had died on that date seven years prior. Bono and Hutchence were apparently dear friends.
After about 5 new songs, the Irish Flag came out, I was at the front of the stage, and they took it back to the beginning. Back to The Bottom Line, where it all began for them in NYC. They played Out of Control as if they were four fresh-faced Irishmen from Dublin. It was something I will never forget. The perfect U2 moment...for the time being.
The show ended and I was waiting around. I was still determined to meet them. What felt like an hour went by and there they were, taking pictures. I was able to get in the back of one, but still not too close. Patience finally paid off. Almost everyone had gone, I was ready to go back for a night tour so I could spare the time. I can't remember who was standing in front of me, but it happened. I met him.
Bono shook my hand. Then I said, you were so on tonight. This show was for Hutch! And then he hugged me. He thanked me. Then he walked away. I am still looking for a picture of that moment. The moment I had been dreaming of for what seemed like an eternity. It was over like that.
Bono wasn't the first celebrity I had even met, but it had the most impact on me. I had yelled at Ethan Hawke, chit chatted with Cyndi Lauper, held flowers for Steve Buscemi and played the umbrella dance with Kevin Bacon on Spring Street. Nothing compared.
It will be a memory that I will cherish. When I hear those songs I will go back to that chilly November night, the Manhattan skyline in the background.
To this writer and music lover’s dismay, many still have not
heard of, nor listened to, the man – Gavin Friday. His punk roots began
not with the Virgin Prunes (my opinion), but when he showed up, uninvited, to a
party attended by Bono and Guggi and then was caught trying to lift things from
the house. [1] Now
that is punk.
After Virgin Prunes, Gavin went solo in 1989 and has
ventured into many artistic venues – painting and acting among his wonderful
music. His four prior albums and countless soundtrack credits are songs you
know, you just don’t realize that you know them. Do yourselves a favor – please
check out Gavin’s work. It’s thought provoking, question asking, fun having,
sexy, angry, sweet, synth pulsing poetry. It's also inspiring music and
art. It was 1995’s Shag Tobacco that inspired a story I wrote in one
sitting just before 1999/2000 – filled with love, doubt, desire, and
angels.
On Ecce Homo: There are love songs and fight
songs, reflections on loss and reveries of nostalgia, anthems for solidarity
and excoriations of the powerful` and if I’m honest that pretty well sums up
this release. ~Gavin Friday
Ecce Homo … clever Gavin Friday, borrowing from
Pilate and from Nietzsche. This album is too an inspection of what it is to be
human and being and an offering of Friday’s own self-reflection. The follow up
to 2011’s Catholic, as is any Gavin Friday album, is not afraid to
tackle subjects directly with poetic and emotive lyrics. This is why those who
know Gavin are ready for more already.
The album is classic Friday. The songs are a mix of driving
synth and mellow acoustic guitar, to driving beats, poetry rap, and even an
aria. You can hear the inspiration of Bowie and Bolan, feel the reflection of
loss, and stand proud at the questioning of power and zealots.
Friday has done it again.
Ecce Homo will be a welcome and satisfying return for
fans of Gavin Friday and indeed all those who love their music firmly left of
the mainstream and who are unafraid to be challenged by complex subjects. It is
your writer’s sincere wish that we do not need to wait so long before it’s
followed up. Colin Rice When the Horn Blows, Album Review
Track listing and summary of Ecce Homo:
Lovesubzero - The deceivingly slow burn
start that shifts into a driving pulse is classic Friday. This song feels like
it was left off Shag Tabacco and has matured well for almost 30
years. Think Dolls part 2.
Ecce Homo – Brilliant lyrics with
non-subtle undercurrents of the give and take of religion, love, war, and
politics. The video is simply stunning and raw with emotional imagery.
The Church of Love – We pray in our own
way, no Pope, no Rome. Our love is its own.
Stations of the Cross – A chance to take
a breath. The first slow song on the album. A conversation in angst as we walk
through the stations. Making my life so complicated. It’s you you
you.
Lady Esquire – Catchy repetition. Rings
the doorbell of perception – I’d love to see Cillian Murphy reprise the role of
Kitten for this video.
When the World Was Young – a song of
reflection of youth.
The Best Boys of Dublin – a song about
Gavin’s dogs. It’s so heartfelt and simple.
Lamento – Please being back Westworld and
use this song. It’s Gavin’s beautiful heartbroken and empowered poetry mixed
with and Ennio Morricone-inspired ending.
When the World Was Young (reprise)
Cabarotica – Young sexual awakening. He
had me at stardust crush...
Amaranthus (When Love Lies Bleeding) –
Besides being a gorgeous plant, this is a gorgeous song of love and loss.
Daze – A comment on our connected,
24/7/365 constant state of being on. We’re in a daze all “days” for sure. Had a
Run Lola Run vibe
Behold the Man – Preach Gavin ...preach.
Populism is all it seems.
[1] Edge,
Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr. (9 October 2007). U2 by U2.
HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-077674-9.
Released on October 10, 1988, it's no secret that the critics panned this entire effort from U2. The video documentary of their tour following their blast to stardom after The Joshua Tree release amalgamated the distinct artistic eyes of Phil Joanou and Phil Corbijn. Jimy Iovine envisioned the journey that captured U2's exploration of America through the eyes of the young Irish musicians. It was not an easy sell, not even for music critics who hailed the album as "excitement", another described it as "misguided and bombastic". Either way, this piece of rock history was captured and has had staying power, at least with the fans. I guess it could be said that Rattle and Hum has matured well. Whether or not they were trying to create the next Scorcese-esque video documentary, we may never know, however the album and movie capture U2 at some of their best live performances.
A few great performances were left off the album, such as Sunday Bloody Sunday and Exit, two performances filled with passion and captured the essence of live U2.
Below are some stories and thoughts behind the songs.
Helter Skelter The opening is raw and angry and perfect for a band who is about to go off amidst critics rambling about their delusions of grandeur ... ironic what comes next for the band isn't it?
Van Dieman's Land One of Edge's few vocal leads, this haunting song about the prison land that many Irish were sent to remains haunting. ...I wrote a song called 'Van Diemen's Land' which touches on that on
the new album. I was interested in the history of this character, John
Boyle O'Reilly. I was out one day with my wife Aislinn and we came upon
this monument in County Meath. At the entrance to it was this faded
brown newspaper clipping which gave the history of his life. How he was a
member of the British Army in Ireland. He left the British army and
became a Fenian and wrote Fenian poetry. He was arrested by the British
Government and was charged with writing material that was liable to
undermine the government and was deported to Australia for 20 years'
hard labour. He was, to me, a prisoner of conscience in a way. He was
not a man of violence, and he was sent away for 20 years so I wrote a
song about that." - The Edge, NME 1988
Desire This is the song that most will remember from the album. It's rock and roll with the Edge's sound and Bono's political take of the infamous 80's Tammy Fayes and Jims.
Desire' is a little classic, a little 45. Edge took the beat from The
Stooges' '69, which was their take on the Bo Diddley beat. The rhythm is
the sex of the music. I wanted to own up to the religiosity of
rock'n'roll and the fact that you get paid for them. On one level, I'm
criticizing the lunatic fringe preachers 'stealing hearts at a
travelling show' but I'm also starting to realize there's a real
parallel between what I am doing and what they do. - Bono, U2 By U2
2006 Hawkmoon 269 Bono says the song was inspired by the writings of gifted Sam Shephard and that it achieved its title because 269 was how many takes it took to get this song complete. There is a burning desire for someone in this song.
All Along the Watchtower Bono's politics on full display as he covers the Hendrix / Dylan tune (and defaces public property).
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For Performed with a Harlem church choir - this version is stripped down to basics. Freedom For My People
A song spontaneously filmed by a local Harlem music act. They called it "folk-soul" and were inspired by Richie Havens.
Silver And Gold I was listening to a John Lee Hooker track, and I asked, 'Who's playing
the drums?' 'That's his foot,' Keith [Richards] said. 'He was just
kicking at the floorboards.' I was blown out of it. I left with my head
in a spin and I went back to my hotel room on my own and wrote 'Silver
And Gold' and tried to apply what I'd just heard to the project at hand,
which was an anti-apartheid record. I called Keith the next day and
said, 'Can I come round, I've got a song I'd like to play for you? Maybe
you'd like to play on it?' Keith said, 'Sure.' So, I recorded an
acoustic version of this, my first blues song, with Keith Richards and
Ronnie Wood. - Bono, U2 By U2 2006 Pride (In the Name of Love) A great live version from McNichols Arena is a song that always inspires at any U2 show. This song, like so many, is best live as Bono can put his passion on display.
Angel of Harlem We landed in JFK, and we were picked up in a limousine. We had never
been in a limousine before, and with the din of punk rock not yet faded
from our ears, there was sort of guilty pleasure as we stepped into the
limousine. Followed by a sly grin, as you admit to yourself this is fun.
We crossed Triborough Bridge and saw the Manhattan skyline. The limo
driver was black and he had the radio turned to WBLS, a black music
station. Billie Holiday was singing. And there it was, city of blinding
lights, neon hearts. They were advertising in the skies for people like
us, as London had been the year before. And it was snowing. - Bono, U2
By U2 2006
Love Rescue Me We played two nights in LA. I woke up one morning with a song in my
head, 'Love Rescue Me.' Lots of songs arrive in a dream state. At first
you think it must be somebody else's song, because it's there, verse,
chorus, melody. I had been dreaming about Bob Dylan and I thought it w
might be a Bob Dylan song. It's about a man people keep turning to as a
saviour but his own life is getting messed up and he could use a bit of
salvation himself. - Bono, U2 By U2 2006 When Love Comes To Town I asked Bono if he would write a song for me and he said yes. About a
year later, the group was touring in the US and asked if I would open
the show, and I said gladly. Bono said, ' I have this song for you.' He
brought it out and I thought it was a very deep song for him, being such
a young man. But I liked it very much. The lyrics were very heavy...
Blues is not prejudiced. You can be any colour to play the blues. Most
people say it's a simple music, I won't argue that. I say
everybody can
play it, but that doesn't mean everybody's gonna like it. I think U2 did
a very good job. I thought it was great and I still do. - BB King,
Uncut
Heartland New Orleans had the sweetness of a rotting vine, when the grapes are
just on the turn. I loved it, the noble rot as wine loves call it.
There's some dark colours, violet and purple. It was raining when we
arrived. Danny had this baroque château in New Orleans, a beautiful
house with an amazing stairwell. It was a magical place... Danny Lanois
had found a world of people as lost to the music as he was; there was
this dizziness in the air. That was such a great journey and a great
time spent with adam. I'll treasure it for the rest of my life. - Bono,
U2 By U2 2006
God Part II He can't reply, so I'm going to.' And that became 'God Part II,' in
homage to Lennon's beautiful song 'God'. - Bono, U2 By U2 2006
Bullet The Blue Sky Part of the beauty of this rockumentary is that is captured the feel of a stadium rock show. The soaring guitar in Bullet is a great rock song for a large stadium.
The subtle knock of the Hendrix Woodstock Star Spangled Banner being played before Bullet is lost on some. The song itself is the band's outspoken view of America's $$ reach into other countries through violence and regime change.
All I Want Is You One of Bono's sweet love songs ... it captures the stages of love and is a perfect song for the closing credits.
