I sat down, laptop open, earbuds in, at a few minutes before midnight, trying to decide what to write about tonight. I've got several ideas brewing, but all will take longer than a few minutes, so while Toni Braxton's "You Mean the World to Me" plays, I am thinking...
...Toni. I loved Toni Braxton in the 90s. Well, I mean, I guess I love her now too, but back in the day, she had this perfection trifecta, this trio of amazing songs that went 1-2-3... "Another Sad Love Song"... then "You Mean the World To Me"... then "Breathe Again". If you add in "Love Shoulda Brought You Home" from the "Boomerang" soundtrack to the beginning of that list, it gets even better. She was amazing.
What you have to know about me is sometimes I revel in nostalgia. More than I should, but it's true. I think I'm like most people in saying that music... more than movies, more that TV shows, more than books... but music, takes me back.
I hear Toni Braxton and one of the aforementioned songs, suddenly I'm sitting in the Adams Student Center, talking to Ginny Kochan over cold pizza during lunch, or I'm sitting on the couch by Bobby Black, playing Mike Tyson's Punch Out on my Nintendo in my dorm room...
...so back to my ideas for a blog. Heck, it's already after midnight, and I still have no idea what to blog about. I wrote a comment on my friend Writer Chris Holmes' blog, and it was a pretty good stream of thought, so maybe I'll type that out. But that's too deep for tonight. Maybe tomorrow night...
...right now, Vertical Horizon's "Everything You Want" is on. I mean, that song? Just cool. I don't know anything else the band has ever done, not sure I want to know, but this one song is so good. It's one of The Lovely Steph Leann's favorite songs, like, ever. It's also fun to sing too--and that's important. A song has to be fun to sing to really make it enjoyable.
Come on, sing it with me... "I am everything you want! I am everything you need! I am everything inside of you that you wish you could be! I say all the right things at exactly the right time, but I mean nothing to you and I don't know why!" ...
...back to the blog. Just read an article that a house was built on the wrong lot. A dream home for a couple, to the tune of $680,000, on a lot that cost 135K when they bought it, but now appraises for 355K in the neighborhood... and it's not on that lot, it's one lot over. Cause the builders messed it all up...
...there's this movie called "Mo Money", starring Damon Wayans, Marlon Wayans, a pre-Clueless but still just as fine Stacey Dash, and a few other people you may not know. Circa 1993, it's silly and stupid, but I freakin' love that movie. My friend Tonya Windham and I traveled to Panama City Beach for the day (my hometown was 1 hour and 10 minutes from the beach, so this wasn't a long trip) during my senior year of high school... it rained some during the day, so during the rain delay, we caught a flick... and yes, it was this one. We laughed quite a bit, and for whatever reason, it stuck with me.
The only reason I bring up? The soundtrack is absolutely incredible... Janet Jackson, Luther Vandross, Ralph Tresvant, Color Me Badd and the song I'm listening to now, MC Lyte's "Ice Cream Dream." Yep, I just said "MC Lyte" and "Ice Cream Dream". Now that I'm older, I listen to the lyrics, and realize it's a little racy. Or a lot racy. But I still love it...
...
...
...
..
...oh, sorry about that. OutKast's "BOB" video just came on. It's done now. Next up on the random playlist, Extreme's "Hole Hearted", which is one of my favorite 90s tunes. That takes me back to 10th grade, hanging out with my few friends back then. Of course, I had just joined the band, so I had just become a band geek.
I wasn't a popular kid in junior and high school. I mean, I wasn't un-popular, but I think I was like, second tier. You know, you had the more popular kids on top, the cheerleaders like Stephanie Phillips and the beauties of the class like Jennifer Lambert and the athletes like Michael Creech and Daniel Stephenson and even that one guy that just everyone likes, like Chris McCall.
And one level below that, you have the... the popular runner-ups, where if the popular kids can't fulfill their duties, those of us on the 2nd tier would step right in. If we are all going to a party together, I'm the guy that would get picked over some of the lesser bottom feeders in the serf group, but I'd easily get left in favor of Rodney Hornsby or Jason Smith.
By the way, Kid Rock's "Cowboy" is on right now.
Anyway, I'm okay with where I ended up in the hierarchy. It allowed me to make more friends, because I wasn't just sticking with one single group. And I still consider my closest friends, at least in my grade, to be Tonya, Chris and my buddy Greg... I was also good friends with two different Ryans in a different grade, and Jason Howell a few grades back.
"Light My Candle" from the Rent Soundtrack. Spike Lee is shooting down the street.
Then, of course, there was Julie Wise, or as I should call her, The Clouds In My Coffee Official High School Crush Julie Wise. I would imagine there are more and more newer readers to the blog, and are seeing the name "Julie Wise" for the first time here... nearly everyone has that one person that they kinda like, or kinda love for the better part of their high school years. Julie Wise was mine. More on that later...
...since I have nothing to blog about tonight, I guess I can start talking about #40forForty... or maybe it's #Fortyfor40? No, #40for40? #40440? No, that last one is just confusing.
Anyway, as Old Crow Medicine Show strums along to "Wagon Wheel", I'll just tell you that #40forForty is coming very soon. In one month.
...and I'm sorry I have nothing to blog about tonight. I failed in my writing challenge. Off to bed, I'll try again tomorrow.
Showing posts with label toni braxton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label toni braxton. Show all posts
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
love shoulda brought you home last night
"Love shoulda brought you home, you home last night, shoulda been with me, shoulda been by my side... oh baby, if you care anything for me, then love should brought you home last night"
There is a movie somewhere in the middle of my 500 favorite films of all time, one that you probably have heard of, but might have never seen. Or perhaps you've never heard of it, at all... in any case, its not a great film.
Well, its not even a good film, if I'm being honest... but its entertaining. And its got something that I really put a lot of stock into--"re-watchability". There are brilliant films out there, like "Saving Private Ryan" or "The Gangs of New York" or even just great movies like "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly" or more recently, "Super 8", that I'd put on any great film list... but they aren't movies I'd sit and watch over and over.
"Boomerang", however, is one I could watch over and over. It's somewhat of a forgettable movie from 1992, with Eddie Murphy , Robin Givens (back when she was relevant, as the new ex-Mike Tyson), a much younger Halle Berry, David Alan Grier, early Martin Lawrence and Chris Rock in one of his first films…
Eddie is Marcus, who is a straight up playa.. not just a player, but for you extremely white, not down with the hip hop speak folks, a playa, who leaves a long line of women behind him who’s he has gone out with and has departed less than acrimoniously. Working at an ad agency, he gets a new boss named Jacqueline (Robin Givens), who herself is a playa… a playette? Is that what you call it? Mandie Tuck, do you know the answer?
Anyway… Marcus falls for Jacqueline, and then is played… the song on the excellent soundtrack that plays during the scene when he realizes he’s been hustled is “Total Reversal of a Dog”, which fits nicely here. He laments his woes to his friend Angela (Halle Berry), who turns around and falls for him. And predictably, Marcus falls for Angela.
Jacqueline sees Marcus now ignoring her for the very plain-jane Angela… and being female and naturally competitive when it comes to men, is furious, and aims to get him back.
And here’s where the point of this whole thing comes in… Jacqueline seduces Marcus one more time, presumably just to ruin his and Angela’s relationship… and it almost works.
Angela finds out about it… Marcus comes in, and she demands the truth, and he admits he messed up big time, and then follows it up with, “Angela, I love you…”
Angela responds with this: What do you know about love? What do you possibly think you know about love? You know, I’m sick and tired of men using love like it’s some kind of disease you can catch…
And here’s the money line:
"Love shoulda brought your (posterior) home last night”
We use “love” for everything. You love Alabama football. Your college daughter her sorority. The Lovely Steph Leann loves “Sense & Sensibility”. I love the Toni Braxton song that comes with this scene, “Love Shoulda Brought You Home Last Night”… we love everything, from beach weekends to cheesecake to Ryan Gosling movies to a pickup truck we’ve been wanting to own.
And that’s okay. It’s the way we are wired, to express our great feeling, our great affection for something, we use “Love” over “like”, because it puts forth a sentiment that this particular thing is not just something we casually enjoy, but we really, really, reeeeeeallly enjoy partaking of.
Then there is that next level of love, that even though the word is the same, the meaning is deeper, more meaningful. Joey Thornell will tell you he loves Alabama football… but you’ll never make me believe that “I love Alabama football” and “I love my boys” has the same meaning, ever. Same word, big difference.
Love… shoulda brought us home last night.
Watching the movie, you believe that Marcus has fallen for Angela, so its wildly irritating when he nearly throws it all away because he gave in to Jacqueline’s Jezebelocity. Is that a word? It is now.
When we say “we love God”, what do we mean? What version of love do we use? I know what we WANT to use… I know the way we WANT to mean it… but how do we really mean it? Do we profess love for Christ in the same meaning we profess the way we love a TV Show or a song or afternoon naps… or do we truly mean a deep love for Christ in the same way we love our spouses, our children, our families, our most cherished possessions?
Because Love… true love… shoulda brought us home last night.
True agape love, the deep kind of love and affection that we should have for our Christ is the kind of love that prevents us from going out into the world only to come home to Jesus the next day and say, “Yeah, I know I did all that, but I love you, God.” Following Christ should keep us from wanting to venture into Monday thru Saturday and being our own selves, then coming home to Christ on Sunday to say, “I love you, Jesus!”
Don’t get me wrong… I know there is grace. There is mercy. Because of a cross on a hill, there is forgiveness—grace abounds, I’m the chief abuser… but that’s where many people stop—“I screwed up, but I am forgiven so it’s all good. Hey, World, what’s going on witcha?”
See, we can’t stop there… because of the Holy Spirit, there is also a need for repentance, a pursuit of a love for God that surpasses the love for our own children, our own selves… not a love that is slightly ahead of the latest Justin Timberlake album (which by the way is just okay… if you are getting a JT album , start with “Justified”, as it’s got my favorite Timberlake song on it, “Rock Your Body”, which I love because… wait… crap, I hate it when I prove my own point on myself… you know what, let’s move on.)
Because Love… shoulda brought us home last night.
With the power of the Holy Spirit, with the love of Christ—and let’s face it, it’s a love that we cannot replicate, because it is too deep, too wide, too infinite and monumental for our limited understand—we can resist those things that test that love, we can have freedom from the world who will cause our actions to be anything less than continual displays of love for our God.
And in this, we won’t hear Jesus quietly saying to us, “Love shoulda brought you home last night”… instead, we’ll hear the sweet sound of Jesus’ approval, saying “It is in My love that you have remained here.” And that’s a love that we should all desire so deeply and passionately, it knows no end.
By the way… when using spell check, “Jezebelocity” was suggested to be “Jezebel City”. I find that entire possibility both hilarious and fascinating. Love does not take you to Jezebel City, I can assure you. Nor Paradise City. Maybe Panama City, but probably not during MTV’s Spring Break party at Club La Vela. Not that I would know about that. Stephanie told me.
There is a movie somewhere in the middle of my 500 favorite films of all time, one that you probably have heard of, but might have never seen. Or perhaps you've never heard of it, at all... in any case, its not a great film.
Well, its not even a good film, if I'm being honest... but its entertaining. And its got something that I really put a lot of stock into--"re-watchability". There are brilliant films out there, like "Saving Private Ryan" or "The Gangs of New York" or even just great movies like "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly" or more recently, "Super 8", that I'd put on any great film list... but they aren't movies I'd sit and watch over and over.
"Boomerang", however, is one I could watch over and over. It's somewhat of a forgettable movie from 1992, with Eddie Murphy , Robin Givens (back when she was relevant, as the new ex-Mike Tyson), a much younger Halle Berry, David Alan Grier, early Martin Lawrence and Chris Rock in one of his first films…
Eddie is Marcus, who is a straight up playa.. not just a player, but for you extremely white, not down with the hip hop speak folks, a playa, who leaves a long line of women behind him who’s he has gone out with and has departed less than acrimoniously. Working at an ad agency, he gets a new boss named Jacqueline (Robin Givens), who herself is a playa… a playette? Is that what you call it? Mandie Tuck, do you know the answer?
Anyway… Marcus falls for Jacqueline, and then is played… the song on the excellent soundtrack that plays during the scene when he realizes he’s been hustled is “Total Reversal of a Dog”, which fits nicely here. He laments his woes to his friend Angela (Halle Berry), who turns around and falls for him. And predictably, Marcus falls for Angela.
Jacqueline sees Marcus now ignoring her for the very plain-jane Angela… and being female and naturally competitive when it comes to men, is furious, and aims to get him back.
And here’s where the point of this whole thing comes in… Jacqueline seduces Marcus one more time, presumably just to ruin his and Angela’s relationship… and it almost works.
Angela finds out about it… Marcus comes in, and she demands the truth, and he admits he messed up big time, and then follows it up with, “Angela, I love you…”
Angela responds with this: What do you know about love? What do you possibly think you know about love? You know, I’m sick and tired of men using love like it’s some kind of disease you can catch…
And here’s the money line:
"Love shoulda brought your (posterior) home last night”
We use “love” for everything. You love Alabama football. Your college daughter her sorority. The Lovely Steph Leann loves “Sense & Sensibility”. I love the Toni Braxton song that comes with this scene, “Love Shoulda Brought You Home Last Night”… we love everything, from beach weekends to cheesecake to Ryan Gosling movies to a pickup truck we’ve been wanting to own.
And that’s okay. It’s the way we are wired, to express our great feeling, our great affection for something, we use “Love” over “like”, because it puts forth a sentiment that this particular thing is not just something we casually enjoy, but we really, really, reeeeeeallly enjoy partaking of.
Then there is that next level of love, that even though the word is the same, the meaning is deeper, more meaningful. Joey Thornell will tell you he loves Alabama football… but you’ll never make me believe that “I love Alabama football” and “I love my boys” has the same meaning, ever. Same word, big difference.
Love… shoulda brought us home last night.
Watching the movie, you believe that Marcus has fallen for Angela, so its wildly irritating when he nearly throws it all away because he gave in to Jacqueline’s Jezebelocity. Is that a word? It is now.
When we say “we love God”, what do we mean? What version of love do we use? I know what we WANT to use… I know the way we WANT to mean it… but how do we really mean it? Do we profess love for Christ in the same meaning we profess the way we love a TV Show or a song or afternoon naps… or do we truly mean a deep love for Christ in the same way we love our spouses, our children, our families, our most cherished possessions?
Because Love… true love… shoulda brought us home last night.
True agape love, the deep kind of love and affection that we should have for our Christ is the kind of love that prevents us from going out into the world only to come home to Jesus the next day and say, “Yeah, I know I did all that, but I love you, God.” Following Christ should keep us from wanting to venture into Monday thru Saturday and being our own selves, then coming home to Christ on Sunday to say, “I love you, Jesus!”
Don’t get me wrong… I know there is grace. There is mercy. Because of a cross on a hill, there is forgiveness—grace abounds, I’m the chief abuser… but that’s where many people stop—“I screwed up, but I am forgiven so it’s all good. Hey, World, what’s going on witcha?”
See, we can’t stop there… because of the Holy Spirit, there is also a need for repentance, a pursuit of a love for God that surpasses the love for our own children, our own selves… not a love that is slightly ahead of the latest Justin Timberlake album (which by the way is just okay… if you are getting a JT album , start with “Justified”, as it’s got my favorite Timberlake song on it, “Rock Your Body”, which I love because… wait… crap, I hate it when I prove my own point on myself… you know what, let’s move on.)
Because Love… shoulda brought us home last night.
With the power of the Holy Spirit, with the love of Christ—and let’s face it, it’s a love that we cannot replicate, because it is too deep, too wide, too infinite and monumental for our limited understand—we can resist those things that test that love, we can have freedom from the world who will cause our actions to be anything less than continual displays of love for our God.
And in this, we won’t hear Jesus quietly saying to us, “Love shoulda brought you home last night”… instead, we’ll hear the sweet sound of Jesus’ approval, saying “It is in My love that you have remained here.” And that’s a love that we should all desire so deeply and passionately, it knows no end.
By the way… when using spell check, “Jezebelocity” was suggested to be “Jezebel City”. I find that entire possibility both hilarious and fascinating. Love does not take you to Jezebel City, I can assure you. Nor Paradise City. Maybe Panama City, but probably not during MTV’s Spring Break party at Club La Vela. Not that I would know about that. Stephanie told me.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Troy State's Freshman Spring
Time for some new music on The Clouds, and this time around, I've decided to pull out the Troy State Freshman Spring playlist... these are all songs that were released, out and popular between December and June of 1994... my winter & spring quarters as a frosh at Troy State University...
"Cantaloop" by Us3... Ladies and gentlemen, as you know, we have something special down here at Bird Land this evening, a recording from Blue Note Records. I dare you not to get into this beat.
"Mary Jane's Last Dance" by Tom Petty... I don't think, even as an 18 year old, I recognized this song being about mary-ju-wanna at the time. This brings back memories of Erin Magonigal sitting with myself, Lisa Murphy, Allison Wiggins, Stephanie Massey, Wookiee, The Wench and Kate Gates, singing along during dinner at SAGA. The video, featuring a then-young-and-hot Kim Basinger? Awesome.
"Because the Night" by 10,000 Maniacs... There's a bridge at the end of the song that I, to this day, still have no clue what exactly she's saying. I actually made up an entire verse that had something to do with "I have no... idea... what to sing so I will go... and make... it up". I sang this to Lisa Murphy while driving to Subway around 1am one night. She loved it. Lisa Murphy rocked.
"...And Our Feelings" by Babyface... Ever had those songs that are like, forever old, and to this day, when they come on, you're still all about it? Babyface was awesome back in the day... this is one that I happily sing along to, loudly, while in the car... "AAAAnd our feeeelings! Just aren't feelings anymore... they're just words without emotions from people we don't know... No! No! No No No nonononono!!!!"
It also helps that the song title has at its beginning an ellipsis. You know my love of ellipses... much better than the use of ( ) in song titles (more on that below).
"You Mean the World to Me" by Toni Braxton... This song is part of the Toni Trifecta, also featuring "Another Sad Love Song" and "Breathe Again". Its rare for any artist to have three straight incredibly incredible songs, but she did it. I love me some Toni... she's who my car is name after.
"Mr. Jones" by Counting Crows... My main problem with Adam Duritz is how in the world he could be some homely looking and still get with all these hot celebrities? In his prime, he dated not only a in-her-prime Jennifer Aniston, but also a in-her-prime Courtney Cox, a still in-her-prime Monica Potter and even a relatively-cute-then Winona Ryder. This would be like dopey me dating Julie Wise and Sandy Wright, but then going on to date Tiffany Abbott, followed by Laura DeGarmo before finally ending up with The Lovely Steph Leann. Wait... come to think of it, I had a pretty good run myself. Scratch all that.
"Come to My Window" by Melissa Ethridge... For The Lovely Steph Leann's money, she'd take "I'm The Only One" over this song anytime. Not me. I love the slow kick off, followed by the great vocals and guitar. I mean, yeah, she's singing in the choir of the Lesbetarian Church, but still... just cause Elton John is Brokeback doesn't mean that "Your Song" is any less diminished. So be it with Melissa.
"All I Wanna Do" by Sheryl Crow... I feel sad that Sheryl Crow has slowly become a laughing stock liberal. She used to be so awesome! As a matter of fact, I'm actively working on a list of "d$'s Favorite Artists, Ever", and Sheryl has to be Top Five. "The Globe Sessions"? One of my favorite CDs, ever.
As lamented in a previous post, I miss this Sheryl Crow. Sassy, hot, talented, and not a left wing moron.
"Stay" by Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories... There are those songs that you know by heart, and can sing anytime, anywhere. Then there are those songs that you know by heart, but you can't start in the middle... you have to start at the beginning. If someone said to you, "Hey, what's that part in the song about living forever? How does it go, I would have to start at the beginning, singing really softly and quickly to myself, "yousayidonlyhearwhatiwantto... (mumble through the verse)... soiturntheradiooniturntheradioupandthiswomanwassingingmysong... (mumble some more)... someofushoverwhilewerewaitingfortheotherwhowasdying... (a big more mumbling)... and I thought I'd live forever, and now I'm not so sure!! That's it!"
"Shine" by Collective Soul... I think Collective Soul could have been bigger, had they not come on the heels of Pearl Jam and Nirvana. They were rock without being metal, and were still pretty cool. As it is, they were awesome for the next, I dunno, like 7 years or something... "Gel", "December", "The World I Know" and one of my favorite running/driving songs, "Heavy". This song started it all though. There was a rumor that dcTalk's "So Long My Friend", a song about someone who gave up their walk with Christ to be famous, was about Collective Soul.
"Loser" by Beck... Let's face it, I don't know what this song is about. No, you don't either. Don't try.
"Regulate" by Warren G feat. Nate Dogg. Had to listen to this song throughly to make sure the only questionable material in the song was just mentions of tricks and ho's. We're good.
Maybe this was the first, maybe it wasn't, but this song was at the beginning of the "Featuring" trend. Remember how Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson sang "Say Say Say"? It was "Say Say Say" by Paul McCartney AND Michael Jackson. The "And" represented the fact that both parties did equal amounts of work. But here? Its not Warren G and Nate Dogg... oh nay nay. Its Warren G "FEATURING" Nate Dogg... and its not even "featuring", its "feat.". Can you imagine "Islands in the Stream" by Dolly Parton feat. Kenny Rogers? Or "Endless Love" by Diana Ross feat. Lionel Richie? I'm more bitter about this than I am with the use of ( ) in songs.
I hate when a song uses parantheses in the title. Bryan Adams, are you listening? Either name your song "Everything I Do", or "I Do It For You", or even "Everything I Do I Do It For You", but don't throw ( ) in there. "Everything I Do (I do it for you)". Why? "Over My Head (cable car)" is stupid. Either call it "Over My Head", or "The Cable Car", or even throw a / in there... "Over My Head/Cable Car" would work, though still silly, just not as silly. There are no reasons to have subtitles in your songs. Unless your Meat Loaf, and in that instance, your songs are 24 minutes long, so you probably deserve a subtitle. Just my thoughts.
Anyway, everyone now... "REEEGGUUULLLAAATTOOOORRSSS!!!!!! Mount up."
"The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" by Prince... One of The Purpled One's lesser known tunes, I like it. I own the cassette single. It's fun. It's silky. It's Prince before he lost all of his talent.
"The Sign" by Ace of Base... Personally, I preferred "Don't Turn Around", but this one is the most popular.
"Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by The Crash Test Dummies... In the archives of ridiculous songs, this has to be right up there. I daresay that when this song comes on the playlist, this will be the first time some of you have either ever heard this song, or have heard it in about, maybe 14 or 15 years.
There's my new playlist, courtesy of "In My Coffee (the clouds)", starring d$ feat. The Lovely Steph Leann.
"Cantaloop" by Us3... Ladies and gentlemen, as you know, we have something special down here at Bird Land this evening, a recording from Blue Note Records. I dare you not to get into this beat.
"Mary Jane's Last Dance" by Tom Petty... I don't think, even as an 18 year old, I recognized this song being about mary-ju-wanna at the time. This brings back memories of Erin Magonigal sitting with myself, Lisa Murphy, Allison Wiggins, Stephanie Massey, Wookiee, The Wench and Kate Gates, singing along during dinner at SAGA. The video, featuring a then-young-and-hot Kim Basinger? Awesome.
"Because the Night" by 10,000 Maniacs... There's a bridge at the end of the song that I, to this day, still have no clue what exactly she's saying. I actually made up an entire verse that had something to do with "I have no... idea... what to sing so I will go... and make... it up". I sang this to Lisa Murphy while driving to Subway around 1am one night. She loved it. Lisa Murphy rocked.
"...And Our Feelings" by Babyface... Ever had those songs that are like, forever old, and to this day, when they come on, you're still all about it? Babyface was awesome back in the day... this is one that I happily sing along to, loudly, while in the car... "AAAAnd our feeeelings! Just aren't feelings anymore... they're just words without emotions from people we don't know... No! No! No No No nonononono!!!!"
It also helps that the song title has at its beginning an ellipsis. You know my love of ellipses... much better than the use of ( ) in song titles (more on that below).
"You Mean the World to Me" by Toni Braxton... This song is part of the Toni Trifecta, also featuring "Another Sad Love Song" and "Breathe Again". Its rare for any artist to have three straight incredibly incredible songs, but she did it. I love me some Toni... she's who my car is name after.
"Mr. Jones" by Counting Crows... My main problem with Adam Duritz is how in the world he could be some homely looking and still get with all these hot celebrities? In his prime, he dated not only a in-her-prime Jennifer Aniston, but also a in-her-prime Courtney Cox, a still in-her-prime Monica Potter and even a relatively-cute-then Winona Ryder. This would be like dopey me dating Julie Wise and Sandy Wright, but then going on to date Tiffany Abbott, followed by Laura DeGarmo before finally ending up with The Lovely Steph Leann. Wait... come to think of it, I had a pretty good run myself. Scratch all that.
"Come to My Window" by Melissa Ethridge... For The Lovely Steph Leann's money, she'd take "I'm The Only One" over this song anytime. Not me. I love the slow kick off, followed by the great vocals and guitar. I mean, yeah, she's singing in the choir of the Lesbetarian Church, but still... just cause Elton John is Brokeback doesn't mean that "Your Song" is any less diminished. So be it with Melissa.
"All I Wanna Do" by Sheryl Crow... I feel sad that Sheryl Crow has slowly become a laughing stock liberal. She used to be so awesome! As a matter of fact, I'm actively working on a list of "d$'s Favorite Artists, Ever", and Sheryl has to be Top Five. "The Globe Sessions"? One of my favorite CDs, ever.
As lamented in a previous post, I miss this Sheryl Crow. Sassy, hot, talented, and not a left wing moron.
"Stay" by Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories... There are those songs that you know by heart, and can sing anytime, anywhere. Then there are those songs that you know by heart, but you can't start in the middle... you have to start at the beginning. If someone said to you, "Hey, what's that part in the song about living forever? How does it go, I would have to start at the beginning, singing really softly and quickly to myself, "yousayidonlyhearwhatiwantto... (mumble through the verse)... soiturntheradiooniturntheradioupandthiswomanwassingingmysong... (mumble some more)... someofushoverwhilewerewaitingfortheotherwhowasdying... (a big more mumbling)... and I thought I'd live forever, and now I'm not so sure!! That's it!"
"Shine" by Collective Soul... I think Collective Soul could have been bigger, had they not come on the heels of Pearl Jam and Nirvana. They were rock without being metal, and were still pretty cool. As it is, they were awesome for the next, I dunno, like 7 years or something... "Gel", "December", "The World I Know" and one of my favorite running/driving songs, "Heavy". This song started it all though. There was a rumor that dcTalk's "So Long My Friend", a song about someone who gave up their walk with Christ to be famous, was about Collective Soul.
"Loser" by Beck... Let's face it, I don't know what this song is about. No, you don't either. Don't try.
"Regulate" by Warren G feat. Nate Dogg. Had to listen to this song throughly to make sure the only questionable material in the song was just mentions of tricks and ho's. We're good.
Maybe this was the first, maybe it wasn't, but this song was at the beginning of the "Featuring" trend. Remember how Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson sang "Say Say Say"? It was "Say Say Say" by Paul McCartney AND Michael Jackson. The "And" represented the fact that both parties did equal amounts of work. But here? Its not Warren G and Nate Dogg... oh nay nay. Its Warren G "FEATURING" Nate Dogg... and its not even "featuring", its "feat.". Can you imagine "Islands in the Stream" by Dolly Parton feat. Kenny Rogers? Or "Endless Love" by Diana Ross feat. Lionel Richie? I'm more bitter about this than I am with the use of ( ) in songs.
I hate when a song uses parantheses in the title. Bryan Adams, are you listening? Either name your song "Everything I Do", or "I Do It For You", or even "Everything I Do I Do It For You", but don't throw ( ) in there. "Everything I Do (I do it for you)". Why? "Over My Head (cable car)" is stupid. Either call it "Over My Head", or "The Cable Car", or even throw a / in there... "Over My Head/Cable Car" would work, though still silly, just not as silly. There are no reasons to have subtitles in your songs. Unless your Meat Loaf, and in that instance, your songs are 24 minutes long, so you probably deserve a subtitle. Just my thoughts.
Anyway, everyone now... "REEEGGUUULLLAAATTOOOORRSSS!!!!!! Mount up."
"The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" by Prince... One of The Purpled One's lesser known tunes, I like it. I own the cassette single. It's fun. It's silky. It's Prince before he lost all of his talent.
"The Sign" by Ace of Base... Personally, I preferred "Don't Turn Around", but this one is the most popular.
"Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by The Crash Test Dummies... In the archives of ridiculous songs, this has to be right up there. I daresay that when this song comes on the playlist, this will be the first time some of you have either ever heard this song, or have heard it in about, maybe 14 or 15 years.
There's my new playlist, courtesy of "In My Coffee (the clouds)", starring d$ feat. The Lovely Steph Leann.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Troy State: The Freshman Fall
I'm a mix tape guy. Always have been. Always will be. I used to make mix tapes for friends of mine, and think that for the most part, they were pretty good. They aren't easy to make, though... you can't just slap some songs onto a cassette (the only true mixtape form) and call it "A Mix Tape". You have to get the songs to flow. You have to make sure that there is some cohesiveness. You have to make sure they songs match.
On this note, for October's music on Clouds, I'm pulling out one of my favorite mixes... I call it "The Troy State Experience". The first volume is a two-cd set featuring music from my freshman year, mostly in the order in which they were released to radio. The cover has Erin Magonigal, while the back of the case features Adrianne Benton, Greg Gibson, Ginny Kochan and Mandy Stewart.
Mind you, this is before iTunes, before the explosion of the internet, before Napster, back when you had to either buy a CD or find your favorite song on the radio (or get a mixtape from me).
So, this month, since we are now at 15 years since I first stepped foot upon the beautiful Troy State campus, I wanted to give you the contents of Disc One, featuring Miranda Bryant and Michael Dunn on the cover.
"Because the Night" by 10,000 Maniacs. I still have no idea what Natalie Merchant is singing during the bridge. Something about the cycle turnings and burning.
"Another Sad Love Song" by Toni Braxton. One of my favorite 90s divas, still looking great after 40, singing one of my favorite driving songs.
"Runaway Train" by Soul Asylum. Who remembers this video? All those lost and runaway kids on the video. FYI, can you name Soul Asylum's follow up hit? That's right. "Misery Incorporated."
"Again" by Janet Jackson. The Lovely Steph Leann and I were sitting with DeLisa and DeNick the other day on the way to Walt Disney World, and this song came overhead. "Suddenly those memories came back to me in my... miiiiind...." DeNick gave me a funny look. Sad song.
"Hey Jealousy" by The Gin Blossoms. Another great driving song, another song that you cannot help but turn up when it comes on. You know you do.
"Everybody Hurts" by REM. I included this song because it was just so big in 1993, back when REM was relevant, and people cared about Michael Stipe. Ah, that was long ago.
"I Love the Way You Love Me" by John Michael Montgomery. So, Bobby Black is driving, Mandy Stewart is in the front seat, I'm sitting in the back with Bradley Grantham and Miranda Bryant, and Bradley is singing this song. First time I'd heard it. He's got a great voice. Miranda and Mandy were swooning. I was jealous.
"All That She Wants" by Ace of Base. YOU KNOW THESE WORDS. You are now singing them. Well, you're welcome.
"Cryin'" by Aerosmith. Ladies and gentlemen, Alicia Silverstone!
"Linger" by The Cranberries. This has a 51 second intro, which is great, because it gives you plenty of time to talk about the upcoming remote at Bondy's Ford & Jeep Eagle, or give you the quick weather forecast, or how you can win free stuff, all while I worked at WKMX, Max 106.7, overnights. Another good song was "American Pie" and "Lyin' Eyes", and if you put them back to back, you had almost 15 minutes to do whatever you needed to do--especially in the bathroom.
"One Last Cry" by Brian McKnight. This song is a masterpiece of a kick in the crotch of love. "I saw you holding hands, standing close to someone else..." Wow. I'm not sure Brian McK has ever been better.
"No Rain" by Blind Melon. The Bee Girl! See, this is back in the day when videos matter too. When was the last time you discussed a recent video with anyone? Seriously? "No Rain" was a topic of conversation many times while crusin' in the Olds Cierra.
"I Would Do Anything For Love (but I won't do that)" by Meat Loaf. Is it Meat Loaf? Or is it Meatloaf? Speaking of event videos, wow, this was nuts. It was like an epic movie. And remarkably, it was almost a mirror image of Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back to Me Now", which is weird that Loaf and Dion would mirror on anything. This is from the Loaf album "Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell".
"Sweat (a la la la la la)" by Inner Circle. This was the same group that did "Bad Boys", made famous by "Cops". When I was in high school, people didn't invite me to parties. Well, I went to Beverly Day's party one night, but I felt kinda like a loser. Mostly because I grew up in a smokers household, and only when I got to college did I realize how badly I must have smelled to those non-smoking chicks in high school... I mean, who knows what I could have accomplished, chick-wise, had I not smelled like a bar almost all the time? Maybe Nicki Vann would have gone out with me. Maybe Angie Jay would have been geniune in her acceptance of my homecoming offer. Coulda woulda shoulda.
By the way, I've known Angie Jay for almost 20 years now, and when I sent her an invite on facebook, she rejected it, saying, "I don't know you very well". Seriously? Angie Jay was my first slow dance! "Wanted" by Alan Jackson! I feel dumped all over again! So, I've decided if I ever write teen chick fiction, one of the mean girls will be named Angie. So there.
Where was I? Ah yes, when I was in high school, people didn't invite me to parties. So, on the weekends, I would listen to Open House Party with John Garabedian, and I would hear all the new stuff coming out, including Inner Circle's follow up to "Bad Boys", a little ditty called "Sweat". It came out in the fall, while at Troy, but I knew about it.
"The Sign" by Ace of Base. I first heard this song while riding in Cyndi Bledsoe's Teal Green Geo Metro. She had the cassette tape. I miss her and Lisa Turk.
"If" by Janet Jackson. I never realized how dirty this song was until I found the lyrics on the internet. I only included it here because you won't realize how bad it is because she sings so fast.
On this note, for October's music on Clouds, I'm pulling out one of my favorite mixes... I call it "The Troy State Experience". The first volume is a two-cd set featuring music from my freshman year, mostly in the order in which they were released to radio. The cover has Erin Magonigal, while the back of the case features Adrianne Benton, Greg Gibson, Ginny Kochan and Mandy Stewart.
Mind you, this is before iTunes, before the explosion of the internet, before Napster, back when you had to either buy a CD or find your favorite song on the radio (or get a mixtape from me).
So, this month, since we are now at 15 years since I first stepped foot upon the beautiful Troy State campus, I wanted to give you the contents of Disc One, featuring Miranda Bryant and Michael Dunn on the cover.
"Because the Night" by 10,000 Maniacs. I still have no idea what Natalie Merchant is singing during the bridge. Something about the cycle turnings and burning.
"Another Sad Love Song" by Toni Braxton. One of my favorite 90s divas, still looking great after 40, singing one of my favorite driving songs.
"Runaway Train" by Soul Asylum. Who remembers this video? All those lost and runaway kids on the video. FYI, can you name Soul Asylum's follow up hit? That's right. "Misery Incorporated."
"Again" by Janet Jackson. The Lovely Steph Leann and I were sitting with DeLisa and DeNick the other day on the way to Walt Disney World, and this song came overhead. "Suddenly those memories came back to me in my... miiiiind...." DeNick gave me a funny look. Sad song.
"Hey Jealousy" by The Gin Blossoms. Another great driving song, another song that you cannot help but turn up when it comes on. You know you do.
"Everybody Hurts" by REM. I included this song because it was just so big in 1993, back when REM was relevant, and people cared about Michael Stipe. Ah, that was long ago.
"I Love the Way You Love Me" by John Michael Montgomery. So, Bobby Black is driving, Mandy Stewart is in the front seat, I'm sitting in the back with Bradley Grantham and Miranda Bryant, and Bradley is singing this song. First time I'd heard it. He's got a great voice. Miranda and Mandy were swooning. I was jealous.
"All That She Wants" by Ace of Base. YOU KNOW THESE WORDS. You are now singing them. Well, you're welcome.
"Cryin'" by Aerosmith. Ladies and gentlemen, Alicia Silverstone!
"Linger" by The Cranberries. This has a 51 second intro, which is great, because it gives you plenty of time to talk about the upcoming remote at Bondy's Ford & Jeep Eagle, or give you the quick weather forecast, or how you can win free stuff, all while I worked at WKMX, Max 106.7, overnights. Another good song was "American Pie" and "Lyin' Eyes", and if you put them back to back, you had almost 15 minutes to do whatever you needed to do--especially in the bathroom.
"One Last Cry" by Brian McKnight. This song is a masterpiece of a kick in the crotch of love. "I saw you holding hands, standing close to someone else..." Wow. I'm not sure Brian McK has ever been better.
"No Rain" by Blind Melon. The Bee Girl! See, this is back in the day when videos matter too. When was the last time you discussed a recent video with anyone? Seriously? "No Rain" was a topic of conversation many times while crusin' in the Olds Cierra.
"I Would Do Anything For Love (but I won't do that)" by Meat Loaf. Is it Meat Loaf? Or is it Meatloaf? Speaking of event videos, wow, this was nuts. It was like an epic movie. And remarkably, it was almost a mirror image of Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back to Me Now", which is weird that Loaf and Dion would mirror on anything. This is from the Loaf album "Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell".
"Sweat (a la la la la la)" by Inner Circle. This was the same group that did "Bad Boys", made famous by "Cops". When I was in high school, people didn't invite me to parties. Well, I went to Beverly Day's party one night, but I felt kinda like a loser. Mostly because I grew up in a smokers household, and only when I got to college did I realize how badly I must have smelled to those non-smoking chicks in high school... I mean, who knows what I could have accomplished, chick-wise, had I not smelled like a bar almost all the time? Maybe Nicki Vann would have gone out with me. Maybe Angie Jay would have been geniune in her acceptance of my homecoming offer. Coulda woulda shoulda.
By the way, I've known Angie Jay for almost 20 years now, and when I sent her an invite on facebook, she rejected it, saying, "I don't know you very well". Seriously? Angie Jay was my first slow dance! "Wanted" by Alan Jackson! I feel dumped all over again! So, I've decided if I ever write teen chick fiction, one of the mean girls will be named Angie. So there.
Where was I? Ah yes, when I was in high school, people didn't invite me to parties. So, on the weekends, I would listen to Open House Party with John Garabedian, and I would hear all the new stuff coming out, including Inner Circle's follow up to "Bad Boys", a little ditty called "Sweat". It came out in the fall, while at Troy, but I knew about it.
"The Sign" by Ace of Base. I first heard this song while riding in Cyndi Bledsoe's Teal Green Geo Metro. She had the cassette tape. I miss her and Lisa Turk.
"If" by Janet Jackson. I never realized how dirty this song was until I found the lyrics on the internet. I only included it here because you won't realize how bad it is because she sings so fast.
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