American Idol is back on the TV again. When it first started I watched the show. And just like everyone else I found the terrible auditions too grossly fascinating to turn away from. Even Simon Cowell's retorts were entertaining. But that gets old rather fast. There just so much of a train wreck you can watch before it doesn't effect you any more. And besides, they make everyone sing as a solo artist.
What about those people that are already in a band but want to try out? Ditch the band. They don't want them. Why not an American Idol duets show? There have been lots of musical duos and trios through out history. Simon and Garfunkel, Hall & Oats, Captain and Tennille, Sony and Cher and don't forget c5ride and El Sand Dog. What you haven't heard of them?
As far as I know they've only had one very limited performance and I was lucky enough to be in attendance. Allow me to set the scene.
We were infiltrating (or was that defending?) the Sub Base in Modern Warfare 2. c5ride took exception to some of the opposing teams performances and proceeded to voice his frustrations so loudly that I think Russia put their finger to the button until they figured out what was going on. Once all negative emotions were purged from his system c5ride got really quiet. That usually means he's going to jump out as soon as the game is over, whether the rest of the party does or not. In the silence that followed Sand Dog yelled for one of us on the team to turn around. That's not unusual, but what followed was.
Very softly, in a quiet but controlled voice, with just the right amount of emotional angst, we heard someone sing "every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never coming around". Someone picked up on the line and said "Turn around" again. At which point we heard "Every now and then I get a little bit terrified but then I see the look in your eyes". By then Sand Dog picked up on it and kept repeating "turn around" to which the rest of the time we would hear another verse.
It took me a while before I realized that it was c5ride singing the verses to Total Eclipse of the Heart. It just seemed so unlike him. But his quiet voice with Sand Dog's deep part made a perfect performance in my ears. Of course I laughed so hard that I died three times in a row, which didn't help our cause (a losing one, by the way) at all. After c5ride's eruption something like this was so far from what I expected. I mean, who knew he had it in him? I laughed so hard I thought I was going to hyperventilate. If it's possible to have an enjoyable loss this would be a perfect example.
It's also one of those memories that has been cemented in my brain and will stay there until the day I die. I might even be on my death bed and a grieving family member might innocently tell me to "turn around" from the light. The smile that will grace my lips won't be because of the peace and love that white light might bring, but this single memory of c5ride and Sand Dog's one night only performance. And if that's the case, than my last memory would be a very happy one.
So if American Idol ever does decide to have a duets competition I'd willing to contribute funds or services to get c5ride and Sand Dog back together for an audition. I know they'd do well. And I'm sure their performance wouldn't be the train wrecks we've all come to enjoy. But then again, maybe their sound is an acquired taste. Either way I'd buy one of their albums. I wonder what song they'll sing tonight. And do they take requests? I can't wait to find out.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Poll Results- What music do you listen to?
Here is the latest poll results:
I voted for Rock 'n' Roll. That's the closest to what I listen to today. Over the course of my life I've listened to a lot of things.
I think the first record I bought was the soundtrack to The Muppet Movie. And that was on vinyl. The first cassette tape I bought was Lionel Richie's Dancing on the Ceiling. I listened to that tape that I've almost worn it out. And yest I still have it to this day. When I was younger my interests were Lionel Richie, Rick Springfield, Corey Hart, Howard Jones, Genesis and especially Styx. My sister had all of the Styx albums on vinyl and I would love to go to her side of the room when she was gone and just pull the album covers out just to look at them. If I knew she would be gone for awhile I would put them on her record player and listen to them really low so I could hear if she came back down the stairs. I remember one time I barely go the record off the player and back into the jacket and everything turned off before she walked into the room. I kept waiting for her to touch her record player and realize it was still warm and then my cover would be blown.
When I was in high school and college my sister still influenced by musically tastes. She turned me on to "alternative" rock. Back in the day that meant Depeche Mode, Oingo Boingo, REM, Bare Naked Ladies, the B52s and They Might be Giants, etc. She moved out, got married and had a kid so I was over there to babysit a lot and this time I had permission to use the stereo.
My family is very musical. Both my parents were in community choirs at one time or another (my dad was in a Barbershop choir). We've all song in school or community musicals while growing up. So I've always liked musicals. The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, West Side Story, etc. Even the more obscure ones like Brigadoon or Pippin were ones I liked. My sister turned me onto one other musical that is my favorite to this day. Chess. For those of you who say you've never heard of that musical before, I say you've probably heard one of the songs from it. If you've heard "One Night in Bangkok" you have. That's from the musical. My sister would play the tape in the car when she was taking me to/from college and she would sing out loud while it played. Do you love a song enough to sing it out loud in the car with someone else present? I didn't think so. At about the same time I fell in love with the musical Evita. This was before the movie with Madonna came out. I saw a production at college done in the "theater in the round". I was hooked. Now I love to listen to those soundtracks and sign along while I drive to work.
Over the last couple of years my musical tastes have changed . . . and I feel guilty for it. I now love listening to Linkin Park, Evanessence, Tool and Franz Ferdinand among others. I feel guilty because the music seems like it's meant for the angst ridden late teen/early 20 something who's just realizing the cruel facts of the real world. And since I'm not an angst ridden late teen/early 20 something I feel like an old geezer pervert if I like the same music as them. I'm not a pervert, by the way. Old, yes. Pervert, no.
I've also found that a good beat or drum rhythm will get me hooked in a song more so than a good guitar riff. That's why I fell in love with Tool. There's something intoxicating about a good primal drum beat. Acoustic or electronic. Either way is good. Just listen to Closer by Nine Inch Nails and see. Of course those lyrics might have something to do with it as well.
Of all those music choices listed the only two I have problems with are Country and Jazz. I can only listen to about one or two country songs in a row before I can't take the whinning and the southern twang anymore. And I've never heard an upbeat country song in my life. I'm surprised more country singers don't blow their brains out after singing all those depressing songs.
And I don't get Jazz. I'm talking real Jazz. Jazz doesn't conform to the regular patterns that the rest of music seems to. Verse, chorus, verse chorus, etc. Or verse, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, chorus. Every song you hear on the radio is going to fall into one of those patterns. It's predicable, but I like it. Jazz is sometimes all over the place and because of that I can't really get into it.
So my musical tastes have changed over the years. For better or worse. Whether my tastes have progressed and matured, or regressed and immatured, I don't know. I likes what I likes and there's no explaining what I likes. So tell me who you're favorite band is.
What kind of music do you listen to?
I'm a Country boy at heart = 0 votes
It's still Rock 'n' Roll to me = 3 votes
I'm a head banding bobblehead = 2 votes
It's all that Jazz for me = 0 votes
I'm an East (listening) kind of guy = 0 votes
Anything with a beat will do for me = 3 votes
I voted for Rock 'n' Roll. That's the closest to what I listen to today. Over the course of my life I've listened to a lot of things.
I think the first record I bought was the soundtrack to The Muppet Movie. And that was on vinyl. The first cassette tape I bought was Lionel Richie's Dancing on the Ceiling. I listened to that tape that I've almost worn it out. And yest I still have it to this day. When I was younger my interests were Lionel Richie, Rick Springfield, Corey Hart, Howard Jones, Genesis and especially Styx. My sister had all of the Styx albums on vinyl and I would love to go to her side of the room when she was gone and just pull the album covers out just to look at them. If I knew she would be gone for awhile I would put them on her record player and listen to them really low so I could hear if she came back down the stairs. I remember one time I barely go the record off the player and back into the jacket and everything turned off before she walked into the room. I kept waiting for her to touch her record player and realize it was still warm and then my cover would be blown.
When I was in high school and college my sister still influenced by musically tastes. She turned me on to "alternative" rock. Back in the day that meant Depeche Mode, Oingo Boingo, REM, Bare Naked Ladies, the B52s and They Might be Giants, etc. She moved out, got married and had a kid so I was over there to babysit a lot and this time I had permission to use the stereo.
My family is very musical. Both my parents were in community choirs at one time or another (my dad was in a Barbershop choir). We've all song in school or community musicals while growing up. So I've always liked musicals. The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, West Side Story, etc. Even the more obscure ones like Brigadoon or Pippin were ones I liked. My sister turned me onto one other musical that is my favorite to this day. Chess. For those of you who say you've never heard of that musical before, I say you've probably heard one of the songs from it. If you've heard "One Night in Bangkok" you have. That's from the musical. My sister would play the tape in the car when she was taking me to/from college and she would sing out loud while it played. Do you love a song enough to sing it out loud in the car with someone else present? I didn't think so. At about the same time I fell in love with the musical Evita. This was before the movie with Madonna came out. I saw a production at college done in the "theater in the round". I was hooked. Now I love to listen to those soundtracks and sign along while I drive to work.
Over the last couple of years my musical tastes have changed . . . and I feel guilty for it. I now love listening to Linkin Park, Evanessence, Tool and Franz Ferdinand among others. I feel guilty because the music seems like it's meant for the angst ridden late teen/early 20 something who's just realizing the cruel facts of the real world. And since I'm not an angst ridden late teen/early 20 something I feel like an old geezer pervert if I like the same music as them. I'm not a pervert, by the way. Old, yes. Pervert, no.
I've also found that a good beat or drum rhythm will get me hooked in a song more so than a good guitar riff. That's why I fell in love with Tool. There's something intoxicating about a good primal drum beat. Acoustic or electronic. Either way is good. Just listen to Closer by Nine Inch Nails and see. Of course those lyrics might have something to do with it as well.
Of all those music choices listed the only two I have problems with are Country and Jazz. I can only listen to about one or two country songs in a row before I can't take the whinning and the southern twang anymore. And I've never heard an upbeat country song in my life. I'm surprised more country singers don't blow their brains out after singing all those depressing songs.
And I don't get Jazz. I'm talking real Jazz. Jazz doesn't conform to the regular patterns that the rest of music seems to. Verse, chorus, verse chorus, etc. Or verse, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, chorus. Every song you hear on the radio is going to fall into one of those patterns. It's predicable, but I like it. Jazz is sometimes all over the place and because of that I can't really get into it.
So my musical tastes have changed over the years. For better or worse. Whether my tastes have progressed and matured, or regressed and immatured, I don't know. I likes what I likes and there's no explaining what I likes. So tell me who you're favorite band is.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
New Poll - What kind of music do you listen to?
There are reasons for the absence lately, but I'll get to that in another post . . . I promise. For now here's the latest poll to go along with my avatar.
If I have any female readers I apologize for the "boy/guy" references. I'm not politically correct and I have no intention to change that. So there.
What kind of music do you listen to?
*I'm a country boy at heart
*It's still Rock 'n' Roll to me
*I'm a head banging bobblehead
*It's all that Jazz for me
*I'm an Easy (listening) kind of guy
*Anything with a beat will do for me
If I have any female readers I apologize for the "boy/guy" references. I'm not politically correct and I have no intention to change that. So there.
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