Art Attack! One of my childhood favourites, I've always been very arty and creative... Even if I'm not the best LOL! One of my brief career ambitions was actually tattoo artist but no way am I good enough for that sadly. Ah well, back to the drawing board, pun intended!
When I was young I used to be a big Britney Spears fan and like all fans one of my favourites was 'Baby One More Time', the school time boredom was so relateable. I even dressed up as her at a friend's music themed birthday party - along with another girl who was the more ahem conventional Britney body type. I was a chubby teen and now am a fat adult.
Anyway time went on, school got worse - I talked about that here https://owls-rainbow.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/song-of-week-10-album-special-2.html - and I turned more to rock music and left the sugary sweet pop behind. I don't hate the song but it kind of irritates me with the way she sings it, it seems fake. Not to mention she looks too old to even be in school.
Fall Out Boy featuring Elton John with 'Save Rock and Roll'. Ever since I first heard it it's been played constantly. Just the whole theme of it, the whole album plays out really well too. Fall Out Boy are one of my favourite bands and they just keep getting better.
Here we have Danish band Cartoons with their cover of David Seville's 'Witch Doctor'. I've never actually heard the original that I know of so I thought I'd stick with the version I know.
Now there were so many songs that could have been used for this question but I'm sure I'll be able to use at least a couple in other questions down the line.
Firstly a quick apology for the absence work has been kicking my ass with overtime. I have finished a book and almost finished another since my last book review but as it's a trilogy I'm planning on doing a combi review for all three. Now on to the music!
A song a friend likes but you don't.
So I don't actually know enough about my friends music tastes to know what they definitively like or don't but everyone seems to like 'Single Ladies' by Beyonce and I just find it annoying. I'm not a fan of hers, her music isn't to my taste and like a lot of singers she comes across as an arrogant diva.
Although if I am going to listen to the song this version by the Glee cast is probably one of my top TV moments, shame they went with the damaging outing storyline and wrecked it for me. From what I heard I don't think it improved much after that. *sigh*
A song you can remember your parents listening to.
Dolly Parton - 'Nine to Five'. I don't really remember my mum listening to music in general but she's a pretty big country fan so I thought a bit of Dolly would suit this question.
A song that reminds you of a night out. When was it and where?
Aiden - 'One Love'. I saw them live in concert at the Bristol Academy October 2008. That was the first and so far only gig I've been to. I went with one friend and met another there, it was a brilliant night and that particular location was even the focus of Kerrang magazine's gig review, I actually have it stuck in a scrapbook.
A song from the first album you ever bought. What was the album?
Maroon 5 - 'Sunday Morning'.
From the album Songs About Jane. One of the first albums I bought myself with my own money when I was just starting to get into rock/alternative music.
My memory is too rubbish to truly say I know any song's lyrics in full but I think Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' comes closest. For anyone who's struggling here's a reminder:
Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide,
No escape from reality.
Open your eyes,
Look up to the skies and see,
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy,
Because I'm easy come, easy go,
Little high, little low,
Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me.
Mama, just killed a man,
Put a gun against his head,
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead.
Mama, life had just begun,
But now I've gone and thrown it all away.
Mama, ooh,
Didn't mean to make you cry,
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow,
Carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters.
Too late, my time has come,
Sends shivers down my spine,
Body's aching all the time.
Goodbye, everybody, I've got to go,
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth.
Mama, ooh (any way the wind blows),
I don't wanna die,
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all.
I see a little silhouetto of a man,
Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?
Thunderbolt and lightning,
Very, very frightening me.
(Galileo) Galileo.
(Galileo) Galileo,
Galileo Figaro
Magnifico-o-o-o-o.
I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me.
He's just a poor boy from a poor family,
Spare him his life from this monstrosity.
Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?
Bismillah! No, we will not let you go. (Let him go!)
Bismillah! We will not let you go. (Let him go!)
Bismillah! We will not let you go. (Let me go!)
Will not let you go. (Let me go!)
Never let you go (Never, never, never, never let me go)
Oh oh oh oh
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
Oh, mama mia, mama mia (Mama mia, let me go.)
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me.
So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?
So you think you can love me and leave me to die?
Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby,
Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here.
(Ooooh, ooh yeah, ooh yeah)
Nothing really matters,
Anyone can see,
Nothing really matters,
Nothing really matters to me.
Any way the wind blows.
Stef Out x
P.S. I've decided to do this posts on a Wednesday and a Friday so it doesn't take me more than a year to complete it.
So just a little post between reviews to so a mini update. Work has been busy, I've been doing overtime almost every week, things have been starting to change staff-wise and routine-wise and not necessarily for the better. It sounds like things might get worse before they get better as well. I'd like to do something else but I haven't a clue what. I'm hoping to learn to drive over the summer so maybe that'll open things up a little bit more.
Things with the dog are busy as well, we ended up ordering him a crate this payday because he keeps eating the furniture while we're out, especially in the day, so it's now trying to get him used to that. I bought a new training book online last payday so we'll have to see how that goes, I just need to finish reading it first.
Photo of Forest to break things up :D
Onto the blog itself. As you may have noticed there's been a bit of a name change. With all the recent gun violence in the US 'bulletproof' felt a bit insensitive even if I did originally get it from a My Chemical Romance song. I did ask Twitter but no-one responded but it didn't matter because the new name came to me just as I was trying to go to sleep. Things are looking a bit bland at the moment because I need to make a new banner, I'm hoping to draw a little owl graphic for it when I get a chance. I haven't drawn anything since before Christmas so my drawing hand is a little rusty.
Now as for blog content as you may or may not have noticed that I've kind of abandoned my 'Song of the Week' feature. I must admit I didn't really think it through and I kind of ran out of ideas so I am going to drop it in that format. BUT I will still be doing a music feature, just not for a little while yet. I suddenly remembered the 100 Day Song Challenge, it was originally conceived on Facebook and apparently moved to it's own website here at some stage where it's up to 381 days. What I plan to do is write it out in a notebook and plot out what songs I'm going to do as far in advance as I can and then I will create the posts and then schedule them, probably for a Friday because I work all day Friday and don't go on the computer so nothing else will get in their way.
So that is my plan because I still want music to have some kind of feature on here. I will hopefully create a few wishlist posts here and there as well, not necessarily on a Wednesday though which seems to have become the norm.
So I wasn't originally going to do a 'Song of the Week' this week because I just couldn't think of anything but then a song just popped into my head: 'The Misty Mountains Cold' from The Hobbit soundtrack.
I haven't even watched the film in a while to recall it in an instant but I'm sitting here listening to a documentary narrated/presented by James Nesbitt who plays Bofur in the trilogy (I did have to look that up, getting the Dwarves' names straight is almost an impossibility for me) and thinking that he has a good storytelling voice (hence the whole actor thing I guess) and then the song floated it's merry way into my mind and I thought that'll do for this week's post 😄 it's a beautiful song and it fits the film perfectly, honestly all the Middle Earth films have had fantastic soundtracks.
Oh if you're curious the documentary is about British (I think) disasters, this one is the Paddington train crash in 1999, commonly known as the Ladbroke Grove rail crash which killed 31 and injured more than 500.
Welcome to another song of the week. I really need to start planning these out or something because I was a little stuck today but then 'Badman' by Newton Faulkner popped into my head and I thought "that'll do" so here we are.
I don't think there's an official video, the caption on Blogger's YouTube finder made it seem like this one is fan-made. The thumbnail is a little odd though, I must admit, a floating head with shoes LOL! It'll probably also get a few scowls because Newton Faulkner is a white guy with dreadlocks, and a ginger one at that. But dreadlocks and my thought (irrelevant as they may be) are another post.
As for the song, I think it has a good rhythm and flow and has a nice simple feel but with a strong message: "Cities built on battlefields and shopping malls from meadows, Rivers redirected there's no red greens blues or yellows, Take a little time to find a better place away from all the noise and the drinking, We could run away and find a better day not watching while the ship is sinking." It's talking about deforestation and the ripping down of nature and destruction of green spaces for development. It's hard to strike that balance. People need homes but so do animals. And some of the people that need homes the most are constantly ignored yet there are already so many empty office buildings and shops that could be used as temporary shelters but people won't agree because it would cost them money but with no profit. And big bosses are all about the profit.
Well this got more serious than expected... Back soon with either a book review or the next 'Song of the Week', whichever comes first.
This is my tenth Song of the Week so it's time for another album special. I fully admit I haven't really thought that far ahead with either songs or albums but there was at least one other album I wanted to feature: The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance!
First up is the song that spoke to my depressed, bullied teenage heart. Before this I was still mostly into pop music: Britney Spears, Steps, S Club 7 and oddly Shania Twain were my usual fare but in the early to mid 2000's things were bad at school and getting worse and I had no one to hang out with outside school (the few friends I had didn't live local and the one that did I couldn't trust by this point) so I would spend a lot of time at home watching the music channels. Most of the time it was the usual pop with a bit of dance and R&B but around 2005/6 the 'emo' movement started to become popular which meant more alternative songs being shown and 'Welcome to the Black Parade' spoke to my soul instantly. The music grabbed me and I found the video a complete feast for the eyes. Soon after I bought the album. I believe it was around this time I bought my Maroon 5, Green Day and Coldplay CDs so My Chemical Romance were really my true introduction into rock and alternative music.
My other big favourite on the album was 'Famous Last Words'. It was another one that spoke to my suicidal teenage self, I wanted to die. I didn't think things were going to get better but I was scared. The line: "I am not afraid to keep on living, I am not afraid to walk this world alone" really resonated with me (so much so that even all these years later I want to get it tattooed) almost because I felt the opposite, I was afraid of the future - still am sometimes at 27 - and I didn't want to do it alone. The only reason I didn't kill myself then was because I didn't want to hurt my mum and leave her alone, and with one almost moment because I hadn't left her a note.
Things did eventually get better, then they got worse and the thoughts re-surfaced, I fought back against those thoughts and things slowly started to improve again and now I haven't had any solid suicidal thoughts for a few years. That's not to say there aren't some moments in time that I think maybe things would be better if I weren't here but there's no action to them.
Thinking back it looks like I've probably had depression but I hate going to the doctors so it has obviously never been diagnosed, same with the likely anxiety I have that makes things like phone calls absolutely crippling and makes me hate confrontations of any kind.
So yeah, a bit of emotional outpouring there... The Black Parade supported and saved me through some of my toughest teenage years and for that I am incredibly thankful, I'm just sad that the band themselves are no more. :(
Time for another song of the week and this week it's another double video feature with the tear jerker 'How to Save a Life' by The Fray.
It's one of those songs that I'm sure we can all relate to. The angst of losing a friend or a relationship, we may not want to but sometimes it can't be avoided. The 'best' exits are the quiet ones, this is talking about the other kind:
"As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice Drive until you lose the road Or break with the ones you've followed He will do one of two things He will admit to everything Or he'll say he's just not the same And you'll begin to wonder why you came"
It's a scene fraught with tension and emotion and it just gets to me and I can really visualise it happening.
It was also one of the best performances in the Grey's Anatomy musical episode 'Song Beneath a Song', their voices all just blended really well in this scene and I thought it was beautiful. A must watch in my opinion.
So today's song of the week is one that isn't even on my iTunes playlist but has been stuck in my head for a few weeks after a TV performance I'll add further down. The song is 'Proud Mary' by Tina Turner.
It's one of those feel good songs that makes you want to get up and dance yet the lyrics are real and serious, about going to work and making a living even if the work is crap. Apparently it was originally envisioned as the story of a woman who would get a bus to work as a maid for rich people, but then that changed and it became about a boat. I guess like all songs it's down to interpretation.
This is the reason it's been in my head lately, BBC show All Together Now getting it's first score of 100 with a quiet unassuming lad called Michael's rousing performance of this song, it's an epic moment and you really want to join in.
A quick one this week in between work and stuff, another busy week. Here is Sara Bareilles with 'King of Anything'
This wasn't my original pick for this week but it came up on my phone on the way home from work today and I just felt a little inspired.
"Who cares if you disagree, you are not me, who made you king of anything?" This line just speaks to me and I find it really powerful especially at the moment with all of the scary political stuff in America.
Anyway that's it for today (told you it'd be quick!) but I'll be back soon.
This week's song of the week is a little late and I do apologise. Normally I'd post it Wednesday but I've been busy and this is the first time I've gotten on the computer in days.
So this week's song is one that never fails to make me cry: 'I See the Light' from the Disney film Tangled.
For me it's the combination of everything in the song. The town's collective hope and sadness, Rapunzel and Flynn getting closer, Flynn finally shedding his thieving past for love, the knowledge that Rapunzel is so close to her true self yet so far and knowing that she'll be dragged even further away before realising and being able to go back. It's just a beautiful song and I love it.
Short and sweet today, I'll be back in a moment (tomorrow via scheduled post LOL) with another book review or two. I'm trying to get into the habit of reviewing every book I read and no doubt they'll all end up on here.
So one idea I had for this song of the week thing is if every 5 songs I do an entire album I love. Hmm, maybe every 10 would be better so theoretically the next one after this would be week 15, that might work better.
So the album I am choosing this week is 'The Greatest Showman' soundtrack!
The Greatest Show
Ever since seeing the film I have been obsessed with this soundtrack! So much so that I couldn't pick a single favourite to showcase.
This Is Me
These two are probably my top favourites but every single song is amazing! If I had to pick a least favourite it would possibly be either 'Tightrope' because I'm not as big a fan of Michelle Williams' voice or 'Never Enough' because that whole plot point is supposed to be about Jenny Lind, the world's most talented opera singer or something along those lines yet 'Never Enough' is definitely not opera, it's a lovely song but it misses the mark genre-wise. It kind of cheapens the moment slightly in my opinion. That's really my only criticism of the whole album though.
After another listen of the album I have done an order of my most to least favourites:
The Greatest Show
This Is Me
From Now On
Come Alive
The Other Side
A Million Dreams + Reprise
Rewrite The Stars
Tightrope
Never Enough + Reprise
I just noticed that on the default graphic for these YouTube videos Keala Settle's name is omitted from the header and I think that does a great disservice to her and her fantastic voice, seriously people she is epic!
Anyway I must fly for now, I will be back soon with another book review (just got to finish the book first) and I might do another little life update thing.
So it's time for another song of the week and it's the turn of the song that was meant to be up last week. 'Fox on the Run' by The Sweet.
Originally released in 1975 it actually did pretty well charting in the top 10 in multiple countries and number 1 in Australia, Denmark and Germany, however like many songs from the era it has been largely forgotten, failing to capture people as much as bands such as Queen from a similar time period. However some genius decided to use the song for the trailer of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and later the official soundtrack causing the track to go to number 1 on the iTunes Rock Chart in late 2016. Unfortunately the song isn't in the film itself, instead we get about three clips of 'Brandy (You're a Fine Girl' by Looking Glass. A great song and it does fit the theme of the film well but they could have trimmed it a little for 'Fox on the Run' surely?
Anyway it's a fantastic, uplifting song that never fails to put me in a good mood. It's a particularly good one for walking home from work, it gets me in a good rhythm and I find I'm a bit faster while listening to it. I think I marginally prefer Vol. 2's soundtrack to Vol. 1's although Vol. 1 did have the gems that are 'Hooked on a Feeling' by Blue Swede and 'I'm Not in Love' by 10CC, it's generally slighter more light-hearted and sometimes you want a little more darkness (so she says while listening to the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack).
That's it for today. I've got another book review coming up at the end of the week and then it'll probably be another song of the week.
So this week's song of the week is a little late. Despite having a week off work (yay!) I haven't been on the computer much. Also I had ideas of doing a different song - a much happier, lively one, but it doesn't exactly fit my mood this week. Stupid accusations at work - somehow a semi-private conversation becomes bullying if your colleague/supervisor happens to overhear, what? It's just become shit lately. Also the tumble dryer and washing machine both decided to break at the same time... Yeah. Also my dog was attacked by the snarly terrier down the road today. Luckily she only got away with fur - he's got enough of it.
Anyway onto the song: Disturbed's cover of 'The Sound of Silence'. While the original is kind of fantasy, spooky carnival in the dark the cover wouldn't be out of place in a horror film in my opinion. Great if you're having a bad mental health day: "Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you again..." It's a song that really draws me in and let me feel, it feels real.
Sorry it's a short one today. I'll hopefully be back in a day or two with a book review and then another song of the week next week, hopefully on the right day this time. LOL.
