Monday, October 17, 2005

This is vacation?

I'm off this week, but somehow that means I'm busier than normal.

So no epic post today, but a few random thoughts:
  • To the person who came here using the search terms "stacy's mom porn," I'm sorry to disappoint.
  • To the person who came here using the search terms "fountains of wayne stays mom," I think you're looking for "Stacy's Mom." Not "Stay's Mom."
  • Had VH1 Classic on in the background today and caught the Talk Talk video for It's My Life. Not only is this video notable because it's one of the first in which a lead singer (at least, I think it's the lead singer -- if I had more time, I'd do the research) appears but doesn't actually sing.
  • Also on VH1 Classic today: The Hooters' All You Zombies, which appears in my 50 Worst ... book but actually is a pretty good song once you get past the novelty of a guy yelling, "Yeah, they were the Israelites." Interesting that the same crew went on to write One of Us for Joan Osborne.
  • Also also on VH1 Classic today: Perhaps the best song of all the protest/benefit offerings from the '80s -- Artists United Against Apartheid's Sun City. As Allmusic.com points out, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more diverse group of artists on one song. It opens with a harsh Miles Davis trumpet blast and Run-DMC kickin' it old school, then tosses in Pat Benatar somewhere along the way. Let's repeat ... Miles Davis, to Run-DMC, to Little Steven (who put it all together) ... to Pat Benatar. Less surprisingly, Bruuuuce and Bono (bearded for the only time I can remember) sing with their trademark conviction, both taking the line "We're stabbing our brothers and our sisters in the back." Then it's a little more surprising to see Bonnie Raitt, Lou Reed, Afrika Bambaataa, Ruben Blades, Joey Ramone and Bob Dylan pop into the fray at random times. The video is a little awkward in the way it tosses in random shots of people singing in the studio who apparently couldn't make the video shoot (OK, Benatar could've been busy, Peter Garrett can't just fly on a whim from Australia, but can someone explain why Daryl Hall was in the studio? John Oates was in the video shoot! I have a healthy respect for the mustache man, but it's not a good sign if you can get Oates but not Hall.) Musically ... it works. Surprisingly so, much like Run-DMC's pioneering rap-rock efforts of that period.

And finally, our volleyball team is still unbeaten, having upset the best team in the league. No idea how we did it. Smoke and mirrors on the cold sand.

2 comments:

Tony Plutonium said...

"It's My Life" is one of "our" songs - that video was a staple at the place in DC where JennySlash and I hung out in our courtin' days. Made for some other odd not-particularly-couplish fondly remembered tunes like the Psych Furs' "Heaven" and Icicle Works' "Birds Fly". I have trouble explaining that to anyone who wasn't around then... :-)

bdure said...

I have Birds Fly somewhere. Love the tom-toms.

This morning I saw Like The Weather, which reminded me why all the smart kids my age had a Natalie Merchant crush in college.

Do I consider it a sign of music's decline that today's college kids have no literate alt-rock singers to swoon over and must instead make do with whoever's on the cover of Maxim this month? Yes. Yes, I do.