"Enter the Danger Brigade" Calibretto 13

One thing that I've come to realize about this blog is this: I have no real idea who is reading this. For all I know, Cid, it could be just you. I doubt that my blog has been around long for StumbleUpon to throw into the mix for some unsuspecting person to find. I say this because what I'm about to do is expound on the wonderful impact Miss Cidly has had on my musical influences since I've known her. While I don't listen to everything she does, I can for certain say that the influence her musical tastes had on me has changed me for the better.

This album is one of them. I first became introduced to the musical stylings of Calibretto 13 in the front passenger side seat of her Ford station wagon. At first, I wasn't sure what to think of the lead singer's rather unique voice quality or the fact that it sounded like the song was going into convulsive spasms, but by the end of the first song she played for me, I found myself highly fascinated and intrigued. I felt the faint pangs of yearning for more. And of course, who wouldn't find it endearing when a song entitled "The Proposal" starts out something like this?

Now love is one thing and sex is another
But they got together like bread and butter
People think they know it all but they are confused
That's why so many people get hurt and used
Now I'm waiting for you and you're waiting for me
So believe it or not I think we're meant to be
We've been through the smiles and we've been through the tears
We've been though hell and heaven in the last four years
Let me tell you something cos I think you're ready
I'm your boy and you're my honey
So open your ears and close your eyes
And baby get ready for a big surprise

Hey, you're the one who makes me happy
You're the one I want to marry
You're the one I want to be with oh oh oh
So please don't tell me no
I don't want you to go
You're the one I want to wake up with

I was freaking hooked. I always enjoyed when she played them, and after a point in time, I asked her for a copy of one of their CD's. Just fyi, this particular album doesn't contain the aforementioned song, which is what I wanted, but I have enjoyed this album nonetheless. "Ballroom Blitz" and "High 5" are fun and funky songs that get the blood pumping and make you want to have fun. They're personally my favorites to listen to on the album. The others also have their fun, funky, and yet very poignant points to them, which has made the album so endearing to me. I may not listen to it that often, but when I do, it always puts a smile on my face. It makes me want to get sno-cones and sit out by the lake or just drive with the windows rolled down and the music blaring. This album is full of life, and it's high time I remember I have one.

So, thank you, Cid. Thank you for making me listen to this. I honestly was missing out until then.

Now, I'm off to save the world...or something of that nature...like burn a mixed CD for a kid and go to bed. I think those are good contributions to the world. At least for now.

"Next to Normal" The Original Broadway Soundtrack

It took me about three days to get through this album going to and from work in my car. I have found that I actually focus on the music better while driving in my car. Perhaps it is contributed to the fact that I can't escape the music...or something like that. Anyways...

First off, let me say that the music is satisfactory. The style reminded me of a Jason-Robert-Brown-meets-Rodgers-and-Hammerstein-meets-Rent vibe, if that's even possible. The one thing that surprising within the first 30 seconds of the album was the presence of explicatives. There was no explicit lyrics content sticker on the album, so I found that rather surprising and odd. Some of the songs were satisfactory, and it will probably take another listen-through to figure out how much I really like the show (and whether or not I will actually want to see it), but for now these are my thoughts on the music.

The story itself very much reminds me of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House if you think of the role of Nora being played out as a bipolar woman who is trying to figure out why her memories are gone and how she has this unnerving feeling that she has another child that her family isn't reminding her about. It plays out very much like that, and it is from that fact I find my hesitation to even see the show. Doll's House was rather depressing and dumb, in my opinion. However, I suppose that it is a good exploration of our society's obsession with calling every manic-depressive outburst a chemical imbalance and to fix it accordingly with meds.

It's definitely something to think about. Until then, I go to work and try to motivate myself to things I want to do instead of being tired all the time.

"Streetlife Serenade" Billy Joel

This past week has been crazy. I have really meant to write more consistently and more often, but then Associate's Convention at work happened--and I had to help with corporate tours. Longest week of my life. All I can say is that I'm so glad it's over. Granted, I have to start it all over again come Monday, but for now, I have my peace and quiet as I wait for my latest venture in baking--a sour cream bundt cake--to reach optimal consumption status.

Even so, this week has had a pleasant alleviation to the pains of work, and that is found in the album known as "Streetlife Serenade" by Billy Joel. This is indeed one of the new albums I mentioned in the previous post, and after listening to it, I have found it to be one of the most welcome additions to my music collection. This album by far is the most instrumentally driven of Billy Joel's discography by far (and I would know...I own almost all of them). It contains two instrumental-only pieces: "Root Beer Rag", which has become one of my favorites of its kind, and "Mexican Connection." Overall, the album has a pleasant feeling to it, much like the feeling of sitting on the front porch watching the general neighborhood spectacle. It's a somewhat content feeling, in spite of the yearn for something more on the horizon. Two of my favorite songs from this album are "The Great Suburban Showdown" and "Weekend Song", both aptly named and well written lyrically.

WEEKEND SONG

This back-breakin', bone-shakin', belly-achin', hard-workin'
Two more hours to go
Yes, it's keeping me alive doin' nine to five
And I ain't got nothin to show
Pretty soon I'll be leavin'
With the wages I'm receivin'
But I know it's gonna be all right
Come on, babe, and take me away
We got some money to spend tonight

Pick me up at the station
Meet me at the train
Have a meal and a shower and a change of clothes
I can't afford a vacation
But I can take the strain
Long as I can be with you
Find a way to burn it as quickly as I earn it

Yes, it's back-breakin', bone-shakin', belly-achin', hard-workin'
Two more hours to go
Seven long years for the same corporation
And I ain't got nothin' to show
And tonight when I'm leavin' I'll be just breakin' even
But I know it's gonna be all right
I shake off my blues when you put on your shoes
We got some money to spend tonight

Oh, I don't wanna stand here and sound accusin'
Everybody does their share of losin'
If I'm gonna lose it I might as well be doin' it right

Pick me up at the station
Meet me at the train
Have a meal and a shower and a change of clothes
I can't afford a vacation
But I can take the strain
Long as I can be with you
Find a way to burn it as quickly as I earn it

Yes, it's back-breakin', bone-shakin', belly-achin', hard-workin'
Two more hours to go
Yes, it's keepin' me alive doin' nine to five
And I ain't got nothin' to show
And tonight when I'm leavin' I'll be just breakin' even
But I know it's gonna be all right
Come on, babe, and take me away
We got some money to spend tonight
Come on, babe, take me away
We got some money to spend tonight

Good Stuff, eh? Anyways, that's all I have for now, besides a silly headache and a yearn to watch Sleepless in Seattle now that I own it (much to my husband's chagrin). Hopefully, it won't be over a week till the next posting. Of course, the next post has to do with a Broadway musical soundtrack that I have yet to listen to, so it may be a while as I must devote myself to listening.

Ah well, until next time...whenever next time happens to be...

"The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek" Relient K

OMG OMG OMFG!!!!!! Have you seen how green it is outside?!?!?!?!?! It's like, freaking Ireland out there!!!! I had today off and was able to go visit my grandparents' farm. When we got out of town, it just hit me like a brick wall how green it was. It made my heart happy.

Well, Happy Good Friday, everyone. I have to say that, out of all the holidays of the year, Easter season is by far my favorite. The earth is waking up to its beautiful self, Easter music is in my heart, and true to its tradition, it has been shown favor to have good memories abound during this time of year in the form of a rather sizable tax refund. And a lot of the happiness that I find during this season has to do with the music. Have you ever listened to Easter music when it pertains to the Resurrection? It's vigorous and exciting and...well, full of life. I have nothing against Christmas music; it heralds the majestic royal nature of Christ. But there's something about Easter music that speaks of the true nature of Christ. As C.S. Lewis says of Aslan, "He's not a very tame lion." It is for that reason that I love Him so and the life He brings. Easter music seems only fitting in this sense.

Anyways, enough of my Easter-music-gasm....

I do apologize for the delay in posts. With this new job I have, I find the life sucked out of me by the end of the day. Only when I am about to retire for the evening do I vaguely remember this blog, and by that time, I'm just ready to sleep. It's not that I haven't been thinking about this blog post; it's just that it escapes my need for obligation to complete. But here I am, delivering you my lyrical thoughts once again.

Some of you that really know me have come to realize the significance of Relient K in my life. Some of you were actually there when they sparked my creativity and provoked me to find a way to draw out a story from their discography, placing them into a musical fit for Broadway. Some of you may have noticed how I pandered on the issue ever since then and have taken a long journey to bring myself back to it. Within the past week or so, I have finally had the gentle but firm motivation (via my God-given husband) to finally place pencil to paper and really do this. As a result, I have spent much time recently listening to their albums, including this one, and I have had time to remember the memories tied to it.

Although this is not their first released album, this is the first album that I obtained of theirs. I remember the day I received it, too--it was my first year of college at SAGU, and I was just finishing up New Student Orientation week. I had been with my family very little that day as they were unable to make it in time to a financial aid meeting with me. I remember how very cross they were that I wasn't able to see them that much before they left to make the then 13-hour trip home, but nothing could be done about it. They were leaving, and I was staying, alone and unfamiliar with my surroundings. Before they left, however, they gave me two 'housewarming' gifts to usher in this new era of dorm life. One was a VHS copy of Legally Blonde (which I still own and occasionally watch to this day), and the other (per the request of Casey) was "The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek" by Relient K. We had come to know their songs from that album in the first full year we lived in New Mexico, so it was like she was sharing with me a part of her that became the first of many. My sister is kick-butt like that, one of my closest companions since as long as I've known her, and I completely blame her for aiding and abetting God on my path to His purpose. Thanks, Case.

And the rest, as they say, is history. Or in this case, history in the making. One can only hope.

That's all for now. I bought two new albums today! I plan to make them the next two topics of discussion. Until then, it's off to try the Wingin' It place in town and see if their chicken wings are as amazing as they make them out to be.

Happy Easter, all!