Who Wants To Live Forever?

For the last few years one of my New Year's Resolutions was to do some Queen art. Now I have always wanted to do a Queen/art blog and I even developed a blog (which is now deactivated) called Sheer Art Attack. (a play on Queen's Sheer Heart Attack album) 

It was supposed to be a bi-weekly art celebration of the songs of Queen. Every two weeks a new song is chosen and posted on Mondays and then participants/followers are invited during the two week period to illustrate their own interpretation of the song chosen. I had this idea in high school and I did some basic doodles of Queen songs but that is about as far as I have got. This quote from Freddie is what motivates me to try this out.

"That's what the song is about, though I'd prefer people to put their interpretation upon it - to read into it what they like."
-Freddie Mercury

This is the picture that started it all. I drew this picture representing the beautiful song Who Wants To Live Forever?

It was based off the video and this picture in particular:

I got the effect that I wanted but I would love to do this all over again. I will have to post some of the doodles/rough sketched I did as well.

Random Ramblings: Too Many Questions

And not enough answers...

Writing: I am now 9 days (I have not written yet today) into my new novel and I am proud to say that I have posted 20,773 words and I am way ahead of schedule. Like I have said before, one of the most satisfying things is when the novel begins to write itself. When story beats suddenly come out of nowhere and characters come to life. I was worried that my novel was lacking in an antagonist when suddenly the idea of turning a good supporting character into one of the main villains came to me. And it fits so perfectly and I don't have to change anything that I have written before. So when should the main protagonist discover the true antagonist?

Listening Part I: While I write I like to listen to music. I usually get distracted when I listen to Queen (I start to sing along) so I try to listen to movie soundtracks and the like. And one of my favorite bands/orchestras came out with another album. E.S. Posthumus's new album Makara is fantastic and the cover of Moonlight Sonata (featured below) is wonderful. What other music do you recommend I should listen to when I write?

Debating: So I feel that I am at a moral crossroads. I see something in the future that I feel can either turn into some sort of Dateline show or could be completely innocent. What makes matters worse is that I recently saw a Dateline episode that was basically the same thing I am seeing now and that did not end well. So what should I do?

Listening Part II: I have gone through the last five studio Queen albums and I have to say that these new remasters were well worth the purchase. The sound is so much clearer and crisp on the Miracle and Innuendo albums especially. The last two albums are bittersweet, Freddie knew the end was coming and it shows through the songs. While artistically I feel Queen was at their best on these final albums, the songs definitely had hints of retrospect, sadness and dealing with the cards you have been dealt with. So when am I going to post my reviews of each album?

Wishing: I wish I had the NFL Network so I can catch the Thursday games. I just cannot justify paying that much more a month for a TV package when the NFL Network would really be the only channel I would watch. I think I may cancel my TV when the football season ends. It could be that I am getting old but there is just nothing good on TV anymore. The bad stuff on TV clearly overshadows the good. And what TV I would watch, I can catch on the Internet. So should I cancel my TV service at the end of the season?

Calling: Speaking of the NFL game tonight...

Oakland at San Diego:

Both the Chargers and Raiders are in a free fall. Oakland is without RB McFadden and I think that is what will be crucial in this game. RB Michael Bush can also run the ball but lacks the explosiveness that McFadden has. The Chargers usually wake up at this point in the season and I think they will bounce back here.

Winner: San Diego Chargers

Singing: So a couple of Sundays ago I was attending the community choir practice and I got to hear the gospel song we are going to do. Oh boy... ...I really am going to be stepping out of my comfort zone here. A lot of dancing and hand waving and praising. I like to sing and the song is a ton of fun but the actions are not my style. I am going to have to hype myself up to do what they want me to do. I am gonna have to channel my inner Blues Brother.

And shame on you if you don't know who the Blues Brothers are. Have you seen this movie?

So there are some questions... ...now to find some answers.

Late Update

I had to blog on this historic date!

11/01/11

Isn't it that cool? I swear that I grew up during the best time of history. I got the best toys, best music, best movies and now best dates!

So I have started my Nanowrimo novel and I am happy (and yes I am tooting my own horn) that I am now at 3, 301 words! 

And I had a major distraction as my final Queen boxset arrived today. HUZZAH!  I really want to do a review on each disc. I am looking forward to rediscovering these songs.

I had a fun evening yesterday at my dad's and trick-or-treating around his neighborhood. We ate a ton of pizza and a ton of candy. And Logan was able to go around the block with his cousins and come back with a decent haul.

Logan was a Dementor this year. I did his make up even though he didn't think he needed it. 

List-Mania: Queen T-Shirts

Yeah, I am still around. Just not in the mood for blogging and really nothing has happened this week. Well, that is not exactly true. A lot has transpired this week but nothing that I should publicly blog here. These things have been weighing on me pretty good lately. But enough of that, I wanted to blog about something fun and a List-Mania return is just what the doctor ordered.

I decided to combine my love of t-shirts and Queen into one List-Mania and blog about which Queen shirts I want to own.

5) A Day at the Races T-Shirt

It is my current favorite Queen album (it changes often) and it gives off a sense of grandeur and royalty. Which makes perfect sense for this band.

4) The Miracle T-Shirt

Another memorable cover (you can see it in the background image of my blog) of Queen. It is something you can stare at for hours and it amazes me how well each member of the band blends together. What is even more amazing is that picture was composed over twenty years ago! 

3) News of the World T-Shirt

News of the World has my favorite album art of all the Queen albums. You can see more of it here. I absolutely love how the robot looks like a kid and is looking up at a disapproving parent and shocked and saddened that he killed his pets. This t-shirt captures that look perfectly. 

2) Hot Space T-Shirt

Hot Space is one of the worst Queen albums but it makes one of the best t-shirts. I love the bright colors of the album cover contrasted with the dark gray background. Ever since the release of the new remasters, my opinion of Hot Space (the album) has changed. While not my favorite, it is a lot of fun to listen to. And I would be proud to display my new love of the album by wearing this shirt.

1) Flash Gordon T-Shirt

It is no secret that I absolutely love the old cheesy movie and music. But what I really like about this t-shirt is that it captures the Flash Gordon look but it also honors the album since the album cover is exactly the same as the shirt. 

Random Ramblings: Feeling Blue

Feeling Blue: I think that if the Jets pulled off a win yesterday I would be in a better mood. I take losses pretty hard. But I am feeling a little blue...

Feeling Blue Part II: Aside from the game, I had a pretty good day yesterday. Going to the funeral church did bum me out and cheer me up a bit. Our fantastic Bishop and his cute family are moving and he was released yesterday. I have known them since my family and I moved in. He was the first guy that came over to visit me. I served with him many times and I was very fortunate to teach his children in Primary. I am bummed that I will not have a chance to teach the rest of his kids.

Feeling Blue Part III: Two weekends ago was the Top of Utah marathon and I set a goal to run the 5K portion of the festivities. My knee and I never made it.

Feeling Green: On a happier note, my harvested some of our garden last week and we got some awesome looking green peppers. And a ton of them too! We are going to make a batch of Stuffed Peppers and freeze some to use for Philly Steak sandwiches.

Listening: To the first 5 Queen albums. I think I will review each album of these new remasters for the blog. Professional writers say that you should write what you know.

Feeling Giddy: I ordered the second set of Queen remasters and they are on their way. I sold some comic tradepaperbacks and I had some Amazon points to use so I only paid $10 for the set.

Thinking: I think it is time for me to make some life-altering decisions. I think it might be time for this old man to go back to school. The only problem is that I have no idea what to go back to school to learn. If you have any ideas, let me know. I do think that a career as a professional wrestler has passed me by.

Feeling Giddy Part II: That big fat X-Men hardcover that I got for free comes out in a few weeks!

My Life According to Queen

I got this off of Facebook awhile back and thought it would make a fun blog post. And I curious to see if my original choices were the same.


Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think! Post/bog this as "My Life According to (BAND NAME)" 

Pick Your Artist: 
Queen 

Are You Male or Female? 
White Man 

Describe Yourself? 
Doing All Right 

How Do You Feel? 
Under Pressure 

Describe Where You Currently Live: 
Good Company 

If You Could Go Anywhere, Where Would You Go? 
Seaside Rendezvous

Speaking of Queen... I would LOVE this t-shirt.

 
Your Favorite Form Of Transportation: 
I'm in Love With My Car 

Your Best Friend: 
Sweet Lady

Your Favourite Color Is: 
My Melancholy Blues 

What's The Weather Like? 
It's a Beautiful Day 

Favourite Time Of Day: 
Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon 

If Your Life Was A TV Show, What Would It Be Called? 
Some Day One Day

What Is Life For You? 
Play The Game 

Your Relationships: 
Staying Power 

Looking For: 
The Miracle 

Have: 
Dear Friends 

Wouldn't Mind: 
Heaven for Everyone 

Your Fear: 
Ride the Wild Wind 

What Is The Best Advice You Have To Give? 
Don't Lose Your Head

If You Could Change Your Name, What Would You Change It To? 
Flash 

Thought For The Day: 
The Show Must Go On

How I Would Like To Die: 
Sheer Heart Attack (it was either that or Chinese Torture or Dragon Attack) 

My Soul's Present Condition: 
Was It All Worth It? 

My Motto: 
Hang On in There

Random Ramblings: BOOGER!

Wondering: I will give a shout-out to anyone who guesses why I named the column the way I did. Any takers?

Watching: Kristy and I have been slowly going through the first season of one of my all-time favorite shows in WKRP in Cincinnati. When I was a kid I wanted to be Dr. Johnny Fever and I would pretend to be a DJ all the time growing up. Watching this awesome show makes me want to be a DJ again. Which leads to...

E-mailing: I am e-mailing a local radio station (a Classic Rock station that I listen to a lot) and asking if they offer any type of internships or if they are currently hiring. Don't get me wrong, I like what I am doing but I don't love it. We'll see where this could lead. I might as well check it out. I have had pretty good luck before.

Chewing: My dad and his family recently came back from Canada and they brought back loads of candy. And much to my surprise they brought back something I used to love as a kid that I thought they didn't make anymore. There were these gums called "Chews" and they came in all sorts of flavors. They were really cheap gum and each piece had a flavor of its own. They would all have a fruit flavor, depending on the pack you bought, but some of them would have a mint flavor to them and some of them were extremely sour. In fact, whenever I think of them, my jaws ache. I am so glad they are back and I totally want to get more of them.

Cherry and Grape Chews. They are no longer called Chews but they are exactly the same thing.

Watching Part II: Looking forward to this evening. My mom is coming over for dinner and we are watching the first preseason Jets game. So happy that football is back. I got my first invite for Fantasy Football and look forward to getting into that. I am still debating if I should do a column here on the blog like I did last year. It was a lot of work but it was fun.

Drinking: Remember the Pop Shop? I was at a local grocery store and saw that old familiar Pop Shop logo. And not only that, they had a Lime Rickey flavor so I had to try it.

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed. It was not as flavorful as I expected it. I might have to get the Root Beer one to see if it tastes like I remember it. Root Beer was my favorite flavor back then.

Listening: So I finally used some of my birthday money and got the first Queen Remasters Box Set. The sound is definitely improved. The first two albums (Queen and Queen II) had the most dramatic improvement. That made the purchase worth it but the 2nd bonus discs have been a lot of fun. It is fun to hear other versions and demos and it makes me appreciate the band a whole lot more. I look forward to the next set and hopefully with those surveys, I can get it for free.

Smarting: My knee is still giving me fits and it looks like I may not be able to run a 5K. I went running last week and it seemed fine but today I did a small walking/running workout and it hurts. I hate being old.

Staring: Kristy and Logan went down to Antelope Island and snagged this beautiful sunset. I could stare at this for hours.

Catching Up: Boy I have a lot of catching up reading blogs!

Watching Part III: I caught Captain America: The First Avenger and even though I knew what was going to happen going in (being a comic geek and all) I was pleasantly surprised by the whole thing. Of course I like the WWII era and I love Nazis being enemies. This movie surpassed my expectations, I was thinking it would be the weakest of the Marvel movies but I think this one was the strongest. Fun stuff and Chris Evans is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors.

Watching Part IV: I also caught Cowboys and Aliens last week. The movie was definitely entertaining and I thought that the special effects were absolutely breathtaking. The acting was good, but then what do you expect with Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig? The supporting actors were just as great. Aside from that, I thought that the movie was rather ho-hum and full of cliches. I think my 25 plus years of reading comics (and this was based on a comic) has spoiled me. It was rather predictable and didn't offer anything that would set this movie apart from others. If you have seen a Western movie in your life, then you have seen most of this movie. And if you have seen an Alien Invasion movie, you have seen this movie too. It is not like I didn't enjoy it, because I thought it was fun but it was nothing new.

Random Ramblings: Here I Go Again

Reliving: It sure seems like I have written parts of this blog before.

Eating: Junior Mints. My dad and his family are off in Canada so I am tending the dog and working alone. My dad and I usually share the movie-size boxes of Junior Mints while at work but since he is not here I get the whole box to myself. I am sure he would have wanted it that way.

Reading: A bunch of comics and tradepaperbacks that I got for my birthday. Two of those books were G.I. Joe related. How old am I?

Double Dipping: So I have decided to sell all my Queen CDs. Yes, the same ones that I said I wouldn't sell. I have decided to upgrade my Queen collection to the new remastered sets. The new CDs have better audio quality and they are also all double sets. I usually hate double-dipping but I think this will be worth it. That is until the 50th anniversary of Queen where I am sure they will release some new bonus stuff.

Soon this will be mine!

Preparing: Next week I will be at Girl's Camp again. I cannot believe that it has been over a year ago since I went last year. This time I will be staying the whole time and I have to admit that I am looking forward to it. Last Sunday after Church a few of the girls came up to me and said that they are going to make me a camp shirt this week. They said it was going to be awesome and part of me is excited to see what they will come up with and part of me is a little leery of what it might turn out to be. I am flattered that they want to make me a shirt (which is the reason why I didn't want to do one in the first place; I wanted them to do one for me) and I told them I am excited to see it. But I also reminded them that the reason I am going to Girl's Camp is because I wanted to spend time with them because I like them. Hopefully that will quell any embarrassing shirts they could make me. I already know that my nickname is going to be plastered on it.

Painting: The camp shirts are pretty cool. Logan liked them so much that he made some as well. I do think they turned out pretty cool.

 To make tie-dye shirts the easy way, just get a blank white shirt and crumple it.

 Then spray with paint.

And that is it!

Forgetting: I think I have forgotten how to drive. I have been without my car for almost a month. It is still being repaired by a friend of the family. It has taken a lot more time than he figured and it has been a bit aggravating but then I just have to remember how much money he is helping me save. I have not filled up my car too so that is saving me $50 at least! I borrowed my dad's car the other night and I think my depth perception is off. I cut off two cars by mistake and I think it is because I have not driven in nearly a month!

Pondering: I am thinking of purchasing tickets for the family to see The Music of Queen by the Utah Symphony next month. It is up at Park City and the concert is outdoors on the lawn. But the tickets are $30 bucks a piece. But I think Logan would have a good time. I did find a $10 off coupon and that helps. And I might be able to get Logan in for free! Hmmmm.....

Random Ramblings: July Already?

Shaking my Head: I cannot believe that we are 5 days in July already! Where did June go?

Sweating: Like I have said before, I am no fan of the heat. It has gone from cool to sweltering in only a couple of days. It got so bad that I put in my air conditioner unit so I could sleep at night. If I can see my breath at night, then I know I can sleep comfortably. Must be my Canadian training.

I totally need to watch this movie again.

Sweating Part II: I have a sweating problem. I sweat like no one's business (and I am sure you are all pleased to hear this) especially when I am exercising. I look like a NBA basketball player when I play racquetball, it just runs off my nose. But my sister came to the rescue for my birthday. She got me a new set of purple racquetballs and a sweatband (unfortunately wearing a sweatband reminds me of Lebron) and some wrist sweatbands. I tried them out last Saturday and it worked wonders.

Eating: Pez. My sister Jennifer also got me this huge Wolverine Pez Dispenser. Seriously, it is huge! It also talks as well and it says some pretty typical Wolverine stuff and then it spouted the line, "I like Pez."

Listening: It is the 40th Anniversary of Queen and to celebrate they are coming out of Deluxe Remastered versions of all their studio albums in sets of five. These re-issues have a bonus CD which contains demos, unreleased tracks, live tracks or alternate versions. I downloaded (thanks iTunes for not making me buy the whole album) the first set of bonus tracks and I have been listening to them non-stop.

Shaking my Finger: The next batch of Queen releases came out on June 27th. Except that they delayed the American releases until SEPTEMBER! Good grief that sucks. I don't want to wait until then! I highly doubt that we Americans will get the fourth and final batch before the end of the year. So I guess we Americans will celebrate the 41st Anniversary of Queen.

I am eagerly awaiting the Hot Space bonus CD. And I totally want this t-shirt ringer now!

Celebrating: I had a nice 4th of July with my sister-in-law Lynn and her family. It was also her daughter Jessica's birthday. We had a nice BBQ at their house and ate some cake and ice cream and I drank a ton of homemade Raspberry Cream Soda.

Yawning: I have been without a car since Thursday and it unfortunately looks like I won't get my car until this Thursday. All this biking has made me extra tired. I should count my blessings that I am exercising, saving money on gas and ultimately I am saving money on my car as well.

Eating Part II: I had some of the best Peach Cobbler last Sunday. My neighbor and his family invited us over Sunday evening for what he claims is the best Peach Cobbler. He is right, I have never had Peach Cobbler that was better. I have some fantastic neighbors, it was a nice evening to spend with them and another family.

Wishing: Didja know that my mother-in-law is older than Alaska? It was her birthday on the 3rd and we celebrated it by lighting all of her candles with a blowtorch.

Random Ramblings: Memorial Day Weekend

Listening: It is the 40th Anniversary of Queen and to celebrate they are re-releasing their albums 5 at a time with a bonus disc of extra material. And thankfully iTunes has allowed us to buy just those songs instead of it being the dreaded Album Only. The new "Beeb" renditions of Nevermore and Teo Torriatte are spectacular.

Scaring: Last Sunday we helped out some friends of ours by watching their kids while they went to Salt Lake to pick up a relative from the airport. We first took them back to our house for some lunch and then we headed to their house to play while we waited for their parents. They were happily playing with Logan and then it was time to eat lunch. I snuck up the corner of our stairs to scare the next person who came down the stairs which was unfortunate for Shelby. I scared that poor girl good! Afterwards we took them back to their house and played by the river in their backyard. The girls showed me two large duck nests that were full of eggs. And then we played Fish until their parents came home.

Logan, Cassiday and Shelby

Their house was right on the river. Logan is at the bottom of the stairs leading to their backyard, which is now the Logan River.

Cooking: The morning of Memorial Day we had a neighborhood breakfast at the park. I was partly in charge of cooking up the French Toast. We had a real good showing and it was fun to spend the morning with my great neighbors. I cooked for the first hour and a half (with help from Kristy) and then went inside to socialize with everyone and play basketball with the Young Men and Women.

Freezing: I cannot believe that we woke up Monday to snow! It was not a lot of snow but I did have to scrape it off the car!

Really? Snow?

Riding: Yesterday for Memorial Day we took a road trip with my mom and visited a couple of cemeteries (Wellsville, Logan, Hyrum and Richmond) and looked at some of our deceased relatives. It was a beautiful day for the most part. It got sunny and warm and then cold and rainy. The weather made every cemetery clean and green. It was so awesome to see all the flowers and flags. Visiting these gravesides always puts me in a sober and reflective mood. But I am glad that I was able to do it. It is fun hanging out with my mom and driving around. It takes me back to our road trips to Idaho and Colorado. We stopped for some dinner at Big J's and had a nice drive back to Logan.

I cannot believe that it has been 7 years since my grandparents passed away.

Feeling Strange: We dropped by the USU Trailer Court (where Kristy and I lived right after we got married) and our trailer is gone! And so is every trailer that was on our block. The whole trailer park was stripped with only a few trailers remaining. It was like a tornado cleared it out. Both Kristy and I felt strange. A part of our early married life is gone forever. All that remained was a few bricks that Kristy put in for a flower bed.

Logan is standing where the bathroom used to be.

Riding Part II: I rode my bike to my dad's house today for work. 4.13 miles is not to shabby. But I can already tell that my butt is going to be sore.

Tempting: You know I just might have to go see X-Men: First Class at midnight Thursday by myself.

30 Day Song Challenge: The Conclusion

I'm kinda sad that this is ending. I hate coming up with new topics.

Day 26 - A Song That You Can Play On An Instrument

Vertigo - U2

I love the bass line of this song that I had to learn it. It was a little more complex (and fast!) than I am used to but after much time and practice, I think I have it down. Now if I could just sing the song along with playing the bass which is a lot harder to do than you think.

Day 27 - A Song That You Wish You Could Play

Dragon Attack - Queen

If I could play this on the bass guitar, I could play ANY Queen song on the bass guitar. I was never a huge fan of this song until I heard it live. The bass guitar was just so loud and thumping, you could feel it in your chest. The song was so awesome live that it made me a huge fan of this song.

Day 28 - A Song That Makes You Feel Guilty

Lit Up - Buckcherry

I love, LOVE this song. The guitars, the raspy voice, the pounding drums. This song has everything. The only drawback is it is all about cocaine. And there is a rather large f-bomb smack plum in the middle of the song. I have a copy of the radio edit which does not have the f-bomb in it but I couldn't find one to share here. If you have iTunes you can sample a copy of the radio version there. I know I shouldn't like it (which is why I feel a tiny bit guilty when I listen to it) but I absolutely love it.

Day 29 - A Song From Your Childhood

Total Eclipse of the Heart - Bonnie Tyler

Yeah, I really liked the theatrical feel of this song and I still like it because of that grand, sweeping feeling. The video I remember being a little strange and weird (hey, it was the 80's). Now some very clever people have remade the song so it matches the video in a literal sense. You totally need to see this video. I laugh every time I even think about this video.

Total Eclipse of the Heart - Literal Video Version by BalloDaSballo

Day 30 - Your Favorite Song At This Time Last Year

The Other Side - Pendulum

My British friend Tim introduced me to this band awhile ago (it might have been longer than a year) and I really like a few of their songs. It has a driving drum and bass line (see the trend here?) that appeals to me.

30 Day Song Challenge: Part V

Some of these songs were really easy to come by but I have found that this set has been much more difficult for me to figure out. 

Day 22 - A Song That You Listen To When You’re Sad

Overkill - Colin Hay

There are a few songs that I listen to that make me sad/reflective but I don't think there is a song that I desire to listen to when I am sad. This was a hard one to pick out but I think I have found a song that I really, really like that does make me a bit somber. I prefer the acoustic version of this song but the original Men at Work version is just as good. The guitar on the acoustic version is such fantastic.

Day 23 - A Song That You Want To Play At Your Wedding

 Another One Bites The Dust - Queen

I guess if I had to get married again, I would go for this song. Kristy and I played the Wyclef Jean version of this song at her sister's wedding and she was less than thrilled. But I would want it played at my wedding especially if I was going to get married a second time.

Day 24 - A Song That You Want To Play At Your Funeral

The Imperial Theme - John Williams

I could have chosen the same song to play at my funeral as I did for my wedding. But if I am going to go out, I want to go out in style! Since I was recently at a funeral I have put some thought into this and I think I have made the right decision.

Day 25 - A Song That Makes You Laugh

Dead Puppies - Ogden Edsl

Didja know that I won a Ms. America pageant for singing this song as my talent? Will I go to hell for laughing at this? I hope none of you are offended by this song and if you are, you really need to rethink your (lack of) sense of humor.

The Queen CD Situation

A couple of blogs ago I blogged about being part of a CD Club. The first one that I participated in was on the Joe Quesada Boards. We had a ton of people sign up (we would choose which month we would do it) and I remember being so excited that I started to brainstorm what I would put on my CD months before I would send one out.

Can you guess what my CD was all about?

Finally, the time crept closer and I decided to do something that had not been done before with the CD club. Instead of choosing a bunch of different songs, I decided to choose all my favorite Queen songs and do a Queen-themed CD. I didn't just want this CD to be all of the more popular Queen tracks, I went with some personal favorites and tried to pick some of the deeper cuts and definitely some of those that covered their wide spectrum of musical genres. It was rough but I finally made my choices and started to burn the CDs. I made my own cover art which featured all the members of Queen along with me photoshopped in it so I looked like I was part of the group. On each CD I also sketched in black marker something that I thought the person would like, just for fun. I put a heck of a lot of work into it but I really enjoyed myself in doing so.

I threw myself right behind Roger, in between Freddie and Brian.

Unfortunately the original cover art did not survive the big hard drive swap and I lost it forever.  I kept a blog at work during this time and I blogged about one specific review:

* * *

7/27/2006

People on the JQ boards are getting their Queen CD's and I am a little curious to hear what people think about it. I do not mind honesty at all, I am sure that Queen is not every one's cup of tea but I have to admit that I was a little surprised by some people's reactions. If you don't like it, you don't have to be mean about it. Just be truthful. If you have to be brutal maybe it would be best if you just bit your tongue. And if you have to say something, at least extend some appreciation for all the hard work I put into it. I was surprised by one particular post:

"Got the CD and got a sweet Hellboy sketch on it! Unfortunately for me that's all the enjoyment I'll get out of it. I listened to it and it still didn't change my dislike towards Queen. I've always found Queen to be a homosexual band. Not meaning all band members were gay, but that the music, lyrics and style all lent itself to the gay culture. I'm not meaning this as negative or a slam either, don't misunderstand my meaning. I just find it difficult to relate to their music.

Kind of the same thing with Elton John... I like a few of his songs but for the most part I feel like he's throwing a party I wasn't invited to. Just to illustrate my point a little further I'd say Aerosmith is a heterosexual band. Which is not to say you can''t be straight and like Queen, nor gay and like Aerosmith... I just have a mental block in regards to some things that I feel were not made for me.

I'm pretty sure I've lost you all at this point. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to do it and I'll probably hang the CD up at work next to my Hellboy calender."

I was happy that he liked the quick sketch that I did for him of Hellboy but I was certainly troubled by his response. Are there gay bands and heterosexual bands? Sure, Freddie was gay, but does that matter? Music is music. So I responded with this:

"Glad you liked the sketch. I enjoyed putting the CD together. To be honest, your comments seem very close-minded. Music shouldn't have any stereotypes or any stigma attached to them. Music is just simply music. I don't want this to turn into a huge discussion about sexual orientation, I do appreciate your honesty. A few people here are excited by the CD and some are looking forward to receiving it. And I don't think sexual orientation has anything to do with it. Remember that this is a piece of me. When you bag on it, you really are bagging on me."

He was a nice enough fellow and I remembered we shared our love of Hellboy comics but I just couldn't understand his thinking. He has the right to say and think what he wants but I am amazed how backwards his thinking was. How sad it must be for him, he unfortunately is going to miss out on a lot of stuff because of our narrow-minded he is. We should be celebrating our talents and sharing it with others no matter what our race, religion or sexual preference. We all have two big things in common, no matter what we look like and what we do, we are all human. And more importantly, all of us are all God's children* and we need to love and respect each other. No matter what our differences are.

How awesome is this pic?

*Queen actually has a song called All God's Children which was from the Innuendo album. 

Rule with your heart and live with your conscience

We're all God's people give freely

Make welcome inside your homes

Let us be thankful, He's so incredible

I will let you voice your opinions on whether you think this song lends itself to the gay culture.

30 Day Song Challenge: Part II

The last few days of my blog have been a little heavy so I wanted to do something fun today. I still have 25 days to go to complete the 30 Day Song Challenge so I thought I could crank a couple of them out.

Day 7 - A Song That Reminds You Of A Certain Event

Are You Gonna Go My Way - Lenny Kravitz

This was the last CD that I bought before going on my 2-year LDS Mission and I must have listened to this song thousands of times. Now many years later, I am taken back to those special last days before I left whenever this song comes up on the radio or iPod or iTunes. It takes me back to cruising around in my mom's red Laser with some friends and going out and visiting other friends. It especially takes me back to the time my cousin Jeremy and I went cruising the day before my mission farewell.

Day 8 - A Song That You Know All The Words To

Handle With Care - Traveling Wilburys

I have always loved this song but I really never knew the words so much. This is one of the first songs that I wanted to learn on the bass guitar and now I am at the point to where I can sing it while playing. And I guess I didn't know the words as well as I thought. After repeated sessions, I can now say that I know all the words to this song.

Day 9 - A Song That You Can Dance To

One Night in Bangkok - Chess

Many years ago I took a part in a musical called Chess. It is my favorite Broadway musical, I highly recommend that you check out the music. Back in the 80's there was this quirky song that would come on the radio and I loved it then. I had no idea that it was from a musical until much later in life. Now this is the radio version, the one that I think most people are familiar with. But the American version from Broadway is a lot faster and more upbeat. And then reason I dance to this song is because I still remember my dance moves that I had to learn and master for when I starred in the musical. I played one of the guys at a bar drinking away. Even though this is a slower version, I still dance to it.

Day 10 - A Song That Makes You Fall Asleep

The Revolution - Brian Tyler

This peaceful instrumental song comes from the Children of Dune soundtrack. My friend Zack turned me on to this awesome soundtrack and I would listen to it over and over again. Some nights when I couldn't sleep, I would play this on my iPod and I usually would fall asleep just a few minutes into the album. If you like classical music and soundtracks, I highly recommend this one.

Day 11 - A Song From Your Favorite Band

Tie Your Mother Down - Queen

I have to admit that this song has grown on my quite a lot over the years. It was not a huge favorite of mine really until recently especially since I am trying to learn this on the bass. Logan really likes this song too.

30 Day Song Challenge: Part I

A friend of mine is taking this challenge on Facebook and I thought it would be a good idea for a blog. The rules are pretty simple. All you have to do is post the song of the day on your Facebook for the next 30 days. Instead of doing it on Facebook, I am going to do it here and I am going to do 5 songs at a time. And as you can guess it, it will probably be littered with Queen songs.

Day 1 - Your Favorite Song

Fat Bottomed Girls - Queen

I am sure I have covered this song before. When I was doing the 365 Day Blogging Challenge, I considered doing a Top 100 Favorite song blog. Each week I would post 10 songs. That fun idea turned out to be a nightmare since it was a lot of work and I really couldn't decide on the order. But I knew what my favorite song of all-time is though. I just love this song. The fun lyrics, the awesome guitar lick and driving bass and drum. Just a fun rock and roll song.

Day 2 - Your Least Favorite Song

Sympathy for the Devil - Rolling Stones

This is a tricky question. Does this mean a song that I absolutely hate? Or is it a song that I still like, but I like the least? Well, since it is my blog, I am going to go with a song that I just absolutely despise. I am not a huge fan of the Rolling Stones anyway but I just cannot stand this song. I don't like the stupid train lyrics (Woo! Woo!) and I don't like the sounds of the drums and the jungle feel. This is definitely one of those songs that I quickly turn the radio to another station when it comes on. I cannot even sit through it.

Day 3 - A Song That Makes You Happy

Beautiful Day - U2

I am sure that there are many other songs that make me happy but this one came to my mind first. This song has a wonderful message. It is a beautiful day, there are many things in this world that are great and we should enjoy it as much as we can. I appreciate the world and I think about how thankful I am for all that I have when this song comes on.

Day 4 - A Song That Makes You Sad

Everyday is Exactly the Same - Nine Inch Nails

There are a ton of songs that make me feel sad and that I listen to when I feel a little blue but I wanted to choose a song that was a bit different. This song takes me back to the last few months when I worked at my last job. This song captures my feelings perfectly, my feelings of hopelessness and my feelings of being inadequate. Every time I hear this song it brings me down since it reminds me of that horrible time. I do love this song but I hardly listen to it because it evokes such hopelessness. I don't even listen to this song when I am down.

Day 5 - A Song That Reminds You Of Someone

Summer Rain - Belinda Carlisle

The month before I left for my LDS mission to New York was one of the most memorable. I had a lot of great experiences that I will never forget. I think what makes me think of this song is that I was listening to it at the this time. Belinda Carlisle's Greatest CD got major play before I left on my mission and I hung around someone at this time. I just love this beautiful song and the beautiful arrangement. So who is this person? Well, I am just not comfortable divulging that identity without that person's permission. And besides, that was many, many years ago.  :)

Next week I'll do another five set.

Tuesday Tunes

There are just some days where I don't feel like talking blogging. So let's see what my iPod will come up with when I hit shuffle.

Crush - Megadeth

I am not a huge fan of Megadeth since I only own a few of their songs but this one I just love because it gets me going. Whenever I have had a hard day and I am frustrated, I listen to this song in particular. There are times when I would just love to crush my opposition. This song also takes me back to when I coached 9th Grade Girl's Basketball. This was often our cheer before games and after timeouts. CRUSH 'EM! Now I am pumped.

In This Together - Apoptygma Berzerk

This is one of my favorite bands. My sister introduced them to me and I have been hooked ever since. This song was panned by critics saying that the sold out by adding guitars and sounding more "pop" but I like the new sound as much as I like their old sound.

Spread Your Wings - Queen

One thing for sure is that I need to get me a pair of sunglasses like Freddie's in this video. This is one of my favorite Queen songs. Whenever I am blue I listen to this song and I feel the same way as Sammy does. I just need to spread my wings and fly away and do what I need to do to make me happy. I guess when you have every Queen song out there, the chances of them coming up on my shuffle is good.

Sunshine - John Murphy

I am a huge fan of movie scores and this piece of music is one of my all-time favorites. You might have heard this one before since it is used in a lot of movies and movie trailers. It originally came from the underrated movie Sunshine (you will hear a clip of the movie in it ). The song evokes a lot of emotion, I feel hope while listening to this but I also feel a deep sadness. In case you were wondering, the girl says this in the middle of the song:

"Only dream I have ever have. The surface of the sun? Every time I shut my eyes it is always the same."

Queen and Superman?

A few years ago DC Comics published an epic 4-issue series written by Mark Waid with the gorgeous art of Alex Ross called Kingdom Come.

Set some twenty years into the future, it deals with a growing conflict between traditional superheroes, like Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Justice League, and the growing population of largely amoral and dangerously irresponsible new vigilantes. Between these two groups is Batman and his assembled team, who attempt to contain the escalating disaster, foil the machinations of Lex Luthor, and prevent a world-ending superhuman war.

This was a fantastic series. Not only does the comics feature exceptional writing and breathtaking art, it also includes the best Easter Eggs (A virtual Easter egg is an intentional hidden message, in-joke or feature in an object such as a movie, book, CD, DVD, computer program, web page or video game) of ANY comic book. It is filled with references from Fat Albert to the Village People.

My favorite egg was this one:

I knew I have seen this before and it didn't take me long to find it. I grabbed Queen's News of the World CD and looked through the liner notes and found this:

Recognize those two people running for their lives? Alex Ross must be a Queen fan and I know that for sure since he was the artist for the cover of the Flash Gordon DVD.

List-Mania: Queen Songs Part II

Back on Day 90 (which was almost a year ago to the day... ...strange) I posted my all-time favorite Queen songs. This time around I would like to share some other favorite Queen songs in no particular order.

Breakthru

If I could only reach you

If I could make you smile

If I could only reach you

That would really be a breakthru

Two separate songs were combined into Breakthru. This is one of my favorite Queen songs because of that. The beginning is much slower, very much a Freddie song and then turns into a faster and harder song. When I feel down, this song picks me up.

Under Pressure

'Cause love's such an old fashioned word

And love dares you to care for

The people on the (People on streets) edge of the night

And loves (People on streets) dares you to change our way of 

Caring about ourselves

I just love how simple this song and its message is. We are all feeling under pressure at times and we all should remember to help out each other when we are. 

Too Much Love Will Kill You

Too much love will kill you

Just as sure as none at all

It'll drain the power that's in you

Make you plead and scream and crawl

And the pain will make you crazy

You're the victim of your crime

Too much love will kill you - every time

This was originally a song written by Brian May for his solo album but after Freddie passed away, the surviving members of Queen put together a new album featuring some of Freddie's last recordings including this one. This song is just so beautiful and Freddie just nailed it. 

Say It's Not True

With the wonders of science

All the knowledge we've stored

Magic cocktails for lives

People just can't afford

A lot of critics bashed Queen's collaboration with Paul Rodgers saying it is not Queen. Of course, it is not the original Queen. That is why they named the band Queen + Paul Rodgers. Paul is not replacing Freddie at all, he is merely playing with Queen. And I have no problem with this collaboration, I appreciate what Paul had to offer. This song off their album is definitely the best one. It is a song that makes me think and makes me appreciate what I have been blessed with. My life could definitely be worse; I could be suffering from such a horrible thing like AIDS. I need to be more thankful for what I have.

Orge Battle

He gives a great big cry and he can swallow up the ocean

With a mighty tongue he catches flies - the palm of a hand incredible size

One great big eye - has a focus in your direction

Now the battle is on

I just love this song. I love the guitar riffs and I just love how absurd, strange and over-the-top Queen can be. At first I hated this song and I hated the whole Queen II album but now it is one of my favorites.

The one thing that really attracts me to Queen is how different their music is. They seem to have a song for any occasion and with almost every musical style.

The Shuffle

A few weeks ago my cousin and fellow blogger, Jaimee had a neat idea for a blog topic that she stole from her one brother that is not blogging.

Basically you take your iPod or whatever mp3 player you have and hit Shuffle and blog about the first 5 songs that come up and list why you like them and why you have them on your iPod.

A good idea is a good idea so I am stealing it from her and doing it today

Mephistopheles' Return - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Funny that this one would pop up first considering that this my absolutely favorite TSO song off the Beethoven's Last Night album. Most of you know that I have a real big soft spot for musicals and theatrical music and this rock opera is one of my favorites. I don't know why most of the musical songs about the devil are the most rocking and most entertaining and most fun to sing but they are and this one is a fun one.

Ballad Of Dwight Fry - Alice Cooper

"Mommy where's daddy? He's been gone for so long. Do you think he'll ever come home?"

Who would have thought that some of Alice Cooper's best would be his softer ballads. Well, ballads as far as Alice Cooper goes. This long song (clocks in at 6:33) is a real pretty song about a man that is in an insane asylum.

Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) - Mika
O boy. You know how there are some songs on your iPod that only you know are there? Those type of songs that are so cheesy that you are a little embarrassed that you have them? Well, I am coming out the iPod closet. I like Mika. There I said it. I discovered one of his songs from a movie and I really liked it so I got his albums and man are they cheesy.  AND I LOVE THEM.

I feel better now...

This song is probably one of my favorite ones of his. It has a fun beat and fun lyrics.

Dear Friends - Queen
I was a little worried that my favorite band of all-time would not make an appearance but when you have all their catalog on your iPod along with all their concerts and rare stuff, I knew my chances were good. This is one of the shortest songs they have (only 1:09) but it has to be one of their more beautiful and poignant songs that came from one of their earlier albums.

So dear friends

Your love is gone

Only tears to dwell upon

I dare not say

As the wind must blow

So a love is lost

A love is won

Go to sleep and dream again

Soon your hopes will rise

And then from all this gloom

Life can start anew

And there'll be no crying soon

Written by Brian May and sung by Freddie. Only his voice and accompaniment by the piano. I love it because of how simple it is.

Now That You Got Me - Honeymoon Suite
Honeymoon Suite is a Canadian hair metal band and it was the first tapes that I bought. Hair Metal is another love of mine and you never forget your first love and Honeymoon Suite was mine. The whole album is pretty good and I still listen to it but I do it now for more nostalgic purposes. This is one of the better songs of that album. My tape finally gave out and I bought the CD on eBay from Canada.