That place called Kokomo

The song “Kokomo” by the Beach Boys takes me back to about 4th grade possibly 5th grade.  It was during this time that the song was really popular.  I was living in Florida at that time to.  So it felt kind of cool to have a song about a place that was so close to where I lived.  Until I found out that no such place existed.

Aside from the line of the song that listed all the different island, I had no idea what this song was about.  All I know is that because I hung out with a bunch of girls that loved the song, I was forced by association to learn the words.  I don’t even think back then we comprehended who the Beach Boys were no that I think on it.  But listening to it now and actually understand what’s going on in the song, gives me a new appreciation for it.

I don’t know if this makes any sense, but the song is so tropical feeling.  It’s just so relaxing.  You can see yourself on a beach somewhere, possibly in a hammock, drinking some fruit cocktail with an umbrella in it and taking in the ocean view.  That’s what this song does for me anyway.  If every state in the union had a theme song, this should be for Florida.  So what it’s fictional.  Mickey Mouse is fictional and he has an entire estate here.

Also gave me a new appreciation for the Beach Boys.  I think by the 80s they’d been around for like 20 years.  And from what I understand they are still kicking and recording.  I may write about them at some point.  Today, that little place called Kokomo is where I wanna go to get away from it all.

Cowboy Bebop live

 

Yoko Kanno and the Seatbelts! I’d like to take this moment to say…YOU ROCK! Seriously I really love your stuff.  Most notibly the music for Cowboy Bebop.  As I type this I’m listening to the live album.

What can I say, I like music that is well done.  That this happens to be music from a Japanese anime makes no difference at all.  I love the jazz/bluesy style that she approached this soundtrack with.  Not much lyrics, just all instrumentals.  It’s heavenly.

There isn’t an anime fan around that does not know “Tank”.  It’s one of the few anime that I’ve watched that the intro song does not have lyrics in it.  It says one line at the very beginning, but other than that it’s all music.  As much as I love the intro songs to every anime I’ve seen, that this is purely music is very refreshing.  There is a version of the song with lyrics sang by Ed, but it’s not official so therefore doesn’t count.

The only song I know is “Real Folk Blues”.  I always liked this song when I heard it, but the last episode is what made me love it.  The finale to Cowboy Bebpop was intense and exciting and sad.  When they played this song over that imagery and at a lower octave that gave it a morose feel, it touched me in all the right places.  Watch the show, you’ll see what I mean and you will definitely remember it.

The live album gave me supreme love for “What Planet Is This”.  I don’t remember what episode it was in cause I haven’t watched it in a long time, but sweet Lord this song is so kickass.  At least this live rendition of it is.  I especially love the drum solo about two minutes in.  It makes me want to dance.  It makes me happy.  It compels me to listen to it more than twice.  The music is just perfect.  I wish I knew about it in high school.  My high school band would have owned it.  My hsb rocked, but it’s ok if you didn’t know that.

I have an entire music compilation of this show, but I haven’t sat down and listened to it all yet.  I got this live version and have been stuck ever since.  Which is real unusual for me cause I tend to stay away from live performances.  But this is just too good.  Maybe because there isn’t any singing.  I’m not sure.

Disney knows how to keep a song in my heart

I know I’m late today.  It’s been a very busy day.  But it’s good because I’ve gotten a lot done.  Also because I have become aware now that Disney Princesses on Ice is gonna be in town.  What?  I’m a big 11-year-old.  I love Disney and will run around Disney World with the kiddies with little to no shame whatsoever.

This got me thinking about my favorite Disney tunes.  Those who know me really well know that Peter Pan is my favorite Disney Character, but what about my favorite song?  I have several.

“A Whole New World” from “Aladdin is my favorite.  Why?  I’m a hopeless romantic.  No point in my trying to keep that part of me locked up.  I like the idea of love at first sight and happily ever after.  These are nifty thing that  people should be able to look forward to.  However, being that I am the kind of girl that I am, I am very realistic when it comes to human relations.  This just does not work in real life.  But that’s the neat thing about Disney.  We can at least dream.

“Poor Unfortunate Souls” from “Little Mermaid”.  This song, especially with the visuals of the film just crack me up.  It’s so twisted.  And the way that Ursula sings it in that ‘you are really stupid if you believe anything I say’ subtly and humorously.  That and it’s just fun to sing.  Everyone else sings “Under the Sea”.  I’ll stick with this one cause I live to be different.

“Baby Mine” from Dumbo.  Though this song reduces me to a snotty nose, puffy eyed mess, I love this song.  It’s so beautiful and I can’t help think of my mom.  It’s a song about that strong maternal love that a mother has for her child and Oh My God, I’m starting to tear up right now just thinking about it, so…

“The Second Start To The Right” from Peter Pan.

The second star to the right, shines in the night for you. To tell you that the dreams you have really do come true. 

As a kid I totally believed this.  I loved the idea of wishing on the stars at night before I went to sleep.  I’d wish the next day that I’d get taller.  The next night I’d wish to be prettier.  The night after that I’d wish to be an only child.  None of those things actually happened so I’m not sure why I still like this song cause it evidently lied to me.  And although I still want to be taller and prettier, I’d like to keep my siblings, thank you very much.

I got plenty others, but I’m leaving it here for now.  I’ll more than likely revisit this another day.  Now, I’d like to see if I can actually afford to go to this show cause I really want to see it.

Now it’s time to say goodbye to all our company. M I C, see ya real soon, K E Y why because we like ya, M O U S E!

Never play that again!

I was having a discussion with a friend the other day and I told her that while I like all types of music there were certain songs that I just really don’t like.  To her this equated that I don’t like all types of music.  I don’t agree with her and I doubt that I ever will.  It just does not make sense no matter how objectively I try to look at it.

I don’t see how an aversion to certain songs here and there equals cutting out and depreciating an entire genre of music.  For instance the song “Don’t Worry Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin is a tune that I did like in the beginning.  Overtime however hearing this makes me want to smash my head against a rock.  I don’t know if it was overplayed or just extremely annoying, but I learned to loath this song.  I do appreciate the artists work and what he achieved with it.  Still I can do without ever hearing it again.

One song that I also used to like but now hate is the song “I’ll Make Love To You” by Boys 2 Men.  I hate that song for a reason.  It brings up bad memories for me.  This song came about when I was a sophomore in high school and I was dating a really cute football player who turned out to be not so cute.  He used to sing this song, badly I might add, to me all the time.  So now when I hear this song I think of him and get instantaneously angry.  Now, I ask you, does this mean I hate Boys 2 Men, R&B music or love songs?  Well does it?

A more recent song that just fills me with uncontrollable rage is the song “Bed” by J Holiday.  I hate, loath and despise this song.  I hate everything about it.  The lyrics, the music, the composition.  Everything.  It grates on my nerves like nails down a chalkboard when I hear it.  It is by far the most irritating song ever and I wish I could shoot it, dismember it and bury it so that I never have to hear it again.  That’s how much I hate this song.  Got nothing against the kid singing it, though I’m sure he’s all auto-tune, but I have to respect his hustle and this song made him popular. But I seriously believe that my IQ level dropped 10 points having heard this song.

Got an even better one for you.  As astonishing as this may sound I absolutely abhor one Michael Jackson song.  Yes, it’s true.  According to my mother, grandmother and aunt the song “She’s Out Of My Life” disturbed me as an infant.  An infant, people! With no concept of music appreciation whatsoever I was hating on this song from a bassinet.  They had to stop the record(look it up if you don’t know what that is) before it got to this or I would have a class A fit.  Listening to it as an adult I didn’t find anything in particular that was god awful about the song until he hit this one particular note that for some reason does not sit well with me.  So suffice it to say, I still can’t listen to this song.  I dare someone to tell me I’m not a Michael Jackson fan cause I don’t like this.  I will slap the taste buds off your tongue.

And I admit that yes, there are some artist or acts that I may not like too much, but they unfortunately they by some magical design they have catchy songs.  Perfect example of this is the Pussycat Dolls.  Hate them.  Aside from being a shallow, plastic, under dressed mess, they are thieves.  Their very first hit “Don’t Cha” was stolen from a burlesque act created by Elise Neal.  I never understood why they were a group anyway.  It was basically Nicole Scherzinger and the rest were her backup dancers.  So while I think that they were auto tuned talentless hacks, that song “Buttons” is freaking awesome.  I love that one.

What is it about certain songs or genres that make us hate them or like them.  Is it in the music itself that we are opposed/drawn to?  Is it the lyrics or the artist or the presentation?  When we hear a song, what is it within us that once we hear it we decide then and there that we like it or don’t?  Does it come down to we just like what we like or is there something more to it?  Just curious.

Music is magic!

Music is the sweet, sweet sound of life!  Well, at least that’s what Jem and the Holograms told me when I was 8.  And you know what, they were right.  Music is pretty magical.  It makes you happy when you’re sad, gets you pumped before a big game or a workout, makes you think of a loved one, it’s so many things.  But why is that?  What is it about certain types of music or songs that give us that lift, makes us want to dance like crazy or even make us mad with biting rage?

I find myself in a minority among the people I know and love in the sense that I like all music.  Yes, all of it.  I know some people who say that, but then they hear a country tune, rap, or classical and be all ‘eww, what the heck is this crap’. I genuinely do have a love for all things musical.  I have multiple different artists, bands, genres on my ipod.  From Tupac to Korn to Beethoven to Jodeci to Martina McBride. Hell, I’ve got the entire Star Wars original trilogy soundtrack and a bunch of anime and gaming music.  I feed on all of it.  And though I am one of the rarities in my circle, I find that I’m not the only one in the world who is open equally to all types of music and genre.

So hence the purpose of this blog.  I want to find those other people.  People who are open to music in all its forms.  I want to let people know that we are out here and that it’s ok to love more than one type or genre.  And if I can convert, educate or open a someones mind to something new, then that would also be fantastic.

So there it is.  Twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I’ll post on whatever random topic comes to my head or get something off my chest and link it musically and hope that I can do some good or just entertain myself and possibly someone else too.