Limes with Orange

I originally misread this week's Sunday Seven question as favourite TV episodes, each from a different series. As you will see, that's not really what Patrick intended. But I decided to keep what I wrote anyway because I wrote so damn much!

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:
Name your top seven favorite individual episodes of any single television series. If you feel especially enterprising, give a few lines explaining why you think makes your chosen episodes so good.

1. The West Wing, "A Proportional Response"

One of my favourite shows on TV until Aaron Sorkin left, there are countless episodes that I would call favourites. Here I opted for the one where Charlie was first hired. I love how he keeps insisting that he's just there for the messenger job but keeps getting pulled deeper into the West Wing. And the dialogue at the end provided a wonderful example of what I call a "West Wing moment." After Charlie has figured out where the President left his glasses, and gets yelled at for his pains, he decides that he should just leave. Then President Bartlet pulls him aside...

BARTLET: Listen, Leo McGarry filled me in on the situation with your mother. I'm so very sorry. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of calling Tom Connolly, the FBI Director, and we had the computer spit out some quick information. Your mother was killed by a Westing 38 revolver firing KTWs, or what are known as "cop killer" bullets. Now, we have not had a whole lot of success yet in banning that weapon and those bullets off the streets, but we're planning on taking a big whack at it when Congress comes back from recess.
(beat)
So, What do you say, you wanna come help us out?

CHARLIE: (pause) Yes sir, I do.

After a bit more banter between other characters, Charlie whispers to Josh...

CHARLIE: I've never felt like this before.

Josh smiles...

JOSH: It doesn't go away.

2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Once More With Feeling"

So many Buffy episodes to choose from, I was tempted to follow Carly's example and list all my favourite Buffy episodes, but I didn't want to be a copycat. Given my intense love of musicals and all things Buffy, this particular episode seemed like a natural choice.

3. Battlestar Galactica, "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2"

I've made no secret of the fact that BSG is one of my favourite TV shows, so again, tough to choose. But Chief Tyrol's speech, and its echoes of Mario Savio, made me opt for this one hands down.

TYROL: There comes a time when you realize that the engine you built with your blood and your sweat and your tears is being used for something so foul, so perverted, it makes you sick in your heart. And it's then that you must throw your body on the gears, and on the levers, and on the machine itself and make it stop! And you have to show the people who run it, the people who control it, that unless we're free that machine will be prevented from working at all!

4. Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Darmok"

The first TV episode I ever purchased, back when you had to buy them on VHS one episode at a time. Such a brilliant, thought-provoking episode. I attempted to address it in a previous post (The Language of Metaphor), but was overwhelmed by how much I wanted to say about it. So maybe that's a post for the future. (In case you're wondering, the title of this post is from Darmok and means "giving; receiving.")

5. Star Trek: Voyager, "Drone"

Expanding greatly on concepts first presented in the Star Trek: TNG episode, "I, Borg" I found this episode truly moving, especially at the end when Seven says, "You're hurting me," a line that One had used previously in a literal context. Ironically, this oh-so-touching episode also contains one of my favourite bits of funny dialogue from Voyager:

ONE: I was an accident?

DOCTOR: Call it a random convergence of technologies.

ONE: Am I unwelcome here?

DOCTOR: On the contrary. Our primary mission is to explore new forms of life. You may have been unexpected but given time, I am sure you'll make a fine addition to the crew. After all, you've got my mobile emitter driving your neo-cortex so you're bound to make a dazzling impression.
(beat)
That's called a joke.

ONE: Joke. A verbal comment or gesture designed to provoke laughter.

DOCTOR: I see you've got your mother's sense of humour.

6. Rock Star: Supernova, "Week 10"

This may sound like a strange choice, but this was the week when Storm Large sang her original song, "Ladylike." Her performance still rocks my world.


Do you want Storm to come to Calgary?

7. Sex and the City, "An American Girl in Paris: Part Deux"

I wish I'd thought of this one for the Sunday Seven about our favourite series finales. Anyway, I loved how all the storylines wrapped up in such touching ways, while remaining completely true to the characters.

Best line...

CARRIE: I am someone who is looking for love. Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can't-live-without-each-other love.

Sounds good to me.

Labels: battlestar galactica, buffy, memes, pop culture, rockstar, tv

My last Rock Star: INXS post. (I may well follow up on my favourite rockers as I find out what they're up to, but that will be about their own careers, not Rock Star: INXS)

For starters, I'm surprised the finale didn't recap any of the reality episode footage of the final three rockers writing songs with Andrew Farriss (watch songwriting video). Both MiG and Marty actually prepared for this opportunity. What did J.D. do? Listen to the track once and jot down about three words. Does this remind anybody else of the recording studio episode, where everyone else actually learned the song they were supposed to sing the next day and J.D. had some beer and passed out early? And INXS actually wants to work with a guy who so obviously doesn't want to do any of the prep work?! Why?!? But I'm getting ahead of myself.

On to the performances: J.D.'s song choice was fine and his performance was fine... I'll give him that much. (And that's a lot given how much I don't like the guy.) I don't think MiG made the right choice with "Bohemian Rhapsody." I think all the reasons that he had for not picking it the first time around still stood. How does reminding INXS about his stage career help show them how he fits with them? (Plus, I think Suzie McNeil's version was much more impressive.) Now for Marty... some people criticized him for choosing "Wish You Were Here," a song that he'd already done. But it was a fabulous song the first time around and really seemed to strike a chord with the band, both in its subject matter and the tone of Marty's voice when he sang it. I think it was a good choice. (Watch the videos.)

Then MiG was cut and J.D. and Marty fronted INXS for one song each (I had a feeling it would come down to the two of them). I think Marty rocked his song and made it feel fresh and new. Once again, J.D. was fine... and very firmly inside the INXS comfort zone.

And I think that's what it all came down to. A comfort zone. Which, I would like to point out, is not the same thing as a good fit. A comfortable fit does not set the world on fire. And nor will INXS with J.D. Fortune fronting them.

Marty Casey and INXS would have been a good fit, a symbiotic relationship, each bringing out the best in the other. But I think Marty was too ambitious for INXS, had too many ideas about the future that I now see were outside their comfort zone. INXS just wants Michael Hutchence back, which they obviously can't have. So they went with the person that they considered to be the next best thing: a controversial, "sexy" bad boy with a tendency to impulsively indulge in everything in excess. (Who even looks just a bit like Hutchence, dontcha think...)



I'll wrap this up by quoting from llamabean: "The only way their decision could be rationalized would be that INXS was afraid to select Marty because he would have taken the group in new, daring and ultimately groundbreaking directions, while J.D.'s former life as a musical whore (ie. elvis impersonator) makes him a perfect pushover; willing to submit to the elderly and obviously senile INXS leftovers."

Here, here!

And finally, my previous Rock Star posts for anyone who's interested:
INXS Mis-Fortune (9.20.2005)
Sweet Suzie McNeil (9.15.2005)
Two Words (9.14.2005)
I Searched Afar The Land (9.07.2005)
Top 5 (9.06.2005)
Rock Star Ramblings (9.05.2005)
Such Sweet Sorrow (8.31.2005)
Suzie McNeil is a Goddess (8.31.2005)
Colour Me Stunned (8.25.2005)
Just a Bad Dream? (8.24.2005)
Top Three Good, Bottom Three Baaad!! (8.18.2005)
MiG Joins the Game (8.17.2005)
Rock Star Volleyball (8.10.2005)
The Man Who Sold the World (8.07.2005)
Just Jordis (8.05.2005)
Ty TV (7.26.2005)

Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv

Well, J.D. Fortune just became the new lead singer of INXS. Pretty much guaranteeing that I won't be buying any future INXS albums. I'll save my money for Marty Casey CDs instead, thank you very much.

I'll be posting my Rock Star: INXS post-show commentary later. Not much in the mood now.

Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv

I had pretty much given up my hopes that J.D. would be sent home before the Rock Star: INXS finale, but I was still upset to see Suzie go home last night. The most upset I've been so far. But she was very gracious, which was nice to see... not that I would have expected anything less from her. While I think she will have an awesome career, whatever path she chooses, I kind of hope that she fronts a band rather than goes solo. She just has such an amazing rapport with people, the way she interacts with everybody while she's performing... not that she can't do that solo but, call me crazy, I think she'd have more fun with a band.

Now for the final three... INXS may think they have a hard choice in front of them but, with Suzie gone, I think it's a no-brainer.

While MiG can certainly sing and perform and fit in with the band, I think that (a) he really is a stage performer at heart, not a rock star (having said that, I would LOVE to see him on stage) and (b) I think he's too firmly in INXS' comfort zone and wouldn't push them into the future of the music industry. People would just want to hear their back catalogue and not really care what they're doing next.

And J.D... oh J.D. *exasperated sigh*. As my erudite, laconic, guitar-playing lothario friend Brian said: "J.D. was that obnoxious, clueless loser kid in school who is 'cool' now that he's on TV, but doesn't realize that he's still an idiot." Obviously, he has a huge fan base of silly women who want to sleep with him (and pick up their penicillin on their way out the door), but if INXS wants a serious place in the future of music they won't get that with him. (Does anyone else think that when J.D. sings in his lower register, he still sounds like an Elvis impersonator?)

Marty Casey... now he's the real deal. He's passionate and intense, his voice is captivating and unique and he can bring something fresh to the INXS back catalogue as well as propel them into this new millennium. He's definitely the future of INXS. I just hope they realize it.

Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv

For once, I will be brief. I have just two words about tonight's episode of Rock Star: INXS...

Marty Casey

(Hey Brian... when you're right, you're right.)

Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv

Tonight was bittersweet on Rock Star: INXS. As soon as they announced that J.D. Fortune had the encore, I knew he wouldn't be going home. Actually, I guess I knew after his performances last night that he probably wouldn't be going home. And then, by simple elimination, I knew it would be Jordis Unga.

If you've read my previous posts, you'll know that I struggled with my shifting top three and that Jordis was no longer in it. (To be clear, I speak only of my top three to win this competition. Not my three favourite singers on the show... because Jordis is still firmly in that category.) So I had made my peace with the fact that she wouldn't stay forever. (As if I'm the one who actually needs to make peace with that.) I had kinda hoped that J.D. would go home before her, just out of sheer cussedness, I guess. But I also knew that the sooner she left, the sooner her solo career could start.

Now she can go back to being true to herself. I'm looking forward to that. And to her debut CD. (I don't suppose you can pre-order a CD that hasn't even been written yet... No? Oh well, worth a shot.) I have searched afar the land for a voice like hers and I will follow it to the ends of the earth if that's what it takes. (Though my local record store would be a little more convenient, if rather less poetic.)

P.S. If you're looking for Jordis downloads, head over to JordisUnga.org and check out the music download page.

Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv

My comments on the top 5 performance episode of Rock Star: INXS...

Original songs: Marty's was easily my favourite original. Next up would be Jordis, with Suzie following very closely behind. After that... um... er... I'm rather reluctant to admit that I liked J.D.'s song better than MiG's. (I would have liked J.D.'s song even better if someone else had sung it!) But I just felt that MiG's songwriting seemed a little simplistic.

My top three tonight (though not my top three overall):
1. Marty Casey — He made a wise choice with his arrangement of "Everlong" and his original song rocked!
2. Suzie McNeil — She showed off her beautiful vocals on the Bonnie Raitt song (with far more control than Deanna had) and I enjoyed her original song.
3. Jordis Unga — I found her version of "We Are The Champions" left quite a bit wanting. I think part of it is that while her voice is beautiful when she sings softly and she does the shouting-with-tone thing better than anyone else I can think of, she doesn't have the power to deliver a Queen song the way it needs to be delivered (and I agree with Dave that her lower register needs work). But I really enjoyed her original song. (And I found it interesting how much the lyrics reminded me of what I wrote about Jordis just yesterday.)

Encore prediction: Marty's original song "Trees" (watch video)

Random thoughts:
~ Why was Brooke Burke wearing a nightie? (granted, there may be a little "meow" in that comment, but really... her dress — and I use that term loosely — was pretty awful)
~ How short is MiG Ayesa anyway? (okay, I looked that one up: he's actually 5'10"... I guess Marty and J.D. are both taller than I thought, because MiG looks so short next to them)
~ I realize that many women think J.D. is the sexiest man on the show **shudder** but I hope that INXS can see that he's simply the flavour of the week. And once that wears off, they would just be left with a guy who arranges other people's songs well. (P.S. I hope those women just think he's the sexiest performer on the show, because Dave Navarro is by far the sexiest man on the show overall!)(P.P.S. I dropped in on a Rock Star thread over at Television Without Pity and found that somebody had said: "JD is the only rocker who can bring the sex," to which someone else replied: "But you end up hoping he brought the penicillin, too." Hehehe.)

Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv

I was trying to limit my Rock Star: INXS posts to the two per week that I've been doing but, after watching tonight's reality episode, I found I had a few things to say.

First off, the recap of last week reminded me of J.D. crashing and burning in the recording studio. Did INXS even take that into account when they chose to send home Ty Taylor instead? Or were they only thinking about the ratings when they chose to keep the less talented but more controversial J.D. Fortune?

Secondly, I have decided who Suzie is replacing in my top three (with the disclaimer that it could well change again tomorrow night). My new top three is Suzie McNeil, Marty Casey and MiG Ayesa. I still LOVE Jordis Unga but her lack of experience is becoming evident in all of the stuff that goes along with being a rock star. Like choosing to go for that nearly impossible note in "Dream On" but then going ahead and changing the melody of the new INXS song. Or her inability to bounce back after disappointment (which is why I think her performance in the bottom three was so underwhelming). Or her lack of communication skills and confidence when trying to arrange her original song with the house band. (I want to hear what the real Jordis sounds like, not what somebody thinks she should sound like. As talented as the house band is, they can't get inside her head and translate her thoughts into sound.) So I'm thinking that maybe she needs to grow some more on her own before being thrust into the international spotlight as lead singer for such an established band. I'm afraid that she might lose some of herself in the process.

By contrast, I think that INXS pushes Marty to be more than just a metal guy, which I fear he might lapse into if he doesn't make it here. Not that I don't like Angry Marty, but he has so much more to offer than that. So for him, I think that INXS would help him be the best Marty that he can be (ick, that sentence sounded really touchy-feely, self-help-book-ish to me... do me a favour and strip away that sickly sentiment when you read it).

Finally, I've had a few people looking for information on the house band. And given how much I've been raving about them, I was a little curious myself. So here's the link to the information posted on the Rock Star website: The House Band. And here are a few more links that I found:

Paul Mirkovich, House Band Musical Director/Keyboardist/Background Vocalist — no website, but you can read his interviews on Native Instruments & TASCAM
Jim McGorman, Guitarist/Keyboardist/Background Vocalist — also no website, but you can read his interview on Rock Star Go Home
Rafael Moreira, Lead Guitarist/Background Vocalist — visit Rafael's website
Nate Morton, Drummer — you gotta love a guy who cites Animal from The Muppets as his primary influence... visit Nate's website (P.S. If you go to "central casting" on the Muppets website, Animal's bio includes his "must" list: "Food, Women, Drums, rinse and repeat," which I thought it was chuckle worthy.)
Sasha Krivtsov, Bassist — visit Sasha's website

Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv

I was so sure, after J.D. sang his INXS song tonight, that he would be the one to go home. But then both Jordis and Ty messed up and nothing was certain anymore.

I knew that Ty Taylor would be going home soon, I just didn't want him to be next. I hope some smart record producer was standing in the wings to offer him a sweet deal. And I know that we'll all be hearing from him again soon. In the meantime, I'm listening to "Everybody Hurts" and letting myself get a little sentimental.

Peace Please

Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv

So much to say about tonight's episode of Rock Star: INXS...

1. Holy amazing song list, Batman! Not only was it a line-up of iconic rock songs, but it included "Imagine" — one of my all time favourite songs — along with "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Wish You Were Here" — two other sensational classics that I count among my faves.

2. The house band ROCKS!!!

3. After MiG performed "We Will Rock You" a few weeks back, I fleetingly wondered if they would do "Bohemian Rhapsody" at some point, but promptly dismissed that possibility because the song is so damn hard. Well, it IS bloody hard but that rockin' house band and the exceptionally talented Suzie McNeil (the aforementioned goddess) pulled it off beautifully (watch video).

4. Once again, my top three is in flux. It's not that I ever disliked Suzie, and I thought that her version of "Losing My Religion" was kick ass, but she was never in my top three before. Until tonight. But who am I displacing? Jordis Unga, MiG Ayesa or Marty Casey? That's a tough call. Do I count the fact that I will absolutely follow the individual careers of Jordis and/or Marty if they don't win? Or do I consider the fact that MiG is probably better suited to INXS than either of them? I haven't quite decided yet, but Suzie is displacing somebody.

5. I got misty during Marty's performance of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" (watch video); there were actual tears during Jordis' version of John Lennon's "Imagine" (watch video); I was dancing around my living room while MiG sang Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die" (watch video); and I was bursting with pride or joy or something during Suzie's rendition of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" (watch video). Amazing night. (For the record, Ty's performance of the Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" was flawless and immensely enjoyable, but it just failed to move me the way the others did. Sorry, Ty.)

6. Will Suzie get the encore two weeks in a row?

P.S. I almost entitled this post "Zack Werner has Rock Star Envy" but decided it wasn't sufficiently relevant. It was, however, a thought that I had when I watched Canadian Idol earlier in the evening and witnessed Zack's surly mood towards all of the young amateurs on that show. I think he wishes he was judging the Rock Stars instead.

Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv

Surprising results on the elimination show of Rock Star: INXS tonight. Jordis did NOT end up in the bottom three. Don't get me wrong, I think the chick is absolutely awesome but hers was easily the worst performance last night. (To her credit, she fully expected to be singing for survival tonight.) And Marty?!? What was he doing in the bottom three?! That's just wrong in so many ways. But I am glad for Suzie that she never hit the bottom three at all during the voting AND she got the encore. After ending up in the bottom three after her last two rockin' performances, she deserves a break.

As for Deanna, I had been expecting that she would be the next to go home. But I actually liked her original song last night and thought she performed it well. And, much as it pains me to say it, I thought she sang her INXS song better than Ty, so I kinda thought that Ty would be going home instead. Ultimately, I don't think Ty is going to end up as the lead singer, but I'm not quite ready for him to go home yet (he's just so damn pretty). But I confess to some dampness around the eyes when Deanna was told that she "just wasn't right for the band."

I have a feeling these upcoming weeks are just gonna get harder and harder, watching them leave one by one. I've grown attached to all of them at this point. (Well, all but one of them... but who knows, I might even get sentimental when it's J.D.'s turn to leave.)

Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv

What to say about tonight's episode of Rock Star: INXS? A lot of great performances, except for the one I was most looking forward to... Jordis Unga singing Aerosmith's "Dream On" (watch video). I was fully prepared for her to rock that song even better than Fisher (if you haven't heard Fisher's version, listen now... it's amazing). Unfortunately, Jordis was so focused on that one note she couldn't hit, her performance was kind of a mess. I still love her to death, and she's still one of my top three, but I confess I was disappointed.

On the up side, I thought MiG and Deanna did well with their original songs. I realized I was actually kinda nervous for them. I found myself thinking about the first time I went to hear my friend Brian's band (that would be my erudite, laconic, guitar-playing lothario friend Brian). I was so nervous that his band, Burning the Ground, would suck and that I would have to spout meaningless platitudes afterwards to cover up the fact that I thought they sucked. Fortunately, they turned out to be really good and I was so relieved that I think I gushed a little too much, probably making it completely transparent that I had previously expected them to be awful. But I digress...

I think all of the competitors remaining on Rock Star: INXS are pretty damn good. So now it's not so much about sending home the weakest link (though I could do without J.D.'s attitude) as deciding who is best for the band. Any chance of having a show of all INXS songs? That might be helpful right about now.

P.S. My psychic ability seems to have deserted me... I have no idea who will get the encore.

P.P.S. I love RDTV! This little local television station for Red Deer, Alberta is carrying the reality episode of the show on Monday nights. RDTV rocks!

Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv

(Forgive the Orwellian reference in the title. It was an urge I could not resist.)

I was glad to see that the three singers I singled out in my last post comprised the top three on tonight's elimination episode of Rock Star: INXS. And MiG got the encore! (Am I good or what? Maybe I should become a psychic...)

I was not at all surprised to see Jessica in the bottom three (yet again) and Deanna's presence there also made sense. But, once again, why the hell was Suzie there? And, more to the point, why the hell wasn't J.D. there? He had the worst performance last night, did he not? Has his fan base gone deaf? Call me naive, but I just don't get it.

Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv

After last week's Rock Star: INXS, I predicted that Jordis Unga would be the one to volley the top performance back into play (see my Rock Star Volleyball post). And she came soooo close with her stellar performance of Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (watch video) but at the last second MiG Ayesa beat her to the ball by singing Peter Frampton's "Baby, I Love Your Way" (watch video). (Okay, volleyball analogy ends here, 'cause I really don't know enough about that game, for one thing, and analogies that go on for too long become pretty tedious in any case.)

The fact that MiG accompanied himself on the piano was definitely impressive, but I think the clincher for me was when MiG's song ended and I found myself thinking: "that poor man must love his wife so deeply and miss her so terribly much," because that's what he clearly transmitted through the song. In the same way that Jordis communicated so eloquently about her friend who died through "The Man Who Sold the World" (right click on song title to download), which is still the standout performance of the whole series for me. It's all about communication, baby.

And I have to give major kudos to Marty Casey for his version of Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time" (watch video). Yep, you read that right: INXS gave Marty a Britney song... how's that for a challenge? But Marty came through with a darker, edgier version of the song that I honestly enjoyed. I gotta admit, that guy and his intense voice is really growing on me. If he doesn't make it as lead singer of INXS, I fully intend to follow whatever career path he ends up on. (I already KNOW that I'll follow Jordis' music to the ends of the earth, no questions asked.)

Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv

I realize that I've been devoting a lot of blog space to Rock Star: INXS, but it's been so great these past few weeks that I can't help myself.

This week it was Ty Taylor who, once again, stole the show — and my heart — with his soulful and passionate rendition of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" (watch it here). But I have every confidence that it will be Jordis' turn to wow me again next week (I'm still reeling from her version of "The Man Who Sold the World"... see my previous post). Ty and Jordis seem to be volleying the phenomenal performances back and forth.

Also deserving of kudos this week: Marty Casey singing an intense, unplugged rendition of The Killers' song "Mr. Brightside" (watch video) and Suzie McNeil (from my hometown of Toronto!), who sang a kick ass arrangement of R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion" (watch video). Suzie had a little arranging help from J.D. — I gotta say, that guy may rub me the wrong way and I'm not so keen on his vocals sometimes, but that boy sure knows how to come up with some cool arrangements.

Elimination Night Update: I CANNOT believe that Suzie was in the bottom three!!! Fortunately, the band seemed as stunned as I was and Suzie rocked out with the INXS song "Bitter Tears" and was sent straight back to rejoin the others. Phew.

Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv

I've been listening to Jordis Unga's version of "The Man Who Sold the World" almost constantly since last Wednesday. [I was actually prepared to pay to download it from MSN Music, but if you don't have a credit card with a U.S. billing address (which, as a Canadian, I definitely don't) then you're screwed. So I resorted to downloading it through LimeWire. I don't imagine that Jordis is actually getting royalties from the version on MSN, though, so I don't feel too bad about that. Now for the actual point of this post...]

I've been listening to the very interesting lyrics of the song and trying to make sense of them:

We passed upon the stairs,
We spoke of was and when
Although I wasn't there
He said I was his friend
Which came as a surprise
I spoke into his eyes — I thought you died alone
A long long time ago

Oh no, not me,
We never lost control,
To face the face
Of the man who sold the world

I laughed and shook his hand,
I made my way back home,
I searched afar the land,
Years and years I roamed,
I gazed a gazely stare,
We walked a million hills — I must have died alone,
A long long time ago.

Who knows, not me,
I never lost control,
You're face, to face,
With the man who sold the world.

As with a lot of Bowie songs, it defies literal interpretation. I like to think of his lyrics as abstract paintings: what's important is the impression they create. So my impression of this song was all about spirituality, reincarnation and renouncing the material world. But I wanted to know if there was more to it, so Google to the rescue with Teenage Wildlife:

The Man Who Sold the World — Lyrical Interpretation

It's a very interesting interpretation, taking the reader from those general impressions to the stories of H.P. Lovecraft and beyond. Worth reading.

Also in my research, I read about Bowie's "cut up" songs and I wondered if this song was one of them. "The cut-up technique was originally devised by the Surrealists, and most famously used in literature by William Burroughs: you take a text, cut it into pieces, reassemble these pieces haphazardly, and thus create something new" (from David Bowie and the Occult). This technique kinda appeals to me; I might have to try that with my poetry some time. (If you want to try out an online cut up machine, head over to Language Is A Virus... very cool.)

Labels: language, music, pop culture, rockstar

It was Jordis Unga who offered up the goosebump-inducing, tear-welling performance this week on Rock Star: INXS with Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World." Watch it here.

I missed the elimination episode but I hear she was called back for an encore... I should bloody well think so. I also heard that Ty was in the bottom three?! He's one of my front runners (I'm thinking... hoping... that it'll end up being between Ty, Jordis and MiG). But I suppose since everybody performed so well on Tuesday night, Ty's performance needed to be his usual kick ass kind... which he couldn't really do with a song he'd never heard before.

I also heard that CBS has dropped the Monday night, "behind the scenes" episode. Ack Thpppbt! I was quite enjoying getting to know the rockers that way, watching their clinics, seeing them struggle with song selection and all that jazz. Unfortunately, I do not have VH1 (the only channel that seems to be airing the Monday night episode), so unless I can find a local channel that's decided to pick it up, I guess I'm S.O.L... *sigh*.

Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv

I don't tend to watch a lot of reality television and I'm rarely moved to comment on any of it, but...

I've been watching Rock Star: INXS and tonight's performance of R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" by Ty Taylor was incredible. And I'm not just saying that because he's such phenomenal eye candy — which he is — but the man can really sing. You can watch the video of his performance here. And if you're heading over there anyway, check out Jordis singing "Gimme Some Lovin'"... that chick is so cool that I happily forgive her the one lyric slip.

Labels: music, pop culture, rockstar, tv