Alright, he passed yesterday at the age of 50 and everyone goes nuts, "Here's to MJ" or "At least the kids can sleep better!"
No matter what your opinion of the man was, there are some truths out there. Michael Jackson wrote his own music, he wrote his own lyrics, he was the king of pop. Although people who know me, know that I care not about the pop genre, his influences are felt all over the musical community.
Yes he had a messed up life, I'm not going to get into that here, I simply want people to remember that he did contribute to what we know as modern music more than most know and that it is an end of an era. Remember where he came from, and let his judgement come from who/or whatever being is above us.
Peace!
6.26.2009
6.20.2009
The Tragically Hip
Last night was my fourth chance to see The Tragically Hip live. This time it was Victoria, BC at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena.
Being a musician and an avid critic of music, I am often exposed to many conversations that start or involve "Whats your favourite band?" or "What do you think of [Band Name]?" When I answer the first with The Tragically Hip, I am frequently combated with a surprised face and an "Oh"
So to put this to bed here (and so I can simply reference this in future conversations, thereby saving several minutes of my already shortened lifespan) here are my arguments for why The Tragically Hip are MY favourite (at least one of) band:
1) Everyone likes them...before you scroll down and hit comment to say "Not me" just read on. Their catalog is large, that is 14 albums spanning over twenty years. And I have yet to find anyone who doesn't like at least one Hip song, Hundredth Meridian, Courage, Poets, No Threat, Music@Work, Gift Shop, Little Bones, Ahead by a Century; the list goes on and if you search their catalog, you like at least one song, and will probably be caught singing it in the shower at some point over your lifespan. There are very few bands that can claim such a trait, most are loved or hated...
2) Lyrically sound...listen and hear stories about Canada. I love to hear about all these familiar places coast to coast. Songs that just work, not random words that rhyme, but stories put to music.
3) Proudly Canadian...they have not sold out, period. Bryan Adams, Celine Dion, Great Big Sea, Barenaked Ladies, Nickelback; once they got a taste of the industry south of the border, Canada became that elderly Aunt who pinched their cheeks one two many times...Ask Bryan to sing the national anthem, or Celine who her one true homeland is, even Chad Kroeger had to put his area code into his studios name to remember it was in Canada...they say Canada, but they sing to America.
4) Stage Presence...Gord Downie, lead singer, keeps the audience in his had the entire show. From tap dancing, to shadow puppets, to lectures on syntax he does it all. When you go to a hip show it isn't just four or five guys with cool hair on stage waving back and fourth while trying to prevent thier guitar with the over extended strap from hitting the ground, you get a show, a stage performance that makes the time fly and your face hurt from the smile.
Four reasons, and there are more but I am tired and ready for bed. I love the Hip, they have influenced my music and my stage persona quite a bit. I challenge you nay sayers to revisit your mp3's, cd's or tape collections for those albums and give them another try, if you are one of the sad few who don't own any, go buy or download the best of album and givr a go, there is bound to be a favourite in there.
Being a musician and an avid critic of music, I am often exposed to many conversations that start or involve "Whats your favourite band?" or "What do you think of [Band Name]?" When I answer the first with The Tragically Hip, I am frequently combated with a surprised face and an "Oh"
So to put this to bed here (and so I can simply reference this in future conversations, thereby saving several minutes of my already shortened lifespan) here are my arguments for why The Tragically Hip are MY favourite (at least one of) band:
1) Everyone likes them...before you scroll down and hit comment to say "Not me" just read on. Their catalog is large, that is 14 albums spanning over twenty years. And I have yet to find anyone who doesn't like at least one Hip song, Hundredth Meridian, Courage, Poets, No Threat, Music@Work, Gift Shop, Little Bones, Ahead by a Century; the list goes on and if you search their catalog, you like at least one song, and will probably be caught singing it in the shower at some point over your lifespan. There are very few bands that can claim such a trait, most are loved or hated...
2) Lyrically sound...listen and hear stories about Canada. I love to hear about all these familiar places coast to coast. Songs that just work, not random words that rhyme, but stories put to music.
3) Proudly Canadian...they have not sold out, period. Bryan Adams, Celine Dion, Great Big Sea, Barenaked Ladies, Nickelback; once they got a taste of the industry south of the border, Canada became that elderly Aunt who pinched their cheeks one two many times...Ask Bryan to sing the national anthem, or Celine who her one true homeland is, even Chad Kroeger had to put his area code into his studios name to remember it was in Canada...they say Canada, but they sing to America.
4) Stage Presence...Gord Downie, lead singer, keeps the audience in his had the entire show. From tap dancing, to shadow puppets, to lectures on syntax he does it all. When you go to a hip show it isn't just four or five guys with cool hair on stage waving back and fourth while trying to prevent thier guitar with the over extended strap from hitting the ground, you get a show, a stage performance that makes the time fly and your face hurt from the smile.
Four reasons, and there are more but I am tired and ready for bed. I love the Hip, they have influenced my music and my stage persona quite a bit. I challenge you nay sayers to revisit your mp3's, cd's or tape collections for those albums and give them another try, if you are one of the sad few who don't own any, go buy or download the best of album and givr a go, there is bound to be a favourite in there.
Zen and the art of...oh you get it...
Alright, so I acquired a '79 Honda CX500C from a friend, he was and is very accommodating (I haven't had to pay a dime yet though someday I will re-wire his basement - I'm an electrical apprentice right now). I decided that I was going to use this motorcycle to learn to ride, and learn to maintain a bike.
I haven't to this point in my life ever performed maintenance on such a thing. Oh I have overhauled electrical motors and such, but for some reason the internal combustion engine just freaks me out and I have never worked on it as a result of that freakishness.
Since I got the bike just after the new year, I have taken apart several components for basic maintenance to the fuel system, broken and repaired the transmission cover, rode enough to feel confident on the road and perhaps soon pass the ICBC skills test. I have learned a lot about how a motorcycle works and absolutely love the freedom such a machine provides, if you have the means, I suggest you try it!
Enter note again, I am in my third of four year electrical apprenticeship training.
Last Thursday I decided I was going to go for a ride, got ready and tried to start the bike, no start...I was not happy, all this effort, so close and now it doesn't start. I spent many weekends and evenings working on this bike, got it running and tuned, learned to ride on it, so proud I was, and here it is...not working, wtf...
"Is it out of gas?" asks my wife..."Of course not!" I snap...realizing shortly after that the tank was near empty..."It must be something simple" she says calmly despite my attitude that so poorly displayed all the anger management training I have mastered so well...that is another blog...needless to say I was angry...not ready to destroy but dying to ride my toy and pissed that I couldn't so suddenly.
I begin to research new bikes, I try many options with no resolve, this hugely complex machine is just so far beyond me, I can't comprehend it...I call in my friend "I just can't figure this one out, it isn't as simple as a carburetor or transmission" I say, only fully understanding what those two things are for about two months now.
Saturday morning, tired after a great Hip concert (yet another blog) and pre-pissed as I have to spend my day trying to troubleshoot this highly evolved piece of Asian engineering I gather the tools for the great dismantling of my baby bike. Back and forth to get tools I go, and then he arrives ready to get this thing working "Whats wrong girl?" asks my friend, patting it on the gas tank rather suggestively...
Okay, time to show what it sounds like when I try to start it, pull up the choke knob...check, check fuel shutoff...check, and push the start butto................
"You'll want to switch the kill switch from 'off' to 'on' eh?" says my buddy (Kill switch is motorcycle terms for an electrical on/off switch you would find in every room of your house where a light is located...something every electrician should be intimately familiar with...)
I flip the switch to on, push the button and the CX500C starts with the familiar purr I have come to love...
After much embarrassment, I look forward to a ride in the next day or so...thank you Glen for flipping my switch today.
I haven't to this point in my life ever performed maintenance on such a thing. Oh I have overhauled electrical motors and such, but for some reason the internal combustion engine just freaks me out and I have never worked on it as a result of that freakishness.
Since I got the bike just after the new year, I have taken apart several components for basic maintenance to the fuel system, broken and repaired the transmission cover, rode enough to feel confident on the road and perhaps soon pass the ICBC skills test. I have learned a lot about how a motorcycle works and absolutely love the freedom such a machine provides, if you have the means, I suggest you try it!
Enter note again, I am in my third of four year electrical apprenticeship training.
Last Thursday I decided I was going to go for a ride, got ready and tried to start the bike, no start...I was not happy, all this effort, so close and now it doesn't start. I spent many weekends and evenings working on this bike, got it running and tuned, learned to ride on it, so proud I was, and here it is...not working, wtf...
"Is it out of gas?" asks my wife..."Of course not!" I snap...realizing shortly after that the tank was near empty..."It must be something simple" she says calmly despite my attitude that so poorly displayed all the anger management training I have mastered so well...that is another blog...needless to say I was angry...not ready to destroy but dying to ride my toy and pissed that I couldn't so suddenly.
I begin to research new bikes, I try many options with no resolve, this hugely complex machine is just so far beyond me, I can't comprehend it...I call in my friend "I just can't figure this one out, it isn't as simple as a carburetor or transmission" I say, only fully understanding what those two things are for about two months now.
Saturday morning, tired after a great Hip concert (yet another blog) and pre-pissed as I have to spend my day trying to troubleshoot this highly evolved piece of Asian engineering I gather the tools for the great dismantling of my baby bike. Back and forth to get tools I go, and then he arrives ready to get this thing working "Whats wrong girl?" asks my friend, patting it on the gas tank rather suggestively...
Okay, time to show what it sounds like when I try to start it, pull up the choke knob...check, check fuel shutoff...check, and push the start butto................
"You'll want to switch the kill switch from 'off' to 'on' eh?" says my buddy (Kill switch is motorcycle terms for an electrical on/off switch you would find in every room of your house where a light is located...something every electrician should be intimately familiar with...)
I flip the switch to on, push the button and the CX500C starts with the familiar purr I have come to love...
After much embarrassment, I look forward to a ride in the next day or so...thank you Glen for flipping my switch today.
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