One More Colour

Jane Siberry. Anyone remember this chick? I know I have this single...somewhere.

One of those random "remember this song?" moments. YouTube is good for that.

Knittin' Mittens

It was supposed to be a little smaller for a woman, but it's large enough to fit my hand. Wonder if my brother will wear such bald mittens. Very warm though. Perfect for snowball fights.

So hold me mom... In your long arms.

"A certain American religious sect has been looking at conditions of the world during the Flood.

According to their calculations, during the Flood the winds, tides and currents were in an overall southeasterly direction.

This would mean that in order for Noah’s Ark to have ended up on Mount Ararat, it would have to have started out several thousand miles to the west.

This would then locate pre-Flood civilization in the area of Upstate New York, and the Garden of Eden roughly in New York City.

Now, in order to get from one place to another, something must move.

No one in New York remembers moving, and there are no traces of Biblical history in the Upstate New York area.

So we are led to the only available conclusion in this time warp, and that is that the Ark has simply not left yet."

Beginning of "Say Hello" by Laurie Anderson. As heard on the "United States Live" album.

In the beginning of "Home Of The Brave" (1984) where Laurie explains the meaning of the numbers "0" and "1" the language of machines. You will have wait about 4 minutes of performance before getting there but in my opinion well worth it. I loved "Home Of The Brave."  Must find out if this is available on DVD.



From the "Homeland" tour (2007. Here Laurie performs "Only an Expert"
There's a little glitch at about 3:30 and a couple of more places.



(selected lyrics)
Now let’s say you’re invited to be on Oprah
And you don’t have a problem
But you want to go on the show, so you need a problem
So you invent a problem
But if you’re not an expert in problems
You’re probably not going to invent a very plausible problem
And so you’re probably going to get nailed
You’re going to get exposed
You’re going to have to bow down and apologize
And beg for the public’s forgiveness.
Cause only an expert can see there’s a problem
And only an expert can deal with the problem
Only an expert can deal with the problem

And even though a county can invade another country.
And flatten it. And ruin it. And create havoc and civil war in that other country
If the experts say that it’s not a problem
And everyone agrees that they’re experts good at seeing problems
Then invading that country is simply not a problem.
And if a country tortures people
And holds citizens without cause or trial and sets up military tribunals
This is also not a problem.
Unless there’s an expert who says it’s the beginning of a problem.
Cause only an expert can deal with the problem
Only an expert can deal with the problem
Only an expert can deal with the problem

The last part of "O Superman" with an insert not on the original.



'Cause when love is gone, there's always justice.
And when justive is gone, there's always force.
And when force is gone, there's always Mom. Hi Mom!

So hold me, Mom, in your long arms.
So hold me, Mom, in your long arms.
In your automatic arms. Your electronic arms.
In your arms.
So hold me, Mom, in your long arms.
Your petrochemical arms. Your military arms.
In your electronic arms.

All Cried Out

Here’s a transformed Alison Moyet singing “All Cried Out” on the Graham Norton Show. This song was from her debut album “Alf.” Such a long time ago. What a great song! We love her for this, “Invisible” and “Love Resurrection” which are also from “Alf.”


Some of us were lucky to see Alison and Vince perform on their Yazoo reunion tour which probably is not likely to happen again. It was a memorable evening.

Well, it's only bricks and mortar!

So said Moz in one of his most amazing solo efforts ever, that being "Last Night, Maudlin Street."

I was recently visiting a friend where we began discussing books. We remenisced about the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop where I discovered some notable gay authors such as Gore Vidal and  John Rechy. I mentioned that there was a possiblity of its doors closing once but that it had been saved. Then my friend said to me that earlier this year it had in fact shut down its doors for good. It made me very unhappy to hear this.

I suppose things like this are going to happen. And everytime it does, I feel a piece my youth and defining moments being taken away from me. The small record shops, and even the big ones such as Tower Records and Virgin Megastore don't seem to have a fighting chance now with the rotten economy together with on-line shops like Amazon and others. It's rather depressing now that the alternative is that you go out your door to go and buy the books or music you want. It's more common to shop by computer these days. We're all doing it so we have all contributed to this change.

But the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop was very important to me.

I must have been around 17 or 18. Walking around Greenwich Village on my own  on a fine weekend where I saw the shop and decided to walk in. I'd never been in a bookstore where its entire contents were for and about gays and lesbians. I picked up several books and I remember what they were: Gore Vidal's "The City and The Pillar," John Rechy's "City of Night," and Laura Z. Hobson's "Consenting Adult."

I returned to the shop many times sometimes to just browse and sometimes to buy. Once on a sunny Sunday afternoon, I bought Phranc's "Folksinger" album. She's your average Jewish Lesbian Folk Singer who opened for The Smiths once and even for Morrissey. I remember playing this record when I got home and smiled about it and was very satisfied with how my day had gone. This is a personal statement, but I'm not having those days anymore. And thinking back at these memories are sometimes what I have left. When these places dissappear, I'm scared that the memory won't be enough. I'd like to keep pointing to these places when passing by with friends, and declare a moment of discovery, peace and self-realizations in a certain point in my life.

There's a point and time in your life that becoming old is furthest from your mind. You think at that point that you're never going to get older, lose hiar, go grey and fa....

Ok I'll stop now.

Visit the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop's website. There are many pictures.

HULMERIST - Re-Visited

So last night I was feeling extremely Morrissey. Meaning I was sad, lost, alone and could not "find my place in this world." I could feel pretty high about life one day, such as being at a great concert and the next day I could be reminded how I still have far to go to be considered a "person."

And I said "V...Lots of things make you want to pop open a vein... But let's see if we can find something to replace that. Who knows what tomorrow brings.." You know the bullshit.

I was thinking about the early days of Morrissey solo bits and so I took a look into my box-o-video tapes and wondered "hmm.. which will it be? Live in Dallas? The Malady Lingers On? Introducing Morrissey? Ah, Hulmerist, that's the first one, let's re-live that moment."

I remember watching this a lot during its release in 1990. Moz was still so young, MTV was still showing music videos and 120 Minutes was airing. So music wise, it was still an exciting time.

In between the videos to the singles, you can a glimpse of adoring Moz fans going to the show. It's like Moz saying "I want the world to see how much I am adored and loved." From what I remember, when Moz first went solo and was to perform his first show, you got to go in for free and only if you were wearing a Smiths T-shirt. You see this in the video when people are lining up to go through security. There is one live performance in Hulmerist, that of "Sister I'm a Poet." Fans are constantly swimming through the audience to get to the stage and give their hero a hug, all the while Moz is showered in flowers from the audience. It was like The Smiths without Marr as Andy and Mike were also present in the videos.

I can't say whether watching this again since I don't know when the last time I watched it - made me feel any better. I know I smiled a few times and at times I felt like letting the flood gates open.

I've read lately that Marr is not opposed to a Smiths reunion. But much of that reunion rests on Morrissey which I feel will probably not want to do it. But think of the excitement this will cause among Moz fans if this were ever to happen. I think it would be big news in the music industry that The Smiths would reform if only for some live shows. Moz already performs the Smiths stuff during his live shows, but that's just a few select songs sandwiched between his solo stuff. Imagine a two hour Smiths concert! If it was one show one night in England, I might go out there just to be a part of it.

Pet Shop Boys @ Hammerstein Ballroom 9/2/09

I'm actually down there somewhere near the front. Off to the right of the stage.

Well, this will go down in history as one of the most fun shows I've been to. I saw PSB once before on their last tour. It was nice, but I don't remember having as much fun as this one. Probably because the last time, they were in a bigger place with seating. This was general admission (if you had a floor ticket.)

At first glance their stage set didn't seem too impressive. It wasn't anything like the picture above. See what happened was that wall was a lot smaller at the beginning of the show. It collapsed to reveal behind it an even bigger wall, which later it also collapsed. It was just wild, I thought. What do I know? I needed some cheering up and this was the ticket.

The boys really had a lot of fun up there and they had these 4 dancers who ran around the stage. At one point throwing those boxes at each other. Assembling boxes, tearing them down, building them up. I don't know. It was a love affair with all things square. They even covered their heads in boxes. Something maybe Leigh Bowery might have cooked up.

The songs? There's music too!! The opening number was "Heart" and Neil sounded great. Though his voice seemed heavily processed, at times sounding as though he was lip-syncing. But I'm sure he wasn't. A lot of the set contained medley types such as "Pandemonium" going into "Can You Forgive Her." At one point I heard the beginning to "Paninaro" and I thought wow, this is a personal favorite! - but ended up with "Go West" which I think was the best part of the show!!

A great moment for me was when they performed "2 / 0" which was the first song from their first album "Please." I always loved that song. It really took me back.

"Why Can't We Live Together" was pretty good too and I think this is the song where the dancers came out wearing New York City building costumes (Empire State, Chrysler, Citigroup).

I thought it was a well rounded selection of songs. I loved hearing them perform "Being Boring" and last but not least a cover version of that Coldplay song. You know the one. Neil just HAD to do it in a crown and purple cape. But it was cool. The backdrop video looked pretty cool too in all black and white, Neil walking the streets wearing the king costume holding an umbrella. The song did also incorporate "Domino Dancing" so it wasn't a complete cover from beginning to end. I think as long as they were doing that, the Village People Cover "Go West," the Willie Nelson Cover "Always On My Mind," (and it was great!) - They should have also done "Where The Streets Had No Name."

"It's a Sin" was performed and right at the end we were showered with tinsel. Nice touch.

Their new material blended pretty well with the older ones. I have no complaints with this show. I had a lot of fun. The visuals were great. The performance was excellent. Total win.

"West End Girls" Ended the show.

Picture above was stolen from Brooklyn Vegan. Please click on the link more excellent pictures of the show.

Wonderland!

Yes, it's another Burton film with Johnny Depp. Looks good!

Trailer here.

Marc

I'm reading the latest blog post from Marc Almond's MySpace page. Aside from him having OCD and doing the same things over and over again in the same places, and aside from his and my dismay at fabulous cities being destroyed by tearing down old buildings, he adds that he has almost finished with his new album. It's a "band" album with real instruments much like "Stars We Are." He is revisiting his teenage years and will have 70s references all around.

"Orpheus in Exile" is out next month.

Marc also ends with:

SOMEONE TELLS ME ANDROGYNY IS IN NEXT YEAR. WHAT AGAIN? I CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN IT WASN'T. I LIVED THROUGH AT LEAST HALF A DOZEN ANDROGYNY REVIVALS SINCE THE ONE THAT I WAS ORIGINALLY A PART OF. AT LEAST IT MEANS THE ERA OF ENDLESS GIRL ACTS THAT STARTED WITH AMY WINEHOUSE AND MUTATED INTO LITTLE BOOTS LA ROUX ETC WILL COME TO AN END AS RECORD COMPANIES HAVE SIGNED EVERY SINGLE DAMN ONE OF THEM IN EXISTANCE AD NAUSEUM. BRING ON THE PRETTY BOYS AGAIN.

Up From The Debths (Godzilla)

You'll enjoy this if you, like me, grew up watching Japanese monster movies.

O Superman

Ok, I'm on a Laurie Anderson kick right now. I LOVE this mix!!

Depeche Mode's Tour of the Universe- August 4, 2009

Last night I went to the Garden to attend yet another Depeche Mode concert.

I went by myself and I think at this point, any other way would probably make me feel out of sorts. Unless I'm with you off course! With you, I think the experience would be 100 times better! Thank you.

So I really wasn't expecting much and I was pretty proud of myself to stay away from any reviews or pictures of the show. I wanted the element of surprise to be there for me. I may be the only who gives a crap about that so I don't feel too bad about posting on the show for others to read if they haven't seen it yet.

I was proved wrong for not expecting much - for this concert just blew me away. I tell you the set list was just excellent! And the visuals they used blew me away too. By now, we have been treated to these kinds of stage visuals at just about every concert we go to and really there's nothing more you can do. But for the songs they chose and the visuals used to put it together really made it very unique.

Dave was in excellent form. He did his usual stage-running all over the place. The dancing and twirling was all there and done in the same place where you'd expect him to. The one thing I have to say is that Dave does not like to sing the choruses to all the previous hits. I wish he'd stop that. He's been doing this for the past few tours and it's getting on my nerves. He should sing the chorus at least twice and let the crowd do it at the end like when they used to do with "Everything Counts" in the old days. Dave, please sing the choruses. It makes the song incomplete when you don't do it.

Martin looked great and wants to let you know that he owns a lot of guitars. With each song, Martin switched guitars. He's like Cher.

Andy still has no rhythm and I still don't think he does anything at the boards. But I love him all the same.

There was a big love affair with the drummer. He was the loudest and both Dave & Martin worshipped him from time to time. He was pretty good though.

Another keyboard player was present but I don't know much about him. There's really not much to tell about this guy.

OK, so I had scored a really good ticket. My seat was not too far off from the stage on the floor. I was in the middle of section 6. The stage extended out into the audience and for one song "Waiting for the Night" Both martin and Dave sang together at the front of the stage where it extended and I had a really good view of the boys from where I was at. It was very sweet and moving.

So here's the set list in no particular order. I'm going to list the albums in order of release and the songs performed.

Speak & Spell

none

A Broken Frame

none

Construction Time Again

none

Some Great Reward

Master & Servant - I would have never expected this but was totally surprised and was a great treat to hear it live again!

Black Celebration

A Question of Time
A Question of Lust
Fly on the Windscreen - Again I was pretty shocked when this came up.
Stripped

Music for the Masses

Strange Love - who knew this song was about foot fetish?? (visuals)
Never Let me Down Again - Ah, you can bet this will always be played, because, you know - you gotta do the wave!

Violator

Enjoy the Silence - Big crowd pleaser.
Personal Jesus
Policy of Truth
Waiting for the Night - A touching moment.

Songs of Faith & Devotion

Walking in My Shoes - Very emotional moment for me.
In Your Room
I Feel You

Ultra

It's No Good

Exciter

none - OK with me!

Playing the Angel

Precious

Sounds of the Universe

In Chains
Hole to Feed
Wrong
Miles Away
Jezebel

There were two encores - I have a feeling there might have been a third, but people began leaving after the second encore when the lights were still down. I was waiting for them to perform "Peace" because that was the one really good song on their new album. I was a little surprised that they left it out of the set unless they were preparing to play it during the third encore.

I wish they would have put in a couple of songs from their earlier albums. It would have been nice to see them do "Puppets" or "Photographic." How about "Boys Say Go!"

But I was very pleased with the set and there was not a dull moment - With the exception of the very new material, it was like vintage Depeche Mode. I was surprised that they really didn't play that many songs from the new album. That's OK with me too.

Sorry I don't have pictures. After all this time, I have not invested in a decent camera I could use to take pictures during these events. Maybe for the Pet Shop Boys coming up in September.

Pictures from Monday night's performance.

Crash Course in Science

Well, this is the type of stuff we got exposed to as teenagers while watching TV on late night weekends. I remember the Uncle Floyd show very well. I watched it because either SCTV was going to start after Uncle Floyd or I was staying up to watch the rest of TV madness after SCTV. There was always that one guy in the background providing the laughter. He was the "studio audience" and never shut up with that annoying laugh of his. You can hear him shouting during the interview.

But this was a local show. You could have only seen this show if you lived in New York or New Jersey (I think).

Anyway, listen to this weird formation. It's total 80s weirdness. People experimented a lot with electronics in those days. I think about Laurie Anderson, Kraftwerk, and very early Cabaret Voltaire.

CCIS on MySpace

Keepin it alive.

Lovely Sioux

I got lost on FABULON. It's a blog full the most fabulous images like the one above - and you kinda get lost in them. Not much words but the images speak for themeselves. Check it out.

Why has Siouxsie stopped? Isn't it time she gave us some new stuff?

They're lemony and they're mighty

So I'm starting to import some CDs into my new computer and giving my iPod a fresh start. So far all the new stuff from Moz, Pet Shop Boys & Morrissey are in there.

So I'm going through my boxes as I have not straighten my CDs out yet and put them up proper - I spotted a much loved CD from times gone. The year was 1992 and it was slim pickings for me regarding this type of music. I think all that Seattle grunginess was coming towards us like some tsunami of flannel shirts and dirty long hair - I think it may have ruined it for me. Sort of clashed with everything I believed in. These were the days of Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Anything new by Morrissey at that time was a major life saver.

Side note - though the new Smashing Pumpkins might me worth looking into. Just heard a preview of their sound during trailers in movie theater (Star Trek if you must know).

Where was I? Oh, Ricochet. I can't remember what made me buy it. I hadn't heard a thing from it. But I got home, stuck it into the CD player and just loved almost every track. I haven't heard it for quite a while so it will be a welcoming sound during tomorrow's commute.

The Mighty Lemon Drops probably will appeal to those that are also into Echo & The Bunnymen, Jesus & Mary Chain, Lush and the like. And I write as if you've never head of The Mighty Lemon Drops but off course you probably have. I think "Inside Out" was a pretty big hit in the late 80s among the alternative playlists. Anyway, here's something out of Ricochet to help you decide on buying the whole album. I think they've been re-issued and re-packaged with extra tracks since.

Peace will come to me

This is not a full review of the new Depeche Mode album "Sounds of the Universe." I must say that the track "Peace" has blown me over. Big time!

I heard the album today and in short I will say that it is analog heavy. They weren't kidding bout using a lot of vintage synths. The intro to "In Chains" says it all.

But "Peace" Oh man - I just love it. Somewhere out there Phillip Oakey is screaming "That's MY song." Just imagine Phil singing this and think of the pre-Dare Human League albums and you'd know what I mean. I daresay that this track borrows a lot from early Human League.

I'm staying away from anything YouTube related to DM or any review of any of their shows. I don't want any spoilers. And August is so far away!

I’m leaving anger in the past
With all the shadows that it caused
There is radar in my heart
I should have trusted from the start

V does DIY

Hello, Hello!

It's been a month or thereabouts that I have not posted. Sorry if you've visited lately only to keep finding the last post over and over. I know when I followed some blogs it would frustrate me a little bit because of lack of updates. But there you go.

So what is the DIY that I'm referring to? Well, for a while I've wanted to put together a computer. Not one bought off the shelf, but one built by my own specifications and needs. The last PC I owned ran under Windows 95 and that was pretty brief. Since then I've been using a Mac.

Though I enjoy the Mac OS, I am not a fanboy. I'm bi. when it comes to platforms. Linux isn't that bad either, so I'm tri.

Anyway, I went over to NewEgg and proceeded to make my selections. I took some time off from work and waited for the goods to arrive.

Here's what I chose:

Processor: Intel Core i7 2.66 GHz

Motherboard: Asus P6T Deluxe V2

Memory: Corsair Dominator 6GB kit

Graphics Card: Sapphire ATI Radeon 4870 HD 512 MB

Power Supply: Corsair 1000HX 1000 W

Hard Drives: Western Digital Caviar 750GB and 320GB (OEM)

DVD burner: LG (OEM)

Heatsink Cooler: Cooler Master V8

Enclosure/Case: Antec 900 two

Keyboard/Mouse: Logitech Wireless/Laser Mouse

Monitor: Samsung P2370 23" - This was actually bought separately at BestBuy.

OS: MS Vista Ultimate SP1 64 bit. (OEM) (32 bit will not recognize memory over 3GB)

So on Tuesday everything got here and I set to work. Took my time and by Wednesday afternoon, I had everything put together and ready to power-up. The one thing I didn't do was put in the heatsink & cooler. I decided on the stock cooler. I don't know what I'm going to do with the V8 but maybe someday I'll decide to put it on if my system needs it. The thing is the size of my head! I have a feeling it's not going to fit my case though.

Anyway, I was really nervous putting my finger on that power button. I read so many reviews on some of these components that I chose where they either didn't work or arrived DOA or are faulty, etc. I was surprised and kinda shocked that everything began working so smoothly. Antec has these really nice fans inside the case with blue led lighting. When those lights turned on, the fans began to whir, and my BIOS began posting, I couldn't be happier. Yay!

So there we are. Prior to this, I thought about buying a Mac Pro but I think this was the more practical approach for my needs at this time. And this was a more fun experience rather than just opening a box and turning the thing on. I feel better about turning on my computer knowing that I pieced it together rather than it coming from an assembly line (even though the components are put together on the assembly line - but there it is.)

OK, that's as nerdy as I'm going to get with this post.

Music.

Very briefly, I'm taking the Red Radio approach to the new releases (Depeche Mode and Pet Shop Boys). I've had the opportunity to download these albums but skipped it. I prefer the old fashioned way of waiting for the release date and buying the darn thing and listening to it as intended. Though I've heard several of the new PSB stuff, I don't have the album proper.

That's all I got for now - But before I go, check this out.



Yeah, I had one of those too (Amiga 500). I go way back. :P

Concert everybody

I got my ticket today for Mode's Tour of the Universe. I didn't know they had added a second night until I was trying to get a good seat for the first night. So I decided to go for the second show (Tues. Aug. 3). I figure I can get a better floor seat for that night. And I did. But I did have a WTF moment for a little while. Did I just pay THAT much for a ticket? Again? Why always MSG? Mind you, I'm pleased that my boys like DM and The Cure can fill up the place after all these years - I guess that proves something. Don't quite know what.

A rush and a push

Don't you all give up on me all at the same time now!

So it's been about two weeks and I haven't spread any words of wisdom.

Fact.

I haven't seen any shows lately. Or been to a concert.
Even an off-Broadway show. It could be me. Or it could be that nobody brings anything interesting to the stage anymore. It's all song and dance which I don't care for that much.

Book.

So I read one of Calvino's books: Cosmicomics.

I'm not articulate enough to explain and can only tell you that I enjoyed reading these wonderful and imaginative short stories written specifically for me. But maybe for you too, so check the link and see if it interests you. OK?

Music

There's still no U.S. release date for Grace Jones' Hurricane album so I guess I must order it from Amazon or something.


Moz to play at Carnegie Hall. I don't know if I should be shameful of this but I have not purchased a ticket. Have I said this before? Every time I see this guy perform, I always think it's going to be the last. That maybe he'll be retiring from the biz. But he keeps coming back! I'm thankful for his longevity and energy of going out there every year.

It was during his last tour I took a trip all the way to Atlantic City to go see him cause he had cancelled Madison Square because of illness. I thought I'd miss him. But a few months later he'd announced a whole week of shows in Hammerstein!

The most interesting thing about Moz concerts now is to see him perform Smiths songs. I'm always curious as to which one's he's going to pull for a particular show.

Recession.

I'm sure this is old news but we are saying goodbye to the Virgin Megastore in Times Square. The Virgin Megastore hasn't been in business all that long and it's already closing its doors in one of the most busiest places in the world. The one in Union Square is still open. I'm sure it's because it's a much smaller place and the rent isn't all that high there. But it's sad all the same. My neighborhood FYE just closed its doors too.

Circuit City is also shutting down. So what next?

I apologize for not checking in with the blogs regularly lately. I hope you understand.

I will be back with more music nostalgia. Stay tuned!

I look out from my window view......

Read a book, maybe write a letter. Mother things are getting better.

Lately there's been some snow falls. It seems the most we've got since winters past. I welcome it.

So these are some window views from the fire-escape side. The other widow has my air conditioner in it so I can't open it.

And I *need* to invest in a moderately good digital camera. The one I've been using has had its run.

Atmos

Atmospheric Optics is the place to go to and see lovely photos of sky phenomena.

Early morning with coffee and APOD. Never miss a day.

They posted this today:



Click on the pic to go there.

These things don't often happen where we are at. Though there was something happening in the sky once and some brilliant colors were displayed. It was not a rainbow because if twas just a patch of colors. Wispy clouds of brilliant color. Off course my friend said it was a miracle. She thinks in these lines and I'm always there to kill the joy.

What's happened to me? I used to be a much happier person when I was more superstitious, delusional and believed in magic. The shops I used to walk into to buy yet another pack of Tarot cards to add to my collection - That smell. The smell of incense. The sparkle of crystals everywhere, the books and candles. My pentagram - and all these things I have taken them away. I guess I no longer need to escape in that manner. I am facing things head-on. And it's depressing.

Happy 2009!

Just a note to wish you all a Happy New Year! I wish Earth and all its residents a safe journey around the Sun yet one more time. Peace! Peace! Peace!