Hasta que por fin... hoy 22 de Julio de 2008  pude verla, no fue en el cine, no fue en dvd pirata ni mucho menos en la television, me sente 2 horas frente a la pantalla para salir con la mayor decepcion de mi vida. Estos fueron algunos de mis pensamientos:

Kevin Spacey, de acuerdo... se parece tanto a Bobby Darin que hasta asusta pero estaba increiblemente viejo cuando hizo la pelicula y con todo y el parecido nunca vi a Bobby Darin en el sino a un viejo haciendo papel de joven, asi que no cuadró excepto en la ultima parte de la pelicula. Aparte de todo, no soy fan de Kevin Spacey ni nunca lo sere, en realidad solia serlo hasta finales del año pasado cuando vi por el canal 8 que no es mas que un actor chavista al igual que Sean Penn y Danny Glover.

¿Quien carrizo lo llamo a el para aca a reunirse con Chavez y ponerse a opinar de la situacion actual de Venezuela? de afuera obvio que la revolucion es muy bonita ¿Por que no viene mejor y pasa un tiempo viviendo en el 23 de Enero a ver si sigue siendo tan bolivariano?

Si la pelicula fuese una pelicula normal no voy a negar que fue buena pero siendo una pelicula biografica pense que debieron respetar mas la realidad porque simplemente no entendi nada... el niño, el otro, pero no se si eso estaba en el pasado o si era la pelicula sobre la pelicula y luego el viejo bailando con el niño... NO ENTENDI NADA.

Cuando iba a comenzar a verla pense que era algo asi como la pelicula sobre Johnny Cash, eso si fue una buena pelicula biografica, ademas todos sabemos que esas celebridades antiguas cayeron en todos los vicios habidos y por haber asi que eso es lo que esperamos en las peliculas de sus vidas, no que los pongan como unos santitos... eso si es ficcion.

En fin, estaba esperando algo como "walk the line" y termine viendo algo parecido a "titanic", ficcionaron la verdad por completo y olvidaron hechos claves de la vida de Bobby como su segunda esposa, su divorcio de Sandra Dee y la manera en que se entero de la verdad de su familia. Aparte que Kevin Spacey no debio cantar las canciones sino dejar el audio original y pudieron haber agregado algunas grabaciones de verdad como presentaciones o fragmentos de la pelicula.

Como espectadore regular la pelicula fue una obra de arte, como fan de Bobby Darin me quedo sin palabras.

Critiquemos el cine

Old Fashioned Girl

YouTube - Bobby Darin sings "Mack the Knife"

The song Shoo-shoo Baby is sung by the Andrew Sisters and it fits in with the vision I have of this story. The horror of remembering the deaths of former friends, colleagues, and lovers that many gay men have lived through. And then having to go through 'ordinary' break-ups. The depth of  pain must seem endless.

Shoo-Shoo Baby by The Andrews Sisters on Yahoo! Music

......................

.................

THE VOICE IN THE ROOM

Big Bob smiled as the widow Murphy pushed her walker slowly and painfully out of the shop. Though it was difficult to explain, the old woman’s struggle made Big Bob happy. Not that he ordinarily sought pleasure in the misfortunes of others. The widow was different. She sucked all the oxygen out of a room. And though she sometimes appeared beaten. One overlooked her resilience at one’s peril. She was a snarly tough minded veteran of the communication wars. She gave no quarter nor expected any.

Big Bob thought of all the times the widow had come into his shop. When Tom had been there. How she had flirted with him. With Tom. Tom hated flirting. Thought of it as snubbing one’s nose at the Creator. For the few precious hours God had give us on earth. Tom did not appreciate fun. One must always be engaged in some project. In Tom’s world. Something with purpose. Like a shark. Always moving.

Oh, the shark has pretty teeth dear.

And he shows em, pearly white.

To Big Bob coquetry was a harmless game.

When that shark bites with his teeth, dear.

Scarlet billows begin to spread.

It was a game between an old woman and a younger man pretending to woo her. Making the older woman feel younger. And the younger man feel handsome. Big Bob had no romantic interests in the old woman. But, still Tom had his suspicions. Some might called it jealousy. The widow was old enough to be Bob’s mother. She was on death’s doorstep. One slam of the door and she’d might shatter. Still Tom had been jealous. Why was he so insecure? Bob wondered. So Bob flirted with the ladies. Wasn’t that what brought them back? A wink in the spring time. A joke in the fall. And they’d come back for that hammer. And those nails. Maybe some advice about their eaves troughs. The name of a handy man to fix that leaky tap. So how much harm was he doing. It was just business. But Tom complained. That Bob didn’t love him enough. If he had so much affection to spread around. To customers. To passersby. To the mailman. Or the kids on the block. If it was going out to someone else, it was going to Tom. How much did Bob have to prove to someone? That Bob loved Tom. Are we always on trial? Is there no point where you can say that one has passed? That the relationship was on firm ground? And relax. Lay back in a hammock, drink daiquiris and enjoy love? Stare up at the mountains. Whistle for room service. Breath in the moment?

Bob and Tom had known each other since college. Tom had taken the Frosh Queen to the Homecoming Dance. Bob got drunk with the engineers. Both had joined the drama club. Became drinking buddies. Fell in love with different women together before they fell into each other’s closet. Came out together. Weathered those early years. Disowned by their families. Those wild parties. Arrested together in the steam rooms. Watched their friends flying. HIV. Making angels in their death sheets. So many silly poor souls on the rack. Of their lives. In the end, laughing in the dark, dieing amongst strangers. Buried hastily in pretty English gardens. And forgotten for decades. Before someone’s kid did. A family tree. And asked who cousin Edward was. And why had he gone away so young. Was he in the war? There were so many. Did he die from the plague? Nobody called it that. In short, your uncle died of a kiss.

Tom and Big Bog had survived all of it. Left stranded on an island with each other. The silly arrangements they made to furnish their apartment. Pretending to sing lullabies to each other. Pretending to be asleep. Pretending that none of it had ever happened. Pretending that there had been no laughter. No tears. No friends who had contacted the… Was it an illness? Or God’s retribution? But there were all those friends they had buried. The photo album was stuffed to the gills. With pics of goodbyes. All those hugs between children. In the corner of the room. On the floor. In the dark. With death in the other corner dragging his feet. And singing.

Seems kinda tough now to say “Goodbye” this way

But papa’s gonna get rough now

So that he can be sweet to you another day

Bye bye baby

Don’t cry baby

Shoo, shoo, shoo, baby

So why had Tom left? Why now? Did he wake up? From their happiness. And just couldn’t get back to sleep. Big Bob scanned the ruins of the shop. The nails and screws, all the little packages of hope. Build and repair. Looking to the future with open eyes. All this hardware. Pieces of Bob’s dream. Pieces of Tom’s. Weren’t his fingerprints all over everything. Pieces of Tom in someone’s basement. Pieces in someone’s extension. The tree house in the backyard. The deck around the hot tub. Tom’s fingerprints all over the neighbourhood. Like sentimental snapshots in a book. Growing yellow at the fringes. Pieces of Tom blown away in the wind of commerce.

The door of the shop opened. Everest walked in.

“What does that bastard want?” Big Bob muttered. Lightly. Like butter on a toasted bagel. Don’t want that bagel to be sopping wet. Don’t want it to cut your lips. Gotta be spread just right. Don’t want anyone to hear him curse.

Bob had no use for the big man they called Everest. A giant of a man with a tiny heart. Someone who could never keep his nose to himself. And too big to be put into his place. Always chatting you up. Could never figure out what his game was. Where did he live? Married? Kids? Seemed to live in the plaza like a ghost.

Everest looked around the shop. His eyes were always dancing. Delighted in everything that was. Made you want to puke. He’d delight in that.

“Looks like you’re clearing out a lot of merchandise,” Everest said turning his attention back to Bob. “Too bad you didn’t have this kind of business before. When everything wasn’t on sale. You think that bastard G could cut you some slack. How many years you been here, Bob?”

“Years?”

“Must be fifteen years,” Everest replied. “Most folks can’t remember when you and Tom weren’t here. Why did you suddenly fall on hard times? The big box stores?”

Big Bob shrugged his shoulders.

“I’ve always tried to give you my business, small though it may be. I think I owe you. I think we all owe you. Bloody shame!”

“What do you want?” Big Bob cried.

A look of hurt crossed Everest’s face.

Big Bob dropped his eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s been a long day.”

Everest took a deep breath and looked around the shop.

“Now look Bob. I didn’t come in here to fight. I came in to buy a hammer.”

“We sold out,” Big Bob said. God, won’t he ever leave?

Everest stepped over to a barrel containing hammers. He picked one up and showed it to Big Bob.

“Those were sold this morning,” Big Bob explained. “Big hardware chain in the mall. I just haven’t gotten around to packaging them.”

Everest turned the hammer over and tested it in a swing. Than stepped over to the counter. He put it down.

“They won’t miss one hammer,” Everest said, reaching into his wallet and producing a ten dollar bill. He handed it to Big Bob. Big Bob took it grudgingly, then gave Everest his change.

“Could you put it in a bag,” Everest asked. “You walk around the plaza with a hammer in your hand and people get the wrong idea. I heard of a guy who bought his kid a plastic gun for a birthday present then walked into a bank. He ended up getting five years for armed robbery.”

Everest laughed. Big Bob did not. He put the hammer in a bag. Where does he come up with these stories? Does anyone believe any of them?

“Did you care about Tom at all?” Big Bob asked.

Everest’s mouth dropped. He smiled and shook his head.

“We were friends.”

“Just friends?”

“That was it. Look Bob, I liked Tom, but I don’t swing that way. And if I did, it was obvious to everyone that you two guys were a set. I respected that.” Everest hesitated a moment before speaking. “I know you and I have never gotten along Bob. Well, that’s what it is. I don’t know why Tom left. Maybe it’s none of my business. But if you don’t put Tom behind you, Bob, you might as well pull the sod over you now.”

Big Bob clenched his teeth. “Who do you think you are to give me advice?”

Everest shook his head. “Tom was a sad person, Bob. He had that false front. But behind it there was an overwhelming sadness. The tears of a clown. You should have made him happy. That’s everyone’s duty. That’s why we’re put down here on this lonely orb. What else is there?”

Big Bob dropped his head.

“You don’t think I tried.” Big Bob’s voice was shaking. “You’ve got no idea what it’s like to love someone and know that no matter how much love you give them, it doesn’t matter. Nothing you do matters.”

Everest put his hand on Bob’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Bob.” Everest picked up his bag and turned toward the door.

Big Bob watched Everest open the door and leave.

“He hasn’t a clue.” Big Bob smiled sadly. “None of them have a clue.”

“And what is it they’re supposed to know?” a voice said.

Big Bob was startled. He looked around. The shop was empty.

“Who said that?”

There was no response.

Ed Robertson
Pop Culture Critic and Entertainment Journalist
Co-Host, Talking Television with Dave White
Share-a-Vision Radio, KSAV.org
www.edrobertson.com
www.doctorrerun.com
www.talkingtelevision.org

Please tune in to our tribute to Dick Martin on Tuesday, July 29 beginning at 10:30pm ET, 7:30pm PT on Share-a-Vision Radio, KSAV.org.

Ed Robertson
Pop Culture Critic and Entertainment Journalist
Co-Host, Talking Television with Dave White
Share-a-Vision Radio, KSAV.org
www.edrobertson.com
www.doctorrerun.com
www.talkingtelevision.org

Please tune in to our tribute to Dick Martin on Tuesday, July 29 beginning at 10:30pm ET, 7:30pm PT on Share-a-Vision Radio, KSAV.org.

Judy Garland y Bobby Darin en un popurri de canciones sobre trenes.

Es mi video favorito de todos los tiempos, me encanta Judy Garland y amo a Bobby Darin, ademas que se ven tan lindos cantando juntos y si entienden algo de ingles y cultura popular de Estados Unidos se reiran bastante con las improvisaciones de estos dos.

El video pertenece al programa "The Judy Garland Show", es el episodio #14 transmitido el 30 de noviembre de 1963.

He intentado buscar la letra completa de todo el medley pero es imposible, aqui esta la lista de las canciones que cantan:

Sentimental Journey (Green-Brown-Homer), sung by Judy and Bobby
Going Home Train (Rome), sung by Judy
"Blues in the Night" (Mercer-Arlen), sung by Bobby
Goin' Home (Dvorak-Fisher), sung by Judy and Bobby
"Chattanooga Choo-Choo" (Gordon-Warren), sung by Bobby
On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe (Mercer-Warren), sung by Judy
River Stay 'Way from My Door (Dixon-Woods), sung by Judy
"Some of These Days" (Brooks), sung by Bobby
Bye Bye Blackbird (Dixon-Henderson), sung by Judy
"Toot, Toot, Tootsie, Goodbye" (Kahn-Erdman-Russo), sung by Bobby
Beyond the Blue Horizon (Robin-Whiting-Harling), sung by Judy
"I Know That You Know", sung by Bobby
I've Been Working on the Railroad (traditional), sung by Judy and Bobby
Lonesome Road (Shilkret-Austin), sung by Judy and Bobby

Buscando las letras de cada cancion medio logre armarla completa, asi que deberia ser algo asi:

Seven...that's the time we leave at seven.
I'll be waitin' up at heaven,
Countin' every mile of railroad
track that takes me back.

Never thought my heart could be so yearny.
Why did I decide to roam?
Gotta take that Sentimental Journey,
Sentimental Journey home.

This train I'm going home by this train

This train I'm going home by this train

Now that rain is fallin'
Hear that train calling

This train I'm going home by this train

I said hear that lonesome whistle
calling cross the trestle

This home I'm going home by this train

Goin' home, goin' home
I'm a'goin' home

- No idea -

I’m just going gome

Pardon me, ma’am
Is that the Chattanooga choo choo?

No no

No?

- no idea -

I leave the Pennsylvania Station 'bout a quarter to four
I Read a magazine and then …

When you hear the whistle blowin' eight to the bar
Then you know that Tennessee is not very far
Shovel all the coal in
Gotta keep it rollin'
Woo, woo, Chattanooga there you are

Chattanooga?

Can yuh hear that whistle down the line?
I figure that it's engine number forty nine,
She's the only one that'll sound that way.
On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe.

- No idea -

You keep goin' your way - i'll keep goin' my way

Some of these days
You're gonna miss me, honey
Some of these days
You'll feel so lonely.

And if-a you-a leave me
You know it's gonna grie-ee-ee-ve me
You'll miss-a your singing swinging daddy

Some of these daaaaa-ays

Pack up all my cares and woe
Here I go, singing low
Bye bye blackbird
Where somebody waits for me
Sugar's sweet, so is he
Bye bye blackbird
No one else can love or understand me
Oh what hard luck stories they all hand me
Make my bed and light the light
I'll be home late tonight
Blackbird, bye bye

Toot, Toot, Tootsie goodbye,
Toot, Toot, Tootsie don't cry.

May you watch for the mail

Honey I never fail

if you don't get a letter
then you'll know I'm in jail.
Toot, Toot, Tootsie don't cry,
Toot, Toot, Tootsie goodbye!

I see a new horizon
My life has only begun
Beyond the blue horizon
Lies a rising sun

I know that you know that I know
That I'll go
I choose you
Won't lose you
I wish you knew how much
I long to hold you in my arms

We’ve been singing on the railroad

All the livelong day

We’ve been singing on the railroad

Just to pass the time away

Look up - look up
And seek your maker
Before  gabriel Gabriel gabriel blows his horn

weary  toting - such a load
Trudging down - the lonesome road

Look down - look down
That lonesome road
Before you travel on

Look down look down look down look down

Look down look down look down that lonesome road

Before

Oh before you travel on

Look up look up look up look up

And seek your maker

Before  gabriel Gabriel gabriel blows his horn

 weary  toting - such a load
Trudging down - the lonesome road

Look down look down look down look down

Look down that lonesome lonesome road

Before you

May before you travel on

before you travel on

Disfruten los videos

Old Fashioned Girl

Arnold Dreyblatt

Animal Magnetism (Tzadik 1995)

http://www.mediafire.com/?njyjz1mn45n

I have spent an hour or two pondering life while listening to the rich drones of Arnold Dreyblatt. I first encountered the name while paging through an issue of Your Flesh where Jim O' Rourke listed his favorite albums of the year and christened Animal Magnetism the best of 1995. Being the bleating sheep that I am, there was an immediate order placed at the Wall to Wall Sound and Video in my godforsaken town. I expected something akin to the Scott Walker, Roy Montgomery and Rafael Toral listed in his love letter, but was pleasantly surprised to hear that it wasn't quite like anything else on that minimalist list.

There are many improbably combinations that our minds can conjure: Peanut butter and cauliflower puree, scallops and butterscotch or Kevin Spacey in a Bobby Darin biopic. Most of these flights of fancy are purely the result of narcotics. However, I cannot explain Kevin Spacey's unfortunate foray. However, if you had suggested that you could combine Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians with Tom Waits' Rain Dogs, I would accuse you of putting your mustard in my chutney.

Thankfully, Arnold Dreyblatt's Animal Magnetism does exactly that. It takes the textured waves of minimalist composition and the musician play like a band made out of junkyard instruments. This is somehow funky in its clunky and hypnotic sort of way. It is a strong, muscular album that removes minimalism from the realm of lanky miscreant and makes a dance party out of it. I haven't yet been so far gone to attempt an Arnold Dreyblatt dance party, but give me a ring and we shall see what we can muster up.

This is the sound of music hitting ecstatic peaks and mining mournful valleys. This is the sound of repetition taken to new places. This beats the pants off those moments where I pleasured myself with sounds of a single string. It is a joyful cacophony that makes me realize all that is wonderful about music.

It was great to re-live memories of when I lived life without a care. Hope you also re-lived a few past moments with these songs.

I am going to take a breather for a few days and enjoy the Monsoons.

Have a wonderful July!
For those who missed out on some of the fun I had, here is a list to all the songs that I posted during June.

Cheers!

• June 29, 2008Badi sooni sooni hai

• June 28, 2008Rosa Rio - Jim Reeves

• June 27, 2008Rim Jhim Gire Saawan

• June 26, 2008To all the girls - Julio iglesias and Willie Nelson

• June 25, 2008Summer Wine

• June 24, 2008Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaaye Toh Kya Hai

• June 23, 2008Vande Mataram

• June 22, 2008Sad songs…

• June 21, 2008Hai Apna Dil Toh Awaara

• June 20, 2008Talat Mahmood - Two Songs

• June 19, 2008Jalte Hain Jis Ke Liye

• June 18, 2008Ae Mere Dil Kahin Aur Chal

• June 17, 2008Suhana Safar

• June 16, 2008Rimjhim Ke Yeh Pyare Pyare Geet Liye

• June 14, 2008River of Dreams - Billy Joel

• June 13, 2008Streets Of Philadelphia - Bruce Springsteen

• June 12, 2008There is a hole in the bucket - Harry Belafonte

• June 11, 2008In the Ghetto - Elvis Presley

• June 10, 2008Listen to the Radio - Don Williams

• June 9, 2008Vincent (Starry Starry Night) - Don McLean

• June 7, 2008Yeh Raat Yeh Chaandni Phir Kahaan

• June 6, 2008Fly like an Eagle - Space Jam

• June 5, 2008The Circle Game - Joni Mitchell

• June 4, 2008Payo ji meine - D.V. Paluskar and Lata Mangeshkar

• June 3, 2008Multiplication - Bobby Darin

• June 2, 2008Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram - D.V. Paluskar

• June 1, 2008Meri Kahani - Atif Aslam

check it out: "list of songs deemed inappropriate by clear channel following the septermber 11, 2001 attacks"

it's so good. clear channel is cool. i cannot wait till they finally take over ALL the world's airwaves!

some of my favorites:

safe in new york city

wipeout

scott

ps- none of the below links actually LINK to anything cuz it's just a copy/paste from wikipedia. i might fix it someday!

Artist	Song title
3 Doors Down	"Duck and Run"
311	"Down"
AC/DC	"Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap"
	"Hells Bells"
	"Highway to Hell"
	"Safe in New York City"
	"Shoot to Thrill"
	"Shot Down in Flames"
	"T.N.T."
The Ad Libs	"The Boy from New York City"
Alice in Chains	"Down in a Hole"
	"Rooster"
	"Sea of Sorrow"
	"Them Bones"
Alien Ant Farm	"Smooth Criminal"
Animals	"We Gotta Get Out of This Place"
Louis Armstrong	"What a Wonderful World"
The Bangles	"Walk Like an Egyptian"
Barenaked Ladies	"Falling for the First Time"
Fontella Bass	"Rescue Me"
Beastie Boys	"Sabotage"
	"Sure Shot"
The Beatles	"A Day in the Life"
	"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
	"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
	"Ticket to Ride"
Pat Benatar	"Hit Me With Your Best Shot"
	"Love Is a Battlefield"
Black Sabbath	"Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"
	"War Pigs"
Blood, Sweat and Tears	"And When I Die"
Blue Öyster Cult	"Burnin' for You"
Boston	"Smokin'"
David Bowie & Mick Jagger	"Dancing in the Street"
Arthur Brown	"Fire"
Jackson Browne	"Doctor My Eyes"
Buddy Holly and the Crickets	"That'll Be the Day"
Bush	"The People That We Love"a
The Chi-Lites	"Have You Seen Her"
Petula Clark	"A Sign of the Times"
The Clash	"Rock the Casbah"
Phil Collins	"In the Air Tonight"
Sam Cooke	"Wonderful World"
Creedence Clearwater Revival	"Travelin' Band"
The Cult	"Fire Woman"
Bobby Darin	"Mack the Knife"
Dave Clark Five	"Bits and Pieces"
Dave Matthews Band	"Crash into Me"
Skeeter Davis	"The End of the World"
Neil Diamond	"America"
Dio	"Holy Diver"
The Doors	"The End"
The Drifters	"On Broadway"
Drowning Pool	"Bodies"
Bob Dylan	"Knockin' on Heaven's Door"
Everclear	"Santa Monica"
Shelley Fabares	"Johnny Angel"
Filter	"Hey Man, Nice Shot"
Foo Fighters	"Learn to Fly"
Fuel	"Bad Day"
Peter Gabriel	"When You're Falling"b
The Gap Band	"You Dropped a Bomb on Me"
Godsmack	"Bad Religion"
Green Day	"Brain Stew"
Norman Greenbaum	"Spirit in the Sky"
Guns N' Roses	"Knockin' on Heaven's Door"
The Happenings	"See You in September"
The Jimi Hendrix Experience	"Hey Joe"
Herman's Hermits	"Wonderful World"
The Hollies	"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"
Jan and Dean	"Dead Man's Curve"
Billy Joel	"Only the Good Die Young"
Elton John	"Bennie and the Jets"
	"Daniel"
	"Rocket Man"
Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge	"The Worst That Could Happen"
Judas Priest	"Some Heads Are Gonna Roll"
Kansas	"Dust in the Wind"
Carole King	"I Feel the Earth Move"
Korn	"Falling Away from Me"
Lenny Kravitz	"Fly Away"
Led Zeppelin	"Stairway to Heaven"
John Lennon	"Imagine"
Jerry Lee Lewis	"Great Balls of Fire"
Limp Bizkit	"Break Stuff"
Local H	"Bound for the Floor"
Los Bravos	"Black Is Black"
Lynyrd Skynyrd	"Tuesday's Gone"
Martha and the Vandellas	"Nowhere to Run"
	"Dancing in the Street"
MC Hammer	"Have You Seen Her"
Barry McGuire	"Eve of Destruction"
Don McLean	"American Pie"
Megadeth	"Dread and the Fugitive Mind"
	"Sweating Bullets"
John Mellencamp	"Crumbling Down"
	"I'm on Fire"
Metallica	"Enter Sandman"
	"Fade to Black"
	"Harvester of Sorrow"
	"Seek & Destroy"
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels	"Devil with a Blue Dress On"
Alanis Morissette	"Ironic"
Mudvayne	"Death Blooms"
Ricky Nelson	"Travelin' Man"
Nena	"99 Luftballons"
Nine Inch Nails	"Head Like a Hole"
Oingo Boingo	"Dead Man's Party"
Ozzy Osbourne	"Suicide Solution"
Paper Lace	"The Night Chicago Died"
John Parr	"St. Elmo's Fire"
Peter and Gordon	"I Go to Pieces"
	"A World Without Love"
Peter, Paul and Mary	"Blowin' in the Wind"
	"Leaving on a Jet Plane"
Tom Petty	"Free Fallin'"
Pink Floyd	"Mother"
	"Run Like Hell"
P.O.D.	"Boom"
Elvis Presley	"(You're the) Devil in Disguise"
The Pretenders	"My City Was Gone"
Queen	"Another One Bites the Dust"
	"Killer Queen"
Rage Against the Machine	All songs by Rage Against the Machine
Red Hot Chili Peppers	"Aeroplane"
	"Under the Bridge"
R.E.M.	"It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)"
The Rolling Stones	"Ruby Tuesday"
Saliva	"Click Click Boom"
Santana	"Evil Ways"
Savage Garden	"Crash and Burn"
Simon and Garfunkel	"Bridge Over Troubled Water"
Frank Sinatra	"New York, New York"
Slipknot	"Left Behind"
	"Wait and Bleed"
The Smashing Pumpkins	"Bullet With Butterfly Wings"
Soundgarden	"Black Hole Sun"
	"Blow Up the Outside World"
	"Fell on Black Days"
Bruce Springsteen	"I'm Goin' Down"
	"I'm on Fire"
	"War"
Edwin Starr	"War"
Steam	"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"
Steve Miller Band	"Jet Airliner"
Cat Stevens	"Morning Has Broken"
	"Peace Train"
Stone Temple Pilots	"Big Bang Baby"
	"Dead & Bloated"
Sugar Ray	"Fly"
The Surfaris	"Wipeout"
System of a Down	"Chop Suey!"
Talking Heads	"Burning Down the House"
James Taylor	"Fire and Rain"
Temple of the Dog	"Say Hello 2 Heaven"
Third Eye Blind	"Jumper"
Three Degrees	"When Will I See You Again"
Tool	"Intolerance"
The Trammps	"Disco Inferno"
U2	"Sunday Bloody Sunday"
Van Halen	"Jump"
	"Dancing in the Street"
J. Frank Wilson	"Last Kiss"
Wings	"Live and Let Die"
The Youngbloods	"Get Together"
Zager and Evans	"In the Year 2525"
The Zombies	"She's Not There"

AKA: Bobby Darin Biopic - Runtime: 118 Minutes - Country: USA / Germany / UK

This film is focusing on the life of the great musician and entertainer Bobby Darin (1933 - 1973). Starting with some scenes that are showing a later on state of his career, the film is referring to his early childhood and the beginning of his career. And there we can see a young Bobby Darin (William Ullrich) who is suffering from a serious disease. The doctors are not were very confident... they are only giving him a few years. But during this though period of time, his mother tries her best to keep him happy - also by introducing him to the overall music. Soon Bobby is getting more and more enthusiastic about it... planning to have a big career, just as some of his idols.

Young Bobby is celebrating his birthday - while being in a serious state of health...

After his first bigger successes he is also starting to act in some film productions. Referring to one film shooting he is getting to know the beautiful actress Sandra Dee (Kate Bosworth) - who he marries later on. He is steady working on his career... according to his wife: certainly without drawing much attention to his personal and family life. Things are getting worse when they are having a baby - Bobby has to manage both professional and family concerns as well as he is able. But are these "two lifes" really compatible; and what about his state of health... ?

The first big dancing-scene, figuratively standing for Bobby's moving out and the beginning of his musical conquest

Wow, what a great depiction of a personal lifework. Of course, this film is not exactly an autobiography, according to the ways of film-making there are some things added or being left out - and I am glad that it turned out to be this way, since Kevin Spacey did an outstanding job on this one. The way of dealing with the flashbacks, the changing between Bobby's later-on career and his personal memories just impressed me, to state this here. The great musical dancing performances, especially the three big ones in the beginning, the middle and the end certainly were the icing on the cake - great performances, just perfectly captured !

After a difficult start, Bobby finally manages to perform in the one special nightclub...

While the first half of the film is rather dealing with his early childhood, his eagerly ways of getting the chance to perform; the second half is focusing on the inflection point of his life. And this is when he is getting to know his wife, with who he has a baby - and all the resulting problems referring to his career combined with his personal life. They are steady arguing a lot, having a lot of personal differences - but they are still loving each other, no matter what would happen. And this exactly is one of the most remarkable and best depicted messages that this film is able to transfer, referring to the overall power of love. But, this certainly is only one of many other universal messages !

Bobby still has to deal with his illness... should he rather rest, or continue with his business... ?

Since there are way more things that are spoken to. Especially: the great depicted personal development of Bobby Darin himself. Although this film only has a runtime of 118 minutes, you feel like you are given a really good, authentic and even detailed inside-view on the life of him. His childhood, his first stage performances, the biggest successes, the breaking-point, the changing concerning his career, his political ambitions; the final self-discovery... of course, towrads the ending there are even more serious things to be revealed... I would not like to spoil here, see this for yourself. To state it: I was deeply moved; especially by the one hold-back information that is now given to him, which made him feel that his whole former life was a big lie...

Finally: a great piece of filmic art, delivered by Kevin Spacey. Who also does an outstanding job as an actor and perfomer here. Since he is not only directing, but also starring in the leading role, dealing with some rather difficult choreographies, and even interpreting the original songs of Bobby Darin - thumbs up for the great work !

Bobby dancing with his younger alter ego... one of the best dancing performances that I have ever encountered

Such as for all other involved actors, such as Kate Bosworth, John Goodman, Bob Hoskins; and especially: lesser-known William Ullrich, who starred as the young Bobby Darin. I have nothing to complain about the overall technical part neither, the scene setups were complex (note that the dance-scene in the middle was shot in Berlin, in autumn - they had to do some re-editing so it would like it was set in summer), the cutting very enjoyable. Especially referring to the overall flashbacks, Bobby's inner conflicts; and the confrontations with his younger self.

What else to say ? I can only recommend this one; and this is another outstanding aspect: even to people that are not generally interested in the overall topic (randomly picked keywords: muscial, biography, Bobby Darin). This film has so much energy, so many universal messages; and is so nicely made, that basically everyone will enjoy it - at least this is what I think. An entertaining film, and a great homage to an artist that will finally make the soul of Bobby Darin immortal - 9.2/10.

Stars:

- For the great, interesting and emotional realization of the overall topic

- For the great musical mood and the depiction of the flashbacks

- For the overall acting and dancing performances, especially by Kevin Spacey and William Ullrich

- For the overall musical part

The link for the Trailer - The Dvd on Amazon.com

Bobby Darin, American singer (d. 1973)

Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin met on the set of the movie, "Come September", which was filmed in Italy. They were married right away and had a son named, Dodd Darin. Their marriage only lasted 7 years, but it was a match for an ideal image but rocky in reality.

I of course, was not aware of the rocky road they both traveled through their lives... I was just overwhelmingly captivated by her beauty and innocent image. She was what I wanted to be. I have added a page above, dedicated to her, with pictures and video clips.

I am saddened that many today are unaware of her, other than the tainted-fun-poking made at her by the famous movie, "Grease". Most people are not aware that Sandra Dee is a real person who was the ideal of the teenage population in the 1950's and 1960's.

Sadly, Sandra Dee died on Feb. 20, 2005 from kidney failure. Most people don't know this, but the morning that she passed away... I had a dream that she had died. It was so real. I spoke with her on the phone and then saw news reports of her passing (in my dream). As soon as I awoke, I told my husband. It was so real that he started looking on-line and on television to see if it had really happened. There was absolutely no news about it until later that night. Once we heard that it had actually happened, we just looked at each other in amazement. Weird, I know... but it happened.

I hope you will take a look at my Sandra Dee page and learn a little more about her. I am going to add a lot more information about her soon.

Bobby Darin singing “Moon River” reminds me of my Mom. She really preferred the Andy Williams’ version, but she enjoyed that song and it brings back memories of Mom humming along with the stereo while preparing supper in the kitchen.

The Beatles singing “Let It Be” bring back memories of high school and one of the boys I dated.  The music of the 70’s signifies the rebellion of youth.  That reminds me of the struggles of adolescence and the misery of high school.  I wouldn’t go back and re-live that time.  Some of you would gladly go back, not me.  I like where I’m standing now.

Celine Dion’s “Taking Chances” makes me ask myself, “What do you say to taking chances?”  For me, waking up each day is taking a chance.  After all of the cancer and Parkinson’s I think that I am stepping out there each day, taking chances that I wonder if I can meet?

The instrumental version of “When I Fall in Love” by Chris Botti makes me stop and think of the times I was in love, the times my heart has been broken, and now finally, how I know that I have fallen in love for what I predict to be the final time in my life.  The mellow notes of the trumpet strike a chord with my heart tonight.

“Up On the Roof” by James Taylor evokes waves of relief that flow over me.  This song brings me back to the deck that was on the top of the house we lived in at Bailey’s Prairie.  The humidity, mosquitoes and trees with moss hanging down seem so real when I hear this song.  “At night, the stars, they put on a show for free.  And Darling, you can share it all with me.”  In my mind, being back on that deck represents a freedom in my mind and heart that I rarely find now.

He also sings a gentle ballad, “You Can Close Your Eyes”.  “Well, the sun is slowly sinking down, but the moon is slowly rising.  So, this old world must still be spinning round, and I still love you.”  Those lyrics remind me of the many; many times I rocked my son and my daughter to sleep singing to them.  I remember their sweet scent when they were so little.  Josh’s head always broke into a sweat when he finally drifted off.  That’s how I knew he was asleep.  Meagan’s body relaxed and went totally limp giving me her signal that I could put her in the crib. Those were sweet times and I’m thankful for them, just as I am now thankful that my children are grown adults.

J. T’s “The Frozen Man” gives me a little slice of humor.  He sings of the sailor frozen in the ice and then thawed out.  Perhaps that’s like having Parkinson’s Disease.  Some days I’m frozen and cannot move, and others I seem to move alright.  Looking at my past from the perspective I have now reminds me to give it all away and minimize my lifestyle.  There’s always the promise of reconciliation with my Lord that I am also reminded of when I hear this song.

“The Water is Wide” by J.T. reminds me that I am not in this alone.  “Love is handsome and love is fine.  The sweetest flower when first it’s new.  But love grows old and waxes cold, and fades away like summer dew.”  “Build me a boat that can carry two, and both shall row, my love and I.”

This is just a list of a few of my favorites.  These are slower, melodic ballads and they are just right to hear before going to bed. Good night.

Самыми лучшими местами на планете окажутся те из них, о которых ты будешь вспоминать после многих и многих поездок.

Я провел неделю в Будапеште и за это время вновь открыл для себя очень красивый город. Летом я уже был в этом городе. Тогда он впечатлил меня размерами — большой, статный. Казалось такие города существуют только в Западной Европе. В эту поездку я просто узнал его побольше.

Всегда для различных событий у меня находятся саундтреки — с ними легче запомнить и передать ощущения. Главной музыкальной темой этой поездки был Bobby Darin - Beyond The Sea.

Прохладный вечер, улица ведущая вдоль набережной Дуная, за окном автомобиля дома, гостиницы, люди, автомобили, много света...джазовое настроение, джазовый город.

Definitivamente soy mas fan de los 50's que de los 60's, aunque en los 60's esten mis grupos favoritos, The Beatles, The Doors, Creedence y el inicio de Pink Floyd, sin embargo como época me gustan mas los 50's definitivamente. Y por último tambien diré de nueva cuenta que Youtube es lo máximo.

(bing-bang i saw the whole gang)

it smells like there's a 700 pound bag of pot out in the hallway.

I fell asleep reading a book after the family left; I have a dim memory of my better half switching the lights off and murmuring something about "Poor baby." I had my ass kicked, but it all went off well.

Since the sun comes up earlier, my body clock goes off earlier as well. I woke up at six, and I was pissed that I was solar powered. I wanted to sleep in, especially after three days of prep work and cooking. I went to work, but Better Half took it off. Go figure.

After I got some work stuff done, I wandered over to my college's website to see if any of the classes had reopened. Many of them were, including the one I wanted to switch to. So I called, schmoozed the registrar, and got it changed. 

Better Half, on his chosen day off, came and took me to lunch at Steamers at the Biltmore. Why not? A burger there is $10, and better than most out there. It's worth paying for the better quality than the horsemeat at the fast food restaurants.

So, it's been a pretty damn good Monday. I only wish I didn't have class tonight.

~~

On Saturday night, as I was prepping vegetables and other stuff for Easter dinner, BH was cruising the channels and I said "STOP!"

I've been in a Bobby Darin mood lately. I read the book written by his son, "Dream Lovers," and the biography by David Evanier, "Roman Candle." I have Bobby's music loaded on my iPod. So when BH hesitated on the Kevin Spacey movie about him, I wanted to see if it was worth a damn.

It was, and it wasn't.

Kevin bears a passing resemblance to Bobby, and did a decent job of the covers of the songs. A problem many critics pointed out when it came out in 2004 was that Kevin at 45 was much older than Bobby when he died at 37 in 1973. But if Kevin is such the huge fan as he claims to be, why did he butcher the events of Bobby's life? Bobby never made peace with his real mother. Bobby treated Charlie, his real mother's husband, like crap, as he did his entire family. And BD essentially died alone, miserable, painfully, fearfully, and didn't die peacefully in his hospital bed with Sandra Dee by his side. The only person he wanted at the end was his sister, Vee, and nobody else...not even his beloved only child, Dodd, who was 12 at the time of his death.

It was disjointed towards the end, and the song and dance crap was pure ego for Kevin.

And Kevin, as a so-called fan, should remember that Bobby was a brutally honest person, and he probably wouldn't have been pleased with how Kevin played it out. If Bobby had a grave, he'd be flipping in it.

Grade: Meh.

~~

Gotta go for my walk.

Toodle-oo.

Sales peak thus far: #23 on Amazon.com's hot 100 Music History & Criticism books, April 26th 2008

Problem #1: According to Nick Venet (in Tom Nolan, 1972), as the company wallahs celebrated their twentieth anniversary in Hollywood, he was at this time the only one of Capitol's management aged under 62; the others are therefore older than Bing Crosby, Capitol's most famous client among a roster of legends but now retired golfing at Palm Springs. Among numerous investments that would make him almost as rich as his pal Bob Hope, he went into tv production (Hogan’s Heroes).

From the current generation, just to get on the rock'n'roll bandwagon, scouting and auditioning of hundreds of prospects in 1956 had netted Gene Vincent & his Blue Caps. But Gene was long gone to the UK where he was hero-worshipped, and had not been replaced—unless the pretend "rock and roll" of Tommy Sands counted (‘Teenage Crush’, 1957). LA's top r&b performer, Johnny Otis (‘Willie and the Hand Jive’, 1958), had trouble crossing over to the pop market. Country chanteuse Wanda Jackson remodelled herself into a rock'n'roller—‘Let's Have a Party’—and added young glamor to the Capitol lineup through the sixties. While replicating the gruffer side of Brenda Lee she never managed top twenty, switching back to country and still releasing on Capitol into the seventies.

So, far removed from the priorities of youth, tuned out from rock music and the special requirements of the Beach Boys, Capitol bosses were heavily committed to a mature market for such prestigious ‘young’ artists in their portfolio as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Nat ‘King’ Cole—all just one generation adrift in their mid-forties—and the spritely Al Martino, 35, ten years later awarded a comeback in The Godfather by Marlon Brando making an offer that couldn't be refused. Capitol's jazz greats Judy Garland and Peggy Lee were entering middle age and still popular with the veteran audience but, established for more than twenty years, could hardly be called promising prospects. There was nothing the Beach Boys could do apart from Murry's constant cajoling to get the company's attention, short of severing the head off Bing's putter for some big shot's bed.

It must have been all these seniors could do to pretend any kind of empathy even with the straight, collegiate-style Four Freshmen & Preps and Lettermen already on Capitol's books. What relationship they could find with their most popular young incumbents is anyone's guess: folk group the Kingston Trio, prone to left-wingish social statements in the tradition of Woody Guthrie, the Weavers and other proletarian, people's troubadours—of whom Peter, Paul & Mary were the latest, but on Warner Bros. The Kingstons—hailing from Hawaii and Southern California but named after Jamaica's capital of Calypso Folk—had in the spring just past celebrated their biggest hit in three years, ‘Where Have All the Flowers Gone?’—and would have three top forty hits in 1963 plucked from popular albums.

Bing, the most successful recording star of the quarter-century from 1930, and the biggest box-office star in movies through the middle of that period, had come to Capitol when his hit-making days were over, other than drives, chips and putts; he would die on a golf course in Spain. Lowlights he had to look forward to in 1962 were a return of his ‘White Christmas’, which had sold 30 million—but on Decca—and a minor Xmas outing next year for Capitol, ‘Do You Hear What I Hear?’, much later remade by Mike Love in solo career.

But, as Capitol would advertise on the dust-slips of Beach Boy albums through the Sixties, Bing remained one of the label's prides along with acts as diverse as recently deceased thespian Charles Laughton, operetta show-tune belter Gordon McRae, Pasadena parodier Stan Freberg, Soul crooner Lou Rawls, black and soulful Nancy Wilson and Ketty Lester, jazzman Cannonball Adderley, country & western stars Sonny James and Buck Owens, and the orchestra of Carmen Dragon, musical director at the Hollywood Bowl and father of Daryl Dragon, later to feature prominently as a session man for the group, a collaborator with Dennis Wilson and the husband and Captain of Tennille.

In other words, the Beach Boys were not exactly the single-minded focus of this major label that wanted to be all things to all listeners. Capitol tended to poach established stars, and many former staffers from the sixties have been scathing about the company's lack of insight in picking quality in new performers. As one put it, as one might expect from a company represented by Bozo the Clown, "They threw stuff at the wall to see what would stick." New York vocal group the Tokens, coming from their one huge hit, were hired by Capitol early in 1962 as producers on a one-year contract. Learning to produce as they went along, all ten demo recordings they submitted were rejected including the last, a lively r&b number which they got the Chiffons to record independently on Laurie. Having been knocked back on this song by other labels, a simple rejection letter wasn't enough for Capitol and the Tokens were treated to a full description by Voyle Gilmore memo of just "how bad it stunk", according to Token Phil Margo who played drums on the record. ‘He's So Fine’ became the most durable no.1 of 1963, and copying the melody for ‘My Sweet Lord’ landed Beatle George Harrison in trouble years later.

Of the middle-agers Frank Sinatra had recently founded his own label, Reprise, breaking out of a long fallow period that wasn't bringing many residual sales for Capitol. "Old Blue Eyes"'s bestselling albums from the fifties, including Come Fly With Me, would wait for a new millennium to be certified gold. Hollywood-Las Vegas "Rat Pack" buddy Dean Martin followed him from Capitol. Near-namesake Martino stayed a company man sharing in the middle-aged market: ‘I Love You Because’, ‘I Love You More Everyday’, ‘Spanish Eyes’, ‘Mary in the Morning’—as did Cole: ‘Ramblin' Rose’, ‘Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer’, until cut down by cancer early in '65.

None—young, old or in between—could live in the same ballpark as the Beach Boys: rookies of the year promising a third-base hit every time up at bat, thickly peppered with high-flying homers. The softening of the way for later rock groups arriving at Capitol—including the Beatles—might be jotted under "Beach Boys: runs batted in". Capitol's runner-up harmony act, the Lettermen, whose pristine but low-energy sound was already spacing their top 40 hits out three years apart, couldn't compete. The Four Preps, popular on campuses for their satirical revues, had started strong with the almost rock'n'roll "I was a ‘Big Man’ yesterday—but boy you oughtta see me now" amid gentler fare. Now they were noted for satirical parodies ‘The Big Draft’, and to come, ‘A Letter to the Beatles’.

From the day they signed it was obvious (if only to Nick Venet at Capitol) that the Beach Boys would be the most important thing to happen to the company for the foreseeable future—i.e. over the next year or so. He disdained their youthful cockiness though only 23 himself, and at the time even he doubted their durability. But Capitol had nothing to lose and everything to gain by going all out on the group. It didn't happen that way.

BOBBY DARIN, ROCK'N'ROLLER THROUGH ‘SPLISH SPLASH’ and ‘Queen of the Hop’, switching to crown prince of the teen idols with ‘Dream Lover’, had restyled himself as a junior Sinatra by redoing classics ‘Mack the Knife’, ‘Beyond the Sea’ and ‘Up the Lazy River’ in a swept-up jazz style, not even the so-called rock and roll beloved of teenieboppers. In late summer '62 came his biggest hit for some time, the self-penned ("Thinkin' about") ‘Things’, and Capitol lured him from the home of Drifters/Coasters r&b, up-and-coming Atlantic where creative conditions were right to make all Darin's hits. Capitol must have suspected they didn't have the producing scope to match Atlantic and his star dimmed within a year. The time and energy they spent on Bobby went to waste though Venet, seeing the Beach Boys handle themselves in the studio, relished his time in New York recording him. Bobby would return to Atlantic when it had grown into a major. For the burgeoning career of the Beach Boys it meant just one more distraction for their new record label that they couldn't afford.

Hard up against Motown, girl groups, the Beach Boys and Four Seasons, the time for crooners was over. They were slow to get the message from young record buyers, insulated by continuing high play by radio stations as a hopeful alternative to rock'n'roll. Yet by late 1962 Fifties survivors Pat Boone and Paul Anka disappeared from even Billboard's top twenty, Darin following in another six months—the most youthful, Ricky Nelson, reprieved for a further semester.

There would be little recognition from the management of the fact that within a year of the group joining Capitol the company was boosted from lowly eighth place to second in singles sales figures (Murry Wilson in Tom Nolan). 1963 would see it overtake such industry giants as RCA, Decca, Philips, Mercury, Warners and ABC-Paramount and drive clear of hungry youth specialists Atlantic, Motown, Cameo-Parkway and Philles—thanks to the Beach Boys' seven songs in and around Billboard's top twenty that year: exactly half of Capitol's biggest hits.

The prior claims of the sedate, white vocal quartets signed by Gilmore and Venet (who had to sneak even the unchallenging Lettermen in through the back door) explains why Capitol repeatedly through the Sixties attempted to tone down the Beach Boys' rock sound—by eliminating the instrumental grunt from the group's recordings by electronic processing, sanitising them into pale reissues, resembling as far as practicable the old-styled groups' mannered, almost monastic harmonies. In early '63 Brian went in tears to Murry, complaining, "They're changing our sound.": a situation not wholly remedied by ‘going independent’ in the middle of that year; Capitol still owned the master tapes. It was the opposite of what they did for the Beatles, beefing up the volume and other rock-enhancing effects. Listeners always had to tweak up the volume knob on a gramophone to even hear the Beach Boys. Aside from consistently castrating the drums and bass, and boosting the treble-scale giving them an anaemic ‘whitebread’ taint, the most notorious specific example of wanton interference has to be hacking off the ending, the climax, of ‘Fun Fun Fun’ as heard on the Brian Wilson-produced single— Brian's wailing falsetto refrain backed up by Dennis's thumping-good drum flourishes: mindlessly deleted and not restored until the 1990s.
If not exactly cultural vandalism ranking with drawing a moustache on the Mona Lisa, such interference in an artist's work can hardly have had a para