Some Christmas Cheer...

I love this song!



Okay, amusing myself. I haven't actually seen this video in years. As I was watching it, these thoughts ran through my head. Perhaps yours too...I wrote some of them down.

It's Bob Geldof! The man, the myth!...Who's that guy? Oh it's Paul Young. He sang "Every time you go away, you take a piece of meat with you" (as my sister liked to sing it)...Sing it, Boy George!...Why did Phil Collins get stuck playing the drums?....George Michael,back when we thought he was straight...then again, eighties hair and fashion made everyone look gay...Why so unhappy, Sting? Don't want to feed the World?...Sing it Bono!!...Hmmm, lots of people I don't recognize...More Paul Young (he must've been more popular in the UK, he carried this song)...Lots more do-gooding British musicians I don't recognize...Bananarama was awesome...Sting still looks uncomfortable and unhappy...maybe b/c someone's smoking, how rude...I think it's Jody Whatley...heh, one of the other guys from Culture Club...Ok, who the heck is that guy?...and fade.

First snow of the winter. Reading and blogging ahoy!

Stolen from Dylan...

Over at Coffee House Banter:

Go to popculturemadness.com, click on the decade you turned 18, find the actual year you turned 18 and copy the top songs for that year and paste.

Then bold the ones you liked, strikeout the ones you hated and italicize the ones about which you were neutral. The ones you’ve never heard will stay unformatted.

I'm going to do the Top twenty:

1. What Is Love - Haddaway
2. Come Baby Come - K7
3. Hero - Mariah Carey
4. In The Still Of The Night (I'll Remember) - Boyz II Men
5. Have I Told You Lately - Rod Stewart
6. Can't Help Falling In Love - UB40
7. Dreamlover - Mariah Carey
8. Supermodel (You Better Work) - RuPaul
9. Nuthin' But A "G" Thang - Dr. Dre
10. Cryin' - Aerosmith
11. Murder She Wrote - Chaka Demus and Pliers
12. Shoop - Salt N Pepa
13. A Whole New World - Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle
14. Show Me Love - Robin S
15. I'm So Into You - SWV
16. Hip Hop Hooray - Naughty By Nature
17. Rhythm Is A Dancer - Snap!
18. All that She Wants - Ace Of Base
19. When I Fall In Love - Celine Dion & Clive Griffin
20. Hey Mr. D.J. - Zhane

I'm not sure how this list was compiled. I remember most of these songs, but I thought that some were later. I think my 31 y.o. self is influencing my opinions, because my 18 y.o. self wouldn't have liked as many of these songs. I was more of a WLIR girl than a Z100 gal. Fun walk down memory lane.

Slanted and Enchanted...

Over the past two evenings I devoured Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield. This is a memoir by a music journalist (if you watch any of those countdowns or pop culture shows on VH1, you've probably seen him dissing people on it), in which he details his relationship with his two great loves, music and his late wife Renee Crist. Rob and Renee were a classic case of opposites attracting. They were brought together by their shared love of music. They met at 23, the only two people in a bar to perk up when a Big Star song comes on the jukebox. By 25, they were married, and at 31, Rob was made a widower when Renee suddenly and inexplicably dies of a pulmonary embolism in their apartment.

[Click on post title for full post]


I completely adored this book. The majority of the book covers the years 1991-1998 or so, which were my high school and college years. Like Rob, I have a lot of fond music and pop culture memories of the time. It was a time when Seattle was king, you could turn on pop radio and hear bands like Weezer, Elastica, and Belly, hip-hop was awesome and dangerous (Public Enemy! Ice-T!), and a 16 girl could go to sleep, clutching her pillow and dreaming of Trent Reznor, Henry Rollins and Anthony Keidis. Ahem. This book has a lot of musical references, which might be less interesting to those not really interested in music. But it brought back a lot of memories for me, and I think that many of us have our own musical memories; songs and bands that make us think of a particular time, place or person.

I loved the story of his relationship with Renee as well. She sounds like a fantastic person, and you can see how he fell so in love. His tales of being a young music geek in love, a young, scared husband, and finally a young, lost widower were alternately funny and sad. I was truly weepy when reading about his experiences after Renee's death: how he felt like he couldn't listen to music again without her to share it with, how much he hated being single again, his obsession with Jackie O. I'm a married person who is the same age that Rob was when he lost his wife, and man, I can't even imagine.

His writing style is very funny. Here's a passage in which he describes his 13 year old self (p. 28):

The words "douche" and "bag" have never coupled as passionately as they did in the person of my thirteen year old self. My body, my brain, my elbows that stuck out like switchblades, my feet that got tangled in my bike spokes, but most of all my soul--these formed the waterbed where douchitude and bagness made love sweet love with all the feral intensity of Burt Reynolds and Rachel Ward in Sharky's Machine.

Not even sure what that means, but it makes me laugh. This is a fast read, alternately hilarious and touching. I loved Rob, I loved Renee, and I'm happy that he was able to live and find love again. If you miss the nineties, if you love rock, pop and alternative music, or if you like true stories of true love, give it a try. An A for this one.

Music to read by...

It's ten p.m.. The minutes left in 2006 are ticking down, and I, for one couldn't be happier. Overall, it was a crappy year for me personally, and I'm looking forward to making some positive changes in the new year. I've got some ideas for the blog too, which will hopefully be interesting. But bear with me, because I've still got the husband at home (temporary unemployment), and it's hard to write with him around. He's constantly asking me what I'm doing, even though he has no real interest. I think he's nervous that I'm talking to guys, or something, even though I keep offering to show him the blog. Anyway, as you might have guessed we're having a thrilling New Year's Eve. I am slowly but surely recovering, but he's coming down with what I had, and he's curled up in the fetal position on the couch, shivering under a blanket and watching "Nacho Libre." Which seems pretty bad, by the way.

So I've been thinking about music. Do you like to listen to music while you read? Or do you find it too distracting? I love music, all kinds. But I can take it or leave it while reading. If I do listen, I like something mellow.

What makes a good romance reading soundtrack? Do you prefer the operatic schmaltz of Celine Dion or Josh Groban? Do you listen to Nu Metal (or whatever it's called) or Techno while following the adventures of leather clad vampires? Does some Schubert put you in the mood for a Regency?

There are certain songs which really evoke romance novels for me. They are not just romantic songs, it's just that something about them really reminds me of certain characters or plots. They just fit romances so well.

Some examples (links to lyrics where possible):

Misguided Angel--The Cowboy Junkies
Smoke and Ashes--Tracy Chapman
We Both Go Down Together--The Decemberists
Trouble--Ray LaMontagne
Save Me--Aimee Mann

Yeah, those would be on my "Romance Reading" playlist. Some other songs I find romantic:

I Believe (When I Fall in Love With You--Stevie Wonder
The Engine Driver--The Decemberists
Chariots Rise--Lizzie West
Lovers in a Dangerous Time--Barenaked Ladies
Ring of Fire--Johnny Cash

I've definitely got a mellow, "Adult Alternative" vibe going on. I'll stop here and turn it over to you. Comments Please! What do you listen to while reading? What songs scream "Romance" to you? Hair Metal Ballads? Sinatra Standards? Upbeat Boy Band numbers? I'm very curious to hear what others have to say.

Happy New Year to all!!

At Christmastime...

There's no need to be afraid,
At Christmastime,
We let in light,
And we banish shade...

I was quite pleased to hear my favorite Christmas song today, "Do They Know It's Christmas," by Live Aid. I admit, I had been feeling disgruntled by local radio's apparent abandonment of one of the best tunes evah. Nothing puts me in the Christmas spirit like Bono screeching, "Tonight Thank God it's them, instead of yeeeee-ooooou." Since it was fifty-something degrees I was able to open the windows, turn up the radio, and sing along loudly. Until the H-Bomb told me to stop that noise and put on "Bye Bye Bye." Much thanks to Margee for introducing him to boy bands. But I haven't heard "Christmas Wrapping", by the Waitresses yet, unbelievably. Yet I've heard Elvis' "Blue Christmas" about ten times? It's a sad state of affairs, New York radio.

I'm in a state of Christmas induced exhaustion. The only reading I've gotten done is some "The Office" Jim/Pam fanfiction. But don't tell anybody,'cuz it's kind of embarrassing. I haven't really read any fanfiction since I accidentally discovered the glorious world of Draco Malfoy/Ginny Weasley smut. That was an accident, I swear.

Anyhow, I'm unlikely to be around the next couple of days. So I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays, whatever you celebrate (or don't celebrate, for that matter)! I leave you with some outtakes from a Christmas Card photo shoot. This year was not our best.



My husband decided to try and bribe them to sit, but then, of course, they wouldn't let go of the money.







Next week=The year in reading 2006. Oh, the excitement!

My Theme Song?

Your Theme Song is Back in Black by AC/DC

"Back in black, I hit the sack, I've been too long, I'm glad to be back" Things sometimes get really crazy for you, and sometimes you have to get away from all the chaos. But each time you stage your comeback, it's even better than the last!

What's Your Theme Song?

My husband loves this song. Loves AC/DC. Me, not so much. I find as
I get older, I enjoy classic rock less and less. Perhaps this is because the playlists haven't changed significantly since I was 12. How many times can you hear "Behind Blue Eyes" or "Another Brick in the Wall," anyway?