Music Monday--Challenge Week #9

Goodness, I thought I wouldn't get to this tonight.  My computer has been so slow!  And with our snow days last week, I thought I may not have an entire CD listened to!

I got this CD from the library, and I am very happy to report that this is my favorite Brad Paisley CD!  I may just have to buy it.  I think I liked every song to a some degree.

It starts out with Two Feet of Topsoil, a cute little song that is typical Brad Paisley about breaking up and missing the girl, but it is not too silly--it's clever.  He then goes onto the song that featured several stars in the video--including his future wife:  I'm Gonna Miss Her."    I think mot  men could relate to this song!  No woman should do what the woman does in this song!

Brad Paisley - I'm Gonna Miss Her (Official Music Video). Watch more top selected videos about: Brad Paisley

Part II deals with meeting his wife and getting married, etc.  And then you get to Wrapped Around (really cute) and Two People Fell in  Love.  Moving on to Come On Over  Tonight and  You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive (a really good country song!).

I Wish You'd Stay is poignant and All You Really Need  is Love is very funny.  He then goes to a straight instrumental song that is pretty neat  Munster Rag.  You Have That Effect on Me is very sweet.  (I think his  wife influenced him A LOT on this album).

He ends with  Too Country which is reminiscent of his current single.  If you like country, you'll like it.  And the final song is The Old Rugged Cross.  It is live from the Opry, and I wish he  would release a  gospel album!  I love the way he sings the old hymns.

So this is really a good CD, and I hope that  one day Brad will go back to his roots and sing more songs like this rather than his current album style!

Solution Sunday (on Monday!) Update on my Challenges

Well, due to family issues, this is one day late.  I am planning to update my challenges tonight, and so even though it's late, here goes.

Well, I am finally getting caught up!!  I read chapters 5 and 6.  While the Valentine's Day chapter was not really applicable to me (Valentine's Day is past), I think there were some ideas to save for next year.  I really liked the chapter about being creative.  Since I have had Martha, my creativity around the house has suffered.  I used to make the Christmas presents.  I used to decorate.  I used to always cross stitch.  And now?  I'm lucky if I get to bed on before 11!  I love that she said that this is a season of life that will pass.  I will have more time to be creative when my daughter grows up.  And one day I may even have my own home again.  I appreciate the fact that the author is so easy to relate to!  She is a real person, and she gives some very practical idea.  I plan on getting the book she recommended:

Beating the Winter Blues: The Complete Survival Handbook for Moms

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Okay, I did not finish the challenge for the week.  It was too long.  I will show you next week.  I am working on the same magazine area.  When you have 50 magazines to organize (and possibly more), it does take time.  I don't want to throw them all out.  So for this week, I am continuing with the organizing challenge of the magazine and organizing the area around it as well.  I know I am keeping this short.  I am going to be glad when I am fully functional again!

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Nothing new here.

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Okay, I just finished this book today, but I am putting it off till next Sunday to count towards the challenge.

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All right!  I finally did something for this challenge!  Here's my review of this book!

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Nothing new here.

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I plan to start this book  this week!

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Nothing new here.

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Check out my current recipe post here!  It is very pantry-friendly.

Music Monday--Challenge Week #8

Well, it has been a busy music week.  I actually listened to about 3 or 4 CD's, but I am going to listen to some again because I do not feel I would do them justice.  So I will review 2 albums this week.

This is the first album I am reviewing, and I got it from the library.  I will not be purchasing this album.  I am what I call a "closet" Brad Paisley fan.  Martin can't stand him, but I have heard a few good songs by him.  And this album has just that--a few good songs.  The rest of the songs are really far beneath him.

American Saturday Night is not a bad song, but I just don't feel that there is a lot of substance to it.  While I don't hate it like I once did, it is a somewhat clever song but just not all that great.

Everybody's Here is okay, and Welcome to the Future has some cool parts to it, but then comes the first Brad Paisley song I ever liked.  I had always found that Paisley's songs were kind of dumb.  I was first intrigued by him when I saw him on the CMA Awards ( I think, I sometimes get confused) as a co-host with Carie Underwood.  Taylor Swift won entertainer of the year that year, and Brad Paisley was so nice to her about it.  He congratulated her, but Carrie Underwood made some remark about how well everyone had done and did not even acknowledge Taylor Swift.  From that point, I began to look at Brad Paisley a little differently.  My favorite Brad Paisley song is Then.  This is one of the sweetest love songs out there, as far as I'm  concerned.



Next is his song Water.  It was not until I saw the video that I liked this song, but I think it is more a theme song for his summer tour of last year.  And I have to say that he really did a lot to help the floods in Nashville.   It is unbelievable that his tour still went off in spite of everything that happened.



Nothing exciting from She's Her Own Woman nor Welcome to the Future (Reprise).  I think the only neat thing about the latter is that he tells the story of how he met and married the love of his life through music.  It is worthwhile looking up the story of how he met his wife.

Anything Like Me is probably a neater song for Paisley himself rather than me.  I don't care for You Do the Math nor Catch All the Fish, but the song in the middle caught my attention--No.  I remember hearing Paisley sing In the Garden.  Now I don't know where he is as far as God goes, but when he sings a spiritually-inspired song, I think he is quite exceptional.  This song is one of those.  I highly recommend it and wish he would do more of those!

Nothing spectacular in the last four songs on the album.  I really don't like The Pants.  I'm sure Paisley does!  Now if you're a Paisley fan, this is an album worth having, for sure.  I think it has 5 singles of his.  But otherwise, it is not an exceptional album.


The second album to review this week is this one.  I have been an ABBA fan for quite some time--thanks to Martin.  I think this was their final or one of their final albums.  It has some great hits and some songs that are not that well-known.

It begins with a big hit Super Trouper.  Oh, I love the beat of this song!  Very likable and catchy.  It is indeed a great opening song to their album.



Next is probably their most heart-rending song ever--The Winner Takes It All.  I think this song is quite poignant in light of the fact that I believe the two marriages within the group were in the process of breaking up or they already were broken up.   It is the perfect break-up song.

Next is a fun little song called On And On And On.  I think it is one of those songs you don't really have to think about.  Just listen to, dance, and sing along if you like.

Then we come to a song that did not make it as a hit,  but it a beautiful love-making song--Andante, Andante.  As you listen to the song, you can imagine the two lovers involved being lost in one another and going very slowly so they miss nothing.  The music, as usual, fits the words to a tee.

Then there is a little song called Me And I.  I think we can all relate to this song.  How many of us act in ways and say things that just don't seem like us?  We step out of character, and this puts that idea into song.

One of the few songs that talk about New Year--Happy New Year.  It should be a happy song, but listen to the words, and you notice that it may not be.  After all, these four individuals were entering the new decade without each other personally and professionally.  ABBA was coming to an end.



Our Last Summer is a nice song, and it was a hit for them.  However, I like The Piper.  Martin never remembered hearing the song before yesterday, and he is a big ABBA fan.  I like the little "piper" part in the song.  Cute, little ditty.

Lay All Your Love On Me was a big hit for them, and The Way Old Friends Do was also a pretty big hit for them.  They are both solid, nice songs.

Then we come to the bonus tracks.  Neither one are big deals, but they are typical ABBA songs--Elaine and Put On Your White Sombrero.

Music Monday--Challenge Week #7

Today, we are going with probably the greatest Tejano musician that ever lived--Selena!  I first became interested in Selena a few years ago.  I began to do a musician of the week power point in my music classes, and I followed the musician birthday calendar.  It just so happened that Selena's birthday was in January.  I had heard of her, but I knew nothing about her.  I hadn't even seen Jennifer Lopez's film about her.  I began to research her life and music, I was quite intrigued.  Not only was her music quite entertaining, but the story of her short life and murder were certain to capture my student's interest.  And I had a lot of Hispanic students in my class anyway.

It was about that time that I bought this CD.  It featured some songs of hers that I knew and enjoyed, and there were many I did not.  It had been a while since I had listened to this CD, and it was fun to listen to!

The CD begins with the upbeat Como la Flor.  Most of these songs are in Spanish, but it is interesting to note that her first language was English, not Spanish.  In fact, she only perfected her Spanish once her music career was really going.  You can see a funny clip about this in the Selena film.  La Carcacha is also a fun song.  Until you get to track #9, nothing stands out for me very much.  The songs are fun good, but I am not as familiar with them as a true Selena fan would be.

Track #9 is one of my favorites--Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.  I am reminded of what one of my students said once.  "What does Bidi Bidi Bom Bom mean in Spanish?"  My Spanish-speaking students and I always found this humorous.  It is clear that they are just nonsense words!  This is one of my favorite videos of Selena.

Nothing special for me until you get to track #13 I Could Fall in Love.  I have to say that in many ways, I prefer her English songs.  Yes, I know, I don't speak good Spanish, but I feel that she enjoys the English songs better.  Sometimes her voice becomes rather harsh on the Spanish songs--probably a stylistic thing, but I do notice it.  Especially in her later songs.   I love Dreaming of You also.  What a shame that these songs didn't make it to the market before her tragic death.

The final song on this CD is probably my favorite Selena song, however.  Bailla Esta Cumbia.  I have loved this song from the moment I heard it.  After her death, her brother's group, the Kumbia Kings, did a remake of this song as a tribute to her memory.  I'm going to end this post with this song.  Enjoy!

Music Monday--Challenge Week #4

 I've got two to review tonight.  First off is The Band Perry and their self-titled debut CD.              
I will tell you right now that I was not a fan of theirs.  When their first single Hip to My Heart came out, I would turn the radio dial so fast it would make your head swim!  I thought I would never hear a song of their that I liked.  Then I heard If I Die Young and saw their video, and I was hooked!  I began to toy with the idea of ordering their CD from the library.  I did, so here goes.    

You Lie is their newest single.  It begins their album.  I think what drew me to this song was having a compulsive liar in the house  (my dad) and the clever lyrics.  One thing this group has is unique lyrics.  Their use of similes and metaphors are quite entertaining.  Next is Hip to My Heart that I still don't like.  But it could  have been good if it were sung a little  differently.  Their best song is up next--If I Die Young.  I will post the video for this even though I posted it this summer.  I love the simplicity of this song.  It is their first number one hit.  Whenever I hear it, I am always put in a good mood.  Now how can a song about dying put someone in a good mood?  It's not sad--it is all about being content with the life you live.  And it has some poignant lines.  All Your Life is a beautiful song, and certainly well-sung.  I got a good chuckle out of Miss You Being Gone.  Again, their clever lines sell this song.  Not a big fan of Double Heart, but I love Postcard from Paris.  I didn't know that was the name of the song, but it makes perfect sense.  It is again very clever.  I know I keep using that  word, but there isn't a better word to describe their songs.  Maybe pithy would work for this song.  Walk Me Down the Middle is possibly my favorite on the album.  I love If I Die Young, but Walk Me Down the Middle is so sweet and happy.  I love the way it is sung.    Quittin' You and Lasso  were not stand-outs for me.  I would say that for a debut album,  these kids did well. They need someone to help them straighten out their rough edges and they could easily give Lady Antebellum or Rascal Flatts a run for their money.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Now on to the second CD.  It is a 2-CD set, and it actually took me a couple weeks to get through it.  I am a huge fan of the stage musical Phantom of the Opera, and I have seen it 3 times on  stage.  It is my favorite musical.  I remember when the movie came out,  and I saw it in the theater.  It was good--there are good points and bad points--and I enjoyed it.  I own the video, and I also own this CD.  I have only listened to it once before this.  I am not going to list the songs and review each one because it's just not that kind of CD.  It is a soundtrack CD.

Sometimes the movie actors get a really bad rap, I would say.  Loyal fans of the stage musical don't want to give this version too much credit,  but there are some points worth noting.  Gerard Butler is not Michael Crawford, but there are things I love about his Phantom.  He makes his Phantom extremely bitter, no one can match the points when he just "loses it."  His Phantom is very forceful, and you tend to believe that you would not hesitate to molest anyone.  I miss the gentleness you often see in the stage musical, and I also miss the warmth of singing voice of the Phantom.  You  get a hint of it now and then when Butler holds back, but when he tries to push his voice to do what it cannot, he does fail somewhat.

Emmy Rossum definitely has the voice for the role, and the looks.  I love her ingenue quality.  What I do not love is when she tries to take the classical quality out of her voice.  That is when she fails.  She is not much of an actress, but when she truly sings, she could sing any Christine out of the water.

I truly appreciate that they chose to include so much from the movie on the CD.  They use special effects, and they keep a lot of the speaking from the film on the CD to advance the story.  Some lyrics are changed so the songs make sense, but I don't like how they take away some of the singing and speak the lyrics.  I absolutely adore the orchestration!  Sometimes you miss out when you see a show live--you don't have access to a massive orchestra.  Never a problem in Hollywood.

My favorite character in the film is Carlotta!  She is exactly the way the part should be sung.  Here is Minnie Driver playing the role, but her voice was dubbed.  This is a great scene.  You'll figure out who Carlotta is!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.  


PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Music Monday--Challenge Week #3

Well, today's review is disappointing, to say the least.  I got the album Bullets in the Gun, Toby Keith's latest CD.  I had heard two of the songs previously.  I wasn't too keen on one of them, but the other was okay.  This is one album I am glad I did not buy--I borrowed it from the library.

To the review.  It is true that Toby Keith is always about doing his own thing.  His videos are often entertaining, and his songs are not often just run of the mill.  I have been a fan of his, but I was hesitant about this video mainly because of the title song--this is track one.  Bullets in the Gun is a song that has somewhat grown on me, but I still struggle with evil basically winning out. The story of the song is about a robbery, and according to the video, she gets away with the money, and he is left to face the music alone, bleeding on the ground.  I can't say it's a favorite, but it is probably one of his best on the album.

He follows this first song with Somewhere Else.  This is actually a cute little song about his girl leaving him, and it  gave me hope that the rest of the album would  be nice.  He followed this with his other single, Trailerhood. The video for this is pretty good, and it certainly is the kind of song for which Toby Keith is famous.

From  this point on, things went downhill. The next six songs are all about the girl leaving the guy, the guy being devastated, and the guy gets lost in drink.  And when I say that all of them are like this, I am not joking.  I can't even remember them individually because they all sounded alike.  I was pretty disappointed.

Then I got to the last song, and this is when I believe Toby Keith went too far.  The song is Get Out of My Car. While it is true Toby Keith style, the song is about telling the girl to pull down her pants, take off her shirt, take off her clothes, or get out of his car.  I was pleased at the end that she got out of the car.  But I felt the song really crossed the line. I was glad when it was over, and I look forward to returning this to the library as soon as possible.

I will post a video here that is a good Toby Keith song--one of my favorites by him.  It was probably my first favorite song by him.

Be sure to link up your reviews or post them here if you want to be a part of this music challenge!

Music Monday #1 (on Tuesday) Second Review

I was just too tired last night to review my second album.  I am up early, so here goes.

This CD was  something I originally got from the library many years ago.  I was (and still am) a huge fan of the Phantom of the Opera and Andrew Lloyd Webber.  This CD introduced me to other works by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The first track is The Phantom of the Opera.  This is sung by Sarah Brightman (whom I love) and Steve Harley (whom I can't stand).  This was the original way that the title song from the musical was supposed to go.  I have seen the video for it, and it is horrid.  I am so glad that they chose to rewrite this and go with a better Phantom.

Next up is Take That Look of Your Face.  This is from a work not so well-known--Tell Me On a Sunday.  Not a bad little rock song.  It's kind of fun.  Worth a listen.

One of Lloyd Webber's truly beautiful songs from Phantom--All  I Ask  of You.  This is one of my favorites.  Again, we have the lovely Sarah Brightman.  Cliff Richard is okay, but he was not the original Raoul.  The song underwent some transformation before making it to the stage. Overall, pretty good.

Then we hear Julie Covington's take on Don't Cry For Me, Argentina.  Originally, this was the first time I hear this song from Evita.  I think this song and musical are fantastically constructed, and if you ever get a chance to see it or hear the score, make it a point.  A poignant musical, indeed.,

Originally, this album was my introduction to Cats.  This song Magical Mr. Mistoffeles, was always one of my favorites to this musical.  I had the entire score memorized for this musical before I ever saw it live.  It is not everyone's cup of tea, but I think it is a fun, unique musical.  And this song is always fun.

Then Andrew Lloyd Webber's brother, Julian, rocks the cello on Variations.  I absolutely love this!  You just don't hear such great stuff normally for the cello, so this shows you what a cello can do!

I am not too keen on Jesus Christ Superstar, and this title song just doesn't really interest me.  There are a couple gems from that musical, but it is just not my style.

Elaine Paige is the quintessential Grizabella on Memory  from Cats.  While I like other renditions of this song,  I still think she is the best.  This song is one I would highly recommend!

Tell Me On a Sunday, the title song from that musical, is well-sung.  It is an unusual song, and I think the message comes across.  This is not my all-time favorite rendition of the song, but it is good.

My favorite Phantom, Michael Crawford, sings an early rendition of Music of the Night.  While this is not the final version, and he was better in later versions, it is neat to hear the evolution of the musical and his role.

Another Suitcase in Another Hall is another gem from Evita.  Unlike the movie, this song is sung by the right character, and it is a haunting song.  Lloyd Webber does tend to write haunting melodies, and he always finds fantastic lyricists.

The most popular song from Jesus Christ Superstar is this offering--I Don't Know How to Love Him.  It is a fine song, but I have never really liked the song.  It is pretty enough, but there are better renditions of it out there.

And finally, a work not so well-known by Lloyd Webber is Requiem.  The entire work is worth a listen, but this is the best-known--Pie Jesu.  Sarah Brightman and the young soloist do an awesome duet.

So, in short, this is a pretty good CD.  It is an introduction to some of the greatest early works of Andrew Lloyd Webber.  I would suggest checking it out if you are interested in hearing more music by the composer of Phantom of the Opera.  Or just if you like musicals in general.

By the way, you can post here or on yesterday's review if you are participating in the challenge.  Thanks!

Music Monday--Challenge Week #1

Well, it is here.  This is my first post for this challenge. Music Challenge 2011.  All you need to do to participate is sign up here and then begin to post CD reviews either in the comment section or leave the url in the comment section.

I have 2 CD's to review today.  While these are not new CD's to me, I am getting the chance to critically review them on here.

4Troops.  This group has impressed me from the first time I heard them on the Fox and Friends show.  I was impressed because they are made up of 4 former soldiers, and  all of their proceeds go to vets and Fallen Heroes.  There are 3 guys, and one lady, and I really like the way they present themselves.  Read about the individuals involved in the group here.  I will tell you that my favorite of the four is Ron Henry.  I would love for him to release an album on his own!

To  the review--Most of their music is re-released versions of other well-known inspirational and patriotic songs.  They begin with one of my all-time favorite songs Bless the Broken Road.  I personally feel that their version of it is even better than the Rascal Flatts version, but that is just my opinion.  Then on to For Freedom.  I think this was the first song I ever heard them sing.  And this is their message.  Why are people willing to serve in the military?  To protect our freedom!  We had better be thankful.  Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue truly is a surprise.  I have always loved Toby Keith's original version, but these four bring a different light to this song.  No longer do we see the "Angry American."  We see those that are willing to serve and fight, but negative emotions are in check.  I was not certain that I liked this version at first, but I have to admit that the positive take on the song does inspire me.  Tear-jerker alert!  I'm Already There.  I like the different take on it since the female in the group becomes the one who is gone, and one of the guys becomes the husband who stays home.  It truly made me think about the women who sacrifice for their country, not just the men.  Dance With My Father.  All I can say is go Ron!!  Meredith has her best song in Angel.  Her voice tends to be a little harsh at times, but her voice has a great sweetness and softness in this song. Galveston--always a perpetual favorite.   And who doesn't love You Raise Me Up?  I love the harmony of this song!  When I was listening to You'll Never Walk Alone, my daughter was in the car.  She wasn't too interested in the song until they began to sing it in a soulful style.  And I have to admit it gives this song a fun twist.  The patriotic medley includes America the Beautiful and You're a Grand Old Flag as well as The Battle Hymn of the Republic.  Indeed my second favorite on the album.  Here We've Been and Raise Your Glasses do not really resonate with me.  I prefer the latter, but they just haven't gotten to me yet.

I would recommend this DVD as well.  I got it, and I was very impressed with their live performances.  While they have somewhat of a raw talent as a group, their harmony and the reason they are doing this really resonates with me!

Now as much as I would like to, I am going to only review this album tonight. I will put the other one off until later.  It is just too late.  I will end with a video, however.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.
 

Music Monday--New Country Singles Review

Okay, we got back pretty late tonight, so I am behind.  It will be quick  but hopefully still good  tonight.

I have noticed a lot of new  country singles out there.  Some, in my educated opinion, are fantastic.  Some are okay, and some are just plain bad--I won't post those.

My new favorite song is Zac Brown Band's duet with Alan Jackson called "As She's Walking Away."  When I first heard this song, I knew it was Zac Brown--it could be no one else,  but I  didn't know it was Alan Jackson until later.  I truly love this song--Zac Brown has truly come into himself in this CD.  I plan to review the entire  album at some point, but not  tonight.

Zac Brown Band - As She's Walking Away ft Alan Jackson

And there is also a new  Taylor Swift song called "Mine" from her upcoming album.  I have to admit that when I first heard  this song, I was not  too  impressed  with it.  As I have continued to listen, there are a few lines that have spoken to me--especially the bridge section--the part beginning with 2:30 A.M.  You'll see it.  It will not ever be as good as her other songs "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me,"  but  it  is good.



Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish fame is also releasing his second country album.  I liked this song from the beginning.  He is such a nice guy, and he seems so approachable.  See what you think of his "Come Back  Song."

Darius Rucker   More CMT Music   More CMT Music Videos

Now to the mediocre.  Okay, I love Reba McEntire--I saw her in concert earlier this year.  I loved it.  But she has released a song that is growing on me, but it is just not her normal  kind, I don't think it does her justice.  Here's her  "Turn on  the Radio."

Reba McEntire   More CMT Music   More CMT Music Videos

And finally, Easton Corbin of "A Little More  Country Than That" has released "Roll  With It."  I have his album, and there are much better songs on it than that.  Here's a live version  of it since there is no studio video yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a-SvJgwRvE

Sorry, it won't let me embed  it.  Share your thoughts!  And share your new music, too!

Meet Me on Monday 16th Edition

Questions: 

1.  How many TV’s do you have in your home?

2.  What is on your bedside table (nightstand)?

3.  How many pair of shoes do you own?

4.  Can you change a flat tire?

5.  Do you prefer sweet treats or salty treats?1.  Let's see.  1, 2, 3, 4--I think that's right.  Or maybe it's only 3--yes, we sold one.

2.  My glasses, a lamp, a really cute Kleenex box, my alarm clock, a doll in a cute little chair,  and a rocking horse music box.

3.  I think 10-15 pairs.  No real biggie with me.

4.  In my mind, I can change a flat tire. I know  the steps.  But  that's why I have AAA.  I certainly have never done it and do not intend to do so.

5.  Give me sweet treats!  Give me chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, peanut butter chocolate, mint chocolate--I think I see a theme here!!

Sorry I did not include pictures.  We got back  late tonight.  It's  been a long  day!