Adam Ant is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter

Yeah, that's the title. I don't know what it means either. But if you've ever been the kind of person who wants stuff to make sense, you've probably never been an Adam Ant fan. The man and his music have always been unapologetically bat-shit insane. It's nice to see that some things haven't changed. This album, his latest after however many years in retirement, is classic Adam Ant insanity. And in case I'm being unclear, that's a good thing.

It's not all together a great album, however. At least, it's not one that I can recommend wholeheartedly to any but the most die-hard Adam Ant fans. We're a dying breed, and I'm sorry to say that this latest album might not change things much. It's classic Adam Ant with some excellent songs, but the production just sounds... off. The mixing doesn't sound great throughout, as though it was recorded in Adam Ant's basement. That's a shame, because the arrangements are layered and deep and really suffered from the lackluster production. However, Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska also sounds cheap and that's one of the best albums ever made, so maybe this was a stylistic decision.

Anyway, I'm not really reviewing this album because there would be no point. If you're the kind of person who'd buy a new album by Adam Ant, you've already picked it up. If you aren't, well... I say check it out. The man's getting on in years and his voice isn't quite the powerhouse it was in his youth, but he still sounds good, he can still write a catchy hook, and he's still out of his freakin' mind.

Nobody makes music like this any more, so I'm glad he's back and I hope he keeps them coming.

Anyway, here's the video for the opening track Cool Zombie. I really like this song and this video is either the most brilliant thing I've ever seen or the dumbest:

Stop Complaining About Christmas Music!

Now I don't want to get off on a rant here about Christmas music, but every year it starts earlier and earlier and it's just getting out of control. And, no, I'm not talking about Christmas music, but about people who complain about Christmas music.

Shut up already! Stop complaining. Just stop. Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!

Since the invention of recording music and department stores, the two have come together every year about this time to fill our airwaves and sonic receptors with Jingle Bells, The Christmas Song, and All I Want For Christmas is You, buy Mariah Carey. Somehow Gimbles used to play that song forty years before Mariah Carey was even born. I don't understand it either. Anyway, my point is that this is not a new thing, and that entire familes have been making it a tradition to complain about this same cliche generation after generation.

And it just has to stop.

You want to know why every store, radio station, elevator, and hurdy gurdy man starts playing nothing but Christmas music? Because it's Christmas and because most people like it. Christmas music is nostalgic, fun, and pretty. And I say this as an atheist.

But I know what you're thinking... "But, Donald, it's not even Thanksgiving yet! It's too early!"

To this I say... what's a few weeks? And, really, even when it's the week before Christmas I hear people complaining about Christmas music. I don't understand this. What even makes Christmas music Christmas music anyway? The fact that it's about Christmas? Who cares? Who listens to lyrics? Bohemian Rhapsody may be a Christmas song for all I know, but I don't because the lyrics make no sense. I've never had a chestnut that was roasted on an open fire. I've never been on a sleigh ride. I've never tried to date rape a girl by convincing her that it was cold outside. These aren't things that in anyway reflect how I have spent the holidays with my family and friends.

But I still like Christmas music because it's fun and pretty and nice. You know... for the same reason I like music.

So stop complaining about Christmas music already. Just think of it as music and enjoy it.

And now you're thinking... "But, Donald, all this music all the time ruins and cheapens the meaning of the holiday."

No it doesn't. How could it? How could any meaningless external thing in any way impact how you choose to celebrate the holiday? It only can if you allow it to. Christmas for me is a time that I spend with my family, all of whom except for my sister and I are spread out across the entire country. Christmas is the one time of year we all somehow strive to get together and spend time as a family. That's what Christmas means to me (I don't know what it means to you, but it's probably something similar and sacred and special, at least I hope so), and no amount of Christmas music can change that. They could start playing Jingle Bells in April for all I care, or Toys r Us could start airing commercials where Joseph and Mary take little baby Jesus to Disney World and it wouldn't ruin Christmas for me.

All Christmas music does is add a nice soundtrack. If you hate Christmas music, maybe you just hate Christmas or just like to complain.

So just stop already and enjoy it or, at the very least, ignore it.

Well, except for any version of Santa Baby or that god awful "Merry Christmas, Baby" by the Beach Boys. Those are just terrible.

Top Ten Songs by Eddie Money

I kind of did this video as a joke. But, then again, I kind of didn't:

'10s Music Video of the Week: Party Rock Anthem

00s Music Video of the Week: Get Ur Freak On

Why not?

90s Music Video of the Week: Interstate Love Song

Maybe the coolest rock song ever written, from one of the coolest rock albums ever made:

In Memoriam: Davy Jones (1946-2012)

I was very sad to hear of the death of Davy Jones today, from a heart attack at the far too young age of 66. Like most people, I was a fan of the Monkees, and of Davy Jones especially. Unapologetically. Without any irony. Just a fan, of his music and his acting. It is a little ironic to know that it was his heart that got him, since his voice and charm got the hearts of so many others.

In honor of a great showman, here's one of my favorites:

1970s Music Video of the Week

It takes him a while to get started, but that's part of his charm:

1960s Music Video of the Week: Blowin' in the Wind

But not the Bob Dylan version:

1950s Video of the Week: Peggy Sue

80s Music Video of the Week: Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)

Here's the Pet Shop Boys with the best job offer ever:

(Faux) 80s Music Video of the Week: Ready For Primetime

I received this email tonight from a gentleman who calls himself Rex Thunder:

Hi Donald,

I thought you might consider posting our new Glory Fist music video "Ready for Primetime."  We worked hard to capture the spirit of 80s inpso-rock and I was thinking it might make a nice tongue-in-cheek 80s video of the week!

Let me know what you think!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83Ncb0cMpl8

Peace,
Rex

To be honest, I'll post or plug anything anybody sends me, since I'm just so excited to know that somebody accidentally stumbled upon my site, but I am more than happy to post this video, since it's pretty hilarious. I enjoyed it, and I think you will too.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Glory Fist:

80s Music Video of the Week: Lullaby

The Cure was one of the more overrated bands of the 80s, in my opinion, but when they were good, well... they were very, very good. This song is phenomenal:

80s Music Video of the Week: Cry

Still a great song and a great video. Here's Cry by Godley and Creme:

If I Were a Rich Man

Let's have some fun. I love Me some Fiddler on the Roof, be it the movie, the Broadway show, or just listening to the music from the soundtrack as performed by... whomever. Anyway, here are a bunch of performances by whomever of If I Were a Rich Man, maybe the most fun song from the production. Why? Why not?

Here is the great Zero Mostel, who originated the role of Tevye on Broadway. This isn't from Broadway, but from the Tony Awards. Anyway, it's great:

80s Music Video of the Week: Hello

Hello by Lionel Richie is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. It's poignant and moving and can be appreciated by anybody who's ever been in love with somebody who didn't love them back. So how did they screw it up so bad by pairing it with one of the weirdest and creepiest videos of all time?

Still... great song:

80s Music Video of the Week: Hungry Eyes

Maybe this will actually be a weekly thing. Anyway... I just wanted to listen to this song again:

Top 40 Guilty Pleasure Songs From the 90s

This took forever to put together and edit and finish, and I honestly have no idea why I even went to the trouble. I just had the idea one afternoon, and I couldn't rest until I finished it. Too bad my passion and dedication is limited to creating dumb Youtube videos and not, say, a cure for cancer, but such is my gift... such is my curse.

Anyway, if you like 90s music, check it out. If you don't, why are we friends?



(Oh... and SPOILER WARNING!! The Youtube thumbnail gave away that I ranked Mr Lover Man by Shabba Ranks at #22.)

(Robots) Wouldn't Want to be Like You: A Video Tribute to the Greatest Robots of All Time

Here's a video tribute I put together in honor of my favorite robots, androids, cyborgs, and artificial humans from film and TV, and of the Alan Parsons Project album I Robot.

Why? Why not?

Enjoy Every Sandwich: The Songs of Warren Zevon

Warren Zevon is one of the greatest singer/songwriters our country has ever produced, but I never picked up this tribute album because, frankly, the greatest tribute you can pay to a singer is to listen and relisten to his old stuff, not listen to covers by a bunch of singers who probably won't do the originals much justice. I'm not saying tribute albums shouldn't exist, however, since many are very good and give the singer's friends and fans a chance to honor his or her memory one last time, but still... how often are covers ever better than the originals?

However, I am a big Warren Zevon fan, so when I was house sitting for my sister a few weekends ago and saw this CD on her kitchen table, I borrowed it. As a tribute album, it's not bad and contains a few really great covers, but all in all, it was as I expected: It just made me want to go back and listen to my Warren Zevon CDs.

The title is taken from his final TV appearance, an interview with David Letterman. After Letterman asked him if his recent diagnosis with terminal cancer taught him anything about life that he didn't know before, he replied "just that you should enjoy every sandwich." Watch that episode of David Letterman before you listen to this DC, since it's one of the greatest moments in TV history (for real). Anyway, here are my thoughts on this CD's song list:


1. "Searching For a Heart" by Don Henley
I like this one. It feels more bluesy than the original, with a slower pace, more guitar and drums, and a vocal performance by Henley that is somehow even more raspy than Zevon's. This is a pretty song.

2. "Werewolves of London" by Adam Sandler
Odd choice, but not all together a bad one. Anyway, it's not as bad as you'd think, nor is it played as a joke. It's just Adam Sandler singing it straight. As I said, odd choice, since he's not a very good singer, but he's not too bad either. I'm not sure if he just sings or if he plays any of the music, but the arrangement is quite good. This is ok, but considering how awesome the original was, this tribute should've been covered by an actual musician. Skip it.

3. "Reconsider Me" by Steve Earle and Reckless Kelly
I don't know much about Steve Earle other than that he played Walton on the Wire. About Reckless Kelly I know nothing, not even if he or she is an actual person. Anyway, this cover is pretty good, if a little boring. I like it ok, and it's worth checking out.

4. "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" by Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt
This cover is every bit as good as it sounds, even if it doesn't top the original. Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt are both brilliant and this is as good a song as Zevon ever wrote, so this is one of the best covers on the album.

5. "My Ride's Here" by Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen doing Warren Zevon should be a homerun... and it is, for the most part, but as good as this is, I still can't help but wish Springsteen had taken on a song with a bit more oomph. My Ride's Here is a good song, but I dunno. I want to here the Boss doing I Was in the House When the House Burned Down, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, or something else with that same intensity or excitement. But I shouldn't complain since this is a very good, very powerful cover that opens with a nice intro where Bruce talks about his good friend Warren Zevon.

6. "Lawyers, Guns, and Money," by The Wallflowers
Awesome song, awful cover. If you love the Wallflowers, you might like this one. If, like most people, you think they kind of suck, well... Skip it.

7. "Studebaker" by Jordan Zevon
This one is phenomenal, and might be my pick for the best of the lot. Jordan Zevon is the son of Warren Zevon, and while his voice is very similar, it's different enough to let him stand on his own. This track is taken from his pretty good album Insides Out. How does it compare to the original? Who knows, since the original track was never actually released so I haven't heard it. Maybe that's why this one sounds so good to me.

8. "The Wind" by Billy Bob Thornton
Another cover of an unreleased track. This one isn't as good as Studebaker, but it's ok. As a singer, Billy Bob Thornton is a great actor, but he does ok. It's jut a bit flat and uninspired. But it's a pretty song and Thornton sings it ok. But I wouldn't blame you for skipping it.

9. "Splendid Isolation" by Pete Yorn
This one is pretty awesome. Yorn is one of the few singers on this album that doesn't sound as though they are doing a Warren Zevon impression. He's just singing a song that sound like a Pete Yorn song, and it's the better for it. This is a good one.

10. "Mutineer" by Bob Dylan
If you like Warren Zevon, chances are good you like Bob Dylan too, so this is a pretty good combo that results in a pretty good cover. However... I like the original a lot more.

11. "Monkey Wash, Donkey Rinse" by David Lindley and Ry Cooder
This is a fun, bouncy song by two well respected but not very well known musicians. Ry Cooder is a great blues guitarist while David Lindley is best known as a session musician who has worked with Warren Zevon and just about every other major rock star. I like this one.

12. "Don't Let Us Get Sick," by Jill Sobule
This is very pretty and very boring. This is one of the best and most touching songs I've ever heard, but Sobule's voice doesn't have the same melancholy intensity of Warren Zevon, so it doesn't really work for me. Listen to the original instead.

13. "Ain't That Pretty At All," by the Pixies
If you like the Pixies, you'll like this. I don't, however, so I don't. This isn't my favorite Zevon song, and the Pixies didn't do much with it.

14. "Keep Me in Your Heart" by Jorge Calderon and Jennifer Warnes
This is a very good cover that falls short of the original if only because nothing could ever come close. "Keep Me in Your Heart" is one of the last songs written and recorded by Zevon before he died, but written after he knew he was going to die. The original is one of the most haunting and beautiful songs you'll ever hear, but this cover does a great job. It's such a wonderful song that it would nearly impossible to have it not be touching.

15. "Keep Me in Your Heart" (String Only) by Van Dyke Parks
This is as advertised: A string arrangement of "Keep Me in Your Heart." It's pretty and probably a nice way to end the album, but I'll probably skip it.

So... there you go. All things considered, this is a very good tribute to Warren Zevon. But still... before you buy this, buy some CDs by Warren Zevon himself. But if you are already a fan, this is a nice tribute to the man's career. I liked it.