Test Your Code
12/13/08 09:09 PM
There are reasons
software goes through rigorous testing (on multiple
levels) before it is released to the public.
My parents have this fancy DVD player that skips over crap they don’t like. It’s called ClearPlay. You can select what type of stuff you want it to cut out, and you can connect to the internet once a month or so to update the library of movies it knows. For graphic or violent scenes, it knows the time codes for the scenes in each movie which the user wants to skip over.
It’s an interesting concept, but ClearPlay has a few glitches in their programming. After all, entertaining software that intentionally skips over scenes of a DVD that is meant to play through continuously (and skip such scenes in a seamless manner without the user’s knowledge) can present significant problems if. For instance, poor programming could result in one DVD being confused for another DVD which would require skipping during a certain sequence. Or poor programming could call a skip method for no apparent reason. Who knows how these things work ... Either way, the premise of this machine seems to break one of the cardinal rules of programming, and that is that if you’re going to do so something significant (i.e. skip an entire scene in a movie) you’d better tell the user.
We were watching Prince Caspian, a movie that probably doesn’t need any skipping. Naturally, we watched the movie with the ClearPlay Filter off. Apparently it didn’t get the memo ...
One moment we’re at the scene where Caspian first enters the woods (at night) and meets the dwarf, the next moment we’re seeing the completion of the bridge by the Tel Marines (a scene near the end of the movie). The time code on the DVD player was still showing that we were only nine minutes into the movie. We rewound and fast forwarded several times, skipped around the chapters, but it continued with this glitch. We decided to give the DVD player one more chance. It did it again a few minutes later. We then realized we had never even seen the scene where the children actually enter Narnia. Something was terribly wrong.
My parents have this fancy DVD player that skips over crap they don’t like. It’s called ClearPlay. You can select what type of stuff you want it to cut out, and you can connect to the internet once a month or so to update the library of movies it knows. For graphic or violent scenes, it knows the time codes for the scenes in each movie which the user wants to skip over.
It’s an interesting concept, but ClearPlay has a few glitches in their programming. After all, entertaining software that intentionally skips over scenes of a DVD that is meant to play through continuously (and skip such scenes in a seamless manner without the user’s knowledge) can present significant problems if. For instance, poor programming could result in one DVD being confused for another DVD which would require skipping during a certain sequence. Or poor programming could call a skip method for no apparent reason. Who knows how these things work ... Either way, the premise of this machine seems to break one of the cardinal rules of programming, and that is that if you’re going to do so something significant (i.e. skip an entire scene in a movie) you’d better tell the user.
We were watching Prince Caspian, a movie that probably doesn’t need any skipping. Naturally, we watched the movie with the ClearPlay Filter off. Apparently it didn’t get the memo ...
One moment we’re at the scene where Caspian first enters the woods (at night) and meets the dwarf, the next moment we’re seeing the completion of the bridge by the Tel Marines (a scene near the end of the movie). The time code on the DVD player was still showing that we were only nine minutes into the movie. We rewound and fast forwarded several times, skipped around the chapters, but it continued with this glitch. We decided to give the DVD player one more chance. It did it again a few minutes later. We then realized we had never even seen the scene where the children actually enter Narnia. Something was terribly wrong.
Even Ernie was confused, and he can’t even understand
movie plots.
A normal DVD player could probably never have this
issue. Sure, if the disc were scratched, it could
jump to a later portion of the movie, but the time
code would jump with it. Introducing such
“functionality” as skipping scenes intentionally
without alerting the user and without advancing the
time code can present serious
issues if you don’t
test your code rigorously, while we just now
experienced as we watched Prince Caspian.
After restarting the DVD player, ejecting the disc,
and putting it back in, we skipped to the second
chapter and were greeted with the scene in which the
children enter Narnia. It worked!
Must be a Windows-based DVD player ...
|
Hotel California
12/03/08 10:17 PM
Joe Kmetz and I were on
our way to Krista’s house over Turkey Break and I had
designated Joe as the DJ for the trip. At some point
during the drive we ended up listening to “Hotel
California,” probably the best song the Eagles ever
wrote and performed. This spawned a discussion as to
the meaning of the song. Unfortunately, neither of us
knew for sure, but I promised Joe I would investigate
the song as soon as I had time.
Though you can play “Hotel California” on Guitar Hero by yourself an sound surprisingly similar to the original track, there’s nothing realistic about that. On the Hell Freezes Over album, the Eagles used eight guitars to perform this song. In the original studio mix, only five were used. Still, this should give you some measure of the caliber of this song. It is an amazing piece for guitar, and I never tire of listening to it.
Musical melodies aside, the lyrics of the song span quite a bit of controversies. The interpretations of this song range from the drug use, cannibalism, Hotel California being another name for the Camarillo State Hospital (a psychiatric hospital), and even references to devil worship and the Church of Satan.
I’m going to have to go ahead and debunk all the most popular rumors, as none of them are even remotely close to being true (except possibly the drug use one, though indirectly). Let’s lay out the most popular rumors and look at why they aren’t true. For your convenience, I have typed up the proper lyrics to the song here and you can listen to the song here.
Background on the Eagles
The Eagles are one of the most successful American rock bands of the 1970s. The Eagles were founded in the early 70s in Los Angeles, California, by Glenn Frey (singer, guitarist, songwriter), Don Henley (singer, guitarist, drummer, songwriter), Randy Meisner (singer, bassist, songwriter), and Bernie Leadon (singer, guitarist). It’s also worth mentioning the former member Don Felder (singer, guitarist, songwriter), as he helped write “Hotel California” and performed part of the guitar solo. The band has five number-one singles and six number-one albums so far. Their fifth album was Hotel California.
“Hotel California” is a song by the Eagles on the rock album of the same name, Hotel California, released in 1976. The theme of the whole album is essentially that of Manifest Destiny and the American Dream and the rise and falls in-thereof. The album isn’t exactly a rock opera, but it does seem to follow a common theme: it starts with “Hotel California” and comes to a culmination with “The Last Resort,” a song that narrates the demise of society as the conclusive warning to the theme of the album.
After its release, Hotel California received a Grammy for Record of the Year in 1978, the song has been considered by Rolling Stone to be the 49th greatest song of all time, and Guitar World Magazine ranked the guitar solo as the 8th greatest of all time. “Hotel California” reached 20th on the Billboard Top 100 in 1977.
It’s a Real Hotel
It turns out there’s a real hotel in California! A few of them, actually. Unfortunately, there is no hotel in California that goes under the name of Hotel California. There is, however, a hotel in Todos Santos, Mexico, just across the border, that goes by the name of Hotel California. The hotel also went under the name of The Hotel Mission (“I heard the Mission bell”). The name of the hotel changed several times after the popularity of the song grew so as to attract tourists. The problem is the Eagles never actually stayed there, and that location is not what the song is referring to.
It’s an Insane Asylum
“Next thing I remember / I was running for the door / I had to find the passage back / To the place I was before / “Relax,” said the night man / “We are programmed to receive / You can check out any time you like / But you can never leave.”
People who believe this rumor may simply be getting confused by the fact that the Eagles’s record company for the album before Hotel California was Asylum Records. The song isn’t actually about an insane asylum; there is no asylum anywhere in California or even the entire United States by the name of Hotel California.
Some still insist that the Hotel California is a nickname for the Camarillo State Hospital in Camarillo, California. But since the Eagles said in an interview in 1995 that it wasn’t in reference to a particular location, and since it wouldn’t really make much sense to take the pictures for the album artwork at the Beverly Hills Hotel if the song were really about the Camarillo State Hospital, the song probably isn’t in reference to an insane asylum. Though the imagery in the song does seem to describe states of insanity at times.
It’s a Hospital
Still, people insist that the Hotel California must be a real building somewhere, so they conjecture that perhaps it is a hospital somewhere. The rumor further claims that the song is actually about cancer.
“My head grew heavy and my site grew dim.” It could be a reference to the pains of the cancer that is evidently killing the body. “There she stood in the doorway” is alleged to be a reference to a nurse, and “And she showed me the way / There were voices down the corridor” is the nurse leading him down the hallways of the hospital, other cancer patients calling out to the narrator as he walks by. “They stab it with their Steely knives / But they just can’t kill the beast” could be a reference to repeated attempts to kill the cancer.
The song could be a metaphor for cancer, if you chose to interpret that way, but that wasn’t the intention when it was written.
It’s About Steely Dan
The line “They stab it with their Steely knives / But they just can’t kill the beast” is a reference to Steely Dan, an American rock band that had a healthy competition with the Eagles around the time Hotel California came out.
The Eagles were apparently impressed by the fact that Steely Dan didn’t require any rhyme or reason to the meaning in the lyrics of their song. The Eagles decided it would be pretty sweet to mention Steely Dan in their song, even though the rest of the song has absolutely nothing to do with them. Steely Dan had previously mention the Eagles in their song Everything You Did with the line “Turn up the Eagles the neighbors are listening” in 1976.
It’s About Cannibalism
Apparently the references to a secluded hotel with corridors and hallways that were an endless maze that entrapped anyone who entered reminded too many people of H. H. Holmes and the Murder Castle. I guess he didn’t eat his guests, but his story probably set people up for paranoia.
One theory that got spread around via chain mail muses that the reason “You can check out anytime you like / But you can never leave” is because the only way to truly leave is to be stabbed by those “Steely knives!” Apparently the hotel in the distance enticed you only to serve you up for dinner the following day. There’s really not much evidence of this in the song, and the band members have denied it.
It’s About the Church of Satan
Probably the most well known (and most misunderstood) meaning for the song says that it is a reference to devil worship and the Church of Satan. Such lines as “I was thinking to myself / This could be Heaven or this could be Hell,” “We haven’t had that spirit here / Since nineteen sixty-nine,” “... they just can’t kill the beast,” and “You can check out anytime you like / But you can never leave” apparently solidify this claim. Additionally, the album artwork has a bit of an eerie feel, and people claim that the photographs were taken at the same place where the Satanic Bible was written. “The Beast” referred to in the song is alleged to be Satan.
Anton LeVay finished the Satanic Bible in 1969, three years after founding his church. Supposedly ever since the bible was finished the Holy Spirit hasn’t been present at the Satanic Church (as if he was before?) and that’s what the line in the song is referencing. This claim falls short when you recognize that the line directly before this clarifies a reference to the spirit of wine, not the Holy Spirit. Additionally, once you join the occult you are apparently unable to get out. Considering the previous claims fall short, I’m going to entertain the thought that “the beast” must be a metaphorical character referring to something other than Satan.
The artwork for the album was actually shot at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills. The Eagles say that the reason for the shadowy figures is due to poor lighting and a poor camera. The ghostly figure in the window who many claim is supposed to be either Satan himself or Anton LaVey is actually a publicity guy from Asylum Records. Any physical similarities to LaVey or the Devil himself are purely coincidental.
Further claims state that the Hotel California is a reference to a hotel on California St. in San Francisco which the Church of Satan purchased and converted into their headquarters. The building in question was called The Black House and was actually an old Victorian mansion, not a hotel. It was the headquarters for the Church of Satan used by Anton LaVey in 1966 until his death in 1997. The Satanic Church lost custody of the house after LaVey’s death, and it was torn down in 2001.
It is also rumored that the Eagles were members of the Church of Satan and that they were disciples of LeVay. While a very unreliable source claims that the Waco Tribune-Herald interview Larry Salter, the Eagle’s manager, and he admitted that the Eagle’s were involved with the Church of Satan, the interview was apparently back in 1982 and the original can’t be found ...
Then there’s that whole bit about playing the song backward to hear a satanic message. That’s a bit of a stretch. Especially considering sites like that try to say the same thing about Metallica, Megadeath, and Kiss songs and, let’s be honest, you don’t need to play those songs backward to hear a Satanic message. Anyway, if you listen to the entire song backward yourself, you’ll find that it’s quite bogus.
Some have said that the Church of Satan is registered in California under the name “Hotel California,” but there is absolutely no evidence to support this claim.
It’s about Sex and Drugs
“Warm smell of Colitas / Rising up through the air”
“I saw a shimmering light”
“There she stood in the doorway / I heard the mission bell / I was thinking to myself / This could be Heaven or this could be Hell. / Then she lit up a candle / And she showed me the way”
“She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys / That she calls friends / How they dance in the courtyard / Sweet summer sweat / Some dance to remember / Some dance to forget”
“And still the voices are calling from far away / Wake you up in the middle of the night”
“Mirrors on the ceiling / Pink champagne on ice / And she said, ‘We are all just prisoners here / Of our own device’”
“You can check out anytime you like / But you can never leave”
This theory has the most overwhelming amount of evidence straight out of the song, and it’s also closest to the true meaning.
Probably the most explicit reference in the song is that of Colitas, a Spanish term meaning “little tails,” which could be a reference to the Cannabis plant (marijuana). The rest of the imagery in the song is a very strong implication that the narrator may not be entirely sane (or lucid) while he’s telling us his tale. A shimmering light and a vision of a hotel? Voices echoing down the hallways? Mirrors on the ceiling (seeing many things from many angles, which would happen when you hallucinate)?
It’s usually said that the song is warning against the use of drugs, given it’s generally negative view towards the subject, especially considering the narrators regret that he can’t seem to get out of the lifestyle he has become trapped in.
So What’s it Really About?
And now we come to the true meaning of this song, which is only slightly disappointing after reading all the wild previous possibilities!
Well, Henley and Frey claim that Colitas is a desert flower that smells good. Well, it may very well be a desert flower, but it’s still most likely slang for Cannabis. In their defense, I did read somewhere that a Mexican translated the words “little bud” to “Colitas” for them, neglecting to mention the marijuana reference, so they may not have completely understood what they were saying.
That being said, they explained in an interview in 1995 that the song is about the dangers of hedonism and greed, specifically as it applies to the American Dream and their own achieving fame and fortune in the worlds eyes. They wanted to warn not only California of this, but the entire nation. Unfortunately, due to a poor choice in the title of both the song and the album, it’s most commonly only associated with the Californian mindset.
It’s not a reference to any type of building, it’s not about cannibalism, and it’s not about the Church of Satan. The Steely Dan reference was, in fact, true. The song was the Eagles’ look back at their own lives, realizing how they had become caught up in the famous lifestyle (“Her mind is Tiffany-twisted / She got a Mercedes-Benz”), a lifestyle which has trapped them and isn’t turning out to be everything they had wanted (“We are all just prisoners here / Of our own device,” “You can check out anytime you like / But you can never leave”).
It makes sense if you consider that the song is the first on the album that addresses the issues of drugs, temptation, fame, relationships, and the American Dream.
There you have it! That’s the true meaning of the song Hotel California. I’m glad we had this discussion. I was sick of hearing about the Church of Satan.
Though you can play “Hotel California” on Guitar Hero by yourself an sound surprisingly similar to the original track, there’s nothing realistic about that. On the Hell Freezes Over album, the Eagles used eight guitars to perform this song. In the original studio mix, only five were used. Still, this should give you some measure of the caliber of this song. It is an amazing piece for guitar, and I never tire of listening to it.
Musical melodies aside, the lyrics of the song span quite a bit of controversies. The interpretations of this song range from the drug use, cannibalism, Hotel California being another name for the Camarillo State Hospital (a psychiatric hospital), and even references to devil worship and the Church of Satan.
I’m going to have to go ahead and debunk all the most popular rumors, as none of them are even remotely close to being true (except possibly the drug use one, though indirectly). Let’s lay out the most popular rumors and look at why they aren’t true. For your convenience, I have typed up the proper lyrics to the song here and you can listen to the song here.
Background on the Eagles
The Eagles are one of the most successful American rock bands of the 1970s. The Eagles were founded in the early 70s in Los Angeles, California, by Glenn Frey (singer, guitarist, songwriter), Don Henley (singer, guitarist, drummer, songwriter), Randy Meisner (singer, bassist, songwriter), and Bernie Leadon (singer, guitarist). It’s also worth mentioning the former member Don Felder (singer, guitarist, songwriter), as he helped write “Hotel California” and performed part of the guitar solo. The band has five number-one singles and six number-one albums so far. Their fifth album was Hotel California.
“Hotel California” is a song by the Eagles on the rock album of the same name, Hotel California, released in 1976. The theme of the whole album is essentially that of Manifest Destiny and the American Dream and the rise and falls in-thereof. The album isn’t exactly a rock opera, but it does seem to follow a common theme: it starts with “Hotel California” and comes to a culmination with “The Last Resort,” a song that narrates the demise of society as the conclusive warning to the theme of the album.
After its release, Hotel California received a Grammy for Record of the Year in 1978, the song has been considered by Rolling Stone to be the 49th greatest song of all time, and Guitar World Magazine ranked the guitar solo as the 8th greatest of all time. “Hotel California” reached 20th on the Billboard Top 100 in 1977.
It’s a Real Hotel
It turns out there’s a real hotel in California! A few of them, actually. Unfortunately, there is no hotel in California that goes under the name of Hotel California. There is, however, a hotel in Todos Santos, Mexico, just across the border, that goes by the name of Hotel California. The hotel also went under the name of The Hotel Mission (“I heard the Mission bell”). The name of the hotel changed several times after the popularity of the song grew so as to attract tourists. The problem is the Eagles never actually stayed there, and that location is not what the song is referring to.
It’s an Insane Asylum
“Next thing I remember / I was running for the door / I had to find the passage back / To the place I was before / “Relax,” said the night man / “We are programmed to receive / You can check out any time you like / But you can never leave.”
People who believe this rumor may simply be getting confused by the fact that the Eagles’s record company for the album before Hotel California was Asylum Records. The song isn’t actually about an insane asylum; there is no asylum anywhere in California or even the entire United States by the name of Hotel California.
Some still insist that the Hotel California is a nickname for the Camarillo State Hospital in Camarillo, California. But since the Eagles said in an interview in 1995 that it wasn’t in reference to a particular location, and since it wouldn’t really make much sense to take the pictures for the album artwork at the Beverly Hills Hotel if the song were really about the Camarillo State Hospital, the song probably isn’t in reference to an insane asylum. Though the imagery in the song does seem to describe states of insanity at times.
It’s a Hospital
Still, people insist that the Hotel California must be a real building somewhere, so they conjecture that perhaps it is a hospital somewhere. The rumor further claims that the song is actually about cancer.
“My head grew heavy and my site grew dim.” It could be a reference to the pains of the cancer that is evidently killing the body. “There she stood in the doorway” is alleged to be a reference to a nurse, and “And she showed me the way / There were voices down the corridor” is the nurse leading him down the hallways of the hospital, other cancer patients calling out to the narrator as he walks by. “They stab it with their Steely knives / But they just can’t kill the beast” could be a reference to repeated attempts to kill the cancer.
The song could be a metaphor for cancer, if you chose to interpret that way, but that wasn’t the intention when it was written.
It’s About Steely Dan
The line “They stab it with their Steely knives / But they just can’t kill the beast” is a reference to Steely Dan, an American rock band that had a healthy competition with the Eagles around the time Hotel California came out.
The Eagles were apparently impressed by the fact that Steely Dan didn’t require any rhyme or reason to the meaning in the lyrics of their song. The Eagles decided it would be pretty sweet to mention Steely Dan in their song, even though the rest of the song has absolutely nothing to do with them. Steely Dan had previously mention the Eagles in their song Everything You Did with the line “Turn up the Eagles the neighbors are listening” in 1976.
It’s About Cannibalism
Apparently the references to a secluded hotel with corridors and hallways that were an endless maze that entrapped anyone who entered reminded too many people of H. H. Holmes and the Murder Castle. I guess he didn’t eat his guests, but his story probably set people up for paranoia.
One theory that got spread around via chain mail muses that the reason “You can check out anytime you like / But you can never leave” is because the only way to truly leave is to be stabbed by those “Steely knives!” Apparently the hotel in the distance enticed you only to serve you up for dinner the following day. There’s really not much evidence of this in the song, and the band members have denied it.
It’s About the Church of Satan
Probably the most well known (and most misunderstood) meaning for the song says that it is a reference to devil worship and the Church of Satan. Such lines as “I was thinking to myself / This could be Heaven or this could be Hell,” “We haven’t had that spirit here / Since nineteen sixty-nine,” “... they just can’t kill the beast,” and “You can check out anytime you like / But you can never leave” apparently solidify this claim. Additionally, the album artwork has a bit of an eerie feel, and people claim that the photographs were taken at the same place where the Satanic Bible was written. “The Beast” referred to in the song is alleged to be Satan.
Anton LeVay finished the Satanic Bible in 1969, three years after founding his church. Supposedly ever since the bible was finished the Holy Spirit hasn’t been present at the Satanic Church (as if he was before?) and that’s what the line in the song is referencing. This claim falls short when you recognize that the line directly before this clarifies a reference to the spirit of wine, not the Holy Spirit. Additionally, once you join the occult you are apparently unable to get out. Considering the previous claims fall short, I’m going to entertain the thought that “the beast” must be a metaphorical character referring to something other than Satan.
The artwork for the album was actually shot at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills. The Eagles say that the reason for the shadowy figures is due to poor lighting and a poor camera. The ghostly figure in the window who many claim is supposed to be either Satan himself or Anton LaVey is actually a publicity guy from Asylum Records. Any physical similarities to LaVey or the Devil himself are purely coincidental.
Further claims state that the Hotel California is a reference to a hotel on California St. in San Francisco which the Church of Satan purchased and converted into their headquarters. The building in question was called The Black House and was actually an old Victorian mansion, not a hotel. It was the headquarters for the Church of Satan used by Anton LaVey in 1966 until his death in 1997. The Satanic Church lost custody of the house after LaVey’s death, and it was torn down in 2001.
It is also rumored that the Eagles were members of the Church of Satan and that they were disciples of LeVay. While a very unreliable source claims that the Waco Tribune-Herald interview Larry Salter, the Eagle’s manager, and he admitted that the Eagle’s were involved with the Church of Satan, the interview was apparently back in 1982 and the original can’t be found ...
Then there’s that whole bit about playing the song backward to hear a satanic message. That’s a bit of a stretch. Especially considering sites like that try to say the same thing about Metallica, Megadeath, and Kiss songs and, let’s be honest, you don’t need to play those songs backward to hear a Satanic message. Anyway, if you listen to the entire song backward yourself, you’ll find that it’s quite bogus.
Some have said that the Church of Satan is registered in California under the name “Hotel California,” but there is absolutely no evidence to support this claim.
It’s about Sex and Drugs
“Warm smell of Colitas / Rising up through the air”
“I saw a shimmering light”
“There she stood in the doorway / I heard the mission bell / I was thinking to myself / This could be Heaven or this could be Hell. / Then she lit up a candle / And she showed me the way”
“She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys / That she calls friends / How they dance in the courtyard / Sweet summer sweat / Some dance to remember / Some dance to forget”
“And still the voices are calling from far away / Wake you up in the middle of the night”
“Mirrors on the ceiling / Pink champagne on ice / And she said, ‘We are all just prisoners here / Of our own device’”
“You can check out anytime you like / But you can never leave”
This theory has the most overwhelming amount of evidence straight out of the song, and it’s also closest to the true meaning.
Probably the most explicit reference in the song is that of Colitas, a Spanish term meaning “little tails,” which could be a reference to the Cannabis plant (marijuana). The rest of the imagery in the song is a very strong implication that the narrator may not be entirely sane (or lucid) while he’s telling us his tale. A shimmering light and a vision of a hotel? Voices echoing down the hallways? Mirrors on the ceiling (seeing many things from many angles, which would happen when you hallucinate)?
It’s usually said that the song is warning against the use of drugs, given it’s generally negative view towards the subject, especially considering the narrators regret that he can’t seem to get out of the lifestyle he has become trapped in.
So What’s it Really About?
And now we come to the true meaning of this song, which is only slightly disappointing after reading all the wild previous possibilities!
Well, Henley and Frey claim that Colitas is a desert flower that smells good. Well, it may very well be a desert flower, but it’s still most likely slang for Cannabis. In their defense, I did read somewhere that a Mexican translated the words “little bud” to “Colitas” for them, neglecting to mention the marijuana reference, so they may not have completely understood what they were saying.
That being said, they explained in an interview in 1995 that the song is about the dangers of hedonism and greed, specifically as it applies to the American Dream and their own achieving fame and fortune in the worlds eyes. They wanted to warn not only California of this, but the entire nation. Unfortunately, due to a poor choice in the title of both the song and the album, it’s most commonly only associated with the Californian mindset.
It’s not a reference to any type of building, it’s not about cannibalism, and it’s not about the Church of Satan. The Steely Dan reference was, in fact, true. The song was the Eagles’ look back at their own lives, realizing how they had become caught up in the famous lifestyle (“Her mind is Tiffany-twisted / She got a Mercedes-Benz”), a lifestyle which has trapped them and isn’t turning out to be everything they had wanted (“We are all just prisoners here / Of our own device,” “You can check out anytime you like / But you can never leave”).
It makes sense if you consider that the song is the first on the album that addresses the issues of drugs, temptation, fame, relationships, and the American Dream.
There you have it! That’s the true meaning of the song Hotel California. I’m glad we had this discussion. I was sick of hearing about the Church of Satan.
The Question of Music, Meaning, and Life Project
11/19/08 02:34 PM
After viewing a few
John Cage videos on YouTube (like this
one, this
one, and
possibly this
one), I
thought to myself, “What the heck ...
I
could write this
crap.” And so, using his song 4’33” as my deepest
inspiration, I proceeded to do just that. In fact,
I made an entire album, with philosophical song
explanations and artwork to go along with it.
If you’re going to download the album, just realize that it probably won’t actually make much sense unless you read the liner notes (which are only provided on the website at the link below). If you don’t read those, you will basically miss the point of this project.
People make money off this stuff. I just do it for fun. I apologize if you actually like John Cage, but that is not music. The following is meant for satirical purposes and not meant to be taken seriously ... At all.
The Question of Music, Meaning, and Life Project
If you’re going to download the album, just realize that it probably won’t actually make much sense unless you read the liner notes (which are only provided on the website at the link below). If you don’t read those, you will basically miss the point of this project.
People make money off this stuff. I just do it for fun. I apologize if you actually like John Cage, but that is not music. The following is meant for satirical purposes and not meant to be taken seriously ... At all.
The Question of Music, Meaning, and Life Project
The Happening
06/15/08 05:07 PM
*** SPOILER WARNING ***
M. Night Shyamalan's first R-rated movie?! Oy vey. Could you not think of a better way to market this, Shyamalan? The trailers were good until the most recent one was released with the narrator saying, "The director who brought you The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable now brings you his first R-rated movie." Really? Do I cared what the movie is rated? Convince me to go see it some other way ...
However, the trailers did convince me to go see it. I enjoy Shyamalan's movies and the twists he chooses to put in them, so I thought I would give this one a try too. If you haven't seen the a preview for the movie and don't at least know the synopsis, click here or here. Then again, if you haven't seen a the movie or even a preview, why are you reading my blog post that starts with "SPOILER WARNING?"
The Happening stars Elliot (Mark Wahlberg) and Alma (Zooey Deschanel) Moore in a Horror/Thiller/Drama movie in which an event seems to be killing people in the Northeast of the United States. Initial thoughts are that the virus was released (airborne) by terrorists, but it is later understood (and even given away in the trailer) than it is a natural virus. It seems to start in city parks and then spread from there, taking smaller and smaller populations as it goes. The first stages of the virus cause you to lose speech and simple motor skills. The second stage causes you to become disoriented, and the third stage causes you to kill yourself. Though all three stages happen within a few moments of each other. Elliot and Alma along with their best friends daughter, Jess, are on the run, trying to escape the virus' fatal spread. Unfortunately, everywhere they try to run to seems to be the next place the virus breaks out.
The movie is rated R for violent and disturbing images. Which, for a movie about people killing themselves, you would think that would make sense. However, the people I went with and myself can't seem to figure out where the disturbing images were. The movie wasn't too graphic; it mostly left the goriest details up the to viewer's imagination, as any good director will. (Yah, sorry Quentin Tarantino.) There was no language, and no inappropriate sexual material of any kind to help warrant an R-rating. I don't work for the MPAA, but according to their lousy standards, I'd say the movie should be PG-13. Maybe they're trying to make up for all the movies they accidently rated PG-13 that should have been rated R.
In and of itself, the movie was alright. However, when you bring it into perspective and realize that M. Night Shyamalan was the writer and directed, it becomes far more disappointing. For one thing, there was no twist! (There may have been a twist, which I will discuss in a moment, but it's a far stretch.) This is going to be a huge turn off for Shyamalan fans. However, far more painfully, the dialog was a lot of terribly cheesy one-liners, usually coming from Mark Wahlberg's mouth. When you understand the movie is a Sci-Fi Thriller, it could be an entertaining watch without the horrid scripting.
One theory my friends and I came up with is that the movie may have been an attempt by Shyamalan to lessen to Earth's population. Since it was a movie about killing yourself, and we were all feeling horribly depressed about spending $6.50 and wasting an hour and a half of our time on it.
On a brighter note, the movie did have excellent sound mixing and creative camera shots, which Shyamalan has always been good at. I would certainly sit down and watch the movie again simply for the fact that it was well directed on the video/audio side. It's just a shame it missed the mark completely when it went through scripting. If you're into that sort of thing, watch the movie for those elements. In fact, I'd recommend the movie because it is a good movie with a shallow script. However, since the majority of people care more about the overall plot more than the audio/video aspect of the movie, I'll critique that.
Within the first few minutes of the movie my friends and I placed it was most likely going to be an environmentalist movie. It was. The "twist," if you want to call it that, may have been that we need to think carefully before infecting the Earth's plants with our pollution. They might get mad at us for it and try to kill us.
If you stretch your mind a lot, you may realize that the character Alma Moore's name is the Spanish word for "soul." Though a bit far fetched (a bit?), it may be more comforting to think that Shyamalan's twist was that everyone in the movie had lost their soul (the ability for their heart and mind to reason with each other). That the virus never really existed at all, and that the entire epidemic was psychological. At the beginning of the movie, people start killing themselves due to the alleged virus. It is then broadcast over nationwide news that a virus seems to be infecting victims in parks. They describe the initial signs and say the final stage is that you kill yourself. People freak out and begin to believe what they're hearing, then they start to believe they to are getting the virus. People love to believe what they here, even if it is detrimental to their health. (War of the Worlds, anyone?) This is simply one theory, and there are no reports that Shyamalan intended for this. More than likely he meant to have no twist at all.
I liked Filmcritic.com's comment on the movie saying, "Instead of scares [...] we get unintentional laughs. Instead of though provoking sci-fi speculation, we get the Alan Tichmarsh version of Armageddon." All too true. The parts of the movie which seemingly were planned to be the scariest end up being the parts where the majority of the theater was trying not to chuckle.
Though the movie was significantly better than Shyamalan's last ditch effort, Lady in the Water, and actually had a plot, unlike Cloverfield, he falls short of his reputation on so many levels, it's sad. I hope he hasn't completely lost his touch and can direct another fine movie in the years to come.
M. Night Shyamalan's first R-rated movie?! Oy vey. Could you not think of a better way to market this, Shyamalan? The trailers were good until the most recent one was released with the narrator saying, "The director who brought you The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable now brings you his first R-rated movie." Really? Do I cared what the movie is rated? Convince me to go see it some other way ...
However, the trailers did convince me to go see it. I enjoy Shyamalan's movies and the twists he chooses to put in them, so I thought I would give this one a try too. If you haven't seen the a preview for the movie and don't at least know the synopsis, click here or here. Then again, if you haven't seen a the movie or even a preview, why are you reading my blog post that starts with "SPOILER WARNING?"
The Happening stars Elliot (Mark Wahlberg) and Alma (Zooey Deschanel) Moore in a Horror/Thiller/Drama movie in which an event seems to be killing people in the Northeast of the United States. Initial thoughts are that the virus was released (airborne) by terrorists, but it is later understood (and even given away in the trailer) than it is a natural virus. It seems to start in city parks and then spread from there, taking smaller and smaller populations as it goes. The first stages of the virus cause you to lose speech and simple motor skills. The second stage causes you to become disoriented, and the third stage causes you to kill yourself. Though all three stages happen within a few moments of each other. Elliot and Alma along with their best friends daughter, Jess, are on the run, trying to escape the virus' fatal spread. Unfortunately, everywhere they try to run to seems to be the next place the virus breaks out.
The movie is rated R for violent and disturbing images. Which, for a movie about people killing themselves, you would think that would make sense. However, the people I went with and myself can't seem to figure out where the disturbing images were. The movie wasn't too graphic; it mostly left the goriest details up the to viewer's imagination, as any good director will. (Yah, sorry Quentin Tarantino.) There was no language, and no inappropriate sexual material of any kind to help warrant an R-rating. I don't work for the MPAA, but according to their lousy standards, I'd say the movie should be PG-13. Maybe they're trying to make up for all the movies they accidently rated PG-13 that should have been rated R.
In and of itself, the movie was alright. However, when you bring it into perspective and realize that M. Night Shyamalan was the writer and directed, it becomes far more disappointing. For one thing, there was no twist! (There may have been a twist, which I will discuss in a moment, but it's a far stretch.) This is going to be a huge turn off for Shyamalan fans. However, far more painfully, the dialog was a lot of terribly cheesy one-liners, usually coming from Mark Wahlberg's mouth. When you understand the movie is a Sci-Fi Thriller, it could be an entertaining watch without the horrid scripting.
One theory my friends and I came up with is that the movie may have been an attempt by Shyamalan to lessen to Earth's population. Since it was a movie about killing yourself, and we were all feeling horribly depressed about spending $6.50 and wasting an hour and a half of our time on it.
On a brighter note, the movie did have excellent sound mixing and creative camera shots, which Shyamalan has always been good at. I would certainly sit down and watch the movie again simply for the fact that it was well directed on the video/audio side. It's just a shame it missed the mark completely when it went through scripting. If you're into that sort of thing, watch the movie for those elements. In fact, I'd recommend the movie because it is a good movie with a shallow script. However, since the majority of people care more about the overall plot more than the audio/video aspect of the movie, I'll critique that.
Within the first few minutes of the movie my friends and I placed it was most likely going to be an environmentalist movie. It was. The "twist," if you want to call it that, may have been that we need to think carefully before infecting the Earth's plants with our pollution. They might get mad at us for it and try to kill us.
If you stretch your mind a lot, you may realize that the character Alma Moore's name is the Spanish word for "soul." Though a bit far fetched (a bit?), it may be more comforting to think that Shyamalan's twist was that everyone in the movie had lost their soul (the ability for their heart and mind to reason with each other). That the virus never really existed at all, and that the entire epidemic was psychological. At the beginning of the movie, people start killing themselves due to the alleged virus. It is then broadcast over nationwide news that a virus seems to be infecting victims in parks. They describe the initial signs and say the final stage is that you kill yourself. People freak out and begin to believe what they're hearing, then they start to believe they to are getting the virus. People love to believe what they here, even if it is detrimental to their health. (War of the Worlds, anyone?) This is simply one theory, and there are no reports that Shyamalan intended for this. More than likely he meant to have no twist at all.
I liked Filmcritic.com's comment on the movie saying, "Instead of scares [...] we get unintentional laughs. Instead of though provoking sci-fi speculation, we get the Alan Tichmarsh version of Armageddon." All too true. The parts of the movie which seemingly were planned to be the scariest end up being the parts where the majority of the theater was trying not to chuckle.
Though the movie was significantly better than Shyamalan's last ditch effort, Lady in the Water, and actually had a plot, unlike Cloverfield, he falls short of his reputation on so many levels, it's sad. I hope he hasn't completely lost his touch and can direct another fine movie in the years to come.
What the Media Refuses to Admit About Gas Prices
05/26/08 06:08 PM
Ah, summer. A time for
good and bad things to start happening again, like
they do every year. A time for flowers and trees to
start blooming, for grass to start growing, and farms
to be planted. A time when new music starts to be
released, both good
and
absolutely
horrible (has music lost all intelligence
... and clarity?) music. The time of the year when
far too many girls realize they can again dress
like skanks and still remain warm (could you
possible wear any less threads?). People start
camping and fishing, the smell of freshly mowed
grass is wherever you go, the gnats and bugs
become killer, you can finally feel good about
eating ice cream, multiple summer blockbusters are
opening every weekend (especially in June), and
the price of gas continues to relentless soar.
The media does a fantastic job of blaming the Bush administration; everyone wants to make sure the next president is going to do something about the outrageous treatment of our friends in the Middle East so they'll lower the price of oil. Obviously, if the war was over gas prices would go down, since we're fighting in oil-sensative zones, right? And let's not forget those "don't buy gas" days we all keep getting Facebook invitations to.
Sorry. That's not going to work. And unless our next president can get our economy fixed up, canceling a war won't fix the gas prices either. This is because the war isn't actually going on in oil-sensative zones anymore, despite what the media continues to say. I know we all became paranoid about gas prices and terrorism in 2001 and have associated gas prices with terrorism from that point on, but, for the most part, they're unrelated these days.
In 2002, the US dollar was equivalent to the Euro, one for one. In 2008, one USD will buy you 0.63 Euros. For a fancy graph, check out this Wall Street Journal article which will explain this all better than I ever could. Foreign oil prices are up a bit, but the majority of the fault lies with our decaying economy and especially the dollar.
So, while people complain (and the media continues to do it it's job: Misinforming the public) about the Bush administration doing an awful job, and the war in the Middle East driving our gas prices higher and higher, you now know the real reason for our high gas prices. And, next time you're filling up your tank and subsequently emptying your bank account, just think how fortunate you are. After all, unless you live in California, the vast majority of other countries still pays far more for one gallon of gas than you do. Europe pays over 8 dollars (5 Euros) for a gallon of gas, and they aren't even panicking over there.
News Flash: Boycotting gas prices? Participating in those "Don't Buy Gas" days? That's only going to drive the price of gasoline higher. If a successful boycott were actually carried out (most successfully on a single distributor), the result would be less competition for the remaining companies, thus driving the price UP not DOWN because they would have less reason to price competitively. More than likely, however, a successful boycott is near impossible since one day of sales won't hurt a gasoline retailer; the customers will simply buy it all back the next day. We all have to get to work, right? (As a side note, I have yet to find a Facebook group that actually spells boycott correctly. There are two t's. My generation is going down the pitiful ...)
You want gas prices to go back down? Cut up your credit cards and purchase things up front, like you actually have money for them, not on credit.
The media does a fantastic job of blaming the Bush administration; everyone wants to make sure the next president is going to do something about the outrageous treatment of our friends in the Middle East so they'll lower the price of oil. Obviously, if the war was over gas prices would go down, since we're fighting in oil-sensative zones, right? And let's not forget those "don't buy gas" days we all keep getting Facebook invitations to.
Sorry. That's not going to work. And unless our next president can get our economy fixed up, canceling a war won't fix the gas prices either. This is because the war isn't actually going on in oil-sensative zones anymore, despite what the media continues to say. I know we all became paranoid about gas prices and terrorism in 2001 and have associated gas prices with terrorism from that point on, but, for the most part, they're unrelated these days.
In 2002, the US dollar was equivalent to the Euro, one for one. In 2008, one USD will buy you 0.63 Euros. For a fancy graph, check out this Wall Street Journal article which will explain this all better than I ever could. Foreign oil prices are up a bit, but the majority of the fault lies with our decaying economy and especially the dollar.
So, while people complain (and the media continues to do it it's job: Misinforming the public) about the Bush administration doing an awful job, and the war in the Middle East driving our gas prices higher and higher, you now know the real reason for our high gas prices. And, next time you're filling up your tank and subsequently emptying your bank account, just think how fortunate you are. After all, unless you live in California, the vast majority of other countries still pays far more for one gallon of gas than you do. Europe pays over 8 dollars (5 Euros) for a gallon of gas, and they aren't even panicking over there.
News Flash: Boycotting gas prices? Participating in those "Don't Buy Gas" days? That's only going to drive the price of gasoline higher. If a successful boycott were actually carried out (most successfully on a single distributor), the result would be less competition for the remaining companies, thus driving the price UP not DOWN because they would have less reason to price competitively. More than likely, however, a successful boycott is near impossible since one day of sales won't hurt a gasoline retailer; the customers will simply buy it all back the next day. We all have to get to work, right? (As a side note, I have yet to find a Facebook group that actually spells boycott correctly. There are two t's. My generation is going down the pitiful ...)
You want gas prices to go back down? Cut up your credit cards and purchase things up front, like you actually have money for them, not on credit.
NBC Decides to Play Nice
04/21/08 10:11 PM
Remember back
when NBC got a
little too full of itself a while back and decided to yank
its shows from iTunes? They pressured Apple to
increase the prices of songs and shows that were
more popular in order to make more profit;
thankfully, Apple refused to cave. NBC threatened
to not resign their contract renewal
with Apple for their Digital Media. Apple
one-upped them; they pulled all NBC shows and
music immediately, proving they didn't need NBC to
survive (though NBC does hold a
large portion of the television side of the
iTunes Store.
I've been waiting for NBC to come crawling back like a baby. Of course, NBC had to think of a way to do this without looking like a complete idiot. Coincidently, NBC didn't even try to bring up the pricing problem again. This time they said they would be OK with Apple's pricing policy, but before they would return their programming to iTunes they wanted Apple to incorporate some form of anti-piracy measures.
This could be both good and bad, as I see it. NBC wants to take advantage of the DRM Apple already incorporates, except they wish to expand it. They would like everything in your iTunes library to have the DRM written to it, which could get really frustrating and, to me, is a huge invasion of your own music rights. However, I don't deny that I think Apple will probably agree to this.
After all, I think it's only a matter of time before the FCC and RIAA crack down like mad on the internet. It will be the day when all internet freedom disintegrates and Big Brother constantly watches over your shoulder; a day I shudder to see come. Since the internet is most frequently viewed in the comforts, and privacy, of your own home, I believe their shouldn't be any type of ISP or government restrictions on it. Sure, if a corporation or parent wants to add filters for various things, that's completely legitimate. But we want the internet, our music, movies, and all types of media (yes, I'm talking to you, Adobe) DRM FREE!
I've been waiting for NBC to come crawling back like a baby. Of course, NBC had to think of a way to do this without looking like a complete idiot. Coincidently, NBC didn't even try to bring up the pricing problem again. This time they said they would be OK with Apple's pricing policy, but before they would return their programming to iTunes they wanted Apple to incorporate some form of anti-piracy measures.
This could be both good and bad, as I see it. NBC wants to take advantage of the DRM Apple already incorporates, except they wish to expand it. They would like everything in your iTunes library to have the DRM written to it, which could get really frustrating and, to me, is a huge invasion of your own music rights. However, I don't deny that I think Apple will probably agree to this.
After all, I think it's only a matter of time before the FCC and RIAA crack down like mad on the internet. It will be the day when all internet freedom disintegrates and Big Brother constantly watches over your shoulder; a day I shudder to see come. Since the internet is most frequently viewed in the comforts, and privacy, of your own home, I believe their shouldn't be any type of ISP or government restrictions on it. Sure, if a corporation or parent wants to add filters for various things, that's completely legitimate. But we want the internet, our music, movies, and all types of media (yes, I'm talking to you, Adobe) DRM FREE!
YouTube Evangelism and Music Videos
12/22/07 08:13 AM
I always chuckle a bit
when I browse my way over to some YouTube video by
Korn, Mudvayne, or some equally controversial band.
It's not so much the videos that amuse me, it's the
comments left if you scroll down below the videos. We
all know these are mainstream bands, and we all know
metal bands can be known for their colorful language
and often lyrics relating to the occult, so let's not
hold them to any moral standards, OK? But then we
have the Christian users who enjoy searching for
these videos and then leaving comments pointing out
how wrong all the artists fans are for liking it.
First of all, why are you searching for the video if
it offends you? You don't have to be listening to it
or watching it. Second of all, leaving a comment
saying, "You guys are idiots. This music is not
edifying to God in any way. He wouldn't be happy that
you're watching this. You're all going to Hell."
Well, those aren't the exact words, but there are
oh-so-many comments that say almost exactly that, or
at least allude to that.
Listen, telling someone they're an "idiot" for what they believe is not going to get them excited about switching to your religion. And since when has your personal relationship with Christ been about how guilty someone made you feel, so you just HAD to become a Christian. Isn't it way more beneficial to slowly but surely show someone God's love through the way you act? I'm pretty sure insulting someone's entire way of life through harsh words isn't a good way to show God's love.
Personally, I don't think you can even begin to "witness" to someone on a YouTube discussion board for a Slipknot music video, so please stop! Do you realize it makes all the fans hate Christian even more than Slipknot (and most of America) already does? Just look at some of the posts following when someone attempts to "witness" in response to a video like that. They're not pretty.
The comments on YouTube are to comment on the video ... what you liked about it, what you disliked about it. If you absolutely hated it, generally nobody cares, and you would have been better off spending the five minutes of your life doing something more productive. And why take another five minutes to write a demeaning comment to everyone else who did like the video or song? That just doesn't make sense to me ...
On that note, and probably going in the complete opposite direction of what I just said, may I please have permission to point out the terribly quality of our music videos today? What happened to the days of Thriller, when Michael Jackson was still black and music videos held a story line and a point and weren't so vague they left you feeling numb and wondering, "Wow ... I can't decide if that was really deep or completely pointless." The vast majority of music videos today are spent simply showing the band playing their instruments, usually off time with the music. The videos then pan to some girl or boy, but usually a girl, who is probably struggling with something, running from something, or arguing with her boyfriend or parents. Oh, and don't even get me STARTED on rap videos. The only budget cost you have in a rap video is the cost of the scantly clad strippers you hire to dance around the rapper while he sits on a cruise ship floating through the Caribbean.
It's all too predictable! What happened to the five minute dance scenes and a gripping plot line, almost making the music video a short film! Thriller the song was nearly six minutes long, but the video was extended to nearly fifteen, with a budget of 800,000 1983 dollars (that's about 1.4 million 2007 dollars.) That's the way it should be.
Another problem is the artists lip movement synced with the audio. It's not. Ever. It's ridiculous that with all our modern technology, and the amount of money we pay the digital guru's who mix these videos, that we can't manage to get the artists lip movement to actually look like they're singing the song. I would suggest that perhaps it's a more difficult task than we give them credit for, but that's simply not the case. Perhaps I should allude again to any Michael Jackson video ... the audio is synced almost perfectly with his mouth. Basically in all old music videos that told a story, the audio was synced so much better than it is in todays MTV hits. What is the deal?!
Music is getting less and less good and more and more repetitively stupid, if you ask me, the videos are showing for it. Too bad the good artists who could dance, sing, and direct/produce good music and music videos have unfortunately undergone too much plastic surgery to even be able to bust a dance move, let alone sing a proper note.
Listen, telling someone they're an "idiot" for what they believe is not going to get them excited about switching to your religion. And since when has your personal relationship with Christ been about how guilty someone made you feel, so you just HAD to become a Christian. Isn't it way more beneficial to slowly but surely show someone God's love through the way you act? I'm pretty sure insulting someone's entire way of life through harsh words isn't a good way to show God's love.
Personally, I don't think you can even begin to "witness" to someone on a YouTube discussion board for a Slipknot music video, so please stop! Do you realize it makes all the fans hate Christian even more than Slipknot (and most of America) already does? Just look at some of the posts following when someone attempts to "witness" in response to a video like that. They're not pretty.
The comments on YouTube are to comment on the video ... what you liked about it, what you disliked about it. If you absolutely hated it, generally nobody cares, and you would have been better off spending the five minutes of your life doing something more productive. And why take another five minutes to write a demeaning comment to everyone else who did like the video or song? That just doesn't make sense to me ...
On that note, and probably going in the complete opposite direction of what I just said, may I please have permission to point out the terribly quality of our music videos today? What happened to the days of Thriller, when Michael Jackson was still black and music videos held a story line and a point and weren't so vague they left you feeling numb and wondering, "Wow ... I can't decide if that was really deep or completely pointless." The vast majority of music videos today are spent simply showing the band playing their instruments, usually off time with the music. The videos then pan to some girl or boy, but usually a girl, who is probably struggling with something, running from something, or arguing with her boyfriend or parents. Oh, and don't even get me STARTED on rap videos. The only budget cost you have in a rap video is the cost of the scantly clad strippers you hire to dance around the rapper while he sits on a cruise ship floating through the Caribbean.
It's all too predictable! What happened to the five minute dance scenes and a gripping plot line, almost making the music video a short film! Thriller the song was nearly six minutes long, but the video was extended to nearly fifteen, with a budget of 800,000 1983 dollars (that's about 1.4 million 2007 dollars.) That's the way it should be.
Another problem is the artists lip movement synced with the audio. It's not. Ever. It's ridiculous that with all our modern technology, and the amount of money we pay the digital guru's who mix these videos, that we can't manage to get the artists lip movement to actually look like they're singing the song. I would suggest that perhaps it's a more difficult task than we give them credit for, but that's simply not the case. Perhaps I should allude again to any Michael Jackson video ... the audio is synced almost perfectly with his mouth. Basically in all old music videos that told a story, the audio was synced so much better than it is in todays MTV hits. What is the deal?!
Music is getting less and less good and more and more repetitively stupid, if you ask me, the videos are showing for it. Too bad the good artists who could dance, sing, and direct/produce good music and music videos have unfortunately undergone too much plastic surgery to even be able to bust a dance move, let alone sing a proper note.
NBC, Quit Embarassing Yourself
10/29/07 05:26 PM
I was perusing my
favorite News Feeds this afternoon on the wonderful
iGoogle, when I came across a topic I hadn't heard
about for a while. How many of you know about about
NBCs little money tantrum? (Show of hands, please.)
Allow me to summarize ...
In late August of 2007, NBC declared it was going to break up with Apple (a.k.a., not renew their video contract with them for their TV Shows, etc.) because they couldn't manage to come to an agreement about pricing policies. The contract was due to end in December of 2007, if I remember correctly, but it may have been the first half of 2008. Instead of waiting out the rest of the contract and selling NBCs TV Shows until the contract ran out, Apple pulled the plug early, yanking all NBC shows from the iTunes store the same week NBC made their harsh statement. This was Apple's way of saying, "We don't need you anyway, NBC. We're going to define the next generation of audio/video, whether you side with us or not."
Apple is already paving the way for the next wave of audio/video communication, especially with the iTunes Music Store and the newly released Apple TV.
So, what was the problem exactly? NBC wanted to try out some "experimental pricing" strategies with Apple. Instead of charing $1.99 for each episode, NBC wanted their shows to cost $4.99. They also wanted users to pay more for "more popular programming." Apple's answer? Nope! Why make our customers pay more for something than they absolutely have to?
This brings us to today, when Zucker states that, "We know that Apple has destroyed the music business -- in terms of pricing -- and if we don’t take control, they’ll do the same thing on the video side." Right. Apple has destroyed the music business. He doesn't actually explain how Apple has done this, which seems pretty crucial to me. The way I see it is, unlike Napster, SpiralFrog, Connect, or Rhapsody, Apple offered a user-friendly alternative to these music stores, while taking down the hyper-aggressive DRM all of those other music stores force you to live with. Apple is currently in the process of transitioning into the same thing with video.
According to Zucker, “We wanted to take one show, it didn’t matter which one it was, and experiment and sell it for $2.99,” he said. “We made that offer for months and they said no.” He makes it sound like he's trying to us (the consumer) a favor! The show to which he was referring was "Heros," the very popular NBC equivalent to Lost ;).
Zucker stated that it wasn't a tough decision to remove their content from the Apple Music Store because they only had made about $15 million from the deal. I'm sorry you escaped with such little profits, greedy NBC.
Another thing I found very interesting was that NBC claimed it should get a portion of the hardware sales Apple was making off of the iPod and iPhone. Um, hello? Your content is strictly software. If someone watches your show on a Sony TV and DVD player, does Sony then owe you a portion of their earnings? Just ... please, stop talking, Zucker!
If you ask me, Zucker is being ridiculous ... I don't think Apple ruined the music business OR the video business, I think Apple actually gave the consumer what they wanted; cheaper, more reasonably priced products!
Well, I have only one thing to say in conclusion. NBC, as a member of the demographic to which you are selling, I would rather purchase your content off of the iTunes Music Store for a lesser price than from any other location from which you jack the prices like nobody's business. So Apple didn't ruin the music (and video) business. I would say they correct music (and video) pricing schemes.
In late August of 2007, NBC declared it was going to break up with Apple (a.k.a., not renew their video contract with them for their TV Shows, etc.) because they couldn't manage to come to an agreement about pricing policies. The contract was due to end in December of 2007, if I remember correctly, but it may have been the first half of 2008. Instead of waiting out the rest of the contract and selling NBCs TV Shows until the contract ran out, Apple pulled the plug early, yanking all NBC shows from the iTunes store the same week NBC made their harsh statement. This was Apple's way of saying, "We don't need you anyway, NBC. We're going to define the next generation of audio/video, whether you side with us or not."
Apple is already paving the way for the next wave of audio/video communication, especially with the iTunes Music Store and the newly released Apple TV.
So, what was the problem exactly? NBC wanted to try out some "experimental pricing" strategies with Apple. Instead of charing $1.99 for each episode, NBC wanted their shows to cost $4.99. They also wanted users to pay more for "more popular programming." Apple's answer? Nope! Why make our customers pay more for something than they absolutely have to?
This brings us to today, when Zucker states that, "We know that Apple has destroyed the music business -- in terms of pricing -- and if we don’t take control, they’ll do the same thing on the video side." Right. Apple has destroyed the music business. He doesn't actually explain how Apple has done this, which seems pretty crucial to me. The way I see it is, unlike Napster, SpiralFrog, Connect, or Rhapsody, Apple offered a user-friendly alternative to these music stores, while taking down the hyper-aggressive DRM all of those other music stores force you to live with. Apple is currently in the process of transitioning into the same thing with video.
According to Zucker, “We wanted to take one show, it didn’t matter which one it was, and experiment and sell it for $2.99,” he said. “We made that offer for months and they said no.” He makes it sound like he's trying to us (the consumer) a favor! The show to which he was referring was "Heros," the very popular NBC equivalent to Lost ;).
Zucker stated that it wasn't a tough decision to remove their content from the Apple Music Store because they only had made about $15 million from the deal. I'm sorry you escaped with such little profits, greedy NBC.
Another thing I found very interesting was that NBC claimed it should get a portion of the hardware sales Apple was making off of the iPod and iPhone. Um, hello? Your content is strictly software. If someone watches your show on a Sony TV and DVD player, does Sony then owe you a portion of their earnings? Just ... please, stop talking, Zucker!
If you ask me, Zucker is being ridiculous ... I don't think Apple ruined the music business OR the video business, I think Apple actually gave the consumer what they wanted; cheaper, more reasonably priced products!
Well, I have only one thing to say in conclusion. NBC, as a member of the demographic to which you are selling, I would rather purchase your content off of the iTunes Music Store for a lesser price than from any other location from which you jack the prices like nobody's business. So Apple didn't ruin the music (and video) business. I would say they correct music (and video) pricing schemes.
You're A Pirate ... Yarrr
07/22/07 01:05 PM
So, apparently, since I
own an iPod, and chances are you own an iPod, we're
both pirates. Being accused of breaking the law by
none other than the RIAA (Record Industry Association
of America). Of course, this is in Canada, not
America, but still. Yet another reason not to live in
Canada.
Canada has a poor habit of charging you an extra tax for something you MIGHT do. So, say you went out and bought some CD-R's from BestBuy ... in Canada. Do they have BestBuy in Canada? Well, wherever you shop for electronics in Canada. That 50-pack of CD-R's would cost you more than if you had purchased it here in America. Why? Because the Canadian government has chosen to tax for all the illegal CDs that you might burn with those blank CDs. This additional tax is passed onto the recording companies to make up for pirated music CDs.
This additional tax throws one very big question back in my face though. In Canada, if I buy these blank CDs, am I then PAYING so I CAN legally burn a music CD? I mean, if I'm buying a blank CD and paying an extra tax for the music that I might burn onto it, since I've already paid for it, I can burn it, right?
It also means that the RIAA is assuming you're already a criminal, even if you're simply buying the CDs for backup purposes. I have a lot of my CDs that get scratched and are not playable anymore. Luckily, I have the music backed up on my computer, so I reburn the CD. There's another legal use for blank CDs.
The RIAA is now trying to push this ridiculous tax onto MP3 players as well. Luckily, the courts did not pass this, due to a lot of complaints from retailers and, specifically, Apple. And the recording industries response? "Obviously, we're disappointed. We felt it was self-evident that those products are sold for the purpose of copying music." Obviously ... So, you're saying that just because I own an iPod, I'm obviously stealing all of my music? I think you missed the advertisement where it said that iPods are meant for listening to music, not copying music. Let's see, how many times have I copied music directly from another iPod? Um ... never. Because it's not possible. Because Apple intentionally made iPods that way so that you couldn't use your iPod for copying music, only for listening to music. After all, that's what an iPod is for!
The RIAA is doing an awful lot of assuming, and accusing, and I don't like to be charged for something I might do. But then again, that's all car insurance is, eh? And that's why males under the age of 21 are charged so much more than females of any age ;).
I enjoy the freedoms of America, thank you :)!
Canada has a poor habit of charging you an extra tax for something you MIGHT do. So, say you went out and bought some CD-R's from BestBuy ... in Canada. Do they have BestBuy in Canada? Well, wherever you shop for electronics in Canada. That 50-pack of CD-R's would cost you more than if you had purchased it here in America. Why? Because the Canadian government has chosen to tax for all the illegal CDs that you might burn with those blank CDs. This additional tax is passed onto the recording companies to make up for pirated music CDs.
This additional tax throws one very big question back in my face though. In Canada, if I buy these blank CDs, am I then PAYING so I CAN legally burn a music CD? I mean, if I'm buying a blank CD and paying an extra tax for the music that I might burn onto it, since I've already paid for it, I can burn it, right?
It also means that the RIAA is assuming you're already a criminal, even if you're simply buying the CDs for backup purposes. I have a lot of my CDs that get scratched and are not playable anymore. Luckily, I have the music backed up on my computer, so I reburn the CD. There's another legal use for blank CDs.
The RIAA is now trying to push this ridiculous tax onto MP3 players as well. Luckily, the courts did not pass this, due to a lot of complaints from retailers and, specifically, Apple. And the recording industries response? "Obviously, we're disappointed. We felt it was self-evident that those products are sold for the purpose of copying music." Obviously ... So, you're saying that just because I own an iPod, I'm obviously stealing all of my music? I think you missed the advertisement where it said that iPods are meant for listening to music, not copying music. Let's see, how many times have I copied music directly from another iPod? Um ... never. Because it's not possible. Because Apple intentionally made iPods that way so that you couldn't use your iPod for copying music, only for listening to music. After all, that's what an iPod is for!
The RIAA is doing an awful lot of assuming, and accusing, and I don't like to be charged for something I might do. But then again, that's all car insurance is, eh? And that's why males under the age of 21 are charged so much more than females of any age ;).
I enjoy the freedoms of America, thank you :)!
Don't Judge A Band By Its Label
05/04/07 08:16 AM
I need to see some
hands. How many of you have purchased, or at least
listened to, the newest Chevelle CD, Vena
Sera?
I've long held the opinion that bands should not be dubbed "Christian" or "Secular" simply by their label. I also hold to the opinion that a band, made of Christian members, should not be judged simply because every one of their songs does not say "Jesus" or "God" somewhere in it. In general, appearances shouldn't deceive you. Don't look at a band and say, "I think this and this" about them. Pick up the CD and listen to it. Go to the bands website. Look at the members lifestyles. Then make a judgement.
P.O.D. is a band that is often critisized for headlining Ozzfest, playing on MTV, or touring with bands like Korn. But I like what P.O.D. has to say to that in an interview with FamilyChristian.com.
---
"You know what, we're not trying to play for the Christian. It's been almost 10 years that P.O.D.'s been for the people that don't know God. To get to this point where God puts us in front of millions of people that don't know God, that's a dream come true and it's an act of prayer for P.O.D."
---
On a side note, P.O.D. was originally produced by the Christian record label, Rescue Records. They have since then by produced by Atlantic Records (Tooth & Nail Records helped distribute The Warrios E.P .) and Rhino Records, both owned by the Warner Music Group. They are currently produced by Columbia Records, owned by Song BMG Music Entertainment. P.O.D. has currently released 12 albums, and is planning on releasing their newest album in the early Summer of 2007. I say all this to point out that P.O.D. is produced by well known record labels. Mainstream record labels. And they are still a Christian group. It's silly when people say, "Why are they playing in front of millions of Non-Christian with that terrible band?" Um... why not? Do you witness to people sitting on your couch watching Veggie Tales? No! You go out, you build a relationship, you learn how to relate, then you share God's love. That's what P.O.D. is doing.
Let's look at the flipside. Chevelle just released their latest effort, Vena Sera (which means vein liquid and is said, by band frontman Pete Loeffler, to describe "the blood of the band and the work we put into the album"). The album was released on April 3rd, 2007. It was the bands third album release produced by Epic Records, owned by Song BMG Music Entertainment.
Chevelle released their first album, Point #1, in 1999, produced by the little-know record label Squint Entertainment. Squint was owned by Word Records. Word Records was owned by Warner Music Group. Word Records was known to be the Christian label of Warner Music Group. Perhaps you've heard of Mark Schultz? Stellar Kart? Jaci Velasquez? Nicole C Mullen? Building 429? Amy Grant? Those groups are all also produced by Word Records. So Chevelle's debut CD was immedietly thrown into Christian stores. At the Dove Awards in 2000, Point #1 took "Hard Music Album" of the year award.
After hearing Mudvayne's album L.D. 50, Chevelle was inspired to sign with Epic Records for their next album release, Wonder What's Next. Christian stores still held their CDs. The band members made no claim not to be Christian, and they had clean lyrics, so why not? Wonder What's Next went Platinum in June, and this attention landed the band as co-headliner for Ozzfest, 2002. Guess who was helping headline Ozzfest that year. That's right, P.O.D.! (And, of course, Ozzy Osbourne... Duh.)
Just like with P.O.D., as soon as Chevelle went to Ozzfest, everyone started questioning. This whole broadening your horizens and witnessing thing is a risky business, you know. Unlike P.O.D., Chevelle remained neutral about their faith. They didn't see a big reason to point it out to people who didn't already "know", and for those who did know, well... they knew. That was all they needed.
In 2004, Chevelle release This Type Of Thinking(Could Do Us In). Hands down, their best effort, musically, vocally... lyrically? Christian stores didn't accept This Type Of Thinking due to a few mild expitives on the album. However, Christian book stores still kept the bands two previous albums in stock. After all, those albums were still Christian, right?
The first single from the album, This Type Of Thinking, does attempt to make a vague observation of Christ's death with the lyrics, "Could we have known, never would I, helped to nail down. With nothing to gain, here's the clincher: This should be you. Now saturate and touch. Now saturate the Earth!" Assuming you're able to make out those lyrics amongst the screaming, you might say, "Hey, they're talking about Christ's death on the cross, and how it was for my wrong doings that he was 'nailed down'." However, they don't really make it a point to go out of their way to confirm that's what they're talking about.
Chevelle is kind of known for making their lyrics cryptic. Never finishing sentances. Leaving you saying, "That song was great, but uh... what was he talking about, anyway?" That song was because of the musical style, but it's hard to make out what he's talking about between his cryptic lyrics, soft mummblings, and loud screamings.
In 2007, Chevelle finally "came out"! They didn't waste their time with "mild" explitives on Vena Sear. They got right to their point, and it seems that the other bands at Ozzfest might have rubbed off on them just a bit. Though they still did end up stearing away from a "Parental Advisory" sticker, which doesn't really say much with today's music...
In an interview with Entertainment Insiders, Chevelle happily stated that they "had nothing to do with the Christian rock industry" and, if anything, they were "recovering Catholics," they said, laughing. To that, the interviewer said, "I feel qualified to state that there are no sermons detected on the album. Now I can enjoy Chevelle's music without fear of subliminal Christian messages intruding my subconscious. Thank God, no pun intended." Well, that's encouraging...
So how is it that Chevelle got the Christian name in the first place? Loeffler says, "It's something that's probably going to follow us around forever and that's fine. It's pretty simple. We originally signed with a record company that was backed by Word, so the record was in Christian bookstores. It was really an accidental thing." So Chevelle never even realized they were signing with a Christian label in the first place. Don't you just love parent companies?
As of their latest album release, if you go into most any Christian book store, you won't find any Chevelle CDs. Not even Point #1.
Here's a quick biography. Chevelle is made up of three brothers: Sam, Pete, and Joe Loeffler. Originally homeschooled and from a family of nine in the suburbs of Chicago, the brothers wanted to form a hard rock group to make use of their musical talent. Pete played lead guitar and screamed vocals, Sam was the drummer, and Joe played bass. Since their formation in 1994(ish), the band has been a definition the Hard Rock/Metal/Thrash Metal genres.
Hey, wait, back up... where did Joe go? I don't remember seeing his name as "Bassist" for Vena Sera. Oh, yah, about that. In 2005, Chevelle announced that Joe was leaving the band due to due to "irreconcilable differences." That's what Pete and Sam said. According to Joe, he didn't "leave the band." He was fired. When Pete and Sam came to him and asked him to "stay home." To which Joe replied, "The only way I'm staying home is if you fire me."
Joe says, "I told them I would never quit and they would have to fire me. They were trying to get me to quit and told my managers that I did. I called Sam and said, 'Why are you doing this?' and he said, 'We don't want you to come back.' I said, 'I will not quit.' The next day Pete called for the first time and said, 'Did (our managers) call you and tell you you're out?' I said 'No, were they supposed to?' He eventually said in that short conversation, 'You're fired.'"
Well, that's brotherly love isn't it?
The entire affair ended in a lawsuit and Pete and Sam have not talked to Joe since it was all "resolved" in late 2005, according to Joe.
Pete was kind enough to include a song, Humanoid, dedicated to Joe on Vena Sera. The lyrics are something like, "I paid you, squeaky wheel. Go try healing this too. That said, you're full of it. On a bend. Beg to fail. Properly holding your grudge. That said. You're full of it. Try accepting this. Why not face today. Forever one to crawl out. Fade out next to lazy. End it all within." I don't think I need to go on... I'm sure you can clearly see the love in this relationship.
That said, I don't recommend Chevelle's new CD for adding to your "Christian" collection. And let that be a lesson to you. Don't judge a band by its label! Chevelle isn't the only artist that I've asked, "How did I buy this from a Christian book store?" Don't stereotype, and don't judge by appearances. That rule can be applied to anything, not just bands.
I've long held the opinion that bands should not be dubbed "Christian" or "Secular" simply by their label. I also hold to the opinion that a band, made of Christian members, should not be judged simply because every one of their songs does not say "Jesus" or "God" somewhere in it. In general, appearances shouldn't deceive you. Don't look at a band and say, "I think this and this" about them. Pick up the CD and listen to it. Go to the bands website. Look at the members lifestyles. Then make a judgement.
P.O.D. is a band that is often critisized for headlining Ozzfest, playing on MTV, or touring with bands like Korn. But I like what P.O.D. has to say to that in an interview with FamilyChristian.com.
---
"You know what, we're not trying to play for the Christian. It's been almost 10 years that P.O.D.'s been for the people that don't know God. To get to this point where God puts us in front of millions of people that don't know God, that's a dream come true and it's an act of prayer for P.O.D."
---
On a side note, P.O.D. was originally produced by the Christian record label, Rescue Records. They have since then by produced by Atlantic Records (Tooth & Nail Records helped distribute The Warrios E.P .) and Rhino Records, both owned by the Warner Music Group. They are currently produced by Columbia Records, owned by Song BMG Music Entertainment. P.O.D. has currently released 12 albums, and is planning on releasing their newest album in the early Summer of 2007. I say all this to point out that P.O.D. is produced by well known record labels. Mainstream record labels. And they are still a Christian group. It's silly when people say, "Why are they playing in front of millions of Non-Christian with that terrible band?" Um... why not? Do you witness to people sitting on your couch watching Veggie Tales? No! You go out, you build a relationship, you learn how to relate, then you share God's love. That's what P.O.D. is doing.
Let's look at the flipside. Chevelle just released their latest effort, Vena Sera (which means vein liquid and is said, by band frontman Pete Loeffler, to describe "the blood of the band and the work we put into the album"). The album was released on April 3rd, 2007. It was the bands third album release produced by Epic Records, owned by Song BMG Music Entertainment.
Chevelle released their first album, Point #1, in 1999, produced by the little-know record label Squint Entertainment. Squint was owned by Word Records. Word Records was owned by Warner Music Group. Word Records was known to be the Christian label of Warner Music Group. Perhaps you've heard of Mark Schultz? Stellar Kart? Jaci Velasquez? Nicole C Mullen? Building 429? Amy Grant? Those groups are all also produced by Word Records. So Chevelle's debut CD was immedietly thrown into Christian stores. At the Dove Awards in 2000, Point #1 took "Hard Music Album" of the year award.
After hearing Mudvayne's album L.D. 50, Chevelle was inspired to sign with Epic Records for their next album release, Wonder What's Next. Christian stores still held their CDs. The band members made no claim not to be Christian, and they had clean lyrics, so why not? Wonder What's Next went Platinum in June, and this attention landed the band as co-headliner for Ozzfest, 2002. Guess who was helping headline Ozzfest that year. That's right, P.O.D.! (And, of course, Ozzy Osbourne... Duh.)
Just like with P.O.D., as soon as Chevelle went to Ozzfest, everyone started questioning. This whole broadening your horizens and witnessing thing is a risky business, you know. Unlike P.O.D., Chevelle remained neutral about their faith. They didn't see a big reason to point it out to people who didn't already "know", and for those who did know, well... they knew. That was all they needed.
In 2004, Chevelle release This Type Of Thinking(Could Do Us In). Hands down, their best effort, musically, vocally... lyrically? Christian stores didn't accept This Type Of Thinking due to a few mild expitives on the album. However, Christian book stores still kept the bands two previous albums in stock. After all, those albums were still Christian, right?
The first single from the album, This Type Of Thinking, does attempt to make a vague observation of Christ's death with the lyrics, "Could we have known, never would I, helped to nail down. With nothing to gain, here's the clincher: This should be you. Now saturate and touch. Now saturate the Earth!" Assuming you're able to make out those lyrics amongst the screaming, you might say, "Hey, they're talking about Christ's death on the cross, and how it was for my wrong doings that he was 'nailed down'." However, they don't really make it a point to go out of their way to confirm that's what they're talking about.
Chevelle is kind of known for making their lyrics cryptic. Never finishing sentances. Leaving you saying, "That song was great, but uh... what was he talking about, anyway?" That song was because of the musical style, but it's hard to make out what he's talking about between his cryptic lyrics, soft mummblings, and loud screamings.
In 2007, Chevelle finally "came out"! They didn't waste their time with "mild" explitives on Vena Sear. They got right to their point, and it seems that the other bands at Ozzfest might have rubbed off on them just a bit. Though they still did end up stearing away from a "Parental Advisory" sticker, which doesn't really say much with today's music...
In an interview with Entertainment Insiders, Chevelle happily stated that they "had nothing to do with the Christian rock industry" and, if anything, they were "recovering Catholics," they said, laughing. To that, the interviewer said, "I feel qualified to state that there are no sermons detected on the album. Now I can enjoy Chevelle's music without fear of subliminal Christian messages intruding my subconscious. Thank God, no pun intended." Well, that's encouraging...
So how is it that Chevelle got the Christian name in the first place? Loeffler says, "It's something that's probably going to follow us around forever and that's fine. It's pretty simple. We originally signed with a record company that was backed by Word, so the record was in Christian bookstores. It was really an accidental thing." So Chevelle never even realized they were signing with a Christian label in the first place. Don't you just love parent companies?
As of their latest album release, if you go into most any Christian book store, you won't find any Chevelle CDs. Not even Point #1.
Here's a quick biography. Chevelle is made up of three brothers: Sam, Pete, and Joe Loeffler. Originally homeschooled and from a family of nine in the suburbs of Chicago, the brothers wanted to form a hard rock group to make use of their musical talent. Pete played lead guitar and screamed vocals, Sam was the drummer, and Joe played bass. Since their formation in 1994(ish), the band has been a definition the Hard Rock/Metal/Thrash Metal genres.
Hey, wait, back up... where did Joe go? I don't remember seeing his name as "Bassist" for Vena Sera. Oh, yah, about that. In 2005, Chevelle announced that Joe was leaving the band due to due to "irreconcilable differences." That's what Pete and Sam said. According to Joe, he didn't "leave the band." He was fired. When Pete and Sam came to him and asked him to "stay home." To which Joe replied, "The only way I'm staying home is if you fire me."
Joe says, "I told them I would never quit and they would have to fire me. They were trying to get me to quit and told my managers that I did. I called Sam and said, 'Why are you doing this?' and he said, 'We don't want you to come back.' I said, 'I will not quit.' The next day Pete called for the first time and said, 'Did (our managers) call you and tell you you're out?' I said 'No, were they supposed to?' He eventually said in that short conversation, 'You're fired.'"
Well, that's brotherly love isn't it?
The entire affair ended in a lawsuit and Pete and Sam have not talked to Joe since it was all "resolved" in late 2005, according to Joe.
Pete was kind enough to include a song, Humanoid, dedicated to Joe on Vena Sera. The lyrics are something like, "I paid you, squeaky wheel. Go try healing this too. That said, you're full of it. On a bend. Beg to fail. Properly holding your grudge. That said. You're full of it. Try accepting this. Why not face today. Forever one to crawl out. Fade out next to lazy. End it all within." I don't think I need to go on... I'm sure you can clearly see the love in this relationship.
That said, I don't recommend Chevelle's new CD for adding to your "Christian" collection. And let that be a lesson to you. Don't judge a band by its label! Chevelle isn't the only artist that I've asked, "How did I buy this from a Christian book store?" Don't stereotype, and don't judge by appearances. That rule can be applied to anything, not just bands.
Five Score and Seven Years Ago
03/07/07 09:53 AM
Relient K did it again;
they released another huge record that includes 14
songs and times in at 50 minutes, 57 seconds long.
Honestly, when I heard unconfirmed rumors saying the Relient K had said in an interview with MTV, I didn't believe the rumors. Apparently, Relient K said to MTV, "We are not a Christian band. We never were a Christian band. The only reason we signed with a Christian label was so we could get popular faster." This rumor started shortly after Relient K signed with record label Capitol in 2004. However, on their latest 2007 release, Five Score And Seven Years Ago, the record is shared by both labels; Capitol (mainstream) and Gottee (Christian). So it would appear they didn't abandon their original label. Also, I would like to point out that the rumor I mentioned above was strictly word of mouth, and I searched high and low trying to prove or disprove it, and I couldn't find any evidence that Relient K ever said that in an interview with MTV or anybody. I don't believe it. The only blotch I could find on Relient K's record was that there lead singer was born in Ontario. But we won't hold that against them...
First off, the record is called Five Score And Seven Years Ago because it is their FIFTH record (score), and the band released their first effort seven years ago. So, there you have it. Quit asking.
After hearing their latest effort, I still don't. After listening to their songs, it still looks to me like they're keeping their faith and trying to proclaim God's love and righteousness through their music. If they can sign with a mainstream label to get more listeners to hear that message, I think that's AWESOME!
Five Score And Seven Years Ago marks Relient K's 5th full album release. It follows more in steps of mmhmm than their three first albums as far maturity goes. The honesty portrayed in the lyrics is one of my favorite things about the albums. This doesn't mean that they've lost their sense of humor or fun music styles; they still have all of that. The first song on the album, sung in acapella, submits that President Lincoln's death wasn't real but a conspiracy.
That gives the album a healthy start. It only goes up hill from there. The second song on the album, Come Right Out And Say It, says in the chorus, "Why don't you come right out and say it even though the words are probably gonna hurt. I'd rather have the truth than something insincere. Why don't you come right out and say it. What it is your thinking though I'm thinking it's not what I want to hear." Which just proves my point that communication between friends, family, loved ones, and well wishers in our society today is lacking. Apparently Relient K agrees.
Track 6, Forgiven, takes a look out how in God's eyes, we've all sinned equally. But we as Christians are forgiven from all of this if we simply confess it! "And you can't see past the blood on my hands to see that you've been aptly damned to fail and fail again. Because we're all guilty of the same things. We think the thoughts whether or not we see them through. And I know that I have been forgiven. And I just hope you can forgive me too."
The final song on the album, Deathbed, which is over eleven minutes long, is arguably the best. It takes the listener through the life of a man who's, you guessed it, on his death bed, dying from lung cancer. He starts from the beginning of his life talking about how his traveling-preacher-father had left him and his Mom at the age of eight. He admits that at the age of fourteen he started drinking and smoking which he accredits for his current state of health. When he was twenty-one he sings about his marriage to his pregnant wife. But after a few years she leaves him. Finally, as his life is falling apart, he turns his song to the story of how Jesus came and saved him, even after all the terrible things he had done in his life. That, I think, is a fabulous message for todays teens to here. I especially love the lyrics from the last few minutes of the song:
---
I was so scared of Jesus, but he sought me out like the cancer in my lungs it's killing me now. And I've given up hope on the days I have left. But I cling to the hope of my life in the next. Then Jesus showed up, said, "Before we go I thought that we might reminisce. See, one night in your life, when you turned out the lights, you asked for and prayed for my forgiveness. You cried wolf; the tears they soaked your fur. The blood dripped from your fangs. You said, 'What have I done?' You loved that lamb with every sinful bone. And there you wept alone. Your heart was so contrite. You said, 'Jesus, please forgive me of my crimes. Sanctify this withered heart of mine. Stay with me until my life is through. And on that day, please take me home with you.'" I can smell the death on the sheets covering me. I can't believe this is the end. I can hear you whisper to me, "It's time to leave. You'll never be lonely again." But this was my deathbed. I died there alone. When I closed my eyes tonight, You carried me home. “I am the way. Follow me and take my hand. And I am the truth. Embrace me and you'll understand. And I am the life, and for me you'll live again. For I am love.
---
Deathbed isn't actually about Matt Thiessen (lead singer of Relient K). From the start of the song we know our subject was born in 1941, which would make Matt over 60 years old. Matt was born in 1980.
Relient K still keeps it light with songs like Must Have Done Something Right, Crayons Can Melt On Us For All I Care, and Faking My Own Suicide (it's not as morbid as it sounds). So don't think they've gone all out and grown up on you :). They're still the fun band you once knew. But they've definetly matured a lot as well, for the better, I think.
The lyrics are fabulous on this disc, and Relient K doesn't hold anything back on the music either. Once again, they produce a CD that's packed with amazing and unique songs. But when the lead singer of your band also plays lead guitar, piano, bass, drums, bells, organ, trumpet, french horn, trombone, baritone horn, and the vibraphone, you're bound to have a wide variety of music styles throughout between the songs. One of the best parts of this disc is the fact that you can actually tell one song apart from another! I can't stand it, although I'll still listen to it (explain how that works), when a CD has x amount of songs on it, but they all sound alike!! Relient K doesn't do that. They never really have, and that's one of my favorite things about them.
Worth the $11.99 I spent on it? Absolutely! I HIGHLY recommend you buy this CD. But if you're going to buy it, I might recommend getting the Special Edition, which includes bonus tracks on the CD AND a Special Edition DVD as well, which includes music videos and behind the scenes footage of the band recording the album. As much fun as these guys are, that would be worth the $3 more that it is... I kind of wish I had gotten it, but I don't think it comes out for another week. (Although you could order it online.)
mmhmm sold over 750,000 copies. Two Lefts Don't Make A Right, But Three Do and The Anatomy Of Tongue In Cheek both went Gold (at least 500,000 copies sold) as well. I'm wondering how many this record will sell. It wouldn't surprise me if it went Platinum (at least 1,000,000 copies sold). According to a lot of the tag-lines I've seen, it's the "most anticipated album of the year." How you judge that in the 3rd month of 2007, one may never know. We'll let the Grammy's decide at the end of the year.
Honestly, when I heard unconfirmed rumors saying the Relient K had said in an interview with MTV, I didn't believe the rumors. Apparently, Relient K said to MTV, "We are not a Christian band. We never were a Christian band. The only reason we signed with a Christian label was so we could get popular faster." This rumor started shortly after Relient K signed with record label Capitol in 2004. However, on their latest 2007 release, Five Score And Seven Years Ago, the record is shared by both labels; Capitol (mainstream) and Gottee (Christian). So it would appear they didn't abandon their original label. Also, I would like to point out that the rumor I mentioned above was strictly word of mouth, and I searched high and low trying to prove or disprove it, and I couldn't find any evidence that Relient K ever said that in an interview with MTV or anybody. I don't believe it. The only blotch I could find on Relient K's record was that there lead singer was born in Ontario. But we won't hold that against them...
First off, the record is called Five Score And Seven Years Ago because it is their FIFTH record (score), and the band released their first effort seven years ago. So, there you have it. Quit asking.
After hearing their latest effort, I still don't. After listening to their songs, it still looks to me like they're keeping their faith and trying to proclaim God's love and righteousness through their music. If they can sign with a mainstream label to get more listeners to hear that message, I think that's AWESOME!
Five Score And Seven Years Ago marks Relient K's 5th full album release. It follows more in steps of mmhmm than their three first albums as far maturity goes. The honesty portrayed in the lyrics is one of my favorite things about the albums. This doesn't mean that they've lost their sense of humor or fun music styles; they still have all of that. The first song on the album, sung in acapella, submits that President Lincoln's death wasn't real but a conspiracy.
That gives the album a healthy start. It only goes up hill from there. The second song on the album, Come Right Out And Say It, says in the chorus, "Why don't you come right out and say it even though the words are probably gonna hurt. I'd rather have the truth than something insincere. Why don't you come right out and say it. What it is your thinking though I'm thinking it's not what I want to hear." Which just proves my point that communication between friends, family, loved ones, and well wishers in our society today is lacking. Apparently Relient K agrees.
Track 6, Forgiven, takes a look out how in God's eyes, we've all sinned equally. But we as Christians are forgiven from all of this if we simply confess it! "And you can't see past the blood on my hands to see that you've been aptly damned to fail and fail again. Because we're all guilty of the same things. We think the thoughts whether or not we see them through. And I know that I have been forgiven. And I just hope you can forgive me too."
The final song on the album, Deathbed, which is over eleven minutes long, is arguably the best. It takes the listener through the life of a man who's, you guessed it, on his death bed, dying from lung cancer. He starts from the beginning of his life talking about how his traveling-preacher-father had left him and his Mom at the age of eight. He admits that at the age of fourteen he started drinking and smoking which he accredits for his current state of health. When he was twenty-one he sings about his marriage to his pregnant wife. But after a few years she leaves him. Finally, as his life is falling apart, he turns his song to the story of how Jesus came and saved him, even after all the terrible things he had done in his life. That, I think, is a fabulous message for todays teens to here. I especially love the lyrics from the last few minutes of the song:
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I was so scared of Jesus, but he sought me out like the cancer in my lungs it's killing me now. And I've given up hope on the days I have left. But I cling to the hope of my life in the next. Then Jesus showed up, said, "Before we go I thought that we might reminisce. See, one night in your life, when you turned out the lights, you asked for and prayed for my forgiveness. You cried wolf; the tears they soaked your fur. The blood dripped from your fangs. You said, 'What have I done?' You loved that lamb with every sinful bone. And there you wept alone. Your heart was so contrite. You said, 'Jesus, please forgive me of my crimes. Sanctify this withered heart of mine. Stay with me until my life is through. And on that day, please take me home with you.'" I can smell the death on the sheets covering me. I can't believe this is the end. I can hear you whisper to me, "It's time to leave. You'll never be lonely again." But this was my deathbed. I died there alone. When I closed my eyes tonight, You carried me home. “I am the way. Follow me and take my hand. And I am the truth. Embrace me and you'll understand. And I am the life, and for me you'll live again. For I am love.
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Deathbed isn't actually about Matt Thiessen (lead singer of Relient K). From the start of the song we know our subject was born in 1941, which would make Matt over 60 years old. Matt was born in 1980.
Relient K still keeps it light with songs like Must Have Done Something Right, Crayons Can Melt On Us For All I Care, and Faking My Own Suicide (it's not as morbid as it sounds). So don't think they've gone all out and grown up on you :). They're still the fun band you once knew. But they've definetly matured a lot as well, for the better, I think.
The lyrics are fabulous on this disc, and Relient K doesn't hold anything back on the music either. Once again, they produce a CD that's packed with amazing and unique songs. But when the lead singer of your band also plays lead guitar, piano, bass, drums, bells, organ, trumpet, french horn, trombone, baritone horn, and the vibraphone, you're bound to have a wide variety of music styles throughout between the songs. One of the best parts of this disc is the fact that you can actually tell one song apart from another! I can't stand it, although I'll still listen to it (explain how that works), when a CD has x amount of songs on it, but they all sound alike!! Relient K doesn't do that. They never really have, and that's one of my favorite things about them.
Worth the $11.99 I spent on it? Absolutely! I HIGHLY recommend you buy this CD. But if you're going to buy it, I might recommend getting the Special Edition, which includes bonus tracks on the CD AND a Special Edition DVD as well, which includes music videos and behind the scenes footage of the band recording the album. As much fun as these guys are, that would be worth the $3 more that it is... I kind of wish I had gotten it, but I don't think it comes out for another week. (Although you could order it online.)
mmhmm sold over 750,000 copies. Two Lefts Don't Make A Right, But Three Do and The Anatomy Of Tongue In Cheek both went Gold (at least 500,000 copies sold) as well. I'm wondering how many this record will sell. It wouldn't surprise me if it went Platinum (at least 1,000,000 copies sold). According to a lot of the tag-lines I've seen, it's the "most anticipated album of the year." How you judge that in the 3rd month of 2007, one may never know. We'll let the Grammy's decide at the end of the year.