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Udo

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Posts posted by Udo

  1. Back on topic, do songs that didn't ever reallt exist count? For Example, ..."An English teacher," from Bye Bye Birdie....

    I'll allow it. :strikes gavel:

    Meanwhile, I was just listening to Garden Party by Rick Nelson.

    Yoko brought her Walrus

    Said hello to Mary Lou, she belongs to me

    Out stepped Johnny B. Goode, playing guitar like a-ringin' a bell, looking like he should

    He also mentions Dylan, but I'm not sure if there's a song reference in there.

  2. Sailing, by Christopher Cross

    It's not far down to paradise

    At least it's not for me

    And if the wind is right you can sail away

    And find tranquility

    The canvas can do miracles

    Just you wait and see

    Believe me

    It's not far to never never land

    No reason to pretend

    And if the wind is right you can find the joy

    Of innocence again

    The canvas can do miracles

    Just you wait and see

    Believe me

    Sailing

    Takes me away

    To where I've always heard it could be

    Just a dream and the wind to carry me

    And soon I will be free

    Fantasy

    It gets the best of me

    When I'm sailing

    All caught up in the reverie

    Every word is a symphony

    Won't you believe me

    It's not far back to sanity

    At least it's not for me

    And when the wind is right you can sail away

    And find serenity

    The canvas can do miracles

    Just you wait and see

    Believe me

  3. Rush,

    The Trees

    There is unrest in the forest,

    There is trouble with the trees,

    For the maples want more sunlight

    And the oaks ignore their pleas.

    The trouble with the maples,

    (And they're quite convinced they're right)

    They say the oaks are just too lofty

    And they grab up all the light.

    But the oaks can't help their feelings

    If they like the way they're made.

    And they wonder why the maples

    Can't be happy in their shade.

    There is trouble in the forest,

    And the creatures all have fled,

    As the maples scream "Oppression!"

    And the oaks just shake their heads

    So the maples formed a union

    And demanded equal rights.

    "The oaks are just too greedy;

    We will make them give us light."

    Now there's no more oak oppression,

    For they passed a noble law,

    And the trees are all kept equal

    By hatchet, axe, and saw.

  4. Let me preface this by stating that I have been a Journey fan since as far back as I can remember. I have no allegiance, however, to Steve Perry. I was very disappointed when he fired Ross Valory and Steve Smith to make the Raised on Radio album. Ross was a founding member of the band, and RoR was a relatively weak album.

    This is the first album by Journey to be advertised since Raised on Radio over 20 years ago. Trial by Fire, Red 13, Generations and Arrival all were released with little or no marketing, and few if any songs released as singles. In the Revelation package, you receive three discs: one has all new songs, one has old hits remade with the current lineup performing, and one is a concert DVD with the current lineup. The price was under $12.

    Arnel Pineda is new to the band. He has a great voice. He would make a good frontman for any rock band. The other performers in Journey continue to be excellent.

    So the question is, why is this an average album and not a superior album? The answer is simple: it lacks the songwriting diversity of the previous albums. Journey used to be an undefinable band: are they hard rock, pop, blues? Departure and Trial by Fire are a couple of the most musically diverse albums of the 20th century: hard rock, soft ballads, punk, blues, raggae, etc. Now they are simply soft rock, AOR type. Only the final song, an instrumental, really sounds different. In short, the ballads aren't soft enough and the rock songs aren't rockin' enough.

    To test my point, I scanned the first few seconds of all the songs on disc 1 and then on disc 2. I don't think there's a comparison. These are the same performers, but the songs on disc 2 are much better. True, that's something of a "greatest hits" type, but that's not the difference.

    When I listen to Infinity or Frontiers, when I think 'what song is next?' the answer is: oh yeah, another great song. With Revelation, the answer is 'oh yeah, another average song.' Can tell the difference, after two listens, between "Like a Sunshower" and "Change for the Better?" [not really]...versus Can I tell the difference, after two listens, between "Just the Same Way" and "Do You Recall?" [absolutely]

    So I give this album a C+. I like the performers, I like the music, but I don't want to keep thinking that this band is underperforming.

  5. For instance:

    Authority Song by Jimmy Eat World refers to John Cougar's Authority song

    I Ain't Even Done with the Night by John Cougar refers to Sam Cooke on the radio

    Runnin' Down a Dream (Tom Petty) mentions singing "Little Runaway" with Del (Shannon)

    Golden Earring's Radar Love mentions Peggy Lee

    True by Spandau Ballet mentions listening to Marvin (Gaye)

    Journey's Castles Burning talks describes a hollywood romance as "crimson and clover"

    That's not to mention "montage songs" like We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel, Rocket by Def Leppard, Raised on Radio by Journey, etc.

    Hmm... after writing this, I notice that Songfacts has a Group for songs that mention other artists, and Rocket's not included. But Songfacts doesn't seem to have a group for songs that mention other songs (which Rocket also should be in).

    So this post has evolved.

    What it Takes by Aerosmith also mentions other Aerosmith songs.

    Fat Bottomed Girls and Bicycle Race by Queen refer to each other. :)

  6. Rush:

    Finding My Way (Rush)

    Anthem (Fly by Night)

    The Sprit of Radio (Permanent Waves)

    Journey:

    Of a Lifetime (Journey)

    Majestic (Evolution, and Captured)

    Anyway You Want It (Departure)

    Don't Stop Believin' (Escape)

    Separate Ways (Frontiers)

    Red 13 (Red 13)

    Van Halen:

    Runnin' with the Devil (Van Halen)

    1984/Jump (1984)

    Good Enough (5150)

    Styx:

    Light Up (Equinox)

    Put Me On (Crystal Ball)

    A.D. 1928/Rockin' the Paradise (Paradise Theater)

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