The amount of new music I listen to has been taking a hit over the past few years. I still really love music and listen to it frequently, but because of my iPod, I rarely get introduced to new bands. I’ll listen to my XM every so often just to see what’s out there, but for the most part I listen to my iPod and sports talk. So when going over the new albums I got in 2010, there weren’t too many to compile a list of my favorites. But, from that limited selection, here are my top albums of 2010.
Kylie Minogue – Aphrodite
I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for Kylie Minogue. I love her pop/dance music and it generally puts me in a really good mood. I’ve probably listened to Aphrodite more than any other album in 2010. The songs “Aphrodite” and “All the Lovers” are great to listen to with the windows down on a warm summer night. Kylie also faced and defeated breast cancer a few years ago, and Aphrodite is something of a victory lap for beating the cancer.
Brooke Fraser – Flags
Brooke Fraser first came to my knowledge as part of Hillsong United, a gifted worship leader and a powerful song writer, penning the songs “Hosanna” and “You’ll Come.” Flags is the follow up to her 2008 release Albertine. I enjoyed Albertine, but Flags is a much stronger album. The lead single “Something in the Water” is a great song with a fun video but the duet with Aqualung, “Who Are We Fooling,” is my favorite song on the album. “Who Are We Fooling” is a sad and honest look at a relationship taking its last breaths.
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – I Learned the Hard Way
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings are a throwback to the Motown era of the 60s. I purchased this album in 2010, but it sounds like it could have been purchased in 1965. I Learned the Hard Way has such a sublime throwback feel that I can’t help but close my eyes and just experience the music, not when I’m driving, though, that would be dangerous. Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings is a new group that I discovered for myself in 2010, thanks to seeing their album on sale at Starbucks.
Tyrone Wells – Metal & Wood
I love Tyrone Wells; I have every one of his albums. He released the EP Metal & Wood in March and it was less like an EP and more like a full album release. The EP has 10 tracks on it, a few of which are covers and older songs, but it’s still an awesome album. On Metal & Wood, Tyrone continues to address social issues with a hopeful spirit, knowing that things can get better if we all work together.
There are my top albums of 2010. Obviously, there’s a lot of music I missed. I would love for you to educate me. What were your top albums of 2010?
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Monday, January 10, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Music Monday 38 - Tron: Legacy
I have very strict rules about listening to Christmas music so December is always a struggle for me. I have to live with the tension of having a limited time to listen to Christmas music and wanting to listen to other music as well. That tension really weighed me down last month with the release of the Tron: Legacy soundtrack.
The first week after Thanskgiving was great, I was blaring “All I Want for Christmas is You” and Band-Aid. But then, on December 6, everything changed. Daft Punk released their soundtrack to Tron: Legacy and I didn’t want to listen to anything else, not even Wham! consoling the Christmas brokenhearted. I was completely conflicted but Daft Punk won out more often than not.
The soundtrack is amazing and completely made the movie; I don’t think I would have enjoyed Tron: Legacy half as much as I did if it had a different soundtrack. Daft Punk are a perfect fit for the movie and they even make a cameo in the film. I enjoy listening to movie soundtracks when I read or I’m trying to write, but I listen to the Tron: Legacy soundtrack when I’m just driving around; it’s that good.
In the end, I feel like I listened to enough Christmas music to get my fill, especially when all the casinos were still playing it last week in Las Vegas. The same can’t be said about Tron: Legacy. I listen to it all the time and I’m sure that will continue for some time. At least it will continue when I’m not with Alycia; I think at this point she’d prefer hearing “The Christmas Song” a few more times.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Music Monday 37 - Unjust Christmas Songs
At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Christ who described his mission as this:
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
Jesus came to bring peace and justice; he came to set things right. Some Christmas songs reflect this truth. O Holy Night contains this line:
Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
But there are a lot more Christmas songs that reflect injustice and even encourage us to participate in those activities.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Everyone loves the story of Rudolph. He was invented for a Montgomery Ward coloring book and has since become as traditional as Santa Claus. Very early on, through the story of Rudolph, children learn that life isn’t fair.
All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games.
What games do reindeer play? I imagine all the reindeer standing out in the snow picking teams for dodge ball and poor Rudolph just standing there until the end, both captains fighting over who would have to have Red-Nose on their team.
Rudolph was singled out because of a birth defect. He was born with a red nose and there was nothing he could do about it. But, instead of hiding it or begging his parents to get him rhinoplasty, Rudolph embraced his nose and it eventually led him to greatness. Life isn’t fair but if you work hard and have an exploitable physical deformity, good things can happen.
Winter Wonderland
I really like Winter Wonderland because it’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to living in an actual winter wonderland; it was 80 in Southern California today. I also like the song more now that I’m married because I have someone with whom to conspire by the fire. There is a peculiar line in the song, though, that exemplifies the unjust nature of life, even during the Christmas season.
In the meadow we can build a snowman,
And pretend that he's a circus clown.
We'll have lots of fun with mister snowman,
Until the other kiddies knock him down!
What the crap? Who are these rogue children running through this alleged wonderland knocking down snowmen? Snowmen take a lot of effort: snow has to be piled, carrots have to be acquired, buttons have to be removed from clothing. But, after all of that hard work, some punk kids from the neighborhood come and knock Mr. Snowman down. In the punk kids’ defense, clowns are creepy and deserve any abuse they get
Jesus did come to break chains, release the oppressed and set things right. That work began with his birth and continues today through his followers. Even when we celebrate his birth, though, it’s good to have reminders of what exactly he’s setting right. So every time we sing about an ostracized red-nosed reindeer or a prematurely destroyed snowman, we can thank Jesus for his birth and the way he is rebuilding and recreating this world.
What other hidden meanings can you find in your favorite Christmas carols?
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
Jesus came to bring peace and justice; he came to set things right. Some Christmas songs reflect this truth. O Holy Night contains this line:
Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
But there are a lot more Christmas songs that reflect injustice and even encourage us to participate in those activities.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Everyone loves the story of Rudolph. He was invented for a Montgomery Ward coloring book and has since become as traditional as Santa Claus. Very early on, through the story of Rudolph, children learn that life isn’t fair.
All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games.
What games do reindeer play? I imagine all the reindeer standing out in the snow picking teams for dodge ball and poor Rudolph just standing there until the end, both captains fighting over who would have to have Red-Nose on their team.
Rudolph was singled out because of a birth defect. He was born with a red nose and there was nothing he could do about it. But, instead of hiding it or begging his parents to get him rhinoplasty, Rudolph embraced his nose and it eventually led him to greatness. Life isn’t fair but if you work hard and have an exploitable physical deformity, good things can happen.
Winter Wonderland
I really like Winter Wonderland because it’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to living in an actual winter wonderland; it was 80 in Southern California today. I also like the song more now that I’m married because I have someone with whom to conspire by the fire. There is a peculiar line in the song, though, that exemplifies the unjust nature of life, even during the Christmas season.
In the meadow we can build a snowman,
And pretend that he's a circus clown.
We'll have lots of fun with mister snowman,
Until the other kiddies knock him down!
What the crap? Who are these rogue children running through this alleged wonderland knocking down snowmen? Snowmen take a lot of effort: snow has to be piled, carrots have to be acquired, buttons have to be removed from clothing. But, after all of that hard work, some punk kids from the neighborhood come and knock Mr. Snowman down. In the punk kids’ defense, clowns are creepy and deserve any abuse they get
Jesus did come to break chains, release the oppressed and set things right. That work began with his birth and continues today through his followers. Even when we celebrate his birth, though, it’s good to have reminders of what exactly he’s setting right. So every time we sing about an ostracized red-nosed reindeer or a prematurely destroyed snowman, we can thank Jesus for his birth and the way he is rebuilding and recreating this world.
What other hidden meanings can you find in your favorite Christmas carols?
Monday, December 6, 2010
Music Monday 36 - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas?
Most Christmas songs are full of holiday cheer and a festive spirit. Even though we’ve heard them time and time again, Christmas songs can inspire us to really embrace the season.
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Year can make us believe that Christmas actually is the most wonderful time of the year.
Let it Snow can make us think that it would be a great thing for the heavens to dump 13 feet of snow.
I’ll Be Home for Christmas can make us long to be home for Christmas, in spite of the insanity that comes from family gatherings.
As I’ve been listening to Christmas music this season, I’ve noticed that one song, which should be full of Christmas cheer and merriment, actually isn’t. A song titled Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas should be a lot merrier than it actually is. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas sounds like it’s full of cheer and merriment but it’s actually composed of brokenness and tears.
In the song we’re told to have a merry little Christmas because our troubles are a very real and present reality. These troubles which are not out of sight, these troubles which are not miles away, have been darkening the months leading up to Christmas. But now that it is Christmas, we can be merry and light while making the Yuletide gay.
The song also encourages us to reflect on the “golden days of yore” because the days we are currently living are so much worse than the olden days. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is like looking through a high school yearbook and thinking that those days were so much better. Instead of inspiring us to be present in this holiday season, it asks us to reflect on the better times of yesterday: like when Wham! was making Christmas hits or Furbies were flying off the shelves.
So be sure to have yourself a merry little Christmas because, according to Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, life is hard and whatever your golden days were, they are much better than today is.
What Christmas song most inspires you for the season?
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Year can make us believe that Christmas actually is the most wonderful time of the year.
Let it Snow can make us think that it would be a great thing for the heavens to dump 13 feet of snow.
I’ll Be Home for Christmas can make us long to be home for Christmas, in spite of the insanity that comes from family gatherings.
As I’ve been listening to Christmas music this season, I’ve noticed that one song, which should be full of Christmas cheer and merriment, actually isn’t. A song titled Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas should be a lot merrier than it actually is. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas sounds like it’s full of cheer and merriment but it’s actually composed of brokenness and tears.
In the song we’re told to have a merry little Christmas because our troubles are a very real and present reality. These troubles which are not out of sight, these troubles which are not miles away, have been darkening the months leading up to Christmas. But now that it is Christmas, we can be merry and light while making the Yuletide gay.
The song also encourages us to reflect on the “golden days of yore” because the days we are currently living are so much worse than the olden days. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is like looking through a high school yearbook and thinking that those days were so much better. Instead of inspiring us to be present in this holiday season, it asks us to reflect on the better times of yesterday: like when Wham! was making Christmas hits or Furbies were flying off the shelves.
So be sure to have yourself a merry little Christmas because, according to Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, life is hard and whatever your golden days were, they are much better than today is.
What Christmas song most inspires you for the season?
Monday, November 29, 2010
Music Monday 35 - New Christmas Classics
It’s the Christmas season and I finally got to start listening to Christmas music. In the days since Thanksgiving the soundtrack to my life has been filled with yuletide cheer and wintry carols. As we were listening to a holiday Genius playlist, my wife complained that there isn’t very much variety in Christmas music. I was about to object when I realized that there were four different versions of “The Christmas Song” on the playlist we were listening to.
There is so little variety in Christmas music because most new Christmas songs are terrible. There are so many viable Christmas songs, religious and secular alike, that we hardly need any new Christmas songs; this leads to a lack of variety. I’d rather stick to the homogenous nature of Christmas music, though, than embrace every artist’s attempt at creating a new Christmas classic.
However, there have been a few new Christmas songs that have crossed the line from flash-in-the-pan to true Christmas classic.
“All I Want For Christmas Is You” – Mariah Carey
Released in 1994, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has become a modern-day classic. The holiday season now feels incomplete without Mariah Carey’s seminal pop offering. I worked at the Gap one Christmas and this song was on the loop; I grew to hate the song because I heard it 1,359 times during an 8-hour shift. But the song is so charged with holiday goodness, that I’ve grown to love it again. It’s also interesting to note that Mariah Carey’s husband, Nick Cannon, was 14 when this song was first released.
“Last Christmas” – Wham!
I wrote about this song last year because I absolutely love it. I wasn’t old enough to fully appreciate Wham! when they were still together but that doesn’t mean I don’t fully appreciate them now. “Last Christmas” is the perfect break-up Christmas song because it’s built upon the hope that next year there will be someone special. I can only hope that “Last Christmas” cements its status as a Christmas classic when it plays under another gasoline fight in Zoolander 2.
And that’s it. I can’t think of anymore Christmas songs that have become classics. In the past 26 years these are the only two songs that have ascended the musical Christmas tree to rest atop it like a knitted angel.
What songs have become Christmas classics for you?
There is so little variety in Christmas music because most new Christmas songs are terrible. There are so many viable Christmas songs, religious and secular alike, that we hardly need any new Christmas songs; this leads to a lack of variety. I’d rather stick to the homogenous nature of Christmas music, though, than embrace every artist’s attempt at creating a new Christmas classic.
However, there have been a few new Christmas songs that have crossed the line from flash-in-the-pan to true Christmas classic.
“All I Want For Christmas Is You” – Mariah Carey
Released in 1994, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has become a modern-day classic. The holiday season now feels incomplete without Mariah Carey’s seminal pop offering. I worked at the Gap one Christmas and this song was on the loop; I grew to hate the song because I heard it 1,359 times during an 8-hour shift. But the song is so charged with holiday goodness, that I’ve grown to love it again. It’s also interesting to note that Mariah Carey’s husband, Nick Cannon, was 14 when this song was first released.
“Last Christmas” – Wham!
I wrote about this song last year because I absolutely love it. I wasn’t old enough to fully appreciate Wham! when they were still together but that doesn’t mean I don’t fully appreciate them now. “Last Christmas” is the perfect break-up Christmas song because it’s built upon the hope that next year there will be someone special. I can only hope that “Last Christmas” cements its status as a Christmas classic when it plays under another gasoline fight in Zoolander 2.
And that’s it. I can’t think of anymore Christmas songs that have become classics. In the past 26 years these are the only two songs that have ascended the musical Christmas tree to rest atop it like a knitted angel.
What songs have become Christmas classics for you?
Monday, November 22, 2010
Music Monday 34 - The Beatles
I slept in last Tuesday and missed the hype leading to Apple’s announcement that The Beatles’ music was finally going to be available on iTunes. From what I saw on Twitter after the announcement, the announcement didn’t live up to the hype.
I have a confession to make: I don’t think The Beatles themselves live up to the hype.
I recognize that The Beatles are one of the most influential bands ever and that music today would be much different if they had never existed. That being said, I’ve just never really found the time to get into their music. I wasn’t introduced to them at an early age and, by the time I could make my own musical choices, I had already decided to make U2 the center of my musical universe.
So I find myself in a weird place of recognizing the greatness of The Beatles without actually acting upon that knowledge. I’ve got some of their songs in my iTunes but I rarely go out of my way to listen to their music. So I end up just nodding my head when people talk about how good The Beatles are without having any idea what they’re talking about.
What position do The Beatles hold in your musical universe?
Monday, November 15, 2010
Music Monday 33 - Christmas Temptation
I am a tempted man.
I feel like Joseph standing before Potiphar’s wife, with her giving me the eye and that “come hither” look.
I’m not being tempted towards infidelity against my wife. I’m being tempted towards infidelity against my own standards and principles.
Over the past few years I have clearly defined my personal standard on when it’s appropriate to begin listening to Christmas music. There is a certain season for Christmas music, which begins after Thanksgiving dinner and continues through Christmas day. Outside of that time period, Christmas music should not be played and it should be avoided at all costs.
Not only have I laid down this standard for my life, but I have also been very vocal about this standard. I posted to this blog about it, I have told friends my views, I have told people I don’t know my views and I have loudly ranted against the practice of playing Christmas music too early when I hear it the day after Halloween. However, now that I have taken this firm stand, I am being tempted to listen to Christmas music early.
I want to make a Genius playlist based off of Little Drummer Boy.
I want to hear Old Blue Eyes singing The Christmas Song.
I want to pretend not to like All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey but secretly listen to it in my truck.
Alas, it’s only November 15 and Thanksgiving is 10 days away. So even though I’m being tempted, almost beyond what I can bear, I need to stay strong. I could fire up my iPod, plug in my headphones, get lost in my own personal winter wonderland and no one would know. I could compromise my standards, abandon my principles and begin listening to Christmas music right now. But like any sin, if I give early Christmas music listening that foothold in my life, who knows where I’ll end up? It starts with Last Christmas on November 15 but ends with Baby, It’s Cold Outside in the middle of July.
When do you start listening to Christmas music?
I feel like Joseph standing before Potiphar’s wife, with her giving me the eye and that “come hither” look.
I’m not being tempted towards infidelity against my wife. I’m being tempted towards infidelity against my own standards and principles.
Over the past few years I have clearly defined my personal standard on when it’s appropriate to begin listening to Christmas music. There is a certain season for Christmas music, which begins after Thanksgiving dinner and continues through Christmas day. Outside of that time period, Christmas music should not be played and it should be avoided at all costs.
Not only have I laid down this standard for my life, but I have also been very vocal about this standard. I posted to this blog about it, I have told friends my views, I have told people I don’t know my views and I have loudly ranted against the practice of playing Christmas music too early when I hear it the day after Halloween. However, now that I have taken this firm stand, I am being tempted to listen to Christmas music early.
I want to make a Genius playlist based off of Little Drummer Boy.
I want to hear Old Blue Eyes singing The Christmas Song.
I want to pretend not to like All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey but secretly listen to it in my truck.
Alas, it’s only November 15 and Thanksgiving is 10 days away. So even though I’m being tempted, almost beyond what I can bear, I need to stay strong. I could fire up my iPod, plug in my headphones, get lost in my own personal winter wonderland and no one would know. I could compromise my standards, abandon my principles and begin listening to Christmas music right now. But like any sin, if I give early Christmas music listening that foothold in my life, who knows where I’ll end up? It starts with Last Christmas on November 15 but ends with Baby, It’s Cold Outside in the middle of July.
When do you start listening to Christmas music?
Monday, November 8, 2010
Music Monday 32 - SMS (Shine)
It’s easy to populate a list of my favorite music videos.
Thriller. Sabotage. Take on Me. Virtual Insanity. Like a Prayer.
I think I’m going to have to make room on that list for David Crowder Band’s video for SMS (Shine).
The video is impressive for a number of different reasons. The video was created without the use of digital effects and took 2,150 man hours to complete. And while the production is impressive, I am more struck by the beauty and emotion of the video.
I can’t think of any music video which has elicited as much of an emotional response as the video for SMS (Shine) has. Sure Thriller is an amazing music video and Sabotage is hilarious, but there was never a deep, moving, emotional connection with those videos. SMS (Shine) makes me feel something. It helps me to see not only the beauty in life but also the beauty in loss. Life inevitably leads to loss, but when we lose something, the loss provides the opportunity for new life once again.
I know I’ve had these thoughts before, but to have them spurred in such beautiful and visually stimulating way almost makes them new again.
What music videos have connected with you over the years?
Thriller. Sabotage. Take on Me. Virtual Insanity. Like a Prayer.
I think I’m going to have to make room on that list for David Crowder Band’s video for SMS (Shine).
The video is impressive for a number of different reasons. The video was created without the use of digital effects and took 2,150 man hours to complete. And while the production is impressive, I am more struck by the beauty and emotion of the video.
I can’t think of any music video which has elicited as much of an emotional response as the video for SMS (Shine) has. Sure Thriller is an amazing music video and Sabotage is hilarious, but there was never a deep, moving, emotional connection with those videos. SMS (Shine) makes me feel something. It helps me to see not only the beauty in life but also the beauty in loss. Life inevitably leads to loss, but when we lose something, the loss provides the opportunity for new life once again.
I know I’ve had these thoughts before, but to have them spurred in such beautiful and visually stimulating way almost makes them new again.
What music videos have connected with you over the years?
Monday, October 18, 2010
Music Monday 31 - Headphones
I may be a grumpy old man but I don’t understand why people walk around wearing headphones all day. I enjoy listening to my iPod as much as the next person but not at the cost of interacting with people on a regular basis. Whenever I see someone who constantly has headphones on, I think that they’re not interested in interacting with the world around them. If I didn’t want to listen to someone or talk to someone, I would definitely put on some headphones; it’s the musical version of a “Do Not Disturb” sign. And while I sometimes feel like I don’t want people to disturb me, I don’t think it’s good to go through life always listening to headphones.
However, I have recently purchased a lot of new music and I’m having trouble listening to it all. In the past month I’ve gotten new CDs by Maroon 5, Lincoln Park, John Legend & the Roots, Ray LaMontagne and Brooke Fraser. That is a lot of new music and I haven’t really found the time to listen to it all. I had plenty of time to listen to music when I was commuting to Pasadena twice a week for school and driving around all day for work. At this point in my life, though, when I drive 10 minutes to work and sit in an office, I don’t have as much opportunity to listen to music as I once had. This reality has made me think that I should start wearing headphones all day long.
Think about it. I could plug my headphones in as soon as I woke up in the morning and never take them off. I would get 16-18 hours of listening time every day, more than enough to listen to my new music and even mix in some old music. I wouldn’t have to interact with anyone at work, I wouldn’t have to talk to the baristas at Starbucks and I could easily ignore any solicitors outside of Target. The beautiful thing about constantly wearing headphones is that I could still be heard but I just wouldn’t have to listen.
Don’t bother telling me about your day, I’m listening to someone sing about hers.
Don’t bother telling me about ways to help those in need, I’m listening to someone sing about social justice.
Don’t bother telling me about ways to strengthen our relationship, I’m listening to someone sing about love.
If I listened to music all day long, I would get to choose what influenced me; I would get to choose what input I received. And if I didn’t like the message, if I didn’t like the beat, if something was too challenging, then I wouldn’t have to listen to it. If there was any prophetic voice calling me out to change my ways and make a difference, I could just turn up the volume, look interested and nod my head in agreement.
However, I have recently purchased a lot of new music and I’m having trouble listening to it all. In the past month I’ve gotten new CDs by Maroon 5, Lincoln Park, John Legend & the Roots, Ray LaMontagne and Brooke Fraser. That is a lot of new music and I haven’t really found the time to listen to it all. I had plenty of time to listen to music when I was commuting to Pasadena twice a week for school and driving around all day for work. At this point in my life, though, when I drive 10 minutes to work and sit in an office, I don’t have as much opportunity to listen to music as I once had. This reality has made me think that I should start wearing headphones all day long.
Think about it. I could plug my headphones in as soon as I woke up in the morning and never take them off. I would get 16-18 hours of listening time every day, more than enough to listen to my new music and even mix in some old music. I wouldn’t have to interact with anyone at work, I wouldn’t have to talk to the baristas at Starbucks and I could easily ignore any solicitors outside of Target. The beautiful thing about constantly wearing headphones is that I could still be heard but I just wouldn’t have to listen.
Don’t bother telling me about your day, I’m listening to someone sing about hers.
Don’t bother telling me about ways to help those in need, I’m listening to someone sing about social justice.
Don’t bother telling me about ways to strengthen our relationship, I’m listening to someone sing about love.
If I listened to music all day long, I would get to choose what influenced me; I would get to choose what input I received. And if I didn’t like the message, if I didn’t like the beat, if something was too challenging, then I wouldn’t have to listen to it. If there was any prophetic voice calling me out to change my ways and make a difference, I could just turn up the volume, look interested and nod my head in agreement.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Music Monday 30 - Old CDs
I just imported Linkin Park’s new CD into my iTunes. I held off purchasing the album on iTunes or Amazon knowing that I might receive it for my birthday. My patience paid off and I received the CD as a birthday present. Now, however, after importing the CD into iTunes, I’m left with a shiny, plastic disc that no longer serves a purpose. In fact I have whole boxes filled with old CDs, safely tucked away in their jewel cases, filling up our small garage. The compact disc is a casualty of the digital age and one of the enduring questions has to be: what do we do with all of these old CDs? Here are a few suggestions.
#1 – Keep Them
Maybe it will be worth keeping all of your old CDs. Vinyl has made quite the comeback in recent years; perhaps CDs will go through a similar renaissance in another two decades. Think how impressed the hipsters of 2030 will be when you show them the original album for Savage Garden’s self-titled debut (Who isn’t impressed by a chica cherry cola?). So just like vinyl has made a resurgence in spite of its inferior sound, lack of portability and high cost, maybe CDs will be all the rage with all the cool kids. Sure they take up a lot of space, but your collection of 90s CDs could you make you the coolest person ever.
#2 – Coaster Collection
Let’s face it: coasters are practical but lame. No one wants the condensation from their frosty beverage to ruin a table, but to place that beverage on a boring piece of wood or ceramic tile does not adequately communicate how cool you are. Imagine if your coasters not only protected your overpriced Pottery Barn end table but also told a story of your musical past. CD coasters say so much more about who you are and could even provide a talking point when you have guests. Be prepared to defend yourself, though, when someone sets their Coke down on your copy of Cracked Rear View by Hootie and the Blowfish or Middle of Nowhere by Hanson.
#3 – Vigilante Justice
My large CD collection is symbolic of my own selfishness. Instead of spending $10 at a time to cure the ills of the world, I spent $10 at a time so I could listen to Third Eye Blind and Marcy Playground. It’s time for something good to come out of those selfish buying habits. I literally have hundreds of CDs which could be used in a vigilante war against crime. I’m not a billionaire playboy like Bruce Wayne; I can’t afford a utility belt or batarangs. However, I already have a huge collection of CDs which could easily be fashioned into some sort of ninja throwing star. Imagine the fear that would strike the hearts of would-be criminals as a rain of CD shuriken came flying down from above. And imagine the embarrassment that would come from knowing their crime was thwarted by Jock Jams 5 or …Baby One More Time.
Those are a few suggestions for what to do with your old CDs. What do you do with your old CDs?
#1 – Keep Them
Maybe it will be worth keeping all of your old CDs. Vinyl has made quite the comeback in recent years; perhaps CDs will go through a similar renaissance in another two decades. Think how impressed the hipsters of 2030 will be when you show them the original album for Savage Garden’s self-titled debut (Who isn’t impressed by a chica cherry cola?). So just like vinyl has made a resurgence in spite of its inferior sound, lack of portability and high cost, maybe CDs will be all the rage with all the cool kids. Sure they take up a lot of space, but your collection of 90s CDs could you make you the coolest person ever.
#2 – Coaster Collection
Let’s face it: coasters are practical but lame. No one wants the condensation from their frosty beverage to ruin a table, but to place that beverage on a boring piece of wood or ceramic tile does not adequately communicate how cool you are. Imagine if your coasters not only protected your overpriced Pottery Barn end table but also told a story of your musical past. CD coasters say so much more about who you are and could even provide a talking point when you have guests. Be prepared to defend yourself, though, when someone sets their Coke down on your copy of Cracked Rear View by Hootie and the Blowfish or Middle of Nowhere by Hanson.
#3 – Vigilante Justice
My large CD collection is symbolic of my own selfishness. Instead of spending $10 at a time to cure the ills of the world, I spent $10 at a time so I could listen to Third Eye Blind and Marcy Playground. It’s time for something good to come out of those selfish buying habits. I literally have hundreds of CDs which could be used in a vigilante war against crime. I’m not a billionaire playboy like Bruce Wayne; I can’t afford a utility belt or batarangs. However, I already have a huge collection of CDs which could easily be fashioned into some sort of ninja throwing star. Imagine the fear that would strike the hearts of would-be criminals as a rain of CD shuriken came flying down from above. And imagine the embarrassment that would come from knowing their crime was thwarted by Jock Jams 5 or …Baby One More Time.
Those are a few suggestions for what to do with your old CDs. What do you do with your old CDs?
Monday, September 27, 2010
Music Monday 29 - Wake Up!
I spend a lot of time at Starbucks and while I’m waiting for them to get my coffee or finish taking my order I often peruse the CDs for sale. In the days before my budget, I would often give into the impulse to buy any CD I remotely wanted. This has proven a fruitful practice as I’ve ended up with a great Tony Bennett compilation and the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack among others. Last week as I waited for my venti iced coffee I saw the album Wake Up! by John Legend and The Roots. My impulse told me to buy it but Dave Ramsey’s voice in the back of my head told me no.
Luckily I got an iTunes gift card for my birthday and was able to pick up the album over the weekend. I’m a big fan of John Legend and I recognize the quality of The Roots, which led to my excitement over the album. Wake Up! is an album composed mainly of covers from the 60s and 70s; covers of songs that address social injustice, the harsh realities of war and the need for peace. I think it’s a great album musically but it’s the message that I really appreciate.
From what I hear on XM radio, a lot of hip hop and R&B music doesn’t carry much of a message these days. Well, I suppose it carries a message, but it mainly has to do with dancing in the club and being rich. Wake Up! harkens back to a different time when R&B music carried a deeper message about the ills of this world and the hope to repair them. John Legend and The Roots do an outstanding job of channeling artists of the past, like Marvin Gaye, to share a message that is needed today as much as it was 40 years ago. The music provides the perfect backdrop for the message; infectious beats and harmonies allow the lyrics fill your mind long after the track has ended. This staying power, then, keeps the message ruminating through your thoughts, allowing it to filter down to your soul. And a message about peace, love and justice can’t do the soul anything but good.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Music Monday 28 - Budget Music
I’ve got a lot of music and most of it I procured legally. Though it would be interesting to figure out how much I’ve spent on music over the course of my life, it would also be a little scary; I’m sure I’ve spent thousands of dollars on music since I bought my first CD, a Weird Al Yanovic album, when I was 13. In the past few years, with the advent of iTunes, my desire to buy new music has been gratified immediately; now with the iPhone the gratification is even more immediate as I have the power to buy almost any album in the palm of my hand. Our married budget, however, has changed all of that.
As Alycia and I start our life together we’re on a pretty tight budget. We’re not poor and one step from destitution’s door but we are living within a budget thanks to Dave Ramsey and the steps he outlines in Financial Peace. As far as that budget goes, there isn’t any money reserved for new music; it’s just not there. And while I’m more than happy to live on our budget, I’ve had to change my practices when it comes to buying new music. Gone are the days of flippantly buying whatever album I wanted; now I have to be a little more strategic in my music purchases.
Part of that strategy is hoping for iTunes gift cards for my birthday, asking friends what is really worth my money and saving up my “blow” money so I can buy the new Linkin Park album or an old Nat King Cole compilation. Maybe someday we’ll be a position where $10 on iTunes isn’t such a big deal but at this point it is, and I’m all right with that. And maybe being more strategic and more careful in my music purchases will lead me to find something truly special instead of an album I purchase, listen to once and completely forget about.
If I was going to buy one new album, what should it be?
As Alycia and I start our life together we’re on a pretty tight budget. We’re not poor and one step from destitution’s door but we are living within a budget thanks to Dave Ramsey and the steps he outlines in Financial Peace. As far as that budget goes, there isn’t any money reserved for new music; it’s just not there. And while I’m more than happy to live on our budget, I’ve had to change my practices when it comes to buying new music. Gone are the days of flippantly buying whatever album I wanted; now I have to be a little more strategic in my music purchases.
Part of that strategy is hoping for iTunes gift cards for my birthday, asking friends what is really worth my money and saving up my “blow” money so I can buy the new Linkin Park album or an old Nat King Cole compilation. Maybe someday we’ll be a position where $10 on iTunes isn’t such a big deal but at this point it is, and I’m all right with that. And maybe being more strategic and more careful in my music purchases will lead me to find something truly special instead of an album I purchase, listen to once and completely forget about.
If I was going to buy one new album, what should it be?
Monday, September 13, 2010
Music Monday 27 - The VMAs
The MTV Video Music Awards were on last night and the world looked on with annoyed indifference. When the VMAs first aired in 1984 they were a celebration of a new medium: the music video. Music videos were a new and exciting format, which made stars, like Michael Jackson, into superstars and permanently cemented one-hit-wonders into the national conscious. The VMAs were an immediate success, due in part to the shocking moments, but mainly because the subject of the awards, music videos, had a platform. People watching the show were emotionally invested in the nominees because they had actually seen all the videos, as MTV would constantly play them. These days, other than on YouTube, I don’t even know where I could watch a music video if I wanted to.
Here were the nominees for Video of the Year:
30 Seconds to Mars – “Kings and Queens”
B.o.B. (featuring Hayley Williams) – “Airplanes”
Eminem – “Not Afraid”
Florence + the Machine – “Dog Days Are Over”
Lady Gaga – “Bad Romance”
Lady Gaga (featuring Beyoncé) – “Telephone”
I have seen one of those videos and that’s because I watched it on YouTube. These days there is no set platform for music videos. When the VMAs first began, they were a celebration of a medium that MTV popularized; there had been music videos before MTV, but MTV legitimized them as an entertainment format. Now it seems, that as MTV has moved away from showing music videos, they have illegitimated the format, taking away its only viable platform. At this point it seems like MTV should stop the VMAs and begin airing an awards show for over-tanned ethnic stereotypes, teenage mothers and vapid reality stars.
There’s a good chance that this is simply a grumpy old man moment but it’s at least a justifiable one. MTV started out as Music Television and now it’s nothing more than a reality TV network with a long history. In that way, MTV is a lot like the new Cleveland Browns: a crappy organization with a storied history it doesn’t deserve.
Here were the nominees for Video of the Year:
30 Seconds to Mars – “Kings and Queens”
B.o.B. (featuring Hayley Williams) – “Airplanes”
Eminem – “Not Afraid”
Florence + the Machine – “Dog Days Are Over”
Lady Gaga – “Bad Romance”
Lady Gaga (featuring Beyoncé) – “Telephone”
I have seen one of those videos and that’s because I watched it on YouTube. These days there is no set platform for music videos. When the VMAs first began, they were a celebration of a medium that MTV popularized; there had been music videos before MTV, but MTV legitimized them as an entertainment format. Now it seems, that as MTV has moved away from showing music videos, they have illegitimated the format, taking away its only viable platform. At this point it seems like MTV should stop the VMAs and begin airing an awards show for over-tanned ethnic stereotypes, teenage mothers and vapid reality stars.
There’s a good chance that this is simply a grumpy old man moment but it’s at least a justifiable one. MTV started out as Music Television and now it’s nothing more than a reality TV network with a long history. In that way, MTV is a lot like the new Cleveland Browns: a crappy organization with a storied history it doesn’t deserve.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Music Monday 25 - In the Club
Lady GaGa. Kylie Minogue. Jamiroquai. Cascada. Tiesto. ABBA. I really like all these groups and artists because I really like dance music. I like the beat, the electronic production and the general upbeat attitude. However, as much as I like dance music, I really can’t stand the club scene, like at all.
I just got back from Las Vegas, which has shed the family friendly persona it created in the 90s and embraced its hedonistic, sex-driven persona. This current persona has been partially built on the burgeoning club scene. Clubs like Pure, LAX, Tryst and Jet have become the places to be in Vegas. And while I love Vegas as much as anyone I know, I can’t understand the fascination with the club scene and culture; it has never appealed to me.
In spite of this complete lack of a desire to go to a club, I have a strong desire to listen to music played inside of clubs. There’s nothing better than cruising around town on a summer day, windows down, loudly playing something with a good beat. Dance music is intended to be played in a club, while people dance or wait to enter the club. Like an animal that thrives outside of its natural environment, though, dance music has found a home on my iPod and in my truck. I can’t explain it. I just know that Lady GaGa while I’m driving makes me happy. The thought of Lady GaGa in a club makes me sick to my stomach.
How do you feel about dance music outside of a club?
I just got back from Las Vegas, which has shed the family friendly persona it created in the 90s and embraced its hedonistic, sex-driven persona. This current persona has been partially built on the burgeoning club scene. Clubs like Pure, LAX, Tryst and Jet have become the places to be in Vegas. And while I love Vegas as much as anyone I know, I can’t understand the fascination with the club scene and culture; it has never appealed to me.
In spite of this complete lack of a desire to go to a club, I have a strong desire to listen to music played inside of clubs. There’s nothing better than cruising around town on a summer day, windows down, loudly playing something with a good beat. Dance music is intended to be played in a club, while people dance or wait to enter the club. Like an animal that thrives outside of its natural environment, though, dance music has found a home on my iPod and in my truck. I can’t explain it. I just know that Lady GaGa while I’m driving makes me happy. The thought of Lady GaGa in a club makes me sick to my stomach.
How do you feel about dance music outside of a club?
Monday, October 19, 2009
Music Monday 09 - Wedding Ceremony Songs
On Friday all the interested parties met to makes plans for my upcoming wedding. It was a good meeting and we talked about the wedding and a lot of important factors like date and size. It was fun to talk about the wedding and everything that goes into a wedding. I never sat and planned out my wedding as a little boy; I was too busy having He-Man fight my Ninja Turtles. But, after sitting and talking about the wedding, it is a fun process to think about what that day might look like. The issue of music was brought up and, having thought about music before, I thought that I’d just pick a playlist and tell whatever DJ to play those songs. Apparently I have a narrow view of what music at a wedding means, though, because others seemed far more concerned with music during the ceremony. I hadn’t really thought about music during the ceremony, apart from playing the music from the throne room scene at the end of the original Star Wars as my new wife and I walked back down the aisle. (That idea has since been nixed and I’m just starting to get over it). But what about music during the ceremony?
I’ve been to a lot of weddings and heard music done in different ways. At a lot of weddings the music during the ceremony was played off an iPod or some other recording. The couple picked different music to be played before the ceremony as the family was being seated, as bridesmaids walked down the aisle and as the bride walked down the aisle. Most of these songs are usually some classical composition that no one can identify yet everyone knows. That’s not a bad way to do music. If the right music is selected, it can be classy and not that much can go wrong, unless someone doesn’t know how to push “Play.”
I’ve also been to weddings that had live music during the ceremony. At my sister’s wedding there was a full band playing the music during the ceremony. My sister and her husband sat down with the band as they were planning the wedding and chose all the songs for the ceremony. If I was leading a band during a wedding ceremony, I would be tempted to Rickroll the bride and play “Never Gonna Give You Up” as she walked down the aisle. I was also in a wedding that had a live string quartet playing all the music before and during the ceremony. That was super classy and it was fun to watch everyone’s bows moving in synchronization. Honestly, though, I don’t know if I’m that classy. I’m not really a quartet of strings guy, I’m much more a quartet of banjo, spoons, cider jug and washboard.
I’ve been to plenty of weddings but I obviously don’t know everything that is out there. So, if you have any suggestions for how to do music during a ceremony, please share them with me. You can suggest whatever you want but, if it involves country music in any way, know that Rascal Flats and Keith Urban will not be making any appearances at my wedding. Carrie Underwood can make an appearance, but only if it’s an actual physical appearance. And you can suggest something like the YouTube video that The Office copied, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to play a Chris Brown song at a wedding.
What have you heard at weddings as far as music during the ceremony and how did you like it?
I’ve been to a lot of weddings and heard music done in different ways. At a lot of weddings the music during the ceremony was played off an iPod or some other recording. The couple picked different music to be played before the ceremony as the family was being seated, as bridesmaids walked down the aisle and as the bride walked down the aisle. Most of these songs are usually some classical composition that no one can identify yet everyone knows. That’s not a bad way to do music. If the right music is selected, it can be classy and not that much can go wrong, unless someone doesn’t know how to push “Play.”
I’ve also been to weddings that had live music during the ceremony. At my sister’s wedding there was a full band playing the music during the ceremony. My sister and her husband sat down with the band as they were planning the wedding and chose all the songs for the ceremony. If I was leading a band during a wedding ceremony, I would be tempted to Rickroll the bride and play “Never Gonna Give You Up” as she walked down the aisle. I was also in a wedding that had a live string quartet playing all the music before and during the ceremony. That was super classy and it was fun to watch everyone’s bows moving in synchronization. Honestly, though, I don’t know if I’m that classy. I’m not really a quartet of strings guy, I’m much more a quartet of banjo, spoons, cider jug and washboard.
I’ve been to plenty of weddings but I obviously don’t know everything that is out there. So, if you have any suggestions for how to do music during a ceremony, please share them with me. You can suggest whatever you want but, if it involves country music in any way, know that Rascal Flats and Keith Urban will not be making any appearances at my wedding. Carrie Underwood can make an appearance, but only if it’s an actual physical appearance. And you can suggest something like the YouTube video that The Office copied, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to play a Chris Brown song at a wedding.
What have you heard at weddings as far as music during the ceremony and how did you like it?
Monday, September 28, 2009
Music Monday 06 - Banned Wedding Songs
I’ve been to a lot of weddings in my life. One of my favorite parts about going to weddings is the opportunity to dissect and critique each one. It gives me the chance to see what I would like to incorporate into my own wedding and what I would like to avoid. Now, as I’m preparing for my own wedding, I’ve got a lot of thoughts running through my head. This won’t be the last wedding-themed post but it is the first, and it focuses on songs that should never be played at any wedding.
Music is a big part of weddings. There is music during the ceremony, there is music as the couple enters the reception and, obviously, there is music during the dancing. There are a lot of opportunities to hear music at a wedding but that also means there are a lot of opportunities to make the wrong musical choices. I’ve heard plenty of music at weddings that was cheesy, offensive, incongruous with the occasion and just plain bad. Here are some songs that should never be played at a wedding.
Chuck Wicks – “Stealing Cinderella”
I make it a point not to listen to country music. In a perfect world I would have never heard the song “Stealing Cinderella.” But I was up late one night watching music videos on Palladia and I saw the video for “Stealing Cinderella” by Chuck Wicks. I don’t know who Chuck Wicks is and I’ve definitely never heard any other songs of his. This song, however, is completely contrived and entirely too sappy to play at a wedding. Here is the chorus:
Playing Cinderella
Riding her first bike
Bouncing on the bed and looking for a pillow fight
Running through the sprinkler with a big Popsicle grin
Dancing with her dad, looking up at him
In her eyes I’m Prince Charming
But to him I’m just some fella riding in and stealing Cinderella
The saccharine nature of this song is sweeter than any wedding cake and doesn’t even come with action figures of the couple on top. This song seems to have been written for the explicit intention of being played at weddings. Chuck Wicks isn’t planning on making money through record sales, but through the sale of sheet music. That way, any guy with an acoustic guitar can play it while the couple takes Communion or while the father and daughter have their dance, all while impressing the bridesmaids. There are a lot of really bad, sappy songs that show up at a wedding. In a tremendous upset, “Stealing Cinderella” has finally taken down the long-standing champ “Butterfly Kisses.”
Sting – “Brand New Day”
Without listening to the lyrics, “Brand New Day” by Sting seems like a great song to be played as the couple walks down the aisle as husband and wife for the very first time. The new couple is ready to face the brand new day of their lives together. In fact, my sister thought of playing this song at her wedding as she and my brother-in-law walked down the aisle. It seemed like a good plan until she found out that Sting wrote the song about his divorce. Here is a verse from the song:
One day you could be looking through
An old book in rainy weather
You see a picture of her smiling at you
When you were still together
Or you could be walking down the street
And who should you chance to meet
But that same old smile you've been thinking of all day?
Everyone wants to start their marriage out on the right foot; a song about divorce is the wrong foot. Songs like this really highlight the need to listen to the lyrics of all the songs played at a wedding. No one wants a song, which sounds good, to actually become a self-fulfilling prophecy about divorce. At a wedding that’s a brand new day that nobody wants to think about.
Steven Curtis Chapman – “I Will Be Here”
I actually really like this song a lot. Steven Curtis Chapman is the man and I would gladly have “Saddle Up Your Horses” played as I walked back down the aisle with my brand new bride. “I Will Be Here” is a great song because it’s romantic and acknowledges the role God plays in bringing a husband and wife together.
I will be true to the promise I have made
To you and to the one who gave you to me
I remember hearing this song in high school and I imagined playing it at my wedding. But now, after hearing it at a number of different weddings, it just doesn’t need to be played at anymore weddings, including my own. It had its time. It has run its course. It is time to move on. So any aspiring Christian artists should write the next “I Will Be Here” and release performance tracks in various keys.
I’m still trying to think about what music I would like played at my wedding. In some ways, it’s easier to pick the songs that I wouldn’t want to hear at my wedding. A wedding is a chance to celebrate the beginning of a life lived together and the soundtrack should match the occasion. A lot of thought should go into picking wedding music so that the wonderful, brand new day doesn’t turn into another example of Sting’s “Brand New Day.”
What song could you go without ever hearing at a wedding again?
Music is a big part of weddings. There is music during the ceremony, there is music as the couple enters the reception and, obviously, there is music during the dancing. There are a lot of opportunities to hear music at a wedding but that also means there are a lot of opportunities to make the wrong musical choices. I’ve heard plenty of music at weddings that was cheesy, offensive, incongruous with the occasion and just plain bad. Here are some songs that should never be played at a wedding.
Chuck Wicks – “Stealing Cinderella”
I make it a point not to listen to country music. In a perfect world I would have never heard the song “Stealing Cinderella.” But I was up late one night watching music videos on Palladia and I saw the video for “Stealing Cinderella” by Chuck Wicks. I don’t know who Chuck Wicks is and I’ve definitely never heard any other songs of his. This song, however, is completely contrived and entirely too sappy to play at a wedding. Here is the chorus:
Playing Cinderella
Riding her first bike
Bouncing on the bed and looking for a pillow fight
Running through the sprinkler with a big Popsicle grin
Dancing with her dad, looking up at him
In her eyes I’m Prince Charming
But to him I’m just some fella riding in and stealing Cinderella
The saccharine nature of this song is sweeter than any wedding cake and doesn’t even come with action figures of the couple on top. This song seems to have been written for the explicit intention of being played at weddings. Chuck Wicks isn’t planning on making money through record sales, but through the sale of sheet music. That way, any guy with an acoustic guitar can play it while the couple takes Communion or while the father and daughter have their dance, all while impressing the bridesmaids. There are a lot of really bad, sappy songs that show up at a wedding. In a tremendous upset, “Stealing Cinderella” has finally taken down the long-standing champ “Butterfly Kisses.”
Sting – “Brand New Day”
Without listening to the lyrics, “Brand New Day” by Sting seems like a great song to be played as the couple walks down the aisle as husband and wife for the very first time. The new couple is ready to face the brand new day of their lives together. In fact, my sister thought of playing this song at her wedding as she and my brother-in-law walked down the aisle. It seemed like a good plan until she found out that Sting wrote the song about his divorce. Here is a verse from the song:
One day you could be looking through
An old book in rainy weather
You see a picture of her smiling at you
When you were still together
Or you could be walking down the street
And who should you chance to meet
But that same old smile you've been thinking of all day?
Everyone wants to start their marriage out on the right foot; a song about divorce is the wrong foot. Songs like this really highlight the need to listen to the lyrics of all the songs played at a wedding. No one wants a song, which sounds good, to actually become a self-fulfilling prophecy about divorce. At a wedding that’s a brand new day that nobody wants to think about.
Steven Curtis Chapman – “I Will Be Here”
I actually really like this song a lot. Steven Curtis Chapman is the man and I would gladly have “Saddle Up Your Horses” played as I walked back down the aisle with my brand new bride. “I Will Be Here” is a great song because it’s romantic and acknowledges the role God plays in bringing a husband and wife together.
I will be true to the promise I have made
To you and to the one who gave you to me
I remember hearing this song in high school and I imagined playing it at my wedding. But now, after hearing it at a number of different weddings, it just doesn’t need to be played at anymore weddings, including my own. It had its time. It has run its course. It is time to move on. So any aspiring Christian artists should write the next “I Will Be Here” and release performance tracks in various keys.
I’m still trying to think about what music I would like played at my wedding. In some ways, it’s easier to pick the songs that I wouldn’t want to hear at my wedding. A wedding is a chance to celebrate the beginning of a life lived together and the soundtrack should match the occasion. A lot of thought should go into picking wedding music so that the wonderful, brand new day doesn’t turn into another example of Sting’s “Brand New Day.”
What song could you go without ever hearing at a wedding again?
Monday, September 21, 2009
Music Monday 05 - Worship Songs We Love to Hate
I really enjoy worshipping God through music; it is one of my favorite things. I still remember the first time I truly experienced God’s presence while worshipping God through music. I was sitting in a small house in Mexico in a room full of people with a single acoustic guitar. That night I felt like I really connected with God for the first time, like I was given the opportunity to just sit in God’s presence. From that moment on, I have loved to worship through music and I really like most worship songs. However, there are some worship songs that I just don’t like. No matter how much I sing them, no matter how much others like them and no matter how much they help other people connect with God, I still don’t like them. I have nothing against the writers and nothing against the people who sing or play them; I just don’t like the songs. It’s not that God can’t be praised and worshipped through them; I just don’t like them and would never pick them for a set list. Here are two examples.
Above All
The song “Above All” was released in 1999. For a while, it seemed like my church at the time would play the song in service every other weekend. I really like the verses of the song, which speak about Christ’s supremacy and his sovereignty. In seminary terms, the song has a very high Christology. In less pretentious terms, the song thinks Jesus is the coolest, cooler than Miles Davis. While I really like the verses, I can’t stand the chorus. Here it is:
Crucified, laid behind a stone
You lived to die rejected and alone
Like a rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall and thought of me
Above all
Really, there’s plenty wrong with that chorus. It’s fairly self-centered to think that Christ thought of me above all on the cross. I definitely think he was thinking of me, but there were billions of other people to think about. He could have also been thinking about the restoration of creation and the culmination of the work he had come to do.
I also can’t get beyond the line that begins “Like a rose…” The structure of that line seems to suggest that there are roses all over the place, getting trampled on the ground and thinking about me. I never knew roses were so caring; I never knew roses were so sentient. Maybe on a day when I’m feeling a little down and lonely I can find an anthropomorphized rose and trample it on the ground; then I would feel better because I’d know at least something was thinking about me. This line sounds a lot like the papers I wrote in high school and college: the line sounds good but it doesn’t really have any substance or meaning. And really, when we’re worshipping our holy God, we shouldn’t just bring him flowery words that sound good. The words with which we worship God should have meaning and purpose; they should speak to the character, love and awesomeness of God. If we don’t strive for that goal then our worship will be, in the words of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
I Will Not Forget You
Another song that came out in 1999, which rubs me the wrong way is “I Will Not Forget You.” I remember this song gained popularity at a summer camp and then it began frequently showing up when our high school students would worship. Again, not a bad song; it’s actually very catchy. However, I do have two problems with the song. The first problem stems from the pre-chorus and the line that says:
And my sacrifice is
Not what you can give
But what I alone can
Give to you
I don’t like this line because there is nothing I can give to God that he hasn’t already given to me. There is nothing that I alone can give to God because there is nothing that I have gained independent of God. This line takes the focus away from God and his complete primacy in our lives. The only reason I’m able to type this next word is because God is allowing me to continue breathing. If he decided that I shouldn’t continue breathing, you’d probably see something like this:
Nuj7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hym (That’s what my head types when dropped onto my keyboard)
My second problem comes from the second stanza of the chorus, which says:
A loud song I sing
A huge bell I ring
A life of praise I live before you
Never in my life have I rung a huge bell. Never. Maybe it’s my fault for growing up in less traditional churches that didn’t have a bell choir. Had I the opportunity to play in a bell choir, maybe that line would make complete and total sense to me. I have no idea how that line was written but here is how the conversation might have gone between the two songwriters.
“’A loud song I sing’? Yeah, that’s a good line.”
“Ok, we need a word that rhymes with ‘sing’ for the next line.”
“Bling? We could say, ‘I like your huge bling’?”
“Don’t be stupid. God doesn’t wear bling, except for maybe a huge diamond-crusted cross.”
“What about ring?”
“’I like your huge ring’? What is it with you and jewelry today?”
“No, not that kind of ring. Like a telephone ring or a ringing bell.”
“Oh. We could say ‘A huge bell I ring.’”
“Genius.”
“Genius.”
Again, this is another example of something sounding good but not making a lot of sense. Unless you hold your church services in Philadelphia and have access to the Liberty Bell, this song should never be played.
There are a lot of worship songs that people don’t like. Not everyone is always going to agree on what worship songs they like and what songs they dislike. I may like a song that you think is terrible and can’t stand singing; that’s just what happens when we all have our own opinions. The danger, though, is allowing our personal feelings about a song to keep us from worshipping God. I may not like “Above All” but I can’t let those feelings keep me from worshipping God; if that songs pops up on a Sunday morning I can’t just check out and start throwing a silent tantrum. Worship is about God, not whether or not we like a song. So whatever the song, if we’re worshipping God through music, we should strive to have our hearts in the right place and worship God no matter what. Even if that means finding a huge bell to make it work.
What worship songs do you dread popping up on a Sunday morning?
Above All
The song “Above All” was released in 1999. For a while, it seemed like my church at the time would play the song in service every other weekend. I really like the verses of the song, which speak about Christ’s supremacy and his sovereignty. In seminary terms, the song has a very high Christology. In less pretentious terms, the song thinks Jesus is the coolest, cooler than Miles Davis. While I really like the verses, I can’t stand the chorus. Here it is:
Crucified, laid behind a stone
You lived to die rejected and alone
Like a rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall and thought of me
Above all
Really, there’s plenty wrong with that chorus. It’s fairly self-centered to think that Christ thought of me above all on the cross. I definitely think he was thinking of me, but there were billions of other people to think about. He could have also been thinking about the restoration of creation and the culmination of the work he had come to do.
I also can’t get beyond the line that begins “Like a rose…” The structure of that line seems to suggest that there are roses all over the place, getting trampled on the ground and thinking about me. I never knew roses were so caring; I never knew roses were so sentient. Maybe on a day when I’m feeling a little down and lonely I can find an anthropomorphized rose and trample it on the ground; then I would feel better because I’d know at least something was thinking about me. This line sounds a lot like the papers I wrote in high school and college: the line sounds good but it doesn’t really have any substance or meaning. And really, when we’re worshipping our holy God, we shouldn’t just bring him flowery words that sound good. The words with which we worship God should have meaning and purpose; they should speak to the character, love and awesomeness of God. If we don’t strive for that goal then our worship will be, in the words of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
I Will Not Forget You
Another song that came out in 1999, which rubs me the wrong way is “I Will Not Forget You.” I remember this song gained popularity at a summer camp and then it began frequently showing up when our high school students would worship. Again, not a bad song; it’s actually very catchy. However, I do have two problems with the song. The first problem stems from the pre-chorus and the line that says:
And my sacrifice is
Not what you can give
But what I alone can
Give to you
I don’t like this line because there is nothing I can give to God that he hasn’t already given to me. There is nothing that I alone can give to God because there is nothing that I have gained independent of God. This line takes the focus away from God and his complete primacy in our lives. The only reason I’m able to type this next word is because God is allowing me to continue breathing. If he decided that I shouldn’t continue breathing, you’d probably see something like this:
Nuj7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hynu7hym (That’s what my head types when dropped onto my keyboard)
My second problem comes from the second stanza of the chorus, which says:
A loud song I sing
A huge bell I ring
A life of praise I live before you
Never in my life have I rung a huge bell. Never. Maybe it’s my fault for growing up in less traditional churches that didn’t have a bell choir. Had I the opportunity to play in a bell choir, maybe that line would make complete and total sense to me. I have no idea how that line was written but here is how the conversation might have gone between the two songwriters.
“’A loud song I sing’? Yeah, that’s a good line.”
“Ok, we need a word that rhymes with ‘sing’ for the next line.”
“Bling? We could say, ‘I like your huge bling’?”
“Don’t be stupid. God doesn’t wear bling, except for maybe a huge diamond-crusted cross.”
“What about ring?”
“’I like your huge ring’? What is it with you and jewelry today?”
“No, not that kind of ring. Like a telephone ring or a ringing bell.”
“Oh. We could say ‘A huge bell I ring.’”
“Genius.”
“Genius.”
Again, this is another example of something sounding good but not making a lot of sense. Unless you hold your church services in Philadelphia and have access to the Liberty Bell, this song should never be played.
There are a lot of worship songs that people don’t like. Not everyone is always going to agree on what worship songs they like and what songs they dislike. I may like a song that you think is terrible and can’t stand singing; that’s just what happens when we all have our own opinions. The danger, though, is allowing our personal feelings about a song to keep us from worshipping God. I may not like “Above All” but I can’t let those feelings keep me from worshipping God; if that songs pops up on a Sunday morning I can’t just check out and start throwing a silent tantrum. Worship is about God, not whether or not we like a song. So whatever the song, if we’re worshipping God through music, we should strive to have our hearts in the right place and worship God no matter what. Even if that means finding a huge bell to make it work.
What worship songs do you dread popping up on a Sunday morning?
Monday, September 14, 2009
Music Monday 04 - Work Music
Last Monday was Labor Day and, since I took the day off from writing, I thought I’d highlight some music about work this week. Music and work go hand-in-hand, especially if you’re a professional musician. But even for those of us who aren’t, music and work still have a very close relationship. I find that music makes work far more bearable; just like making fun of the vampire guy from the Black Eyed Peas makes listening to “Boom Boom Pow” more bearable. Whether I’m writing, working on a sermon, cleaning the kitchen or stacking chairs at church, I like listening to music while I work. I thought that I’d take a look at some songs about work and the best situations to listen to them.
“Working for the Weekend” – Loverboy
Loverboy’s hit “Working for the Weekend” was released in 1981 and charted on both of Billboard’s pop singles and mainstream rock charts. It was a popular song in the 80s but has also recently gained popularity from its inclusion in television shows, commercials and movies. The most classic of these recent appearances is in the move Zoolander, when Derek Zoolander is working in a coal mine.
I think I’ve got the black lung, pop.
Here are the lyrics to the chorus:
Everybody's working for the weekend
Everybody wants a little romance
Everybody's goin' off the deep end
Everybody needs a second chance
This is the perfect song to listen to on a Friday afternoon at 3:00. Staring at the clock, it provides the motivation needed to make it through to the weekend, those final two hours until the clock strikes 5:00 and it’s time to go home. This song has lost some meaning for me since I now work every Sunday but I still like the principle and I still remember what it was like for 5:00 to hit on a Friday afternoon.
I remember heading out of the office listening to this song on my iPod, rocking a little air guitar while walking down the hall. Then dancing a little to the elevator, pretending I was wearing a sick 80s headband while loosening my tie and undoing the top button on my Oxford shirt. Then shaking the doorman’s hand as I finally headed to my car; I was ready for a weekend filled with potential and hopefully a little love and mystery.
“A Spoonful of Sugar” – Mary Poppins
I thought of titling this section “’A Spoonful of Sugar’ – My First Love.” Every year when I was growing up Mary Poppins was broadcast on TV and I would watch it. I liked the chimney sweeps, I liked the penguins and I liked the scene where everyone was laughing/drunk and floating in the room. But more than anything, I liked Mary Poppins; nay, I loved Mary Poppins. I dreamed that one day Mary Poppins would be my nanny and I hoped that we could parlay her role as nanny into the role of my wife.
As a young child I made no connection between Mary Poppins and Julie Andrews; I didn’t love Julie Andrews, I loved Mary Poppins. To me Julie Andrews was that singing, Austrian nun from The Sound of Music with the boy’s haircut. Mary Poppins was the love of my life and the standard by which I measured every woman in my life. And while I’ve grown out of my boyish obsession with the nanny who was practically perfect in every way, I still have a special place in my heart for Mary Poppins and all the songs she sang. One of those songs was “A Spoonful of Sugar;” a song about adding a little fun to any job to make it more bearable. The song begins like this:
In ev'ry job that must be done
There is an element of fun
You find the fun and snap
The job's a game
And ev'ry task you undertake
Becomes a piece of cake
A lark! A spree! It's very clear to see that
A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way
I love Mary Poppins but even I can see that this is a thinly veiled attempt to get little kids to do their chores. We have a popular Disney move and a song about doing chores sung by a goddess, which could mean only one thing: Walt Disney’s kids weren’t doing their chores and he wanted a way to inspire them to work harder. I can’t remember if this song made me work any harder as a kid but I know today, if Mary Poppins came to me and asked me to stop checking my Facebook and fantasy football and get to work, I totally would.
This is a great song to listen to while working around the house and it’s an even better song to quietly play while your children are sleeping. Listening to the sweet sound of Mary Poppins’ voice as they silently sleep, your children will subliminally learn the message that work is fun and that they should work hard. And if the message really sinks in, your children will commit themselves to a life of labor, starting and selling countless business and making your retirement very comfortable.
Listening to music while working is awesome. A lot of my friends and even my mother have taken to listening to Pandora from their office computers. The music I listen to depends a lot on the work that I’m doing.
If I’m reading, I listen to classical.
If I’m writing, I listen to electronic instrumental music like Daft Punk or Explosions in the Sky.
If I’m cleaning, I listen to sports talk podcasts.
We all have to work at some point in our lives and we should be grateful for the opportunity and ability. But if some days those aren’t enough, thankfully we’ve got music to make working more bearable.
What music do you listen to while working?
“Working for the Weekend” – Loverboy
Loverboy’s hit “Working for the Weekend” was released in 1981 and charted on both of Billboard’s pop singles and mainstream rock charts. It was a popular song in the 80s but has also recently gained popularity from its inclusion in television shows, commercials and movies. The most classic of these recent appearances is in the move Zoolander, when Derek Zoolander is working in a coal mine.
I think I’ve got the black lung, pop.
Here are the lyrics to the chorus:
Everybody's working for the weekend
Everybody wants a little romance
Everybody's goin' off the deep end
Everybody needs a second chance
This is the perfect song to listen to on a Friday afternoon at 3:00. Staring at the clock, it provides the motivation needed to make it through to the weekend, those final two hours until the clock strikes 5:00 and it’s time to go home. This song has lost some meaning for me since I now work every Sunday but I still like the principle and I still remember what it was like for 5:00 to hit on a Friday afternoon.
I remember heading out of the office listening to this song on my iPod, rocking a little air guitar while walking down the hall. Then dancing a little to the elevator, pretending I was wearing a sick 80s headband while loosening my tie and undoing the top button on my Oxford shirt. Then shaking the doorman’s hand as I finally headed to my car; I was ready for a weekend filled with potential and hopefully a little love and mystery.
“A Spoonful of Sugar” – Mary Poppins
I thought of titling this section “’A Spoonful of Sugar’ – My First Love.” Every year when I was growing up Mary Poppins was broadcast on TV and I would watch it. I liked the chimney sweeps, I liked the penguins and I liked the scene where everyone was laughing/drunk and floating in the room. But more than anything, I liked Mary Poppins; nay, I loved Mary Poppins. I dreamed that one day Mary Poppins would be my nanny and I hoped that we could parlay her role as nanny into the role of my wife.
As a young child I made no connection between Mary Poppins and Julie Andrews; I didn’t love Julie Andrews, I loved Mary Poppins. To me Julie Andrews was that singing, Austrian nun from The Sound of Music with the boy’s haircut. Mary Poppins was the love of my life and the standard by which I measured every woman in my life. And while I’ve grown out of my boyish obsession with the nanny who was practically perfect in every way, I still have a special place in my heart for Mary Poppins and all the songs she sang. One of those songs was “A Spoonful of Sugar;” a song about adding a little fun to any job to make it more bearable. The song begins like this:
In ev'ry job that must be done
There is an element of fun
You find the fun and snap
The job's a game
And ev'ry task you undertake
Becomes a piece of cake
A lark! A spree! It's very clear to see that
A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way
I love Mary Poppins but even I can see that this is a thinly veiled attempt to get little kids to do their chores. We have a popular Disney move and a song about doing chores sung by a goddess, which could mean only one thing: Walt Disney’s kids weren’t doing their chores and he wanted a way to inspire them to work harder. I can’t remember if this song made me work any harder as a kid but I know today, if Mary Poppins came to me and asked me to stop checking my Facebook and fantasy football and get to work, I totally would.
This is a great song to listen to while working around the house and it’s an even better song to quietly play while your children are sleeping. Listening to the sweet sound of Mary Poppins’ voice as they silently sleep, your children will subliminally learn the message that work is fun and that they should work hard. And if the message really sinks in, your children will commit themselves to a life of labor, starting and selling countless business and making your retirement very comfortable.
Listening to music while working is awesome. A lot of my friends and even my mother have taken to listening to Pandora from their office computers. The music I listen to depends a lot on the work that I’m doing.
If I’m reading, I listen to classical.
If I’m writing, I listen to electronic instrumental music like Daft Punk or Explosions in the Sky.
If I’m cleaning, I listen to sports talk podcasts.
We all have to work at some point in our lives and we should be grateful for the opportunity and ability. But if some days those aren’t enough, thankfully we’ve got music to make working more bearable.
What music do you listen to while working?
Monday, August 31, 2009
Music Monday 03 - Break-Up Music
Getting dumped sucks. I remember the first time I got dumped; things were not going well in the months that followed. After getting dumped it takes some time to heal, to get beyond the wounds and be all right again. I needed friends with whom I could hang out and I needed family members to offer me encouragement; in reality, I needed a lot. One of the most important things I needed, though, was an outlet for my emotions. Any time we’re facing any sort of emotional rush, whether that be sadness, anger, loss or heartache, we need an outlet for those emotions. Music can provide that outlet.
Music can have a powerful affect on our emotions. Music can dictate our emotions; it can influence how we feel. Conversely, our emotions can dictate the kind of music to which we listen. Music can provide the release we need when our emotions are welling up within us; music provides an outlet for joyful expressions as well as painful ones. Music is powerful but it shouldn’t replace actual interaction with people. When facing emotional turmoil we need to seek out other people, but music provides another way to express our emotions in addition to relationships. When I got dumped and I was angry, Linkin Park became that expression for me.
I’m kind of a sissy and I don’t like that much hard music. Linkin Park is probably one of the hardest bands I like, which isn’t saying very much; I don’t really need any Pantera, ICP or Slipknot. Even though Linkin Park isn’t that hard, the band provided a good emotional outlet for me. In the months following the break-up I was listen to Meteora all the time. I liked lyrics that said, “Sometimes I need you to stay away from me.” I also liked the line, “Let me take back my life, I’d rather be left alone.” And I especially enjoyed screaming, “All I want to do is be more like me and be less like you.” I was hurt from being dumped, I was angry at being dumped, and lyrics like that provided a healthy outlet for those emotions. Again, music shouldn’t be the only outlet but, for a little while, it was nice to drive along, shouting out those lyrics at the top of my lungs. It made me feel better.
That is one of the best aspects of music, its ability to provide a little release and make us feel better. Whether we’re a little angry or a little sad, music can make us feel better. Obviously we need more than music to address the issues in our lives, whether that is sadness over a loss or anger over a break-up. I eventually got out of my funk over the break-up by hanging out with friends and spending an afternoon with my grandparents; given the choice, I would choose human interaction over the solace of my iPod every time. But there isn’t any harm in using music to temporarily let off some steam or improve our mood; those are a two of music’s many functions. So if you need to let off some steam, roll down the windows, turn up the volume and sing it out; you’ll feel better and you’ll brighten the day of the person sitting next to you at the stop light.
When you’re angry, what music helps you let off some steam?
Music can have a powerful affect on our emotions. Music can dictate our emotions; it can influence how we feel. Conversely, our emotions can dictate the kind of music to which we listen. Music can provide the release we need when our emotions are welling up within us; music provides an outlet for joyful expressions as well as painful ones. Music is powerful but it shouldn’t replace actual interaction with people. When facing emotional turmoil we need to seek out other people, but music provides another way to express our emotions in addition to relationships. When I got dumped and I was angry, Linkin Park became that expression for me.
I’m kind of a sissy and I don’t like that much hard music. Linkin Park is probably one of the hardest bands I like, which isn’t saying very much; I don’t really need any Pantera, ICP or Slipknot. Even though Linkin Park isn’t that hard, the band provided a good emotional outlet for me. In the months following the break-up I was listen to Meteora all the time. I liked lyrics that said, “Sometimes I need you to stay away from me.” I also liked the line, “Let me take back my life, I’d rather be left alone.” And I especially enjoyed screaming, “All I want to do is be more like me and be less like you.” I was hurt from being dumped, I was angry at being dumped, and lyrics like that provided a healthy outlet for those emotions. Again, music shouldn’t be the only outlet but, for a little while, it was nice to drive along, shouting out those lyrics at the top of my lungs. It made me feel better.
That is one of the best aspects of music, its ability to provide a little release and make us feel better. Whether we’re a little angry or a little sad, music can make us feel better. Obviously we need more than music to address the issues in our lives, whether that is sadness over a loss or anger over a break-up. I eventually got out of my funk over the break-up by hanging out with friends and spending an afternoon with my grandparents; given the choice, I would choose human interaction over the solace of my iPod every time. But there isn’t any harm in using music to temporarily let off some steam or improve our mood; those are a two of music’s many functions. So if you need to let off some steam, roll down the windows, turn up the volume and sing it out; you’ll feel better and you’ll brighten the day of the person sitting next to you at the stop light.
When you’re angry, what music helps you let off some steam?
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