I've lost the plot....and boy am I glad I did

On March 6, 2010 at approximately 8:30 pm I lost the plot and have yet to get it back. Let me explain, I innocently had agreed to join my sister a few months before in seeing Muse. She liked their album "Black Holes and Revelations", I enjoyed it too, and hearing Adam Lambert (ok-shut up) sing Starlight, made me revisit the rest of their songs etc. Anyway, I figured sure, why not. Little did I know I would fall under the spell of a 5'5" 100 lb. wet Englishman named Matt Bellamy. I don't know if it was a combo of amazing singing, ridiculously fabulous guitar playing, brain burning from all of the lasers used in the show, or having my head bashed by the wall of sound that assaulted me throughout their show but I didn't just enjoy the concert, I became obsessed with Bellamy, and his bandmates and the wonder that is Muse. Since then I have not been able to let my obsession go, and yay say I. I guess it just had been a long time since I had felt that amazing oneness that music or a huge sports event (like the Sox in 2004, or Patriots in 2001) can sometimes bring to a crowd of people. And despite the fact that I was sharing Muse with 16,999 others at the TD Banknorth Garden I felt that they were playing only for me. And when I was able to get tkts to see them in California in Sept. thanks to a good friend of my best buddy Gina, well it was the same thing. I mean how much more glee can one get than sharing your amazement with someone about music that blows your mind either in the bathroom line (I love that at concerts!) and even more so with someone sitting next to you that you don't know but grabs you in the middle of a song and shouts, "This is the best F#$%ing Concert I've been to!!!", a riot. So thank you Muse and Matt Bellamy. You made me believe in rock again, you've helped keep me sane in crazy times, and most of all thank you for so far, one year later, for putting a bit of the sparkle back in me. Things can indeed go crazy, but if anyone sees a smile come on my face at work, at home or on the T know more likely than not know it's caused by the boys from Teignmouth Devon!

Grammy Recap

I've never really trusted the Grammy's since I was 10 and Boston lost Best New Artist to "Starland Vocal Band". Yup, you read it right, Boston loses to one hit wonderkings of "Afternoon Delight". So really Grammys haven't had cred in over 30+ years. I've never really gotten into watching the Grammys, and mostly because it seems artists are awarded not for great recordings but for #'s sold I mean "Wind beneath my Wings' Best song, whatever, ug. This year I watched since my boys (that's Muse to anyone who doesn't know me) were up for three awards. They've never been nominated before and though old fans argued that The Resistance (the album they were nominated for etc.) is not their best, I figured screw it, another chance to see them before they go off on a much deserved rest. So did I watch all of the show? Hell no, but from what I watched here are some comments:
1) Lady gaga, honestly Madonna wants her outfits and songs back. Oh, and you should find Sally Field to discuss how much people really really like you. When you're finished talking to the flying nun, I have a suggestion for you. Get over it, you were picked on, now you're rich, good for you. Move on.
2) Group dancing pretty much ended with Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation" video. Unless your last name is Jackson, don't do it. That means you Gaga, you Usher and anyone and everyone else
3) Um, there is a point when fiddles on the Grammy stage need to stop...it was an overabundance this year
4) Bob Dylan, I never got you, and can't say you've aged well like fine wine. Actually my ears begged me to change the channel once you started singing with the dueling banjo group and I did.
5)Um grammy producers, whoever thought dancers invoking "riot" moves during Muse's performance of Uprising was a good idea, as Mr. Trump would say "you're fired".
6) Matt Bellamy thanks for dousing my joy of you and the boys winning a Grammy (best rock album) by mentioning that blond slut in the audience, I'm talking to you Kate Hudson. Business vs. personal keep it separate. Freakin' Chris W's wife has had five kids and you don't see him having to thank her in public....
7) Babs...(forget this comment if you can't figure out who I'm talking about) Um, should have thought about that outfit a second time before putting it on
8) Michael Buble's shitty album won for best traditional pop-What? I mean I like this guy I saw him at Berklee years before he made it, but his last album was at best, great elevator music.
9) Finally.....can someone puhlease explain to me why G. Paltrow has to keep on trying to sing....your married to the guy in Coldplay. Sing to your kids at home, seriously....that's it....

Oscars next Sunday, and since I've seen about 1 1/2 of the movies nominated my comments will be fashion related.....

The Song Remains the Same....or Does it?

I've just finished reading "Love is a mix tape; Life and Loss, One Song at a Time" by Rob Sheffield. I highly recommend it. It's a wonderful (and sad yes) exploration of the power of Music and how it can define/earmark important times in your life. It was great to read the list of mix tapes at the beginning of each chapter, and how can you not love a book that includes The Blow Monkey's "Diggin Your Scene" in one of the mixes?

After finishing the book, I began to think about some of the mix tapes I've had in my life, and a lot of what I remembered were "sleep tapes" featuring songs from The Blue Nile, Japan, The Lover Speaks, Marillion, good lord stop me or I'll start listing every single British Band I listened to in the 80's. And by the way, no sleep tape would ever be complete w/out The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me". In thinking about this, I have to say, I've realized I'm not so much a mix tape but an "in for the penny, in for the pound" gal. What exactly does this mean? Well, once I find a song I like-I play it to death, what do I mean by death? A few month's ago, in a matter of days, after I bought Muse's incredibly campy, kitchy, wonderfully bombastic "Neutron Star Collision" on Itunes, I had listened to it 1,567 times (this of course included nights that I put the Ipod on repeat and let it run all night). Songs by Keane, Sissel and Espen Lind (don't even ask about that one right now) and The Killers have suffered the same fate. I could listen to '39 by Queen gadzillions of times. My former work colleague Scott was a good sport always, he put up with lots of song "overkills".

I'm in the midst of watching the Patriot's first pre-season game against the Saints. The second quarter is about to start and they're already on the second stringers. Even so, I'm about to head back in to watch, so I will continue my dissertation on types of songs another day. But I'll give you a preview, next up "the couple song", and for me it features a heterosexual life partner and a 70's story song.....start guessing (no it's not Wildfire for the love of god.)