Guilty Pleasures

George sent me a forward with his top 5 guilty pleasure songs. It was pretty awesomely guilty with songs by Creed, Kelly Clarkson, Phil "The Schill" Collins and even that Panic! @ The Disco shit song. So I had a hard time coming up with music because I'm not guilty about some of the crappy stuff I listen to, but I know it's cheesey and lame and un-music-snobbish which I guess sometimes I can come off as. So here is a list (yeah... im gonna be doing some lists again.. helps me quit the writers block) of my top 10 guilty pleasures in media. Not just music. Movies, TV, whatever.

10. Three's Company- It wasn't until I saw this on TV Land one night hanging with a nice gal from Jefferson that I forgot how much this show ruled. John Ritter and Jack Klugman were really the only actual great draws of the show, but the classic 70's sitcom jokes and overacting are just too amazing for me to not love. I figured watching it now that I'm older and more into good programming if not any programming at all, that it would suck. Nah dude. The show was still deliciously funny in its reused joke way. Great slapstick and Three Stooges routines tagged in with tons of sexual innuendo is a recipie for yes.

RIP John Ritter. You were pretty friggin great.

And no offense Don Knotts, but Jack Klugman is much better than you ever could have been.

9. U2's Pop- Oh boy. Let the complaints fly. So this is where U2 started to suck, yet I friggin' love it. Since when did a band that made respectable pop rock-and-roll music decide to do an almost unclassifiable genre of music? It's not quite dance pop or even quite new wave or techno. It's... just strange. It's addictive, it's fun, and it's lame. So I have to include it. That and I own the CD. Yes, I have a hard copy of it. Ugh. Gotta love every sappy lame second. "Discotecque" and "Staring at the Sun" are great singles, yet the unclassifiable sound stays strong throught the whole album. The song "Please" is somewhat pathetic in a glorious way. I can't handle how much I love it. It's been a while since I popped it in, so I think its time to relive the magic.

8. Anything Amanda Bynes touches (hopefully me someday [is she legal?])- This is probably the most embarassing and should be number one, but it's less of I actually like this stuff and more I have private jokes that stem back to Wow Video days about What a Girl Wants. Regardless, of all the teeny-bopper actresses out there, Ms. Bynes is a true winner. Well, not really. Her show the Amanda Show... really fucking annoying yet I couldn't not watch it on a Satruday night at Wow to halt the looping of a preview tape. That and What a Girl Wants were my saving grace. WaGW is surprisingly funny and clever with so much Colin Firth that I can't handle it. I really need to see She's the Man.

7. Heart's entire catalogue- Preemptive shut up to Drew Lazor. The Wilson sisters know how to rock. And songs like "Magic Man", "Crazy on You" and "Straight On" or so delisciously processed 70's anthem rock with a touch of estrogen that you would think I should hate it. Nah dude. Love em and am pretty proud of it. So they aren't really a guilty pleasure, but they are because I know people will harsh on Heart. Well, don't. They are great. Check out some videos of them in the glory days too. They are HOT too! Until they got huge. Then they weren't as much.

6. Huey Lewis and the News- The epitome of cheesey 80's pop music, yet somehow really great musically. Huey has an awesome voice, strangely hardcore stage prescence (yes, i've watched concert movies of The News) and his backing band rules. "Hip to be Square" was a childhood favorite thanks to the show Square One on PBS. Remember that shit? I hated math, but Huey could make me like it. "Heart and Soul" was one of my anthems of 2004, the best year of all time. "The Heart of Rock and Roll" is so bad it rules, "If This Is It" has harmonies straight form the heavens. Oh man, and don't forget his amazing scene in Back to the Future and his TWO awesome songs from the song (mainly "Power of Love".) It never ends how great Huey is.

5. Lionel Ritchie- More of a sentimental thing, but Lionel holds a place in my heart forever. Between the funny centerfolds in his vinyl records and the amazingly awesome 80's style rythm and blues (if you can even call it that), Lionel is just the man. He also seems like an amazing guy. In interviews he doesn't take himself seriously and his videos are equally as tongue in cheek rediculous.

4. The Cardigans' "Love Fool"- All of the Cardigans stuff rules, but my sick obsession with "Lovefool" is scary. It has nothing to do with the shitty movie it was in and has nothing to do with anything that is nostalgia based. It's just an infectious song. Not to mention Nina Persson has an amazingly sexy voice. Anything from the Nordic countries is solid gold easy action sweet sassy malassy yestival in my head. Especially "Love Fool"

3. Phil Collins- Between his solo acts and his time in Genesis, this man accomplished making more cheesey goodness music than any other artist of all time. His voice is so freaking creepy and his bald headed shrimpy stature freaks me out. But man can this man write a catchy fucking song. "I Can't Dance" has some of the most retarded lyrics ever... "Young punk spilling beer on my shoes, Fat guys talking to me trying to steal my blues. Thick smoke, see her smiling through. I never thought so much could happen just shooting pool." Not that much really happened there, Phil. Yet I can't stop listening to it. "Invisivle Touch", GOULD! "Sussudio"... YES. MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE! My God I should not enjoy this as much as I do. Yet here I am blasting this at work... right now, I'm alone in the office. Now if THAT'S not a guilty pleasure, I don't know what is.

2. Soap Opera's- Now these last two are really guilty. I have to admit it, ever since I was little, I was forced into watching these pieces of shit. After that many years, you learn to love them. Between All My Children and General Hospital, I can still pick up story lines and characters and get sucked right back into watching them. Thank God I work during the day because it's really a love hate ordeal here, but you just can't stop watching. The over-the-top drama, the insane implausible storylines and the sexy chicks make it worth it. I am still working on an essay comparing Soap Opera's and Professional Wrestling because they are the same thing except one doesn't have greased up, jacked up dudes beating the shit out of others like them. Regardless, they are both sucky. But ya gotta love it.

1. MTV's Next- Oh boy. So bad. So So So So bad. Yet when I see it on a Saturday and a marathon continues, it's the end of my weekend. I get sucked in so hardcore that its hard to stop. Next, for those who don't know, is the most insane dating show MTV has ever had on the air. a lucky gal/girl gets to choose when their date ends and then they get another person (with a cap of 5 dates). So if some chick comes off the bus and is busted as balls, you can say NEXT! and they have to about face (*but not before they get all bitchy at you) and get back on the bus. The kicker here is if you last any amount of time, you get that much in cash. So if you are on a date for 45 minutes and get nexted, BANG-O! SHOW ME THE MONEY! Now, if the contestant gets asked on a second date, they now get the upper hand. They can either say "Sure I'll go out with you again" OR say "Fuck that, give me the greenbacks." This leads to some excellent excellent situations. My personal all time favorite was this:
Some toolio OC fag is on the beach waiting for his first lady. She gets off the bus, walks about 75 yards down the beach to meet this guy and he Next's her right after seeing her horseface. She walks her skanky ass back to the bus. Next girl comes out. She has a tube top on and her gut is flapping in the wind. She is about 60 yards away, not even close enough to see his face and he cups his hands around his mouth and screams "NEXT!" Wow. What a dick. Doesn't even let her See him. The money show was later on when the ladies are talkin about him the one asks "What does he look like?" First girl makes some dumb comment that he was the ugliest man ever. The second girl goes "I don't know what he looks like, I didn't get close enough to see his face." YES! GIVE ME MORE FEED FEED FEED! It's so bad that you have to watch. The lines they feed these 20 somethings are amazing and the idiots they find are great. No wonder Leo hates Cali to an extent. The gene pool are all douchebags and sorority whores. Next has to be my #1 guilty pleasure.

So that's that. Several days in the works, it is now complete.

Now. Discuss. What are your guilty pleasures?

Does it look like I give a damn?

I got around to seeing a movie this weekend with mi madre and it was quite entertaining. That of course was Casino Royale, the latest of the new James Bond films. As a moderate fan of the Bond films (mainly Connery and Brosnan era), I was very excited to see one of my favorite newcomers, Daniel Craig, don the ol' Tux and sip down martini's. I had read reviews that he played Bond a little differently and I am glad he did. The new Bond is like the new Batman/Bruce Wayne. He's dark, foreboding, a smart-ass, reckless and vulnerable. He sweats, bleeds, almost dies and actually gets weakened by the ladies. He falls in love (GASP! WHAT?!) and he is a new hired gun who makes mad mistakes. Just fresh from getting his Double 0 , he gets into some trouble when he is seen killing an "unarmed" suspect. The opening chase sequence on foot is amazing to watch. For once, their are less visual effects (CGI that is), more stunts and more suspense. As far as other Bond conventions go, their is no Moneypenny (I could care less about her, but they do refrence the name in a quick one liner), no Q (he's dead and John Cleese wasn't cutting it [no offense Mr. Cleese]), less gadets or ridiculous reliabilities from Bond (it's more ass kicking and one shot deals to the face then the usual bullet frenzy) and poker table suspense. Craig plays Bond perfectly. A refreshing switch on the "genre" was much needed to blast life into James, and he is the answer. Being the only udner 40 actor to play Bond, he could have a long road ahead of him. I hope he does because he is awesome, but at the same time, I want him to not get tied down to not seeing Craiggers rocking other roles because, well, he's an awesome actor.

If you need an awesome entertaining movie and have already went to Borat, check out Casino Royale.

The Council of Trent and *GASP* OJ is Guilty?!

MEIN FUEHER! I CAN WALK!

So I'm not a huge political follower. I'd say I follow politics as much as I follow most professional sports. I know enough to have some sort of opinion that is based in some fact. And As far as I'm concerned, I have my right as an American to state my opinion here.

Trent Lott has taken the GOP's leading role in the senate...by one vote. Okay. So, I'm not a followed of the Bush administration, but one would have to at least think that this guy is a bad choice to stick in the position of the minority whip in the house. I mean, remember back when he stepped down from office because, well to put it frankly, he is a rascist scumbag? Are Republicans in the house that stupid? I mean, they just lost Congress and are losing ground in the power structure. So, they thought it would be a good idea to vote for somoene insensitive and living in 1950? Unbelievable. What's next? Ressurect Strom Thurman and appoint him to a new cabinet position? It just boggles my mind that the conservative community could be so dumb at a time when they are losing power and need to try and either compromise with Dems or at least give them a better name in the media and in the country.

What's good about this is the fact that he was posted as the minority whip. Hmmmmm. Ironic? I think some of you will appreciate that (I'm looking at you, Lou.)

Then there is this. Uhhhm. Kind of old news minus the whole tv and book deal.

Ya gotta love this asshole. I mean, I thought no one could be more insane than Mike Tyson, but this is official. So here is the scoop. Acquited for two murders. Blatantly guilty. Guilty in the civil case. Never pays the 33.5 mil he owes. Moves to Florida and can't be touched (his money or property.) Now, he gets a sweet book deal and TV spot with Fox basically confessing "If I Did It", this is how I would have done it. WHAT THE FUCK?! Wow. It makes me wonder what people in the media are driven by... oh, wait, nevermind. It's all money. They don't give a shit this psycho asshole killed two people and is gonna just come right out and say this IS how I did it. Now buy my book and watch my show and buy Miller Lite and Dortitos after seeing the commercials during the broadcast of the interview so I can earn money to NOT pay up in my Civil case. WOW. Our system is fucked up.

Anyway, thats my rant on real things for the first time in a while.

They Call Me The Working Man

I guess that's what I am.

So working at Cherry Hill Towers is kinda great, kinda lame at the same time. I like my job a lot which is weird. I never expected to lease apartments. Ever. But hey, it's a job that brings money in. The people I work with are my age and we get along. My boss is cool and isn't up my ass about doing work, but I do my work because of that (although right now I am blogging, but that's because it' crappy out and no one is coming in to rent.) That's the part that is lame. It's so slow. So I get bored really fast. I listen to my iPod or last.fm and just sit and wait for the work to come in. I took 3 tours last week. THREE! That sucks. In a 40-Hour work week, I took maybe a total of 3 hours out of that to take tours and hopefully sign a lease (which I didn't.) I've been here almost two months (maybe more than that now) and I have no plans of leaving anytime soon, but seriously will the swanky young-socialites of the Philadelphia Tri-State area just decide to rent here already! Anyway, last perk of my job is talking to other workings stiffs who have desk jobs and can chat on AIM all day long. Sharing working life stories is kinda great. It makes me look forward to post graduate life which I loathed up until about two months ago. Also, I like this job cuz I just told a check we we're voiding to S*CK IT!

Addendum: This is what I mean about working man conversations.

jungle45rpm (3:06:32 PM): dude get ready

jungle45rpm (3:06:41 PM): for this story
Cropulis Forever (3:06:43 PM): ok
Cropulis Forever (3:06:45 PM): hit me
Cropulis Forever (3:06:50 PM): btw... Pats arent makin the Super Bowl
jungle45rpm (3:07:56 PM): about an hour ago, this old guy (80-plus, who doesn't really work here but he's an old friend of the president so he gets a desk) comes in, presumably to do some work of his own
Cropulis Forever (3:08:16 PM): nice
jungle45rpm (3:08:35 PM): takes one step through the door and somehow drops a fair-sized pile of turds on the doormat through his pant leg,
Cropulis Forever (3:09:01 PM): HASHGAHAHFHSDKJGHBASDGHLLAJENHGPIUE 5WJMHPBP T[NMNNYENEN=JJNMJNMJQYNNY
Cropulis Forever (3:09:08 PM): thats how I sell* it at work
jungle45rpm (3:09:11 PM): AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Cropulis Forever (3:09:14 PM): wow
Cropulis Forever (3:09:17 PM): wowwy wow wow
jungle45rpm (3:09:44 PM): so he hightails it for the bathroom to clean himself off
jungle45rpm (3:09:56 PM): (nobody's noticed it yet)
Cropulis Forever (3:09:58 PM): thats the good life
Cropulis Forever (3:10:04 PM): are you just ignoring t he shits?
jungle45rpm (3:10:18 PM): then all of a sudden I hear the secretaries be all like "aw god what is that smell?"
Cropulis Forever (3:10:31 PM): hahaha
jungle45rpm (3:10:43 PM): and then I hear a scream like fifty rats just crawled into their axe wounds**
jungle45rpm (3:10:50 PM): they go running past me
jungle45rpm (3:11:13 PM): so I go up to the lobby to inspect the damage
Cropulis Forever (3:11:14 PM): hahahaha
Cropulis Forever (3:11:16 PM): you are terrible
Cropulis Forever (3:11:17 PM): i love you
jungle45rpm (3:11:38 PM): what kind of codger mungs*** himself?
Cropulis Forever (3:11:50 PM): AHHHHHHHHH'PSHINMJS [RTOIJ[TROIJHM[QNJM]APTNJIA\PINJMENA
Cropulis Forever (3:11:53 PM): AIUANT[O'BHNA'NLIKMAET'NHAR'LKNH'AEKNHATLHN'AETKNH'ATLKHN
Cropulis Forever (3:11:55 PM): A;ETJNHA['HNET'[HNAET'HNMAETH'IONMAET'J
jungle45rpm (3:12:01 PM): lol
Cropulis Forever (3:12:01 PM): GAAAAAAAAH
Cropulis Forever (3:12:23 PM): AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Cropulis Forever (3:12:24 PM): AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Cropulis Forever (3:12:26 PM): AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Cropulis Forever (3:12:28 PM): AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Cropulis Forever (3:12:31 PM): AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Cropulis Forever (3:12:34 PM): ....AH
jungle45rpm (3:12:38 PM): SELLSELLSELL
jungle45rpm (3:13:05 PM): so he comes out of the bathroom, grabs his hat and leaves out one of the back doors
Cropulis Forever (3:13:24 PM): wait
Cropulis Forever (3:13:29 PM): the story isnt done??
jungle45rpm (3:13:37 PM): not quite
Cropulis Forever (3:13:39 PM): oh man
Cropulis Forever (3:13:42 PM): complete NOW
jungle45rpm (3:14:02 PM): so the mat gets disposed of but the smell is not getting any better, in fact, it seems to be worsening
jungle45rpm (3:14:22 PM): the light bulb goes off in my head, I don my hazmat gear, and go look in the bathroom trash can
jungle45rpm (3:14:34 PM): yup,
jungle45rpm (3:14:38 PM): he left his boxers in there.
Cropulis Forever (3:15:32 PM): a shit and run
jungle45rpm (3:15:35 PM): so I played shashy shasher japan 4**** with my supervisor, he lost, and he had to get rid of it
jungle45rpm (3:15:37 PM): LOL
jungle45rpm (3:15:40 PM): YES
Cropulis Forever (3:15:41 PM): hahahaha
Cropulis Forever (3:15:46 PM): my GAWD
Cropulis Forever (3:15:50 PM): your job officially rules

{Addendum: After conversing with Rob Ealer, I realize only about half of the people will understand some of what's going on in that there convo. Here is a quick reference glossary.
*Sell: The process of selling a hit in wrestling terms. When something ridiculous happens, you sell how insane it is
**Axe Wounds: Vagina
***Codger mung: The process of squeezing an old man so his entrails/bowels/shits fly out.
****Shashy, Shasher, Japan 4: Freddy Got Fingered Themed Rock, Paper, Scissors.}

So this weekend was kinda epic in some ways, kind of lame in others. I'll say the lame parts first. Workign Sunday cramped my ability of continuing Saturday's greatness as did my car (which is running a little bit better today.) Now for the good parts. Let's start with Friday.

Primus. Uhm. Yeah. About that. It was amazing. Here is the set-list. Sorry, Stev, but you need to see this.

Those Damned Blue Collar Tweekers
Here Come the Bastards
The Toys Go Winding Down
My Name is Mud
Jerry was a Racecar Driver
Hamburger Train
Drum and Whamola Jam
Too Many Puppies > Master of Puppets > Too Many Puppies

Encore:
Pudding Time
Groundhog's Day

As far as I'm concerned, it's been the best of the tour yet and he was sick that night and played a shorter set. Short but perfection. I'd say the only equally as amazing set list is Atlanta. It actually might be better, but Toys Go Winding Down and Hamburger Train are two of my all time favs, so it was sexy disco dance time at the Tower. The Drum solo and Whamola (a gut-bucket with a singular string and a massive distortion pedal attatched to the top of it) was so choice that even though it cut out room for another song was amazing. That was probably so Les could save his vocals.

Saturday was Stev's 21st. I stopped over there after they got back from Philly, but he was blackout sans cack out. We made the trek down to Atlantic City. I lost at Craps, but played for a solid two hours so losing the money was not a bad thing. No one won. It was sort of depressing, but it was fun anyway. The most fun part was the people mover to the Claridge upstairs strange bar. We all collectively decided (myself, Boyle and Kira, Stev, Danno) It would be just a little too awesome. Then I drove home and my car decided to suck.

Sunday was boring. Didn't do anything really. Monday was Guitar Hero 2-ing. It was fun. "Killing in the Name" is my best performed song with 5-stars and a pretty sweet high score. I'm working on doing a routine Morello style for whoever decides to bite the bullet and have a Guitar Hero party.

So that's my day. Now back to listening to Yo La Tengo who probably has the best album of the year. I've increased the amount I've been listening to I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass lately and it's amazing.

At the Moment

So I'm pretty bored. Like, mega bored. So here is my jump kick to the teeth "At The Moment" likes. Things I like at this exact moment.

ALBUM

Dump's A Grown Ass Man - James McNew of the ever so lovely Yo La Tengo goes by the name of Dump when recording in his basement on an 8-tracker and some free time. This album which I believe is from four years ago is pretty friggin addictive. You may remember me talking about his album of Prince covers that is next to impossible to find unless you ask someone who owns it to burn it for you. This album has originals and a few covers (Thin Lizzy's "Cowboy Song" being one of the best covers I've ever heard) that are dripping with catchy guitar hooks, funky drum machine beats reminiscent of the Casio stylings of Wesley Willis and McNew's strained yet loveable voice. Songs like "The History of Love" make every amatuer musician/singer/songwriter/producer want to pick upa guitar and record something. It's a shame that you won't be as good as this because, well, Dump has this charm about him that makes him awesome where you and I do not. Maybe it's because he's in an established band, but that means jack crap. Definitely get it even if for the Marvin Gaye cover of "Mr. Too Damn Good" that is beggin for you to play it next time you rock your woman in the sack.

SONG

Primus' "The Toys Go Winding Down"- Ever since their show on Friday, I can't get over how friggin ridiculous it was. So I listen to this said track which was the third in a balls to the wall amazing setlist that rocked my skull so hard, that I still am bleeding from the temple. I can't get over the friggin triplets Les Claypool plays in this song. GAH!
ps- The link is so you can listen to it if you don't have it. THe video sucks but the sound quality is good.

TV SHOW

Home Movies Season 4
"Journal to the Center Of McGuirk". That's all that needs to be said.

Video Game

See Last Post.

BOOK

I haven't decided what to pick up next, but I think its time to sit back and just fucking read Catch-22.

BLOG

Bouphonia- Good political, environmental and other stuff updated almost daily. Kudos.

That's all she wrote. That wasted some time. Definitely check out some of these things and enjoy.

RAWK!

So thanks to Stev, I now am craving easily the most fun interactive game made since Time Crisis in the arcade. This is not good. Guitar Hero (1 and/or 2... at this point it doesn't make a difference) is so friggin fun that I can't even begin to handle it. When it's predocessor (Dance Dance Revolution) came out, I knew it was on. The return of arcade style games for the home like in the days of the Track and Field for NES. Interactive games are way more fun then your average console game. Yea, Goldeneye is cool, but when you are actually doing what is happening on the screen, for my buck, it makes it that much more fun. It's what virtual reality tried to be, although that stuff is kind of lame. Anyway, so back to Guitar Hero. I heard about this game in January and had been meaning to play it with some old Wow Video cronies, but it never happened. That was mainly because I got paulsy and quit my job (reverse order.) So I forgot about it. Then Crizzatch got it for his birthday this year and I fell asleep after the Sorry! game and didn't return to shred. Then he went back to school. So again, I forgot about it. Then Stev's 21st is this weekend and thanks to Ryan's goading, he hinked on both guitar hero 1 and 2. Last night I finally got to shred the guitars.

Well, much to my pleasant surprise, the control is in a shape of an SG Special. Immediately, I began salivating. So we whip it out and the first song I do is Moptley Crue's "Shout at the Devil" and "Mother" by Danzig. The track list is nasty and all over the place with songs by Rush, Primus, STP, Spinal Tap and even the Living End. Its nasty fun.

So when me next check comes or maybe even sooner, I will be buying the drugs.

Endless Wire- Half Coke after Coke after Coca-Cola, Half Diet Coke

So the Who has released a new album. I'm sure I am the only one really that excited that after almost 25 years of no new material we have a new album from one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time (and obviously my all time favorite.) So those skeptics who haven't bought it or at least downloaded it(il)legally yet will now have a guide why they should or shouldn't get it.

I love the Who, but I will be as unbiased as possible. For me, Endless Wire is the Who's best effort since the passing of Keith Moon. However, this album has only hints of the old Who. The 80's Who albums, Face Dances and It's Hard, sound more like solo Pete stuff with sweet licks of Entwistle here and there. And many times on Endless Wire, we get these same feels. A song like "It's Not Enough" reeks of these 80's albums which isn't bad, but those albums were voiding that extra Who umph that they had with Moony and The Ox. Needless to say, it's still a decent song and an obvious first single.

That being said, here is my track by track breakdown of Endless Wire.

The album starts with "Fragments" which is a flashback to the ideas Pete wanted to perform with songs like "Baba O'Rielly" and "Sister Disco" with oscilating synths. This time he actually worked on what he wanted to do for many years and created one of the first peices of music completely composed by a computer. It sounds almost exactly like "Baba" when it starts but goes into a less kick-to-the-teeth style song. It's a decent starter song, but nothing to get you fully amped.

Track two is one of the many acoustic and vocal songs on the album. The Who has two members left so hearing the amount of songs that are just the two of them is heartbreakingly great. "Man in a Purple Dress" is the first of these. Pete backlashes to the religious community for all the terrible things that organized religion has done. Here is a clip from Letterman of Pete and Roger performing the song. It's one of the highlights of the album and of the live concerts they have been on tour for.

"Mike Post Theme" kicks into gear with a little more power behind it than "Fragments." Pete's acoustic guitar parts on this album stand far and away ahead from his electric work on the album but this song is a moment where the two sounds intermingle quite well. And a great line "Emotionally we're not even old enough" is great from a 60+ year old man. The innocence of the Who is still there. The song flows back and forth from fury to a little more relaxed acoustic sound that is one of the highlights of the first half of the disc.

"In the Ether" is strange. To this point of listening, I don't know if its Pete Townshend or Tom Waits singing. It sounds like a typical Tom Waits track, but it's the Who. I don't know if I love it or not, but it is totally unlike any Who song I've ever heard. I guess they are trying to show their maturity on this album as well. It seriously sounds like its off of late 70's Tom Waits. Weird but good.

"Black Widow's Eyes" is another song that has a mixture of the superior acoustic sound and basic electric guitar parts. It might be the lowest point on the album. Nothing really sparking interest in this song for me. It's still a good song, but it sounds like other songs from the past and isn't as inspiring as what is to come on the rest of the album.

Thankfully, after a song like "Black Widow's Eyes", it is followed by the beautiful "Two Thousand Years" with strings done by Pete himself, harmonies between Roger and Pete and a very insipring uplifting feel to the entire song. The lyrics aren't anything special, but it's the music that really sucks you in. Mandolin and strings intertwining in pure musical bliss.

"God Speaks, of Marty Roberts" is Pete and the acoustic. Part of me wishes this album was just acoustic songs because these songs are so beautiful. Its almost as if when the full band aren't there (who are amazingly talented, dont get me wrong) the best songs are produced. Pete sings just as he did years ago on this one. His ageless voice shines on this one.

"It's Not Enough" is a decent song, but feels almost as if they were trying to force a single on this one. With a little more time to work on some sweet guitar solos or something, this song could soar as one of the Who's best rockers. In hindsightm this song will probably land around most of the other 80's songs that just have that missing element that Keith and The Ox would add to it. It needs more power behind it.

"You Stand By Me" is yet another Pete and Acoustic song. This quicky song not even 2 minutes long ranks up with "Sunrise" and "OurLove Was" as one of the Who's best love songs. Quick and to the point. I wonder if I'll use this as wedding vows someday....

And thus returns the Who we love in the form of the Wire and Glass mini-opera.

It kicks off with "Sound Round" which starts with a fury of drums that makes you turn your head and wonder if Moony is back. When the chorus comes in the bass also kicks in for the first time taking over the songs on the entire album making you question if the Ox is right there. The song i yet another short one but kicks you in the gut the way hearing "I Can See For Miles" did the first time you heard it.

It quickly shifts into another fast-paced power rocker "Pick Up The Peace" that is reminiscent of Quadrophenia's "I've Had Enough" or "Helpless Dancer" and even hints of Tommy here and there in yet another short quicky song. It seems that the shorther songs on this album have the best power behind them.

My personal favorite song of the opera, "Unholy Trinity" is a piano and mandolin song is an ode to the ideals of Mehar Baba, the guru that inspired Pete's musical being. The song quickly shifts into "Trilby's Piano" which is another beautifully arranged song (by Pete) with sweepingly subtle piano and very great strings in the background for the pretty secition of the opera.

Then back to the Who kicking it out. "Endless Wire" reminisces to some of the songs cut from the Lifehouse project (Who's Next for you beginners). This is the point where you feel as if this whole rock opera is some sort of amalgamation of the Who's entire career.

"Fragments of Fragments" is exactly what it states. It's a shorter version of the first track. Meh.

"We've Got a Hit" revists that old 60's feel good song and should ahve followed "Endless Wire." A quicky rocker that reminds us of the Who in their Mod roots.

"They Made My Dream Come True" is another of the lower end songs on the album along with "Fragments of Fragments" and "Black Widow's Eyes". It seems like these songs could ahe been cut.

"Mirror Door" is an awesome faux live track that shows the Who paying homage to all things music. From Bobby Darin to Ludwig Van to Eddie Cochran get the nod. It's an amazing finale to the Wire and Glass opera. A thank you to all things music done by the Who. It goes to prove that it doesn't matter the music that gets to your heart, its all the same in the end. Its somethign that brings pure joy to the hearts of anyone and its what the Who loves to do.

Then the Who decides to kick me in the face with the saddest and frankly one of their all-time best songs at the end of the album. "Tea and Theater" is heartbreaking. It's basically Pete and Roger thinking back to the days of glory in their old age, but still writing comparable amazing lyrics in this song. Love it.

So overall. The album since I first listened to me has grown on me. The best description I can think of the album is the title of this blog and much like the song "Mike Post Theme". It jumps back and forth from rockers to more light and simpler songs. The simple songs are the best moments on the album. The rockers are good, but sometimes feel like they are missing something--which is obviously the ghosts of the past that haunt the Who here and there on the album. I say, if you like the Who at all, get this album. It's the best work since most of the songs on Who Are You and has some moments that are even some of the best songs written by Pete and performed by the new Who. Some people say they shouldn't be called the Who, but as this album has definitely proved, the Who is Pete Townshend. He commands the lyrics and arrangements and thankfully he does.

Borat: Best Movie of the Year

It's a bold statement, but I have been bottling up my opinion on this for almost two weeks.

The Borat film is the best satirical film since Dr. Strangelove. Yes I said it. The way this film is done is so epiclly funny and biting into the hearts of America's stereotypes it's sometimes hard to handle. Sacha Baron Cohen is a modern day Johnathan Swift. The brit takes such an amazing look into the American persona through the eyes of an overly racist, mysoginistic foreigner that most people will see his character as the terrible person. But what makes it brilliant is the fact that Borat is nothing but a character and NOT a real person. Everyone else in the film is a real person, a real American. They are the ones who are real racists and narrow minded folk. Before I go on:

DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN!!

I'm not one to give spoilers, but for my point to be made, I must make exampls from the film. Since it's out today, you are stupid to NOT see it tonight or this weekend. So stop reading now and see it if you haven't already.

The film's plot is loose, but still interesting enough to make it more than just a documentary like the style of his interviews. It gives it substance and a reason for him to travel across the country and meet the many sides of American life. Anyway, the plot is Borat comes to America to learn about how "great" it is and bring the information back to Kazakhstan. When he get shere, he sees an episode of Baywatch and is in search of Pamela Anderson. This motivates him to go cross country and change his plan of just interviewing in NYC to interviewnig all over the counry.

Anyway, the main jist of the film is following Borat and his extreme persona across a country where racist and predjudice is still common. Where the movie sky rockets is how Americans react to the fish out of water. When he runs into people in New York, he goes up and tries to kiss their cheeks and they freak out.

Where the movie really shows it's true colors is when a man from the south agrees with Borat that muslims and "queers" should all be hung by the gallows. These are REAL PEOPLE! Not actors! It's shocking to see, but it's damn funny.

So why is this movie the best movie of the year?

1) I haven't laughed that hard during a film EVER.

2) It has a social commentary that is shocking and hilarious. Remember that movie that won best picture last year that had themes about racism and predjudice? This does a much better job of showing that our country hasn't changed (see in the film when Borat visits the southern hospitality home that is on "Secession Drive" (I shit you not)... this scene is out of control with how he shows these sweet southerners are fake as all hell... southern hospitality my ass).

3) Sacha Baron Cohen's acting and straight faced over-the-top racism is so ridiculous. The fact anyone could ever think that he is trying to portray Kazaks is just flat out retarded. There is no way that any person is this out of control racist (except some of the people he meets from America.)

So do yourself a favor. See Borat NOW! See it Again. I'm telling you, it's amazing on so many levels.