Greetings,
And so, I continue my crusade to try and get everyone to write letters and notes, less through email or text, but on real and actual paper, I will again be discussing a film with "paper" in the title. Actually, I just re-watched this movie and wanted to talk about it, despite my list of blog posts titles becoming repetitive because of it. But that was a good opener, though. Anyway, Paper Man, ladies and gentleman.
Paper Man is a 2009 movie wherein Jeff Daniels plays a writer. So, it's a Jeff Daniels movie. Yeah, he plays writers quite a bit. Not complaining. Anyway, he plays a guy named Richard Dunn, a not terribly successful novelist who goes off to Montauk in order to get some work done on his new book, something suggested by his wife, Claire, played by Lisa Kudrow (Yay!). As he has been dealing with writer's block, she thinks it will be helpful for him to have some time alone. But, alas, he is not alone. Richard has a friend with him. An imaginary friend named, Captain Excellent, played by Ryan Reynolds. And before you ask, yes, they do take complete advantage of the fact that he is a superhero, and it is rather glorious. On a slightly more serious note, he has always had this imaginary friend as a lifelong support through difficult times, and it shows how someone like this can be seen as having a disorder of some kind. More on that later.
So, along with the Captain, Richard manages to strike up a friendship with a teenage girl named Abby, played by Emma Stone. Abby seems to be a girl who is quite lost, letting herself be involved in an abusive relationship with a guy named Bryce, played by Hunter Parrish, and trying to figure out how to deal with her past. She is looking for stability in her life, I think, and though she does get some from her best friend, Christopher, played by Keiran Culkin, who loves her and wants to protect her from pretty much everyone who isn't him, it feels like he's becoming not enough for her. Almost as though he's holding her back.
The story basically follows both Richard and Abby as they simply try to figure out the direction in which their lives should be heading, though they are living ones that are mostly completely different. But it's the things they have in common that lead them to having a wonderful friendship. As to be expected, when some people look at the relationship they have, it comes across as ever so slightly creepy and inappropriate, even though, when one bothers to look closer, they would see that there is a purity and a sincerity to the friendship. It's uncommon on the outside, but it also consists of some of the essential things that lead people to become friends in the first place.
Eventually, we get to learn more about these two, while they do the same for themselves and each other. They are able to open up to each other emotionally, which helps them both deal with their issues, and it turns out they have more in common than they know or will ever reveal. And I get that is sounds as though I'm spoiling things there, but this is one of those films where, even if I laid out the entire plot, I would still say go watch it. Because it's the performances that really make this movie as good as it is.
I mean, we all know that Jeff Daniels is amazing, and he has some heart-wrenching scenes here, as does Emma. In fact, I could easily say that this might be her best performance in a film, or at the very least, it was the first to truly show how much potential she has for the future. And while I speak of the heavy emotion aspects of the movie, there is also a lot of humor in it, something that both the writers and the actors, especially these two, managed to balance brilliantly. And that is not something that is done easily.
The bottom line is this. Even though Paper Man may not have been a huge success with critics or otherwise, it might be just another one of those films that I gravitate to because I am a writer. I get the issues we have when we're not coming up with the amazing words we wish we could, and I certainly understand the feelings of needing someone to talk to, but, because everyone around us either doesn't understand or doesn't want to understand, we have to make up people to talk to. Or just settle for ourselves. I almost think that this movie turns the audience into the outsiders who see us as insane, and it lets them decide whether or not they will continue to see us like that or just accept what we are and how we think. Hopefully, the latter happens more often than not.
So, in case you didn't figure it out, I am recommending Paper Man, if for nothing else than the fantastic performances. But who knows? Maybe it will help people see us writers, not as odd, but just as us.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Paper Towns - Movie Review
Greetings,
Is it just me or are those "coming of age" movies part of the most hit or miss genre of all time? And I'm not just talking about some films being good and some being bad. I mean that within the movie there are parts the either really work or really do not. I've always felt this way, and - Holy Smokes! - was that feeling confirmed when I saw the film I am going to talk about today, Paper Towns.
Paper Towns is a 2015 movie based on the 2008 novel of the same name by John Green. More on him later. Anyway, the story follows Quentin, played by Nat Wolff, a young man in his final year of high school. He is nice and smart, has great friends, a supportive family and what I would call a very unhealthy obsession with the girl next door. Oh, yeah. We're going there. For the past eleven years, he has lived across the street from Margo Roth Spiegelman, played by Cara Delevigne, a little girl with whom he develops a close friendship, wherein they are defined as "partners in crime". As a child, Margo just seems very adventurous with ambitions of being mysterious. As a teenager, she becomes one of the most despicable cinematic characters in my recent memory. Or maybe she's not. I don't know because this model they hired for unknown reasons, other than "because she's a model", is not such a great actress (See Cindy Crawford in the 1995 movie Fair Game for more analysis on that). Point is, she is purporting herself, as is everyone else, as being far more interesting than she actually is. Look, there's nothing fascinating about using capital letters in the middle of a sentence because the lower case ones feel left out. I mean, it was cute when Vanessa Hudgeons did the number thing in Bandslam, but her character was enjoyable enough to back it up. Oh, and Margo pretty much uses Quentin to do her bidding and ultimately treats him like crap. In my opinion. And yet, I think they want us to like her, not to mention the way they expect me to believe that this quirky, indie, living outside the box girl is tight with the popular jocks and cheerleader types. My response to all of that is this: DENIED. For real, entertainment industry, stop trying to make me like awful people. We already had that girl on Glee. We don't need any more of that. Sorry for the rant. Back to the plot.
After some narration from Quentin, talking about how he and Margo have grown apart over the years, and a night where she drags him around breaking the law, she up and disappears. Hosanna! Unfortunately, he decides to go on a road trip to find her. Of course, when I say "unfortunately", I say it in regards to this poor boy who just doesn't get it. For the movie, it is quite fortunate. Not only do we get rid of that obnoxious character, we get to the real meat of the story and the best thing about it. As I said, Quentin wants to go off and find Margo, but he can't go alone, so he takes with him his two best friends, Ben and Radar, played by Austin Abrams and Justice Smith, as well as Radar's girlfriend, Angela, played by Jaz Sinclair, and Lacey, played by Halston Sage, who is one of Margo's friends. Now I do like the girls both actress and character wise, but I super like Ben and Radar. They're sweet and funny and - Oh, look at that - LOYAL! Yes, these friends are everything that Margo Roth Spiegelman is not. So, I spent the whole time hoping that Quentin would get it. Get who his real friends are and get who he should really be concerned about and giving his time to. Does he? Well, that would constitute me giving away the ending and I don't want to do that.
So, like I said before, I'm on the fence about this one when I break it down. When it comes to the story, I'd have to go to my feelings about John Green. And my feelings on him are...meh. Yeah, I don't really care for him as a writer. I know it's sacrilege to say that these days, but too bad. I have my opinion. I'm not saying he's a terrible writer. He's not. He's just not someone who I find particularly exceptional. I would call him a trendy writer. It seems that people starting reading his books because other people told them to do so, whether they actually wanted to or not. Not to say that trendy things can't have staying power. I just don't know if we'll be studying him in the class room in fifty years. As always, though, if you think his books are good and you get joy out of reading them, I am sincerely happy for you, and I won't try to stop you. This is just my taste. And my taste dictates that some of this story is good and some of it is not.
I will make a point of saying this, though. I know I said that I like the Quentin character, but even better, I am really starting to like Nat Wolff as an actor. I was never too crazy about him, mostly because he played some characters that I found annoying, usually an annoying little brother. But, wow, he is really growing up and turning into a fine, young actor, so I'd say that is my favorite aspect of the film. And I hope he continues on this path, because I am looking forward to more of it.
Okay, let's finish up. Would I recommend Paper Towns? Sure, why not? It's worth a watch, again, if you like those coming of age movies... especially from the 80's. Seriously, had this have been made in that decade, the words "Starring John Cusack" would have been involved. Yeah, good times, indeed. So, if you can get yourself through the Margo scenes, you will be rewarded with some better stuff. This means thumbs up, but a thumb held up at about a 71 degree angle.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Is it just me or are those "coming of age" movies part of the most hit or miss genre of all time? And I'm not just talking about some films being good and some being bad. I mean that within the movie there are parts the either really work or really do not. I've always felt this way, and - Holy Smokes! - was that feeling confirmed when I saw the film I am going to talk about today, Paper Towns.
Paper Towns is a 2015 movie based on the 2008 novel of the same name by John Green. More on him later. Anyway, the story follows Quentin, played by Nat Wolff, a young man in his final year of high school. He is nice and smart, has great friends, a supportive family and what I would call a very unhealthy obsession with the girl next door. Oh, yeah. We're going there. For the past eleven years, he has lived across the street from Margo Roth Spiegelman, played by Cara Delevigne, a little girl with whom he develops a close friendship, wherein they are defined as "partners in crime". As a child, Margo just seems very adventurous with ambitions of being mysterious. As a teenager, she becomes one of the most despicable cinematic characters in my recent memory. Or maybe she's not. I don't know because this model they hired for unknown reasons, other than "because she's a model", is not such a great actress (See Cindy Crawford in the 1995 movie Fair Game for more analysis on that). Point is, she is purporting herself, as is everyone else, as being far more interesting than she actually is. Look, there's nothing fascinating about using capital letters in the middle of a sentence because the lower case ones feel left out. I mean, it was cute when Vanessa Hudgeons did the number thing in Bandslam, but her character was enjoyable enough to back it up. Oh, and Margo pretty much uses Quentin to do her bidding and ultimately treats him like crap. In my opinion. And yet, I think they want us to like her, not to mention the way they expect me to believe that this quirky, indie, living outside the box girl is tight with the popular jocks and cheerleader types. My response to all of that is this: DENIED. For real, entertainment industry, stop trying to make me like awful people. We already had that girl on Glee. We don't need any more of that. Sorry for the rant. Back to the plot.
After some narration from Quentin, talking about how he and Margo have grown apart over the years, and a night where she drags him around breaking the law, she up and disappears. Hosanna! Unfortunately, he decides to go on a road trip to find her. Of course, when I say "unfortunately", I say it in regards to this poor boy who just doesn't get it. For the movie, it is quite fortunate. Not only do we get rid of that obnoxious character, we get to the real meat of the story and the best thing about it. As I said, Quentin wants to go off and find Margo, but he can't go alone, so he takes with him his two best friends, Ben and Radar, played by Austin Abrams and Justice Smith, as well as Radar's girlfriend, Angela, played by Jaz Sinclair, and Lacey, played by Halston Sage, who is one of Margo's friends. Now I do like the girls both actress and character wise, but I super like Ben and Radar. They're sweet and funny and - Oh, look at that - LOYAL! Yes, these friends are everything that Margo Roth Spiegelman is not. So, I spent the whole time hoping that Quentin would get it. Get who his real friends are and get who he should really be concerned about and giving his time to. Does he? Well, that would constitute me giving away the ending and I don't want to do that.
So, like I said before, I'm on the fence about this one when I break it down. When it comes to the story, I'd have to go to my feelings about John Green. And my feelings on him are...meh. Yeah, I don't really care for him as a writer. I know it's sacrilege to say that these days, but too bad. I have my opinion. I'm not saying he's a terrible writer. He's not. He's just not someone who I find particularly exceptional. I would call him a trendy writer. It seems that people starting reading his books because other people told them to do so, whether they actually wanted to or not. Not to say that trendy things can't have staying power. I just don't know if we'll be studying him in the class room in fifty years. As always, though, if you think his books are good and you get joy out of reading them, I am sincerely happy for you, and I won't try to stop you. This is just my taste. And my taste dictates that some of this story is good and some of it is not.
I will make a point of saying this, though. I know I said that I like the Quentin character, but even better, I am really starting to like Nat Wolff as an actor. I was never too crazy about him, mostly because he played some characters that I found annoying, usually an annoying little brother. But, wow, he is really growing up and turning into a fine, young actor, so I'd say that is my favorite aspect of the film. And I hope he continues on this path, because I am looking forward to more of it.
Okay, let's finish up. Would I recommend Paper Towns? Sure, why not? It's worth a watch, again, if you like those coming of age movies... especially from the 80's. Seriously, had this have been made in that decade, the words "Starring John Cusack" would have been involved. Yeah, good times, indeed. So, if you can get yourself through the Margo scenes, you will be rewarded with some better stuff. This means thumbs up, but a thumb held up at about a 71 degree angle.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Amy - Documentary Review
Greetings,
Well, I hate to talk once again about a great artist who left us much too soon, but I like to contribute to the "gone but not forgotten" mindset as much as I possibly can. So, today, I will be discussing a documentary that I recently saw about Amy Winehouse, aptly titled, Amy.
To be honest, I didn't even know that this film was being made, until I came across a trailer for it. Usually, I know about these things far in advance, docs about people in music, I mean. And said trailer I will discuss later. But I was really looking forward to seeing an official, for better or worse, account of the life of Amy Winehouse. I will say it's tough to go into something knowing that it will not have a happy ending, but I think what leads up to that ending and how it is portrayed is an important part of doing any movie like this.
Amy was directed by Asif Kapadia, well-known for his film about Ayrton Senna, aptly titled, once again, Senna. Now I admit, I have not seen any of his films before this, but I am considering it now. I really like his style in putting this together. It was, in some parts, a typical documentary with everything you expect being there, but there was enough uniqueness in the structure so that it could stand out. I was impressed by how well-balanced it was concerning the ups and downs of Amy's life and career, which were plentiful, and it pulls very few punches. That's good, in my opinion, because one must see the downs to appreciate the ups, and see the ups to get the emotional impact of the downs. To put it bluntly, a lot of this was difficult to watch. Not surprising.
One of the things I noticed most was the way Amy talked about fame and how she saw it and approached it. I speak both of her own and that of others. One of my favorite scenes was the recording session she had with Tony Bennett. At that point, she was a huge star, but, standing next to one of her greatest musical inspirations, she was like a nervous little girl. Her insecurities came out, and Mr. Bennett sweetly encouraged her. Maybe it's just the way I saw it, but I think she was shown as quite a humble person when it came to her talent. It seemed she didn't necessarily want to be a star; she just wanted to sing.
Sadly, though, that was a big part of the story as well, the perception of artists and what they are supposed to strive for. It seems that, when the world thinks of artists, they think of two kinds and two kinds only - ones that are poor and unknown, or ones that are rich and famous. And you have to pick one to be. But, though these kinds may be the most recognized, people tend to forget about those in the small but happy medium. The artists that manage to be successful, but not famous, financially stable (At least, somewhat), but not rich. Honestly, I think that is where many artists hope to be. And, whilst I may be wrong, I think Amy Winehouse may have been one of them.
That brings me to what may be the most polarizing thing about her. There are masses of people who were devastated by her death, but there are also a lot of people who would be quick to say that she brought it on herself. I personally tend to fall somewhere in the middle. I was saddened by her death, mostly because she was a great talent, and I thought she had potential to be one of those singers who did it until they were old, never stopping. But I also believe that she made a lot of poor choices in her life, which ultimately led to her death. Some may think that to say that is to speak ill of the dead, but I dare any of them to deny it. You can say that it wasn't her fault because of the way fame affected her, but while that may be a reason, I've never seen it as an excuse. And trust, there had to have been more things attributed to those choices than just her stardom. Which brings me to that trailer.
Honestly, I liked the first trailer for the movie. It was very well put together and had a great tone to it. And then, the second one came out. So, there's this thing that's done with trailers, and that is to show some quotes from reviewers and whatnot. Well, one of those quotes said that this film was "a celebration of Amy and a condemnation of us". Okay? First, it did celebrate her life. As I mentioned, it spotlighted her amazing talent and the potential she had to have a long career, but if this is implying that it celebrated her life as a whole, then we have a problem. Many parts of her life should not be celebrated but seen as a cautionary tale. And second, that thing about condemning US? Are you including me in that "us", because I never did a thing to hurt that woman. I just liked her music and her and occasionally said a prayer when I saw she was in trouble. I never stuck a needle in her arm. I never gave her drugs. Look, as I was saying before, many things can contribute to why we make the decisions that we do, but they are, in the end, OUR decisions. I am in no way condemning Amy for her mistakes, because we all make mistakes, some of them tragic, even life threatening, but please do not condemn me or anyone else for them.
Look, I don't want to sound harsh or judgmental towards this woman who I had great artistic admiration for. I suppose at the heart of this sad story is just a girl who couldn't see herself in the way that those who loved her did. And when I say those who loved her, I don't necessarily mean her fans. Of course, I know they loved her very much, and I would never, ever take away from the loss they feel, but they also didn't know her. I speak of the people who knew her personally, her true and genuine friends, the ones who really cared about her and wanted her to be okay. There were actually a couple of interviews with some girls who she had been friends with for quite a while. You could see the pain they experienced, not because of what superstar Amy Winehouse was going through, but because of what their friend Amy was going through. I wish she could have seen herself more the way they did. It was clear that she was greatly loved, authentically loved.
Okay, I may have gotten off track here, as I've been talking more about the person than the documentary. Then again, that's what this film was. It was her story, the good, the bad, the best and the worst. So, I say that this is a very well done movie. Yes, it is heartbreaking, from the sad parts, but even more so, from the not so sad parts, I have to say. It's when you see her as the happy, real person that she was, the moments where she smiled and laughed and was so full of joy and so grateful for being able to do what she loved, it's then that your heart truly aches for what the world lost. Not just an amazing artist, but a woman who, when she was at her best, was extraordinary. I'm glad that this film showed her, not just as a famous person, but as a person. Again, I hope I wasn't too harsh about this. The truth is difficult, but it has to told. Otherwise, we can never become wise. We can never protect ourselves. I certainly hope that people continue to be inspired by Amy Winehouse's music, but more so, I hope that people learn from her story.
This was a tough one.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Well, I hate to talk once again about a great artist who left us much too soon, but I like to contribute to the "gone but not forgotten" mindset as much as I possibly can. So, today, I will be discussing a documentary that I recently saw about Amy Winehouse, aptly titled, Amy.
To be honest, I didn't even know that this film was being made, until I came across a trailer for it. Usually, I know about these things far in advance, docs about people in music, I mean. And said trailer I will discuss later. But I was really looking forward to seeing an official, for better or worse, account of the life of Amy Winehouse. I will say it's tough to go into something knowing that it will not have a happy ending, but I think what leads up to that ending and how it is portrayed is an important part of doing any movie like this.
Amy was directed by Asif Kapadia, well-known for his film about Ayrton Senna, aptly titled, once again, Senna. Now I admit, I have not seen any of his films before this, but I am considering it now. I really like his style in putting this together. It was, in some parts, a typical documentary with everything you expect being there, but there was enough uniqueness in the structure so that it could stand out. I was impressed by how well-balanced it was concerning the ups and downs of Amy's life and career, which were plentiful, and it pulls very few punches. That's good, in my opinion, because one must see the downs to appreciate the ups, and see the ups to get the emotional impact of the downs. To put it bluntly, a lot of this was difficult to watch. Not surprising.
One of the things I noticed most was the way Amy talked about fame and how she saw it and approached it. I speak both of her own and that of others. One of my favorite scenes was the recording session she had with Tony Bennett. At that point, she was a huge star, but, standing next to one of her greatest musical inspirations, she was like a nervous little girl. Her insecurities came out, and Mr. Bennett sweetly encouraged her. Maybe it's just the way I saw it, but I think she was shown as quite a humble person when it came to her talent. It seemed she didn't necessarily want to be a star; she just wanted to sing.
Sadly, though, that was a big part of the story as well, the perception of artists and what they are supposed to strive for. It seems that, when the world thinks of artists, they think of two kinds and two kinds only - ones that are poor and unknown, or ones that are rich and famous. And you have to pick one to be. But, though these kinds may be the most recognized, people tend to forget about those in the small but happy medium. The artists that manage to be successful, but not famous, financially stable (At least, somewhat), but not rich. Honestly, I think that is where many artists hope to be. And, whilst I may be wrong, I think Amy Winehouse may have been one of them.
That brings me to what may be the most polarizing thing about her. There are masses of people who were devastated by her death, but there are also a lot of people who would be quick to say that she brought it on herself. I personally tend to fall somewhere in the middle. I was saddened by her death, mostly because she was a great talent, and I thought she had potential to be one of those singers who did it until they were old, never stopping. But I also believe that she made a lot of poor choices in her life, which ultimately led to her death. Some may think that to say that is to speak ill of the dead, but I dare any of them to deny it. You can say that it wasn't her fault because of the way fame affected her, but while that may be a reason, I've never seen it as an excuse. And trust, there had to have been more things attributed to those choices than just her stardom. Which brings me to that trailer.
Honestly, I liked the first trailer for the movie. It was very well put together and had a great tone to it. And then, the second one came out. So, there's this thing that's done with trailers, and that is to show some quotes from reviewers and whatnot. Well, one of those quotes said that this film was "a celebration of Amy and a condemnation of us". Okay? First, it did celebrate her life. As I mentioned, it spotlighted her amazing talent and the potential she had to have a long career, but if this is implying that it celebrated her life as a whole, then we have a problem. Many parts of her life should not be celebrated but seen as a cautionary tale. And second, that thing about condemning US? Are you including me in that "us", because I never did a thing to hurt that woman. I just liked her music and her and occasionally said a prayer when I saw she was in trouble. I never stuck a needle in her arm. I never gave her drugs. Look, as I was saying before, many things can contribute to why we make the decisions that we do, but they are, in the end, OUR decisions. I am in no way condemning Amy for her mistakes, because we all make mistakes, some of them tragic, even life threatening, but please do not condemn me or anyone else for them.
Look, I don't want to sound harsh or judgmental towards this woman who I had great artistic admiration for. I suppose at the heart of this sad story is just a girl who couldn't see herself in the way that those who loved her did. And when I say those who loved her, I don't necessarily mean her fans. Of course, I know they loved her very much, and I would never, ever take away from the loss they feel, but they also didn't know her. I speak of the people who knew her personally, her true and genuine friends, the ones who really cared about her and wanted her to be okay. There were actually a couple of interviews with some girls who she had been friends with for quite a while. You could see the pain they experienced, not because of what superstar Amy Winehouse was going through, but because of what their friend Amy was going through. I wish she could have seen herself more the way they did. It was clear that she was greatly loved, authentically loved.
Okay, I may have gotten off track here, as I've been talking more about the person than the documentary. Then again, that's what this film was. It was her story, the good, the bad, the best and the worst. So, I say that this is a very well done movie. Yes, it is heartbreaking, from the sad parts, but even more so, from the not so sad parts, I have to say. It's when you see her as the happy, real person that she was, the moments where she smiled and laughed and was so full of joy and so grateful for being able to do what she loved, it's then that your heart truly aches for what the world lost. Not just an amazing artist, but a woman who, when she was at her best, was extraordinary. I'm glad that this film showed her, not just as a famous person, but as a person. Again, I hope I wasn't too harsh about this. The truth is difficult, but it has to told. Otherwise, we can never become wise. We can never protect ourselves. I certainly hope that people continue to be inspired by Amy Winehouse's music, but more so, I hope that people learn from her story.
This was a tough one.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Top Ten David Bowie Songs
Greetings,
Okay, so 2016 has been kind of a sad year thus far. We're not even two weeks in and we've lost quite a few great people, Frank Armitage, Pat Harrington Jr., Robert Stigwood and now the person about whom I will be speaking today, David Bowie. That one came out of nowhere for me, because I didn't even know he was sick. Maybe others did, but I never kept up on news about him. To be honest, I was never much of a hardcore fan of his. Sure, I liked a lot of his songs, as evident by what I'm posting today, and I did love to hear him talk in interviews, as he had a talking voice that was even more enjoyable to me than his singing voice. But I know that there are fans out there that are hurting a lot more than I am, because they were, are and always will be those hardcore fans. Still, it is sad that such a great talent is lost to us, so I thought I'd pay a little tribute and share with you what were my favorite songs of his. I hope my attempt at levity here is seen not as disrespect while people are mourning, but as a way to hopefully bring a little smile to their faces and hearts in a time when they need it. Here we go.
Honorable Mention "Under Pressure" - This would have made the list, but I think, technically, it's a song from a Queen album. Still, it's a great song and Bowie is as much of a presence on it as anyone, so it's worth some acknowledgement. And Vanilla Ice TOTALLY stole that bass line!
#10. "Fashion" - Yeah, this reminds me of the getting ready for school scene in Clueless. What about it? Actually, that might be the first time I heard this song. Okay, you true fans can get upset about that. I don't mind. But, you know, better late than never.
#9. "Ashes to Ashes" - You know what is usually awful and unnecessary? Movie sequels. But song sequels? Oh, yeah, I could stand for a few more of those, so long as they're written as well as this, which references a character brought to us by way of an earlier song by David Bowie. One that I may be talking about later. Maybe, maybe not. Yeah, I'll totally be talking about it later.
#8. "Fame" - John Lennon helped to write this one. That's reason enough to include it.
#7. "Heroes" - I've heard that the production of this song has been compared to a "Wall of Sound" production. That seems accurate when you think of the, let's say, grandness of it. It has so many layers and is very rich, and it really feels like those involved cared about making it great. Apparently, that's a thing that used to happen a lot in the music industry.
#6. "Golden Years" - Yeah, this reminds me of the party scene in A Knight's Tale. What about it? Look, it's not my fault that he let a lot of his songs be in movies. But, let's be honest, I'm glad he did.
#5. "Changes" - I use this song to test people who would like to be my friend. I say "What do you think when I say 'Ch-ch-ch'?" If they respond with "Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!", then they are granted the honor of my friendship. If they respond with "Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia (Pet)!"? Fail, fail, fail, fail, fail! Thanks again, Mr. Bowie.
#4. "Ziggy Stardust" - I don't know for sure just who this Ziggy Stardust guy is, but I know that he took it all too far, he could play guitar and I'm pretty sure there's at least one person in the world who was named after him. Also, if I ever got to be in a band with him, I'd be happy.
#3. "Space Oddity" - I mean, you gotta love a song that was not allowed to be played on the BBC until the astronauts from Apollo 11 got back home. No, seriously, that happened. I suppose I can understand that. Though, to this day, I'm not sure if it encouraged more people to join the space program or discouraged them. As long as it encouraged people to write better music (which it did, I believe), I guess it doesn't matter either way.
#2. "Young Americans" - I love when a song plays and you can totally hear what influenced the writer. Here, it is obvious that Bowie was influenced by some serious soul music. I just love the sound of this song and how different I find it from a lot of his other work. But I guess that's what he was all about. He wrote and created whatever he felt in the moment. Also, Luther Vandross sang back up. I mean, come on!
#1. "The Man Who Sold the World" - There's something special about any combination of music and lyrics that becomes haunting. And that is how I would describe this song. It is hauntingly beautiful. I've heard so many explanations for what this song may be about or what it was inspired by, from Heinlein to Cthulhu, but I really don't care. All I know is that it's amazing. That's plenty enough for me.
And so those are my favorites from the late, great David Bowie. Of course, my prayers go out to his family and all the heartbroken fans, and as always, I hope he had everything set right in the end. He was a wonderful artist and this world will miss him.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Okay, so 2016 has been kind of a sad year thus far. We're not even two weeks in and we've lost quite a few great people, Frank Armitage, Pat Harrington Jr., Robert Stigwood and now the person about whom I will be speaking today, David Bowie. That one came out of nowhere for me, because I didn't even know he was sick. Maybe others did, but I never kept up on news about him. To be honest, I was never much of a hardcore fan of his. Sure, I liked a lot of his songs, as evident by what I'm posting today, and I did love to hear him talk in interviews, as he had a talking voice that was even more enjoyable to me than his singing voice. But I know that there are fans out there that are hurting a lot more than I am, because they were, are and always will be those hardcore fans. Still, it is sad that such a great talent is lost to us, so I thought I'd pay a little tribute and share with you what were my favorite songs of his. I hope my attempt at levity here is seen not as disrespect while people are mourning, but as a way to hopefully bring a little smile to their faces and hearts in a time when they need it. Here we go.
Honorable Mention "Under Pressure" - This would have made the list, but I think, technically, it's a song from a Queen album. Still, it's a great song and Bowie is as much of a presence on it as anyone, so it's worth some acknowledgement. And Vanilla Ice TOTALLY stole that bass line!
#10. "Fashion" - Yeah, this reminds me of the getting ready for school scene in Clueless. What about it? Actually, that might be the first time I heard this song. Okay, you true fans can get upset about that. I don't mind. But, you know, better late than never.
#9. "Ashes to Ashes" - You know what is usually awful and unnecessary? Movie sequels. But song sequels? Oh, yeah, I could stand for a few more of those, so long as they're written as well as this, which references a character brought to us by way of an earlier song by David Bowie. One that I may be talking about later. Maybe, maybe not. Yeah, I'll totally be talking about it later.
#8. "Fame" - John Lennon helped to write this one. That's reason enough to include it.
#7. "Heroes" - I've heard that the production of this song has been compared to a "Wall of Sound" production. That seems accurate when you think of the, let's say, grandness of it. It has so many layers and is very rich, and it really feels like those involved cared about making it great. Apparently, that's a thing that used to happen a lot in the music industry.
#6. "Golden Years" - Yeah, this reminds me of the party scene in A Knight's Tale. What about it? Look, it's not my fault that he let a lot of his songs be in movies. But, let's be honest, I'm glad he did.
#5. "Changes" - I use this song to test people who would like to be my friend. I say "What do you think when I say 'Ch-ch-ch'?" If they respond with "Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!", then they are granted the honor of my friendship. If they respond with "Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia (Pet)!"? Fail, fail, fail, fail, fail! Thanks again, Mr. Bowie.
#4. "Ziggy Stardust" - I don't know for sure just who this Ziggy Stardust guy is, but I know that he took it all too far, he could play guitar and I'm pretty sure there's at least one person in the world who was named after him. Also, if I ever got to be in a band with him, I'd be happy.
#3. "Space Oddity" - I mean, you gotta love a song that was not allowed to be played on the BBC until the astronauts from Apollo 11 got back home. No, seriously, that happened. I suppose I can understand that. Though, to this day, I'm not sure if it encouraged more people to join the space program or discouraged them. As long as it encouraged people to write better music (which it did, I believe), I guess it doesn't matter either way.
#2. "Young Americans" - I love when a song plays and you can totally hear what influenced the writer. Here, it is obvious that Bowie was influenced by some serious soul music. I just love the sound of this song and how different I find it from a lot of his other work. But I guess that's what he was all about. He wrote and created whatever he felt in the moment. Also, Luther Vandross sang back up. I mean, come on!
#1. "The Man Who Sold the World" - There's something special about any combination of music and lyrics that becomes haunting. And that is how I would describe this song. It is hauntingly beautiful. I've heard so many explanations for what this song may be about or what it was inspired by, from Heinlein to Cthulhu, but I really don't care. All I know is that it's amazing. That's plenty enough for me.
And so those are my favorites from the late, great David Bowie. Of course, my prayers go out to his family and all the heartbroken fans, and as always, I hope he had everything set right in the end. He was a wonderful artist and this world will miss him.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
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