Music – Page 22

Band of the Month – June 2005

Gunter glieben glauchen globen. I was gonna use Matthew Good as June’s BotM, but then I picked up Def Leppard’s Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection, and just wow. I’ve been listening to Leppard for (mind the quasi-pun) ages now, and they’re even one of the three bands lucky enough to grace my sidebar as a link. Of all things, I didn’t expect to be surprised by this album. It goes without saying that the CD (dual-CD set, actually) is one of those “greatest hits” dealies, and boy, does it ever deliver. But I’ll get to that later.

I’m all about the classics of rock ‘n’ roll – you know, AC/DC, Poison, Queen, Loverboy, Tesla, the list goes on – and Def Leppard falls squarely into that category, so obviously, they get some sort of recognition when I’m asked to recite what bands I like. They’ve been rocking out since 1980, and are still going pretty strong today, having released their last original album in 2002, and two “best of” compilations (though they’re essentially the same) within the last two years. They’re even still going all out with their live shows, having been in Winnipeg sometime in late 2003(maybe early 2004), and returning this August. I missed the last show, but I’m pretty pumped about it this time, so I’m expecting to be there. Especially if they’re busting out some of the tracks from Rock of Ages‘ second disc. I’ll explain why in a minute.

Having released nine original albums and three greatest hits compilations, Def Leppard’s got a pretty prolific career under their belt. I only own three of this rocker’s dozen, those being their first release On Through The Night, the first hits CD Vault, and if you hadn’t guessed, Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection. Sadly, Vault is the same as Rock of Ages‘ first disc, even lacking a couple tracks, so it’s ended up being more of a collector’s item since I no longer have practical use for it.

So enough with the looking at each CD and picking out the good song bit. Today, I’m just gonna be talking about, you guessed it, Rock of Ages. It’s got pretty much every thing you need to get a good taste of Def Leppard, featuring 25 face-melting tracks over two discs. You’ve got your classics, your lesser-knowns, and even a couple oddballs. The first disc is the one most people would be able to pick out as Def Leppard, being the host to all their really big hits like “Photograph”, “Animal”, When Love & Hate Collide”, and “Rock of Ages”. It’s also picked up a couple of tracks that weren’t featured on Vault; “Heaven Is” and “Switch 625”, both songs I’d never heard before. I’d have to say that my favourite songs from this disc are long standing favourites “Rocket” and “Let’s Get Rocked”. The former because it’s hardcore and makes reference to other great bands such as the Beatles, Queen, and David Bowie. The latter, because it’s just a great song.

Now the first disc was pretty standard stuff, but the second blew me out fo the water. A lot of songs here I’d never heard of, some I had, but never thought they were that big. But they’re all awesome. A couple, like “Women” and “Rock Rock (Till You Drop)” I saw coming, because I’d heard of them before, (and to be honest, I only knew popular Leppard songs for a long time), and there are a couple from On Through The Night, “High ‘N’ Dry (Saturday Night)” and my favourite Def Leppard song ever, “Rock Brigade”. There are also some more poppy songs like “Promises” and “No Matter What”, which are pretty good, but couldn’t possibly hope to match up to power ballads “Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)” and “Now”. The one song that really stands out from the rest however is one that they named an album after, the kickass rap-rock-pop-maracas hybrid “Slang”. I could not explain exactly how this song manages to cross so many genres and still sound so good.

Not to say that buying the other albums would be a waste, but if you want to experience a little bit of everything Def Leppard’s offered until now, Rock of Ages is the way to go. I would also suggest Hysteria and X if you’re in the market. Or just download a couple of the songs I mentioned in the preceding paragraph. That’s why I like Def Leppard so much. That and their dummer, Rick Allen, is my hero. Somehow, he’s managed to be a fully competent drummer for this huge band, and he’s only got one arm. How you could not look up to a guy like that is way beyond me.

Band of the Month – May 2005

April was a pretty slow month as far as blog posts go, but it did see the glorious returns of both Dick Turtle and the mini-reviews. Now it’s forever saved onto its own page in the archives. Hoo-ray.

In other news, I’ve just recently caught wind of this really kickass band. They go by the monicker of Span and are a rather excellent portralyal of what rock ‘n’ roll is all about. Unfortunatley, they’ve currently only got one major release (which is very rare to find), so this is gonna be one of those Jimmy Eat World one-CD reviews.

So firstly, who the Hell is Span? There’s a 97% chance you’ve never heard of them. If you have, you’re either really lucky, or have finished the video game Obscure, which totes their music quite prominently. That would be where I first heard of ’em. Anyhow, while their look may at first suggest a punk band, calling these guys punk would be an insult. They sound far too professional for that title. While they have an obvious nu-rock influence, Span is your model modern rock ‘n’ roll band. Combining fast, catchy anthems with hard rock and slower ballads, Span runs the full rock gamut, semblant of old-school rock legends like Motley Crue, Poison, and Firehouse.

So onto the review thing. The CD, as you should be able to see above, is titled Mass Distraction. While it features a scant 11 tracks (I’ll admit, I’m spoiled by compilations and greatest hits albums that have between 15 and 20 songs apiece), it’s a joy to listen through from start to finish. The first song, “Found” is a pretty standard song, and does well as an opening track. Anywhere else on the CD, it might seem a bit weaker. Now number two, “Don’t Think The Way They Do” is my new favourite song ever. It’s fast, catchy, and just really cool. It’s the only song I know of on the CD to have a single, so I guess it’s their hit song. Seriously, if you’re checking out Span, this is a good song to start with. Very addictive. “Peaceful” slows it down a bit, with its first part being rather slow, and then getting up to a harder tone near the halfway point. “Papa” takes it from there, and really gets things rolling with some fantastic teamwork between the guiars and drums.

“Stay As You Are” isn’t quite as hardcore as the previous track, but keeps up the rock ‘n’ roll attitude, and makes for a second really catchy song. “Missing in Stereo” sounds almost like Span took a page from Matthew Good, as it’s quite slow and moody. I’m a pretty big Matt Good fan, so I like it a lot. “On My Way Down” brings back the rock but manages to keep the moodiness of the last song, and sounds great doing it. Next up, “Buckle Under Pressure” really reminds me a little of the good old classic rock of the 80’s. It combines some really heavy guitar work with lighter verses and a sweet chorus to make a pretty unique sound.

And then comes the only song that could possibly rival “Don’t Think The Way They Do” for best song on the CD. “Baby’s Come Back” is insane. It’s fast, catchy, kinda funny, and has a simply magnificent guitar solo that is surpassed only by that of “Stairway to Heaven”. All this backed by some sweet vocal work and a great drum beat, and you’ve got a killer song. “Wildflower” is really surprising, in that it’s more of a poppy song, rather than rock. But it maintains respectability by being really good. As it is with a lot of CDs, the last track Mass Distraction is a slower one, “When She Stares”. It’s slow, but it’s got a very powerful chorus, and is twice the length of most of the other songs on the album. It’s an excellent song, and a great choice to end with.

Be it resolved that Mass Distraction is the best CD I’ve heard in a long time, and I’ve got a lot of really awesome CDs. Props out to Span and their great, though far too unknown effort. Also, I should mention a couple of their other songs I’ve heard, particularly “Cut Like Diamonds” and “Always Ends”, are just as great as anything on their debut album. Word on the street is that they’re going to be releasing number two in the near future, so here’s hoping that maybe I’ll be able to find that one in stores. Or at least download it like I did with the first. Yeah, I’m pretty damn obsessed with these guys right now, and my AudioScrobbler account holds undeniable proof of that. Check ’em out for sure.

Band of the Month – April 2005

I would’ve posted this BotM a little sooner, but I just couldn’t decide who I’d give the spotlight to this month. There are a lot of bands nominated for the spot, but truth be told, I hate reviewing bands when I don’t know much of their material (ex: Jimmy Eat World, Boston), and that’s a problem a good two thirds of the eligible bands had going for them. It was a conundrum for the ages. Then it hit me. Tesla.

I’ve been listening to Tesla for, well I dunno exactly how long, but I can assume it’s been at least two years. It all started with what is still my favourite Tesla song: “Love Song”. I can’t remember for the life of me where I heard it, but when I did, I immediately looked into the band, and was delighted, as Tesla is a perfect representation of why I love rock ‘n’ roll. There are very few bands that I like enough to make it my life’s mission to search out every album, and Tesla is one of them. The other ones being Queen, Rammstein, Firehouse and HIM. The only problem is that all the old Tesla CDs are extinct around my area, so I’m going as far as the internet to find theses babies. But enough about that, how’s the music?

I’ve not heard their first album, Mechanical Resonance, but I do know a couple songs from it, including “Cumin’ Atcha Live”, “Rock Me To The Top” and “Modern Day Cowboy” – all which rock very hard. I hear the rest of the ablum is quite solid as well, and I’m more than willing to assume these rumours are true.

The second album is easily their most known and loved (at least that’s what I hear), and with good reason. The Great Radio Controversy is one of the greatest CDs I’ve ever heard, and it has the rock to back up the rep. Every song on this CD is awesome. “Hang Tough”, “Heaven’s Trail (No Way Out)”, “The Way It Is” and “Party’s Over” may stand a little above teh rest, but they’re all great listening. Oh, and let’s not forget “Love Song”. If you know one Tesla song, it’s probably “Love Song”.

I’ve not listened to Five Man Acoustical Jam, but according to word of mouth, it was a pretty huge thing, starting up a gigantic trend of “unplugged” music. Live rock ‘n’ roll performances are always great. There is no better live show than a good rock ‘n’ roll show.

I like Psychotic Supper. It’s a solid effort, but doesn’t please on every front. I mean, “Edison’s Medicine” and “Don’t De=Rock Me” are stellar songs, and the rest is pretty good too, but it just doesn’t quite match up to the two other CDs I know (The Great Radio Controversy and Into The Now). Not to say it isn’t excellent. That’s not the case at all. It just seems to be a little less… focused. I’m not sure how to describe it, but I’m sure if you listened to it, you’d understand.

Next up is Bust A Nut. I can’t say I’ve heard any songs from it, but with a title like that, it’s got to be good. Then came Time’s Makin’ Changes which is their “best of” album. So obviously that kicks some ass. And then there’s Replugged Live which is the live hits album. Once again, Tesla + live + best songs = melted faces. It’s elementary.

Finally, we come to the most recent album, released just last year, Into The Now. Some serious rock shit goin’ down here. Oh boy does this CD rock. Title track “Into The Now” sets the stage for another excellent offering from Tesla. And then there are even better songs like “Heaven Nine Eleven”, “Got No Glory”, and “Recognize”. Ending with a great new slow song “Only You”, this shows that even though it’s been ten years since Tesla recorded an album, they’ve still got it, plus some new tricks. It’s the only Tesla CD currenty available on my immediate market, so it’s the only one I legitimately own, and it’s currently the pride of my collection. I’ve bought at least 4 other CDs between now and when I got “Into The Now”, and it still manages to find its way back into my player.

Final word: if you like rock at all, you’d do well to score yourself some Tesla. If nothing else, just download “Love Song”, I can’t imagine how anybody could not like that song. Or you could hit the link on the sidebar and download some clips from the official site. Either way, highly recommended. Boy, that review was awfully redundant. I guess they’ve grown to kinda be that way though, so deal with it. I’m gonna stick to this BotM thing for at least a year. If I find it gets to be too the same every month, I’ll probably just cut out the review part.

Prolonged dumpage

This one here’s kind of a follow-up to yesterday’s post. Some continuation, some new thoughts, it’s all good. Unless you have no interest at all in what I think about.

I was out all day, and again took the liberty of playing my DS all over the place. Today I attracted the attention of no less than three people, and on a broad range of ages too. I’m starting to feel like the Nintendo DS version of that dude from the Wendy’s commercials. I’mma have to get out more, and make sure I get selling those DS units. Maybe somewhere along the way, I’ll find a friend who will play with me. Maybe I’ll be able to beat a human opponent at Madden. Oh yeah, I bought that. I have to say, I made the right decision. Not only does it interest more casual gamers, but I’m quite enjoying it as well. I really needed something different, and football has answered my call.

My next article will not be so much an article, but something akin to this, should I ever figure out how to do it. After looking at the source, I could probably put it together, but it’ll take a long damn time. Possibly all week, or longer, depending on how ambitious I feel. Or maybe I’ll just rush it and not mind it looking like crap. And that’s all you’re getting for now.

I also picked up The Urbz for DS, under my brother’s counsel. He was right. I really like the game. The only problem is that it uses both the face buttons and the touch screen, so you either fumble between stylus and thumb or just use your finger on the touch screen. The game doesn’t really call for extremely precise pointing, so the latter is acceptable, but after being stylus-trained by WarioWare and Feel the Magic, it feels kind of odd not to use it. Anyhow, it’s a really good game. I’m kind of upset I didn’t know this earlier.

I finally found a Tesla CD! Thank you, Music World! I mean, it’s the newest one, which is excellent, but I really wanted The Great Radio Controversy. Still no show from Firehouse though. I did pick up Foreigner’s The Very Best and Beyond, which is also great, so I’m not too disappointed.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance is no longer available anywhere. I’ve looked through around six electronics stores, three gaming stores and two trade-in stores, but nothing. I’ve found Sons of Liberty, and even The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2, but no Substance. So here’s the deal. You find it anywhere, you pick it up and bring it and the recepit to me. I’ll pay you the cost, plus a $15 bounty. The same goes for the Evil Dead 2 DVD. I’ve found Evil Dead and Army of Darkness, but no Evil Dead 2. Maybe I’ll put up a bounty chart of things I want but cannot find, and cannot be arsed to buy online.

I found the first season Corner Gas DVD today. I can’t recall exactly why I didn’t buy it on sight. As I said yesterday, I love the show. Possibly even more than Futurama, and I have all the Futurama DVD sets. Mmm, I love material posessions.

I can’t eat 40 timbits without getting sick. I’m a sham of a man.

The problem with me constantly buying CDs (aside from the rapidly depleting storage space) is that I’m never going to get around to doing that article on my CD colleciton. Maybe it’ll have to go under the pseudo-articles and be updated as new discs come and (God forbid) go.

That’s all for today. I’ll try not to bog down the blog with so much impertinent information during the next week. I’ve got the weekend off, so I’ll be making sure I devote (at least) Saturday to article production. That is, if I’m not too wrapped up in Samurai Legend Musashi. Two days, baby.

Taking a mind dump. Excuse the odor

The coolest thing happened to me yesterday. So I’m at Subway, right. I’m done eating, so as would be the natural thing for me, I pull out my DS and get my game on. And then all of a sudden, this dude sits down across from me and starts asking stuff about it, and going on about how he finds it so amazing. I found it cool, because I don’t know a single person who is interested in the DS (nobody I know can handle its pure awesomeness), and it was nice to for once have a little chat about it. Just thought I’d bring it up.

My bro’s hockey team got creamed 8-4 last night. They started off real strong, with two goals in the first five minutes, but then it just went downhill. It was pretty bad, but the defencemen were really slacking. Can’t say he was having the best game of his life either, though. But then again, guess letting in eight out of like seventy billion shots isn’t so bad.

Three days until Musashi!

Following GDC 2005, we’ve got some things to look forward to on the Nintendo front. Seems the Revolution is gonna be some hardcore online business, and Gamecube backwards-compatible. PGC has a bunch of info, so check that out if you’re interested. Again, I’d like to bring up the new Zelda. There’s a poster of it in the Minish Cap player’s guide, so I’m thinking maybe I’mma buy that. What can I say? I need a Zelda poster.

I’m also considering getting Madden 2005 for the DS. Any time ago, this thought would never have even crossed my mind, but for reasons I cannot properly put into words, I want to own some sort of sports game, and there aren’t any hockey games for the DS yet. It’s Madden or Tiger Woods, and I don’t like the way Tiger is pointing at me so condescendingly.

How is it that I’ve gone 18 years without ever listening to Duran Duran? I can’t imagine how such a good band has gone under my radar until just recently.

iMesh 5 is pretty. Probably coated in spyware (they claim to be clean, but…), but my God is it pretty. And efficient. At least 76 times moreso than the last version. Say what you will about the spyware issue, I still like iMesh. I’ve got plenty of cleaning utilities.

I added a little hit stats dealie down on the sidebar. Click it for more info.

Is it wrong to try to win over a girl who’s currently seeing someone by pretending to be much more awesome than you are? (Not like it gets much more awesome than me) We’re still cool, even after the incident, but I’m thinking maybe I should cool the engines for a while. TV has tought me differently, so I’m not sure what the proper protocol is for this situation. Advice is appreciated.

Why is it that not a single store around here carries either Firehouse or Tesla? Best Buy and Future Shop I can see, but HMV? Come on! I guess I’ll be having to make that dreaded venture downtown if I hope to secure any music from either of these awesome bands. I hate downtown.

Speaking of Firehouse, they’re pretty much kicking ass on the ol’ AudioScrobbler list. You should totally sign up for an account there, even if you never use the thing, just so I can add more people to my friends list. And it’s just a neat little thing to have.

Is there a Corner Gas DVD? Amazon says no. Dammit. That’s an awesome show. If you don’t watch it, you so very totally should. I can’t stress enough how hilarious it is. Best show I’ve watched in years. Upon further investigation, the official website says yes. Flippin’ sweet.

Band of the Month – March 2005

2000 hits!!! Booya! I retain my title of Webmaster Grand Champion!

Okay, enough of that. I was gonna make a banner for the occasion, but I have a tendency to not get things done (you should be familiar with this particular trait by now), and well, it never got done and it’s too late now. On the other hand, it looks like you’re gonna be getting your article sooner rather than later. I gave it my best shot, but lonely is the fate of the man who burns for a girl who works almost literally all the time. Oh well, there’s always next week. For now, it’s time I get my Band of the Month on.

It’s probably not a great idea for me to choose Boston as this month’s BotM, as I really don’t know much of their stuff, save for the greatest hits. So while this one could be very short, just remember that the other BotMs that I thought would be short didn’t turn out too bad. Anyhow, I’ve bought not a single Boston album, but I do quite like the band. Obviously enough. I think it started way back when my dad got the greatest hits CD. A lot of the time, I hear a band, think nothing of them, and then come back some time later to really get into them. Boston is a perfect example of this. Though I may be thinking of the Eagles. Either way, that’s how I’m gonna say it went down.

I have to say, I think the first song that really drew me to the band is one of their slower hits, “Amanda”. I can only faintly remember the time when I started listening to them, but I do recall that I’ve always liked that song. That one and “Foreplay/Long Time”. So of course, since I liked the songs I checked out some more, and hooray! I like Boston. Some other choice songs would include “Rock & Roll Band”, “Cool the Engines”, and “Smokin'”. Yeah, Boston is a pretty solid example of what rock n’ roll should be like, with some brilliant guitar work and just an overall great sound. The aforementioned and aptly titled “Rock & Roll Band” is a great example, for those who need one. “Higher Power” is another really good one, as it really puts the guitars in the spotlight, right where they belong, being so awesome and all. Though in essence, it is more reminiscent of metal than rock n’ roll.

After a little research, I’ve discovered that Boston has released six albums, including the greatest hits compilation. First up and apparently most popular among fans was their self-titled debut. While it is only eight songs long (shameful, but the trend continues throughout), they’re all pretty awesome, and this is probably the one I would pick up were I to get any. Next is Don’t Look Back, which I’ve been told is another popular one, but I’ll admit I only know the title track. The third release, Third Stage, seems to have been a bit of a mixed bag. I would say it’s okay, but I only know three songs from it, so my opinion is invalid at best. It’s got “Amanda” and “Cool the Engines”, two songs that I love, and “Can’tcha Say (You Believe in Me)”, which is a sweet ballad, but gains power at several points, particularly when the chorus comes around.

The other two albums, Walk On and Corporate America are what some might call very “un-Boston”. I know not a single song from either disc, so I really can’t tell you what’s going on, but people are really giving these ones a beating in the reviews. In either case, the last one (though released before Corporate America) is their greatest hits disc. It seems fine to me, but the fans say that a few songs don’t belong, and could have been replaced by some that really should have made the cut (“Can’tcha Say”, for one, is commonly mentioned when listing songs that should’ve been there). The odd thing that I’ve discovered, is that there were huge gaps in between each album. Hell, it was apparently eight years between Don’t Look Back and Third Stage. I guess they’re kinda like the Nintendo of music.

So in closing, I like the classic Boston. I don’t know any of their more recent stuff, but if the reviews on Amazon.com are anything to go by, I’m not missing out on a whole lot. For what I know, I give the band a high recommendation. If you like rock n’ roll, chances are you’ll get into Boston pretty quick (if you haven’t already). As usual, the songs I mentioned are the ones I think you should listen to first, but keep in mind that I didn’t mention a lot of good ones too, so if you’re gonna be looking into them, just take what you can get and run with it. Chances of disappointment are very low.

I can see her in my head

The other day, Gabe from Penny-Arcade stated that “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman is the best song ever written. I’d like to point out while that it is an excellent contender for the title, I have to disagree that it takes the top spot. The greatest song ever is Duran Duran’s cover of “White Lines” (original by Grandmaster Flash). It’s an awesome song that is this prefect mix of rock, rap, techno, and even a litle dance. Also noteworthy is Kansas’ “Perfect Lover”, if only because it’s about a guy who’s in love with am imaginary girl, a scenario I know all too well.

So It’s Friday. You know what usually happens a couple days after Friday? That’s right. A new Steve article. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. This one is the most anticipated Steve article of all time. Well, in the little circle here, anyway. Ouside readers have no idea what I’m going on about. So that’s up.

Oh, and there’s finally a game that makes me truly consider buying a PS2. Follow the link to see more.

I’ve got nothing else. Go download all the songs I mentioned above. They’re all great. Rangdangdiggitydangdadang.

Band of the Month – February 2005

Before I get down to business, there are a few other things to report. Namely, the newest Steve article is up. If you don’t know where to find it by now, you’re a lost cause. Next up, working 6 to 2 is great, but causes much sleepiness. Third, Zoidberg rules! And lastly, I can’t actually play the game, but the intro video of Silent Hill 4 inspires a true fear deep in my heart. It’s freaky as hell, and I just wish the nerds at GameFAQs would tell me how to make my computer do pixel shading. I’d ask somewhere else, but then I’d have to sign up, and it’s just not worth the hassle.

But back to what’s truly important, my Band of the Month feature! this month, it’s Jimmy Eat World! You might have heard of their big singles “Sweetness” and “The Middle”. They was pretty everywhere at the time. And those are the ones that really put them on the map, as far as I can tell. I’d never heard of ’em before, and that’s as far as I care to investigate. Apparently, they had like three CDs out before those. It may have been two. I’m not doing any more reasearch than doing a search on Amazon.com. In any case, those songs are pretty much their claim to fame, even though they’re not exactly their best songs.

So this month is gonna be different. I really haven’t listened to much of their stuff, but I have obtained their newest disc, Futures, and I’m pretty much going to be doing the entire review on that CD alone. It’s not like it’s all they have, but I haven’t listened to a single song off any other album (aside from “Sweetness” and “the Middle”), so I’d be making even more grand assumptions than usual. And even I have my limits when it comes to making stuff up.

So this Futures, it must kick quite a bit of ass if I’m going to be basing a whole BotM on it alone. Well, it certainly does. I bought it pretty much blindly, having no idea whether I would like it or not (I never liked “Sweetness” quite as much as everyone else. “The Middle” is pretty good). But it was an excellent buy in the end. Jimmy Eat World is easily one of the best bands of today. Their sound constantly shifts between hard and soft, but is always very powerful. While I generally don’t care too much for emotion in music, it just pours out of these guys. The strong music and vocals work perfectly together (as you might expect) and create some very enjoyable tunes.

The title track, “Futures”, is an excellent starting point, and the following songs “Just Tonight” and “Work” are almost as good. “Kill” is great, as it’s an almost prefect blend of hard and slow rock. “The World You Love” is my favorite song on the disc. It starts peaceful and soft, and kind of inspires a feeling of hope. The kind of song you’d hear during the end montage of a movie. The chorus is a little faster and harder, but doesn’t totally change the pace of the song. If this were the only song I’d heard from the CD, I never would have second-guessed buying it. The next song, “Pain”, is harder, more tense and does a good job of contrasting with “The World You Love”.

“Drugs or Me” is a really slow ballad, and brings about a mood of despair. A good song, but it would be more suited near the end of the album, rather than smack in the middle. “Polaris” is another slower one, but gets a little harder once the chorus comes into play. An great love song, if that’s what you’re in the market for. After the last two songs, the hardcore “Nothingwrong” comes stright out of left field, and features some kick ass guitar work. “Night Drive” is again, a slow song, but this time with the rarely seem theme (since the 80’s or so) of making out in a car. The final and longest song, “23”, is proably also the deepest. It’s another ballad, and kind of gives the message that you can’t hold onto the past forever, and you can’t just expect everything to happen for you. It’s a great song to go out on, for sure.

Like I said, stellar album. You should buy it. I think I urge you to do that every time, but this time I suggest it to everyone, and not just those who like yon specific genre. Maybe even look into their older stuff. It may be top-notch as well. No regrets here, just feelin’ satisfied. Oops, wrong band. Maybe I’ll review Boston next month. In any case, go read Steve’s article if you haven’t and tune in this weekend for my final impressions on Resident Evil 4.

The Christmas Gift List 2004

It’s taken me over a month to finally get down to business, but finally, I can proudly present to you the second annual Cristmas article. Maybe in the future I’ll have some more Cristmas-themed things to write about, but that’s a little ambitious for me. So yes, it’s taken me quite a while, and I would like to take the time to explain myself. If you don’t want to read the article lengthening banter that is my explaination, just skip right past the next paragraph. If you do want to see what paper-thin excuses I’ve come up with, continue on, my friend.

I had originally wanted to do something different for christmas this year, but as you’ll see, it didn’t fly. I was planning to do complete reviews on each major item that I received, and then wrap up all the smaller ones into a separate article. But that idea never got off the ground, as it required me to do far too much writing in too little a time frame (I’m really bad for productivity. To date, I still haven’t finished the Disney World logs.). So now you get one big one. Then as if technology itself were trying to thrawrt me, I had uploaded about half the pictures you’ll see in this article onto the family PC, where I used to do most of my site work. it promoptly crashed a day or so afterward. The files were on a separate backup drive, and it wasn’t until just recently that I got around to putting it into my PC. So as you can plainly see, the lateness of this article is due to my extreme laziness. Oops.

But I digress, it’s about time I talked about the Christmasy stuff. Oh, did you notice I put images in the title banner? I think it’s a nice touch, though slightly overbearing. I’d also like to voice my opinions on the parts of Christmas which are not gifts, but if you really want to know about that, you can go read the intro to last year’s Christmas article. It’s got all the deets, yo.

As I did last year and will for many years to come, I shall start with the stocking. But why the stocking? Ah, that has got some lore behind it. So gather ’round while I tell ye the tale. Every year on christmas morn, us chill’ens get up anywheres between three to one hours before the folks do. Rules denote that no present is to be unwrapped while not under the watchful eye of the parents, so we must wait in agony for them to wake. But back in nineteen-odd-something, we struck a deal allowing us to dig into the stocking stuffers so that we might have something to do whilst we waited. And to this day, the stocking is always the first priority when dealing with Christmas-related affairs. Other big words, blah blah. Let’s move on.

I can’t say I was overly pleased with this year’s run. while there are a few treasures, I have to express that there wasn’t nearly enough candy. I’m a man who likes his candy. And it was lacking. Less than half the good pictured are practical. i guess it’s just a part of getting older (Hell, I should be glad I’m even getting a stocking), but these useful things just aren’t what I look for in a stocking. I’ll have to make note of it for next year.

Anyway, if you can’t tell from the picture, here’s what’s there. And in fancy list form, no less.

Halleluja! A Mastercraft utility knife!
Two blue pens. I always liked black better.
Orange Tic-Tacs. I hate orange.
A small chocolate Santa. Uneventful.
Mmm… Chocolate snowballs. Great for snacking.
Strawberry Bubblicious Bursts. A burst of flavour, then nothing. Crap.
LifeSavers book. Only six rolls? It used to be eight, dammit!
A foreign chocolate R. Hooray R!
Listerene Pocket Paks. Apparently good for dental hygiene.
A box of razor cartidges. My dad had better not use them all this time.
Cheap batteries. But, batteries is batteries.
Mitchum brand deodorant. God dammit! I like Brut!
Gilette shave gel. Again with the hoping dad doesn’t use it all.

Ye Gods! Wrong colour pens. Wrong flavour Tic-Tacs. Wrong brand deodorant. Kinda make me wonder if my paren- err, Santa, knows me at all. But all in all, not a bad bunch of stuff, but like I said before, the candy. But the one thing that really impressed me…

The utility knife. I don’t know if you’ve ever owned one of these bad boys, but they’re one of the most amazing things in the world. Able to slice through any annoying and normally impenetrable plastic packaging with the greatest of ease, the utility knife is not a tool that any well-equipped person should be without. I’d always waned one of these babies, and now the power to best even the most durable of materials is mine. Mine! But honestly, it’s one of the best tools to have around, and one of the most likely to become useful to boot. Sure, a multitool is handy in a pinch, but this baby’s got a blade like a… something real sharp. But you probably have good knowledge of the utility knife, as most normal people would, so I’ll just be moseying on along now.

The most intriguing thing I found in this year’s stocking is this mysterious chocolate R. I can’t remember for sure, but I’m pretty certain that the box was entirely in not-English. It was labelled as “melkchocolade” or something to that effect. I’d check, but the box is long gone by now. Another reason why it would have been beneficial to have done this sooner. Now, I know that foreign chocolate is good stuff, but the only thing I was curious about is where exactly this was found. I guess I’ll have to look around the local confection stores, should I seek the solution to this conundrum. So yeah, shaped like an R.

Next on the chopping block is the bag of stuff from my grandparent (father’s side). As long as I can remember, they’ve given bags of stuff. Of course, my memory’s about five years at max, so that’s not saying much. Anyhow, this one, as it is an actual gift, contains more substantial stuffings than the stocking. The rectangular object on the top is, as you might have guessed by the silhoutette, is a gift certificate for a round of golf. If only I didn’t have to wait through this horrid winter. the next, and more immediately accessible item is a gift card for Famous Players. I need companions for that one, though. You can’t just go to a movie alone. Or so I hear. And in the top right- Old Spice! My second-preferred deodorant! Hooray for my grandparents!

Among the more obvious items is a tube of toothpaste, good old Crest style. Crest is awesome. Aquafresh wishes it were as good as Crest. And then there’s the Juicy Fruit. When in stick form, it’s good stuff. But the peices are just worthless. The sticks have a good run of flavour. Heck, I’ve been chewing one all night and it’s still got some left. The pieces, though, they go for like 20 seconds and then it’s over. Kinda like your mom. Oh! Burn! …Did that make sense? I think that kind of joke only works against men… Maybe next year. What you don’t see in the picture is a scarf and a cheque for 50 smackers. Booyah. I love money.

Like the utility knife, I’ve wanted one of these for years now, but never goteen around to actually getting one. Until now, that is! If you don’t know what it is, I can’t help you, because I have no idea what it’s called. I can, however, tell you what it does. If you’re stuck with a TV that has only one set of A/V plugs like my own, and have many A/V using things around, this is just what the doctor ordered. You can just plug all your doodads into this box here, and switch them with a press of a button. It helps eliminate that annoying need to switch out the A/V cables all the time, and is really a pain saver if the jacks are on the back of the TV. Before I got his, I was too lazy to switch the plugs all the time, so if I wanted to play a Playstation game after a round of GameCube, I’d probably just consider it too much trouble and find something to do that required less effort. But now I switch in a matter of seconds, with no effort at all! Now I just need a power bar so I don’t have to switch out the power plugs all the time.

Off to the right side, you’ll also note a roll of duct tape just barely in the picture. I got that for Christmas as well, but had forgotten up until I saw it in the picture. And that’s why it doesn’t have it’s own picture. Funny story. My mom was totally stupified when I said I wanted duct tape for Christmas. She thought it was weird to ask for, but got it for me anyway. OK, maybe it wasn’t that funny after all.

Oh, and while I’m on the topic of things that didn’t get their own pictures (mostly just so that I don’t forget to mention them later), I also got a couple other “strange” goods for the big X to the Mas. for one, I got a pie from my youngest brother. It was an apple pie. I was hoping for pumpkin or cherry, but he bought me a freaking pie, so I was totally impressed. Also, my grandma got me some cheesecake. Both of these items were actually on my list (I wasn’t gonna make one orignally, but my mom requested it), and my brother and grandma are cool, so they totally came through for me. It was truly the tastiest Christmas ever.

Hey, lookit that! Certainly something I never would have expected. My mom had been hounding me that I needed a new jacket, and I guess that suede deal I bought wasn’t exactly winter-worthy. I should have seen it coming. Mommy hates when I own a piece of outside clothing for more than three years. Of course, I’m one of those people who get really attached to their stuff, and don’t like to get new things. She did it with my poor boots too. My new ones are totally inferior, as they’re falling apart after about half a year, and the old ones lasted four years with minimal damage. But back to the jacket. As much as I love my old “black Michelin Man” jacket, this one is without a doubt superior in every way. Not only is it warmer, it’s also less of an eyesore, and it’s got like 600 pockets. I like it, and I think this one will be staying for quite a few years to come.

With the appearance of the jacket, it only makes sense to take a look at any other clothing items, right? Best not to strew this stuff too far apart. This Christmas was very good to me clothes-wise. I got very few, and what I did get was exactly what I wanted. Most notably, and visible, is the new pair of pajama pants. I’ve been wearing jeans exclusively for so many years that I’m usually uncomfortable in anything else, but I love pajama pants. It’s like they were forged with the spirit of laziness. You can’t help but be a little lazy while wearing them. Maybe it’s that particular feature that has driven many schools to ban them. That stuff about them being too “unprofessional”? Bull. Authority likes to destroy morale (as far as my experience goes), and boy do pajama pants boost that trait. Oh yes, I actually received two pairs of these holy pants. The other pair is black. On top of that were a couple pairs of boxers. I won’t take a picture of me in my skivvies this year though. Don’t get me wrong, though. I’d love to, but then I’d have to get out of my chair and remove my pants, which is way more effort than I’m willing to put forth.

As I’m working on a PC with no program that can indicate the number of words in a document, I have no idea how far along I am word-wise, but I do think that this would be an appropriate time to go onto the next page of stuff. Going by paragraphs, this is about how far I got last year when I went onto the second page, and this two-pager deal should be tradition. It’s good for making me look like I write a lot more than I actually do. Crap. I’ve run out of ways to extend this paragraph. Oh woe is me! I have no ideas for filler! Oh well, to the next page!

[Pretend there’s a link to a Page 2 here. There really used to be!]

I’ll be honest, I didn’t think this year was going to produce a two-pager. But as it turns out, I might have actually gotten more stuff this year than I did last. I won’t bother to count, but feel free to do so if it bothers you not to know. This is really strange, because I figured Christmas wouldn’t be as great an occasion since now I’m an adult. But it was pretty much the same. Everyone still treats me like a kid, so I’m happy. But as much as things stayed the same, there was a lot of difference from last year.

The first thing, and most prominent for me, was our dog situation. Last year we had good old Mojo. I was forced to watch him a lot, so I got rather attached to the dog. But this year, we’ve got our new dogs. The whole season reminded me of Mojo, and gave me this strange sensation inside. I think it’s what you people call “emotion”. And then there was the fact that this year I only had two video games on my list, as opposed to the lists of years past that had only two items that weren’t video games. It could have something to do with the fact that this year I have a job and money, and I can buy the things I want. Lastly, this was teh first year where I eer had to actually go out to find things and buy them for my family. Previous years saw my parents doing my shopping for me, and it was different for me to have to do it for myself. But that’s enough reflection for now, it’s time we get back to the important matter at hand: showing off my material posessions!

I had pretty much given up on my hopes of collecting the new line of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys after the third series came out, and haven’t gotten any since last X-Mas. But then I saw these guys, and I knew that if I was going to have any TMNT toys at all, these would have to be the ones. The Toddler Turtles are possibly the best version of the Turtles I’ve ever seen. While they only show up in the random flashback in the show, that’s more than enough to produce toys for them. Just look how cute! And the little pretend weapons! As a bonus, all four come in the same pack at the price of a normal figure, so you don’t have to shell (Ha! Shell!) out four times the cash to obtain the complete foursome. If you’d like to read up on them a little more, Matt has an in-depth review of the little guys. And many more pictures.

It was inevitable. I tried to avoid it, I did, but people kept buying me DVDs of things, so it had to be done. I aksed for a DVD player. And then I got one. It’s not an expensive model, but it sure gets the job done. Plays the DVDs quite well, and also comes with MP3 support. I guess there’s not much else to say about it other than the black colour matches with my GameCube really well. And it fits on the shelf pretty good too. Ummm… I’m really reaching for stuff to say here, folks. Well, I’ve got nothing else, so it’s time to see what kind of stuff I got to use this with.

Well what do you know, it’s season four of Friends! Still a good three seasons or so before the series apparently jumped the shark, it’s a good season to have. Full of excellent Joey antics (particularly when they go to England) and some great episodes, like the one with the big “who knows who better” game. Ah, that was a classic. But I still can’t think of an episode that beats The One Where Nobody’s Ready from season three. If you need a refresher, go check last year’s article. That should shed a little light on the subject. And once again, I seem to be left without much to say, so it’s onto the next thing.

Hooray! Futurama! When the show first aired, I watched it every once in a while, but never really got into it, but ever since Teletoon’s been running the show, I’ve been watching every chance I get. And now, I have the season two DVD set! On top of that, I’ve bought seasons one and three between then and now, so I’ve got plenty of Futuama to watch whenever I want. It may just be a phase, but as it stands, Futurama is my favorite show on TV, new episodes or not. While I always enjoy the Simpsons (even the new ones, which for some reason, everyone else hates), I think Matt Groening really outdid himself with this series. Not to mention that it stars one of my favorite voice actors, Billy West, in at least three roles. And to top it all off, Dr. Zoidberg is probably my favorite cartoon character ever. He’s so awesome. I’ve actually been watching all the episodes with commentary, and it’s friggin’ hilarious. There are often a few too many people to keep track of, but it’s still really great, and offers a lot of insight into the show. Season four will be mine soon, and then I will have them ALL! Because having them ALL is a very popular theme with me.

Good news, everyone. I’ve got what might be the most original game ever. Well, if Wario Ware had never existed, it certainly would be. Feel the Magic: XY/XX is a pleasure just to own. It’s an incredible game that easily deserves its own review. that’s why I’m doing one, and I won’t write much about it here, other than a few base facts. Base facts like how it uses the Nintendo DS’ touch screen to the fullest extent yet, and even uses the microphone feature on more than two occasions. It’s a deceptively simple, and somewhat short game, but it’s a blast to play, and would have been even better thad they implemented some sort of multiplayer mode. But no game is perfect, right?

It’s funny how deceiving the cover is. It managed to trick my mom into thinking that it’s some kind of horrible sex game. I was even kinda surprised that she picked up on the chromosome thing in the title. I guess it’s common knolwedge to anyone who’s finished up to grade six or so, but I never really though that people knew hat kind of thing. Just seems like a little reference that only smart people would pick up on. So even though my mom was totally against it, I got it for Christmas. I even tried to get her playing it, but she just kind of gave up, saying it was too complicated. Pah. It’s funny how some people are so stubborn and won’t even try new things. Excellent game. This and Wario Ware: Touched! are easily worth buying a DS for.

The Sims 2. Never thought I could really enjoy the Sims again, but then along comes this. It’s just the upgrade that the aging game needed. There were far too many expansions that didn’t really offer anything new. But the sequel packs it on, with many new gameplay features like Wants and Fears, the aging of your sims, and even little side-missions. I also recently learned that you can earn special items when you complete certain tasks, in a nod towards a similar feature in the SimCity games. i really can’t explain how much better this game is that the first. Hell, you can even decorate the neighborhoods if you so choose. Want some trees over by the shopping mall? Just plop ’em down. Not enough rainbows in your sky? Too many rainbows in your sky? Add some more, or tear ’em all down. I did a pretty comprehensive review in my Ten Greatest Games of 2004 article, so you should scooch on over there if you want more detail. For the abriged version, this game rocks. If you didn’t like the original, you probably won’t like this one either, but I think it’s damn good.

Oh yes, and the big-boxed version comes with a “bonus hint book”. I’ll tell you now, that is a freaking exaggeration. Not only does it not need the big box, due to the book really being a booklet no larger than the instruction manual, but the hint book itself is pitifully worthless. All it really does is explain about the different aspirations, which the instruction manual and in-game help stuff do quite well. that’s really all there is to it. No more than a six-page aspiration explaination. Then it’s even got the nerve to advertise the real strategy guide on the back. That damn Prima is trying to sucker you into buying their guide for a game that doesn’t really need one by giving you a tiny taste of what they’re serving up. I should go buy a guide by any other publisher just out of spite.

I was surprised last year at how not-so-bad Big Shiny Tunes 8 turned out to be. But I saw commercials for 9, and said to myself “it’s time to stop getting them”. With bands like Billy Talent, Evanescence, Nickelback (whom I don’t mind, I just can’t stand the new stuff, which it was bound to be), and a bunch of bands I’ve ne’er heard of, I was ready for this one to be craptacular. But really, it’s not so bad. It actually turned out quite well. Billy Talent, the only band on the CD I cannot cope with, is number one, so I just have to skip the first song every time and I’m good! Other than that, it contains the only Evanescence song I don’t mind, and I can tolerate Franz Ferdinand and Nickelback long enough to get to the good stuff. And speaking of which, you’ve got The Killers’ “Somebody Told Me”, a kickass Blink 182 song by the title “Feeling This” and astonishingly enough, Hoobastank is on the CD, but not with “The Reason” (which I’ve grown to dislike due to massive overplaying), but “Same Direction” which just plain rocks. Also worth mentioning are Jet and Yellowcard. Overall, it’s a pretty good CD. Much more than I expected. Now we’ll just see if 10 is any good, though I’m kind of hoping that it’ll be the last. These Big Shiny CDs are starting to clutter up my collection.

Our last item for this year is this neat RC Mario Kart thingy. I’ve seen it online a couple of times, but have resisted buying it because of a rather hefty price tag. It’s a cool thing, and a great addition to my collection of Mario stuff, but I don’t think I’ll ever actually use it. For one, it needs like a bajillion batteries, including at least one 9-Volt. I just don’t have that kind of battery budget. Well, I suppose I could make the effort to buy a few, but still, it’s more of a display thing. A quick glance shows that it can only move straight forwards and back up to the right. Not exactly racing material if you ask me. My little micro-charger thing could probably win a race against this big boy, even though it would need a minute of charging every half-lap. You really can’t make an RC toy without the ability to turn. It just doesn’t work. But, you know, whatever. Better I get if at Christmas for free than give in to temptation and buy it from Lik-Sang for like 50 bucks. And if you think I wouldn’t eventually crack, you really don’t know me at all.

And that, my friends, concludes my 2004 Cristmas article. It may have come late, but I sure think it turned out better than I was assuming it would. You may feel a bit cheated that I gave you a single review instead of a handful, but.. well, yeah, you got screwed. Unless you hate my writing, in which case this is the best case scenario. Except for if I had followed my orignialest plan and just not done one at all. But nay is the case and now it is done. i wish I could think up some more stuff to say, for a conclusion of a single paragraph is barely a conclusion at all.

Ah, yes, that’s it. I’m quite surprised at how much stuff I got, considering that at 18 I’m pretty sure my gift allowance was to be cut in half at least. But it turns out that Santa is particularly nice to some adults. Heh heh. Yeah, my parents are great. I’m not sure what I’m gonna do that fateful year when they finally decide it’s time I grow out of getting a shitload of gifts. I guess by that time I won’t care quite as much as I do now. Or perhaps they’ll just wean me off slowly by giving me slightly less each year. It’s gonna be sad the first year this special isn’t a two-pager. I think that’s gonna be when I quit doing it. If the site lasts that long. But we’ve made it through two years of rambling filler, and I’ll bet I can make it to five, at least. I just hope somewhere along the way I can grow out of this Angelfire dirt. In any case, I hope you enjoyed. See you next article. Or blog post. Whatever.

Ow! My freaking ears!

I just spent the last 47 minutes listening to The Killers’ CD, Hot Fuss, and I can’t say that I’m overly impressed. While their big hit “Somebody Told Me” is a kickass song, I just can’t say the same for the rest of the disc. I assume that they’re an acquired taste, and if I listened to it a few more times I might get to like it, but I have other music that I know I like so I don’t think The Killers will be making it into my library anytime soon. Thank God I listened to the CD before buying it. Ths is a prime lesson in why you should never buy a CD until you’ve heard at least half the songs. I’mma go listen to Tesla now.

So… What else have I done lately? Oh, I downloaded the Rockman X8 PC demo today. you can find it here if you feel like giving it a spin. Just scroll down and hit the big red button. I was impressed by it, mostly because it’s so much better than X7 (which even I’ll admit was pretty sad). The only thing that disappointed me is that I doesn’t have any gamepad support. Or I’m just a dumbass and couldn’t figure out how to enable it (EDIT 9:10PM: Yep, I’m a dumbass. Found the option…). It’s got one helluva Capcom logo animation. I recommend downloading it just for that.

Shit, Sky Captain comes out tomorrow! I’m totally hyped. I love that movie so much. I guess that’s it for today. I’ll do some article work tomorrow. Maybe even get one done. Who knows.